Surf 101

surf

Costa Ballena offers you the best surfing conditions: Sunshine almost every day, big waves and a laid-back atmosphere and lifestyle. Especially Dominical has developed to a real surfers' paradise - visit us and immerse yourself into Pura Vida!

For first time surfers, Punta Uvita/Playa Chaman has great waves to help you learn and get up on the board for the first time. For intermediate surfers, Playa Hermosa has great waves and for the more advanced surfer, Punta Achiote and Playa Dominical provide consistent waves and are locals’ favorite surf spots.

Dominical is the gateway and the first beach of Costa Ballena.  It has a relaxed atmosphere, and it is well known in the surfing world, a real surfer’s paradise.  If you are new to the sport, there are schools that give classes for enthusiasts.

Costa Rica Free Digital Magazine #93, Health, Welness and Beauty

READ OUR LATEST EDITION ONLINE

Health Wellness and Beauty, Costa Rica Free Digital Magazine #93

Dear readers, collaborators, and advertisers,

This is our first digital edition of 2024. Time has passed quickly, and just a little over a year ago, our founder passed away. As a team, we are proud to say that despite our difficulties in 2023, we have managed to keep the legacy alive. Of course, this has been possible thanks to your unwavering support. Thank you for your continued trust and loyalty.

We look forward to serving you in the years to come.

The current edition of our publication includes a diverse range of content focused on health, wellness, and beauty. You'll find articles written by experts in medicine, therapy, health, and beauty that offer exceptional treatments and alternatives to promote overall health and well-being. We hope that among these articles, you'll find the treatment that resonates with you and suits your needs.

Costa Rica free Dicital magazine 93, Health, Wellness and Beauty

Living in the South Pacific region of Costa Rica is a delightful experience and can be compared to discovering the fountain of youth. It is a blessing to inhale clean and fresh air, swim in the ocean, waterfalls, or streams, savor fresh and organic food, and appreciate the vibrant greenery of our mountains.

Free Digital Magazine 93, Health, wellness and Beauty

We take pride in assisting you to explore new places, such as the bee tour in Playa Hermosa and the charm of the mangrove tour. Additionally, we are happy to share testimonies from those who have chosen to live a more straightforward, happier life, making Pura Vida more attainable.

Summer is in full swing, meaning this paradise has plenty of festivals, shows, and beach parties. For instance, Envision, Planetario Aventura, or simply relaxing by the beach. This is the perfect time to learn to love your life and fully embrace your experience.

WE ARE = SOMOS the solution , Costa Rica Digital Nagazine #93 health, wellness and beauty

In addition, we are pleased to share good news about the SOMOS Foundation. They have been carrying out various actions to improve the community, and soon The Journey will be opening an educational center project. We are excited to see the positive impact that this will have on the community.

As usual, we ask that your ecological footprint be as small as possible if you visit us or are already part of the community.

The Editorial Team

Pura Vida!

Ballena Tales is an essential free digital magazine in Costa Rica, valid for travelers, residents, and investors covering Costa Ballena in the Canton of Osa in the South Pacific of Costa Rica. It is a fully bilingual, bi-monthly, and full-color digital magazine.

The magazine introduces the reader to the life of the local community, with interviews of pioneers, writers, and artists, as well as extensive information on restaurants, hotels, experiences, natural attractions, and wildlife of the South Pacific of Costa Rica.

We are not just a magazine; each edition (print and digital) is linked to a robust web platform; the editions are published online, and the advertorials are included in our blog and the brand in the commercial directory. We also add links to the advertising company's website and social networks. At this time, the openings of digital publications in all their expressions exceed 80 thousand openings, and the advertised brands have a global reach.

We have a loyal audience of over 8,000 readers in the South Pacific's Costa Ballena region who will view your news in each printed edition.

We prioritize our readers' satisfaction by delivering a variety of engaging content while showcasing the value of our advertisers' brands.

What to do, Where to eat and Where to stay…

South Pacific Costa Rica Beaches, 

Looking for business directories, maps or other printouts? We’ve got that too!

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Need help planning your next trip? Let us help you with your Costa Rica vacations!

Email: carlos@ballenatales.com
Phone: +(506) 8946 7134 

Surf Board Shapers

Surf Board Shapers

~ by Trevor Brown

Thousands of people coming from all regions of the country for contests and events have made surfing one of Costa Rica’s most popular sports. However, surfing is much more than a sport; it’s also one of the greatest forms of self-expression. 

Just as in music, dance, and other arts, there are no rules in surfing.

