Costa Rica Archives — Pavones, Costa Rica

Tubing in Pavones – Pavones, Costa Rica

By admin | October 14, 2012

October 13th, 2012 – Pavones, Costa Rica

Pavones – No surf…no problem! There are many activities and things to do in Pavones besides surfing such as tubing in Pavones. This is a fun experience if you have to try if conditions are right. The hike is about two hours to get to the river (Rio Claro) and the actual time in the river is about three hours. The hike up to the river is a great way to see some amazing views of the jungle, ocean and wildlife. On this trip we were able to spot lots of birds, howler monkeys and squirrel monkeys.

The actual tubing part is really fun making you feel like a little kid at a water park as you can’t wipe the smile off of your face. We timed everything perfect because the river wasn’t too shallow or too fast, one thing you just have to make check to ensure a fun but safe trip. The three hour experience is so surreal being in the middle of the jungle cruising down the Rio Claro as you observe all the sites and sounds of being in an amazing setting. There are some parts where you have to get up and walk in or around the river to avoid a few fallen trees or shallow parts. But overall this is an amazing fun experience that you will never forget. The best part is that the river will spit you out right at the surf break of Pavones! Make sure you allow yourself a good 5-6 hours for this trip. Ask locals if they think the river’s flow is not to slow or fast to ensure safety. If you are looking for things to do in Pavones and want some fun adventure, tubing in Pavones is an amazing experience you won’t forget!

Pavones, Costa Rica – September 30th, 2012

By admin | September 30, 2012

September 30th, 2012 – Pavones, Costa Rica

Pavones – We had a great turn out yesterday for the first World Surf Pavones contest. A lot of people from the community came out to join the competition and support the event throughout the entire day. There were about 18 participants in the surf competition and they all did a great job. Surf conditions were fair as it was knee to chest high surf. It might have been a little tough on the participants due to the inconsistency of the sets but conditions got a little better as the day went on. The weather was great earlier with partly cloudy skies but eventually we got some rain towards the quarter and semi finals of the competition.

Congratulations to JeanCarlos Mendoza Vargas for winning the overall event. The top four finalists received gifts for their efforts. Below are the top four competitors of the event.

JeanCarlos Mendoza Vargas
Henry Martinez
Jimmy Jimenz
Leilani McGonagle

Congratulations to Leilani McGonagle for winning the woman’s competition. Below are the top four competitors for the event.

Leilani McGonagle
Amy Khoo
Lu Guglielmone
Teresa Medina Conception

Most importantly thanks to all the surfers who participated the competition. It was a fun and friendly event.

In additional thanks to all the sponsors and people who helped put this event together. Special thanks to: El Terruno de Ronital, Bar La Plaza, Cafe de la Suerte, La Manta, Sea Kings Surf Shop, Latin Attitude, Ebenezer, Golfo Dulce, Willy Willy’s, Clear River Water Sports and PavonesCR.

I would like to challenge all of us to make this a bigger event next year. It was great to see the community support such a great event. I would like to encourage all the local businesses and community to sponser a local kid to enter the competition so they can look forward to having a shot at becoming next champion of the World Surf Pavones competition. Let’s step it up next year and make this a great annual event for the town of Pavones!

The boys made sure they grabbed the best seats in the house before the event took place.

Every Saturday, Sassy is here selling her delicious baked goods and homemade food. Jammin was selling some tasty fruit and pipas (coconut water). You need to check them out next time you’re in town.

Surf check before the competition. The event was delayed a few hours in order for the tide to come in and surf to get better.

Marlon getting ready for his first heat. Looks like he’s getting some good encouragement from his buddies.

Not only did Jean Carlos participant in the event he also did a really good job getting the event put together. Here he is announcing the heats at the dj booth.

Every now and then a nice wave would roll in. Unfortunately this one was prior to the competition.

Jimmy Jimenez getting ready for the first heat of the day.

William getting a really nice clean wave in the first heat of the day.

Dennis with a good looking floater to finish his wave.

The local boys checking out the competition and some getting ready to enter in.

Leilani making it look easy.

Harley had a nice hit on the lip, nice rip!

Henry always surfing with some power.

Macho always showing some skill with his effortless maneuvers.

Dario finding the lip on this one.

Thanks to great help (left to right) from Suzanne and the three judges of the competition: Jaime, Brent and Alex. Good job guys and thanks for everything!

Leilani hitting the lip to finish her ride.

Marlon with a nice floater.

