In the mezzo of winter (Costa Rican-style winter, that is), a sudden and short-lived meteorological phenomenon takes place. Humidity dissipates and disappears, the trade winds return to seize the days, and the sun is released from the grasp of the dominating nimbus clouds. Between the dry golden summer and the wet green winter is a mini season that blends the best of both main seasons.
Veranillo de San Juan is Costa Rica’s version of an Indian Summer. Sometimes referred to as veranito, this “little summer” typically takes place somewhere between the end of June and the middle of August.
Where the sea and the jungle meet | Jenn Parker/@CRJenn86
Veranillo manifests south of the Tropic of Capricorn and blesses the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, especially the northern region including the Nicoya Peninsula with all-day offshore winds, a low humidity index, and very little if any rainfall. Veranillo can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks and varies in commencement and cessation dates every year.
Veranillo is a break in the rainy season and a reminder of the dry season to come. While the weather dries up, the landscape remains vibrant green, the sunsets are still otherworldly, and the seasonal sizeable swells continue to kiss this coastline.
Locals and lucky visitors alike relish in this unique weather shift. This is an optimal time weather window to enjoy all of the outdoor activities that Costa Rica has to offer without fret of saturation, unfavorable winds, or activity-cancelling electrical storms.
It would be difficult to plan your vacation to completely coincide with the exact timing of veranillo. There is also a chance that July and August can be rather rainy and unpredictable on the weather front, especially the further south that you go. However, if you happen to be here during this magical occurrence get ready to experience Costa Rica at its very best.
Did you know that Costa Rica is the world’s top pineapple producer? Roughly 111,200 acres of the country is devoted entirely to pineapple plantations and over 100,000 jobs in Costa Rica are created, directly and indirectly, by this world-favored tropical fruit. Almost three million tons of pineapple are harvested and sold domestically and internationally every year from Costa Rica.
The golden pineapple, the type grown in Costa Rica, is one of the sweetest of the 37 varieties of pineapple. The flavor embodies the tropics and even has a slight coconut essence to it. A bite of fresh pineapple straight from the source is like biting into a piña colada!
Pineapple is sold in nearly every farmer’s market, roadside stand, family-owned grocery store, and food store chain in Costa Rica. It is one of Costa Rica’s most prized and widely consumed and exported fruits.
Aside from being intoxicatingly delicious, pineapple is also rich in nutrients that can greatly benefit your health and wellbeing. As if the taste alone isn’t enough to motivate you to indulge in this tropical treat, here are 10 ways that consuming pineapple is beneficial to your health.
Reduces inflammation (inflammation is the root of most chronic diseases)
Strengthens the immune system (super high in vitamin C)
Decreases your risk of heart disease
Aids in digestion
Promotes collagen production (hello, beautiful skin!)
Supports oral health
Prevents certain types of cancer (mouth, throat, and breast)
Improves circulation (increase in cognitive abilities and decrease in risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease)
Regulates blood pressure
Boosts bone health
In just one cup of pineapple there are:
Calories: 82.5
Fat: 7 grams
Protein: 1 gram
Carbs: 6 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Vitamin C: 131% of the RDI (Recommended Daily Intake)
Manganese: 76% of the RDI
Vitamin B6: 9% of the RDI
Copper: 9% of the RDI
Thiamin: 9% of the RDI
Folate: 7% of the RDI
Potassium: 5% of the RDI
Magnesium: 5% of the RDI
Niacin: 4% of the RDI
Pantothenic acid: 4% of the RDI
Riboflavin: 3% of the RDI
Iron: 3% of the RDI
Pineapple is quite extraordinary in a smoothie or a rum cocktail. The RipJack Inn smoothie bar and cocktail bar has a great selection of smoothies and cocktails that feature this delectable fruit.