Surf Board Shapers - Osa, Bahia Ballena, Uvita - Ballena Tales

You have a wave, a board, and how you choose to ride one with the other. Self-expression in surfing is often found via board design.

Modifying the boards’ dimensions, shape, thickness, fin placement, and other small factors can change how a board performs custom to the style it is surfed.

In Costa Ballena, two local surfers have taken their expression to a new level by hand-shaping boards for themselves and their friends. Matu López of La Casita Pizzeria in Dominical started shaping boards by disassembling broken longboards and reshaping them into retro-style short boards.

His creativity and craftsmanship quickly grabbed the interests of his peers, which resulted in several requests to make similar custom board.

Now with more experience and a more refined skill, Matu continues to make boards for local Dominical surfers. 

Esneyder of Uvita works on his own masterpieces. He has been hand-shaping boards for years now, and has made everything from performance short boards to classic longboard shapes. 

When you surf in Playa Hermosa, look for locals riding his boards labeled Colo Tico.board shaper

Each shaper expresses their love for surfing through creative board design.

Living in Dominical, I’ve been fortunate enough to ride Matu’s shapes, and I’ve watched dozens of his boards being ridden by his friends. Each board draws a different line on the wave, and is surfed differently. Watching a stylish surfer on a hand-shaped board will always have more appeal than watching contest tricks.

This creative self-expression has propelled surfboard design and innovation since the beginning. 

INFO: Trevor Brown – crsurfrealty@gmail.com

Why surfers are so cool?

Why surfers are so cool?

~by Trevor Brown

Why surfers are so cool?

One of surfing’s greatest legends Andy Irons said it best “I surf because I’m always a better person when I come in.”

If you were to describe a surfer, you’d notice a few commonalities. First, most surfers are fit, tanned, and are usually calm, confident and have a positive outlook on life. This isn’t because surfing draws this particular type of person; it’s because of the numerous health benefits that change one’s body and mind as a result of the sport. The combination of fitness, chemical, and psychological impacts of surfing results in an overall healthy and happy well-being.

The chemical make-up of the elements involved in surfing has their health benefits. The ultra-violet rays of direct sunlight allow your body’s activation in naturally producing Vitamin D. The composition of seawater contains numerous vitamins, mineral salts, amino acids, and living microorganisms that reportedly produce antibiotic and antibacterial effects boosting your immune system. Also, minerals in seawater open the pores in your skin allowing your body to absorb other sea minerals, and at the same time, release toxins, and disease from your body.

Surfing is a mood enhancer full of positive feelings and a general reduction of negative emotions. In surfing, it’s just you, your board, and the ocean. The individual struggle with the elements allows for much self-accomplishment; it is very therapeutic. Floating in the saltwater watching pelicans pass over as you breathe in the fresh salty air to admire the beautiful backdrop of the jungle behind brings much inner-peace.

Surfers are so cool, Pura Vida!

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Surfing Life

Surfing Life

by Perry Gladstone Photo A surfer Dream

Driving down the Costanera in Costa Ballena, South Pacific Costa Rica (#34 road), a young spider monkey ran out in front of the car. He barely made it across then leaped onto a nearby tree where another juvenile monkey was anxiously waiting. I saw the two of them clinging to the small trunk, totally engrossed in the moment. I am certain one was saying to the other, “Whoa dude that was close!

Surfing life

Surfing life

I couldn’t help but think of the last surf trip I took with my pals. The waves were huge and at one point I got hammered by a giant wall of white water and dragged towards the rocks. I barely made it. Back on shore my friends were quick to tell me how lucky I was. It’s not a coincidence that our experiences and those of the rest of the world are similar.

We share the same planet, air, and life force, regardless of where we believe it comes from. Bottom line: we are all in the soup together. Those that surf are quick to extol its virtues. Part sport, part meditation, technical yet totally organic, surfing is a unique blend of freedom, creativity, adventure and skill.

Of course the wave has its own course and so the surfer must both navigate and negotiate the relationship at every moment. Life too, has its course and it’s up to us to choose our path in each moment. Like me and the monkey, some of our choices will be close calls. Other times they might be precious, tragic or forgotten.

It’s all part of the adventure as we surf on through.

Give a dime and save a life!  Read about lifeguards in Costa Ballena >>>

Dare to Discover and Enjoy…

What to do, Where to eat, and Where to stay…

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Need help planning your next trip to Costa Rica? We look forward to helping you!

Email: carlos@ballenatales.com,  Phone:  + (506) 8946-713