Alberto cruising down a nice clean wave.

Nice power hack by Harley.

Looks like that ankle is doing better Pirullo!

Kenny found himself with a fun little wave to ride.

Evelyn and Marylou were serving up some awesome food as always! Yum!

Marlon with a nice bottom turn.

Today we had some super fast waves here is Dario racing down the line on one of the best waves of the day.

JeanCarlos, nice spray!

Lu catching a nice wave during her heat in the woman’s competition.

Gisselle about to cutback on this wave.

Taking flight. Hey Pirullo, the air show is after the competition!

Teresa caught this nice looking wave in the woman’s competition.

Henry drawing some nice lines.

Another nice wave caught by Alberto.

Tasia heading out to the lineup.

Henry displayed some great surfing today.

Tasia with a floater.

William with an epic layback, he actually pulled off the move!

Teresa picking off an inside wave.

Everyone having fun today!!!

Pirullo with a nice move on a great wave.

Jimmy with a nice cut back.

Dario with a nice floater to finish this wave.

Gisselle racing down the line on this fast little wave.

Harley looking down the line to figure out his next move.

Lu and Amy walking out for their heat.

Fito having fun.

Amy catching up to this fast wave.

It took a while to get a vollyball game going but the locals were having fun once they started playing.

Jimmy turning into this one.

JeanCarlos Medoza Vargas showing how he took first place with great surfing throughout the day. Congrats dude!

Pavones, Costa Rica – September 4th, 2012

By admin | September 4, 2012

September 4th, 2012 – Pavones, Costa Rica

Pavones – We’ve had some really great surf the past few days. The swell is starting to back off but we still a good forecast of shoulder high waves this week. Hopefully we’ll see another swell heading our way in about a week. We’ve had a mixture of weather this past week as expected this time of the year in Pavones for rainy season. Luckily we have had some nice sunny days in the morning and early afternoon with rain hitting hard in the late afternoon and evening. Can’t complain with the overall weather though! Below are some pics of whats been going on the past couple of days.

Thanks to these guys we have fresh fruit and vegetables to eat! They come every Monday and Friday from 7:00 am-1:00 pm. They have about everything you want for your fruit and veggie fix, so make sure you hit them up when you are in town They are located in the town center next to the soccer field!

This view never gets old!

Tommy setting up…

…for this little nugget.

Doh! Don’t be this guy in the line-up! Show proper etiquette and make sure you know who’s coming down the line.

Jean Carlos taking flight.

You can always here an gorilla like sounds around sunrise and sunset. Howler Monkeys are one of three types of monkeys that can be spotted here in Pavones. This guy I spotted right off the beach frontage road. For more information about Howler Monkeys check out this link.

Pavones, Costa Rica – September 1st, 2012

By admin | September 1, 2012

September 1st, 2012 – Pavones, Costa Rica

Pavones – The swell arrived yesterday and should be peaking later this afternoon. So far we have had good conditions with slight onshore winds kicking on mid-morning. Waves are head high to head high plus three feet with bigger sets coming in every now and then. Its been pretty crowded at both low tide and high tide but there have been plenty of waves to go around.

If you are looking to travel to Pavones please contact us to help set up your trip from accommodations, car rentals, driving directions, things to do and more! Hope to see you down here soon!

Pavones, Costa Rica – August 9th, 2012

By admin | August 9, 2012

August 8th, 2012 – Pavones, Costa Rica

Pavones – Rambutan or more commonly called Mamon Chino here in Costa Rica is one of the coolest looking fruits around. Harvested this time of year (just like the Mangosteen) you can see endless bags being sold by street vendors throughout the roads and towns of Costa Rica.

The exterior shell of the Rambutan is a soft, rubber-like texture with stiff like bristles. It’s oval shaped size ranges from 1-2 inches long. In order to access the fruit inside simply twist the rind and there you will see a juicy white translucent grape-like fruit around an inner seed. The taste is out of this world. Some people describe the taste as sweet and slightly mild in flavor, similar to a lychee or longan. It’s super juicy and addicting to eat!

You can get a one pound bag for around $2 here.

Rambutan - Exotic Fruit in Pavones, Costa Rica

Below are some health benefits of the Rambutan that we have taken from this website http://www.101healthyrecipes.com/health-benefits-of-fruit/rambutan-fruit-facts-health-benefits-101.php

Rambutan fruit is rich in sugar, mostly fructose and sucrose, but less calories, only around 60 in a fruit. Rambutan fruit is abundant with vitamin C and has potassium, iron, beta carotene or vitamin A, and a little calcium, magnesium zinc, sodium, niacin, fiber and protein.

