why is nicoya, costa rica a blue zonewhy is nicoya, costa rica a blue zone

Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The Blue Zone of the Nicoya Peninsula stands out for the beauty of its landscapes, its tourist attractions, and its conservation areas, but above all, for the stories told by the long-lived inhabitants of the region, who have exceeded the life expectancy in Costa Rica and continue to be lucid and active, and who enjoy long, healthy lives. Costa Rica is known for its pura vida lifestyle and attitude. But other factors are at play, especially in Nicoya, an 80-mile peninsula just south of the Nicaraguan border. To understand some of the reasons why Blue-Zoners live healthier, longer lives, let's take another look at Ricardo's daily routine. Blue Zones Nicoya naci en 2014, una empresa 100% costarricense, que durante los ltimos 6 aos ha sido destacada por la investigacin de alimentos locales de la Zona Azul de Nicoya-Guanacaste. "Looking beyond Costa Ricas Blue Zone in Nicoya, elements that make our population stand out and that describe our focus on well-being can be found in every corner of our territory. The volcanic beach has calm swimming in Bahia Ballena (despite the name, whales are no longer frequent visitors), and theres birdwatching and hiking along the Rio Panica. Were Thomas (the German) and Sarah (the US-er). The peak nesting time is from August to November and in the days before a new moon, thousands of turtles congregate in the Pacific waiting for the perfect time to come ashore and dig a hole to lay their eggs. Directions: Toss the cabbage with the orange juice, season with salt and pepper and let sit 30 minutes. Nicoya, Costa Rica - And then there's Nicoya, where Ricardo and his family live, a notable exception to the rule that people in developing countries have shorter life spans than those in developed ones. If you want to get underground, Barra Honda National Park has a system of 42 caves and you can explore Terciopelo Cave on a tour. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a host of problems, such as osteoporosis and heart disease, but regular, smart sun exposure (about 15 minutes on the legs and arms) can help supplement your diet and make sure youre getting enough of this vital nutrient. Book a transfer from your hotel, opt for a shuttle or public bus, or take a domestic flight to one of the peninsulas larger towns. The climate in the Blue Zone is very mild, which may help to protect against diseases. That's why this part of Costa Rica is designated a Blue Zone, the term used for just five areas of the world where people live extraordinarily long and vibrant lives. Everywhere you go in Costa Rica, youll hear pura vida! and soon feel the freedom to adopt the pura vida lifestyle yourself. The term 'Blue Zone' was coined by Dan Buettner, a New York Times bestselling author, who was studying areas to some of the oldest people in the world. It includes the five cantons of the Nicoya Peninsula: Hojancha, Nandayure, Carrillo, Santa Cruz and Nicoya. Thomas Ramsauer / Shutterstock. Nicoyans attribute much of their longevity to social values of faith and family. Whether this pandemic impacts the average lifespan of people around the world or not, a lot can be gained by studying five specific regions in the world where people seemingly effortlessly live to over 90 years in age. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. They embrace the relaxed Pura Vida lifestyle and family always comes first. Nicoyans often live more than 100 years and Nicoya boasts of the highest number of centenarians in the world. Nicoyan centenarians get frequent visits from neighbors. Nicoya. Dan discovered five places where residents have low rates of chronic disease and live longer than anywhere else. In mid-November 2017, the first World Meeting of Blue Zones was held. Nicoya, Costa Rica A Latin American Blue Zone. Despite that, the area has many of the same ideals that the rest of Costa Ricans have. Nicoyan centenarians tend to live with their families, and children or grandchildren provide support and a sense of purpose and belonging. It's a question that inhabitants of Guanacaste are happy to be asking themselves, since it's a true pride for the province's population to be home to one of the five such zones that exist worldwide. Nicoya, Costa Rica. The way Nicoyans choose to live their lives gives us a template from which we can learn to improve our health and find our sense of purpose. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These characteristics are: Despite this, it is believed that 30% of a long healthy life comes from genes and 70% is based on lifestyle. In parallel, the ICT has drawn attention to the concept of the Blue Zone as part of its wellness tourism strategy as a distinctive feature in promoting the destination, while the Ministry of Culture and Youth has identified the long-lived inhabitants as bearers of a tradition which they can contribute to recovering for future generations. Rare species like pumas, ocelots, and margay cats make their home here too. While Nicoyans start their day by eating a healthy breakfast, their diet is not the only secret to living long lives. Currently, three emblematic examples of this Blue Zone include the centenarians Jos Bonifacio "Pachito" Villegas, from Pochote de Quebrada Honda, Nicoya, who