Nothing beats the heat like a freezing cold fresh fruit smoothie
Clockwork Orange smoothie: pineapple, carrots, celery, and apples
Basil Bomb smoothie: pineapple, basil, celery, and orange juice
Beet Blast smoothie: pineapple, beet, celery, ginger, and lime
Go Green smoothie: pineapple, spinach, cucumber, flaxseed, and moringa
Piña Colada: pineapple, coconut, and rum
Rum Punch: pineapple, mixed fruit juices, and dark rum
*You can also get creative and create your own pineapple concoction that can be whipped up on the spot for you.
One of the best things you can do for your body is to eat REAL food that comes from the earth. One of the best things that you can do for the local economy and the environment is to eat locally produced food. Costa Rica sure makes it easy and delicious to do both!
Did you know that every year between 4,000 and 6,000 tons of sunscreen washes into reef areas around the world? Did you also know that most of that sunscreen contains oxybenzone, a toxic ingredient that has been linked to coral bleaching and widespread coral reef destruction?
It is absolutely crucial that you protect your skin from the sun when you are in Costa Rica to avoid painful burns and an increased risk of skin cancer. Fortunately, there are sunscreens that are not harmful to the reefs and ocean environment. These sunscreens are classified as mineral or natural sunscreens and typically contain zinc oxide and or titanium oxide as the active ingredients.
The RipJack Inn gift shop carries several locally made natural sunscreen brands and there are multiple other organic companies around the country that makes some pretty incredible products. If you don’t want to wait until you arrive in Costa Rica to sort out your sunscreen situation, we have also provided a list at the end of this short product guide of our top recommendations that you can pick up before your trip.
Help Costa Rica protect its marine environment by only wearing reef-friendly sunscreen. All of these brands have been personally tested in the sun and in the surf in Costa Rica.
SIMPLE Apotheca
SIMPLE Apotheca is an organic and environmentally conscious skincare and wellness products company based out of Playa Grande, Costa Rica. Their mission is to make “effective and simple products with ingredients your body understands.”
They make two types of reef and environmentally-friendly sun protection products that are flying off the shelves. Their 50 SPF sun defense and their sun paste are perfect for both the sun worshipper and the surf addict. The RipJack Inn gift shop carries several of their products, including the sunscreen.
Raw Botanicals has been making and distributing some of the most delicious smelling and effective natural and organic products in Costa Rica since 1999. They only use the highest quality ingredients that are either organic or wild harvested. Some of their signature ingredients include banana leaf extract, papaya extract, ylang ylang flower oil, coconut oil, coffee extract, and aloe vera.
Raw Botanicals has a water-resistant SPF 20 ylang ylang protective sun cream that is heavenly, as well as a lavender after-sun treatment, banana hair balm, and eucalyptus skin mist. RipJack Inn also carries this line in their shop.
Jungle Mama is a Costa Rican based company that specializes in reef-friendly, non-GMO, and all-natural sunscreen, balms, and scrubs. They make a sunshield cream and an extreme face sunblock stick that are super water resistant, long-lasting, and stick so well that they won’t run off into your eyes when you are sea-saturated or sweating. Their sunscreens are zinc-based, 100% organic, and many of their ingredients are sourced directly from Costa Rica.
Surf Butter Organics, Inc., has been dedicated to creating nature-friendly sunscreens that are highly effective when surfing or engaging in other action-packed water sports or activities in Costa Rica. Their sunscreen product line includes a lavender or cacao scented surf butter, a tinted option, an extremely water resistant 50 SPF, and a 35 SPF sun stick.
*It might be a good idea to order Jungle Mama or Surf Butters Organics, Inc. products before your trip. Some surf shops and boutiques around the country carry their products, but they aren’t readily available everywhere yet. Both brands ship to the United States and other locations outside of Costa Rica.
Brands to buy before you arrive in Costa Rica
These are our favorite non-Costa Rican brands that have been put to the test on the beach, in the surf, in the jungle, and just out and about in the heat in Costa Rica.