The fruit has been employed in traditional medicine in Malaysia and Indonesia for hundreds of years as a treatment for diabetes, hypertension and various ailments. Besides the antioxidants obtained in its beta carotene and vitamin C, research workers at the Chiang Mai University in Thailand found that the rambutan pulp, seeds and skin have strong, plant based, antioxidants calledflavonoids. Certain kinds of flavonoids are believed to reduce cholesterol and possess anti-cancerous, anti-inflammatory attributes.

One of many organic compounds contained in the skin is Gallic acid. This compound behaves like a free radical scavenger as it helps protect against oxidative damage in our body and is regarded as a strong aid in the battle against cancer. Due to its extensive antioxidant activity, compared to other exotic fruits like pomegranate, rambutan skin extract may be promoted as a drug or health supplement product.

The rambutan is abundant with vitamin C. 10-12 rambutans provide 75-90 mg ascorbic acid, more than double the amount recommended to take daily. An essential antioxidant, vitamin C prevents body cells from being damaged by free radicals and helps the absorption of iron.

The fruit also has small quantities of copper, necessary for the creation of white and red blood cells, and also manganese, which our body needs to produce and activate some enzymes.

A single serving of rambutan functions as an excellent iron source. The iron in what you eat promotes the correct amount of oxygen inside you, which help stop the dizziness and fatigue due to anemia, an illness caused by low iron.

Additionally, you will obtain 4.3% of the daily recommended intake ofphosphorus when you have a serving of rambutan. Phosphorus helps remove waste in your kidneys and is essential for the development, repair and maintenance of tissues and body cells. Rambutan also has a small amount ofcalcium; both phosphorus and calcium work together to fortify your teeth and bones.

Other Exotic Fruits in Pavones, Costa Rica

Water Apple

Biriba

Mangosteen

Pavones, Costa Rica – August 5th, 2012

By admin | August 5, 2012

August 5th, Pavones, Costa Rica

Pavones – Another great day for surf even with the swell backing off some. Wave heights in the head high to overhead +2 feet. We’ve also been enjoying some great weather during the day as well. Here are some photos from today. Enjoy!

If you are looking for a place to stay please contact us and we’ll find you the perfect place for your trip.

Pavones, Costa Rica – August 4th, 2012

By admin | August 4, 2012

August 4th, 2012

Pavones – The swell of the season showed up on Friday afternoon as sized picked up in a hurry. Today we had great conditions with waves well overhead with occasional sets double overhead. The waves were connecting from the point all they way through the inside bay. We had a good size crowd today and the town was packed with tourists and Costa Rican locals who reside from all parts of the country. Waves were pretty consistent all day with good size. There were a lot of snapped boards, barrels, long rides. Fun times. Jolly Roger has a live band playing xylophones tonight and La Manta has video from today’s action playing on the big screen. They also have a live band playing tonight. If you’re in town check them out!!

Classic Pavones waves today!!

If you are looking for a place to stay please contact us and we’ll find you the perfect place for your trip.

Pavones, Costa Rica – July 29th, 2012

By admin | July 29, 2012

July 29th, 2012 – Pavones, Costa Rica

Pavones – The swell backed off a bit today unfortunately as we hoped that we would have another day of bigger surf. This morning was clean but a little inconsistent. Waves were in the waist to shoulder high range with a few head high sets rolling through. It was still a fun day ans super clean this morning.

If you are looking for a place to stay please contact us and we’ll find you the perfect place for your trip.

Pavones, Costa Rica – July 26th 2012

By admin | July 26, 2012

July 26th, 2012 – Pavones, Costa Rica

If you get to travel this way to Pavones this time of year you might be able to get your hands on a rare exotic fruit found here in Southern Costa Rica called Mangosteen (Scientific name is Garcina mangostana). Mangosteen has been regarded as one of the most delicious and best flavored fruits in the world. This fruit is believed to have originated in the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas (Indonesia). Mangosteen has also been called “The Queen of Fruit” and the “food of the Gods” in some parts of the world.

It takes approximately 7-10 years for the mangosteen to bear fruit. Once the tree matures to its full growth (20 – 80 feet in height) it can yield on average up to 500 mangosteen fruits per harvest. The fruit itself has a purple rind with a juicy soft white flesh in 4-8 segments (edible part). The fruit in its entirety ranges from 2 to 3 inches in diameter, about the size of a tangerine. When the fruit is ripe, the rind becomes soft and can be opened by twisting the rind with your hands. Be careful because the rind can stain your hands purple.