rides a horse every day at age 100, Trinidad Espinoza, who recounts anecdotes from Costa Rica in the 1930s continuously while she feeds her chickens, and Dmaso Mendoza, age 102, who, on receiving a visitor, always talks about her years as a dancer and how she enjoys the company of the five generations of her family in Santa Ana de Beln, Carillo. If you would like to be near things but get a bit more of a feel for traditional Nicoya life while also enjoying a bit of the touristy perks (surfing, fun restaurants etc.) Try spending quality times with your loved ones. There are plenty of good-for-you activities to keep you busy on the Nicoya Peninsula jump in the water with a surfboard or snorkel, get up high on a zipline, stretch out with a yoga class, or take a hike (call it forest bathing if you wish) in a nature reserve. The town of Nicoya is considered the oldest in Costa Rica, it is popularly known as "the colonial city". obesity, or heart disease. These include Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Loma Linda, California; Ikaria, Greece, and you guessed it; Nicoya, Costa Rica. The occasion was also used to release the most recent study on longevity by the Institute of Social Studies in Population (Instituto de Estudios Sociales en Poblacin, IDESPO) at the National University of Costa Rica. January 18, 2022 . This is a BETA experience. The five blue zones are: Loma Linda, California; Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; and the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. They are eye-opening and heart-tugging. Residents of this 80-mile peninsula found south of the Nicaraguan border have the world's lowest middle-age mortality rates, and the second highest number of male centenarians in the world. The traditional diet in the area is also notable. Another option is to take the 75-minute ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya from Puntarenas to Paquera. What they generally don't know, however, is that a part of Costa Rica tourists rarely visit (the rural Nicoya Peninsula towns of Nicoya, Santa Cruz and environs) contains the largest. However, Costa Rica's blue zone is so much more. For example, we know that Nicoya is the driest part of Costa Rica, that it used to be part of Nicaragua, and that more Indians intermarried with the Spanish who began settling here in 1510. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Nicoya, Costa Rica is one of those unique locations where lifestyle, diet, and low stress have dramatically bettered the lives of Ticos and expats alike. Its difficult to maintain family bonds and friendships when school and work take us far from home, into strange communities. Costa Rica is generally a healthy country because its government decided that education, healthcare, and protecting the environment are more important than funding its armed forces and it abolished its army in 1948. Drain and pat the onions dry with paper towel. The Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica is one of the five areas in the world that hold the distinguished classification of a Blue Zone. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a host of problems, such as osteoporosis and heart disease, but regular, "smart" sun exposure (about 15 minutes on the legs and arms) can help . Making the smart choice in traditional Blue Zones is often the only choice available, not really a choice at all. Some of the roads in Nicoyas interior and south arent paved, so the deeper you go into the peninsula the more you may prefer to fly (for example, its a 20-minute flight from San Jos to the tiny Tambor airport in the south). Conzcanos. Now, visiting Nicoya doesnt mean youll automatically live to 100, but a trip there is likely to put you on the path to pure life thanks to its natural environment and abundance of healthy activities. Montezuma is great for long beach walks and jungle hikes. Toss gently. Sustainability is said to be a way of life, and Costa Rica has actually reversed deforestation; protects more than a quarter of its landmass via 29 national parks, 19 wildlife refuges, and eight biological reserves; gets 93 percent of its electricity from renewable resources, and aims to be completely decarbonized by 2050. We use cookies for analytics tracking and advertising from our partners. Over the last several months, the world has mourned the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives. By encouraging Nicoyans belief community and sense of purpose through work, family, or nature, cities could help their poorest thrive. A "Blue Zone" is a region of the world where people commonly live past the age of 100 years.In "Blue Zone Nicoya Peninsula", residents live even longer than those in other areas of Costa Rica. Now I was excited to roam off the beaten path into a world-famous Nicoya Peninsula blue zone. Costa Rica Tourism Board, Institutional Site, Costa Rica Convention Center, Promotional Site, Costa Rica Tourism Board | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Site Map. The Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica is one of the five areas in the world that hold the distinguished classification of a Blue Zone. The Nicoya Peninsula has five cantons where middle-age morality is lowest and centenarians are the most abundant.

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