To ensure that you have the best possible getaway in Costa Rica, follow these safety and wellness tips. A few precautions, avoidances, and small efforts can make the difference between a positively memorable vacation in Costa Rica and a would-like-to forget one.
Wear Sunscreen
ALWAYS. Trying to get a base tan the first day basically means that you will be crispy for the rest of your vacation. The sun in Costa Rica is extremely strong, whether it is a cloudless or cloudy day. While a sunburn never feels good, having a sunburn while in a hot tropical environment is next level discomfort. Avoid a painful burn, a nasty peel, and pre-mature signs of aging by coating up every time before you walk out into the sun.
To help protect the coral reefs and ocean environment, please avoid using sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate. Hawaii has already banned these two ingredients because they are greatly contributing to the death of our coral reefs and are actually proving to be harmful to us as well. Stay tuned next week for a guide to ocean-friendly sunscreens and products to bring, buy, and use in Costa Rica.
There are mosquitos all year around in Costa Rica and unfortunately, some of those mosquitos carry dangerous viruses like dengue, chikungunya, and zika. There are quite a few natural mosquito repellents that are made in Costa Rica (check out the RipJack Inn gift shop) that work really well. Whatever brand or type you decide to use, use it liberally while in Costa Rica.
Stay hydrated
Between the heat, humidity, and likelihood that you will be engaging in some active activities, it is crucial that you drink enough water throughout the day. Dehydration and heat exhaustion will definitely put a damper on your fun level. You should be drinking at the very least two liters of water a day, but more if you are surfing or doing any other type of physical activity. Bring or buy a reuseable water bottle to fill up while in Costa Rica to help reduce single-use plastic waste.
A delicious and hydrating treat that you should definitely indulge in daily is an iced cold pipa (a fresh coconut). Coconut water is chalked full of electrolytes and potassium, which are key for hydration and energy. You can often spot a guy walking on the beach or close to it with a cooler filled with them.
A rip current is a very strong and often narrow current that can rip an unsuspecting ocean-goer right out to sea in the blink of an eye. Playa Grande, among many other beaches in Costa Rica and around the world are susceptible to these dangerous currents. However, if you follow these tips, you will be fine.
Don’t panic.
Don’t try and fight the current by swimming against it.
Because rip currents are often narrow and don’t typically go that far out, the best approach is to either try and exit the current by swimming parallel to it or let it take you out, and once it eases up then turn and swim diagonally back to shore.
If you are not a strong swimmer, call for help and float on your back to conserve energy.
When you look out at the ocean, you can usually tell where these currents are. It is important to be aware and alert anytime that you go into the ocean.
Taking a guided river boat tour up the Playa Grande estuary or down the Tempisque river is an extraordinary and wildlife-rich nature tour. You’ll definitely see a lot of crocodiles. The key here is to observe the creatures of the river from a boat. Costa Rica is home to a very large population of crocodiles and the rivers and river mouths are their territory. Bull sharks also really love river mouths for their murky and food dense waters. While incidences are very rare, it is just a safer call to avoid swimming in the rivers and instead opt to cool off in the sea or swimming pool.
While Costa Rica is a relatively safe country, one thing that is quite common is petty theft. Do not leave anything out that could possibly tempt a thief to break into your car or home base. Don’t leave anything unattended on the beach that you would be devastated if it was not there when you returned. Don’t leave your house unlocked and lock up your passports and highly valuable items in a safe. As long as you take the time to secure your belongings, you should have no issues.
Drive slowly
Slow down. The streets of Costa Rica are often only two lane, dotted with pot holes, slicked with loose gravel, lacking guard rails, and shared with iguanas, birds, snakes, crabs, sloths, monkeys, cows, horses, goats, dogs, cats, pedestrians, and children. You are on vacation, slow down, and just arrive when you arrive. And while you are driving slowly, enjoy the exquisite scenery and roadside wildlife.
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