In addition to its rich taste, mangosteen is also regarded as a super fruit and has been uses as medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. The fruit, fruit juice, rind, twig, and bark are used as medicine. Mangosteen is used for anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidents, intestinal infections, urinary tract infections, diarrhea, cancer, osteoarthritis, menstual disorders and contains more than 40 xanthones. Check out this page for more health benefits of mangosteen.

In 2007 the United States lifted the ban on mangosteen to allow imports of this tropical fruit. But don’t be surprised to find this at just any grocery store and expect to pay up to $45/pound!

You can find these fruits at the Costa Rican/Panamanian border at certain fruit stands. If you’re lucky and meet the right people in town, they could get you some of this exotic fruit in Pavones. If you have an opportunity to get your hands on mangosteen, you must do so! It might be the best fruit you’ve ever tasted!

Pavones, Costa Rica – July 23rd, 2012

By admin | July 23, 2012

July 23rd, 2012 – Pavones, Costa Rica

Pavones – We are finally getting some decent surf after a long period of not much surf. We should be getting some fun surf all week. This morning was a little choppy but still fun surf. Size was around chest to shoulder high. Its been overcast and rainy the past few days but lets hope the weather favors off shore winds so we can surf all day!

If you are looking for a place to stay please contact us and we’ll find you the perfect place for your trip.

Pavones, Costa Rica – June 4th, 2012

By admin | June 4, 2012

June 4th, 2012 – Pavones, Costa Rica

Pavones – The long wait of some good surf ended yesterday as we had some really good conditions in the morning. Surf was in the chest to head high range with occasional sets overhead at the point. The inside bay was working really well and generating some fun little barrels. A lot of the locals were getting some good little barrel rides.

If you are looking for a place to stay please contact us and we’ll find you the perfect place for your trip.

This morning was epic, we had some great weather and great waves. Just another day in paradise!

Noe pulling in.

Clean shoulder high wave.

Where did Leon go? This is one of two barrels he came in and out of on this one wave.

This tourist caught a fun one.

Billy from Casa Tranquillo getting some shade on a very hot day!

Noe creating shadows.

I think the guy on this boat was contemplating going back out after seeing this un-ridden wave roll by.

Pavones, Costa Rica – April 30th, 2012

By admin | April 30, 2012

April 30th, 2012 – Pavones, Costa Rica

Pavones – We had some fun surf today as we had good surfing conditions in the morning. Surf was shoulder to head high + with occasional overhead sets. Wind started to blow onshore mid-morning but surfing conditions were still fun all day.

If you are looking to find a place to stay in Pavones, please contact us and we’ll find you the perfect accommodations.

Pavones, Costa Rica – April 20th, 2012

By admin | April 20, 2012

April 20th, 2012 – Pavones, Costa Rica

Pavones – The swell peaked today providing wave heights in the shoulder to overhead + range. The surf was glassy in the early morning but tide was heading out quick. Wind turned onshore mid-morning again but conditions remained good and the surf was fun all day. Surf should drop in the next few days but should still be pretty fun.

If you are looking for a place to stay please contact us and we’ll find you exactly what you are looking for.

Pavones, Costa Rica – April 3rd, 2012

By admin | April 3, 2012

April 3rd, 2012 – Pavones, Costa Rica

Semana Santa is upon us. We have had some solid surf the past week. We should start to see the swell dwindle down for the rest of the week though. We had solid shoulder to overhead surf the past week with good conditions. We also had a nice crowd too due to the holiday week. We’ve been getting a little rain here and there but definitely seeing changes in the weather.

Pavones, Costa Rica – March 24th, 2012

By admin | March 24, 2012

March 24th, 2012 – Pavones, Costa Rica

We had some great surf this past week. Surf height ranged from waist to head high+ with fair to good conditions. We got some rain too for the first time this year. What a refreshing feeling as we had gone months with just hot and dry weather. Hopefully we can start seeing a little more moisture as it is super dry here to help all the flora and fauna and the low water wells too!

This local was ripping this wave.

This was a fun chest high wave that snuck by the crowd.

The corner at low tide.

Great time of year to be here in Pavones, Costa Rica. Lots of trees blooming right now, above is the yellow Cortez tree showing off its bright yellow flowers.