Sep 12, 2024

Independence Day in Costa Rica

Independence Day in Costa Rica: A Celebration of Freedom and Tradition

Costa Rica’s Independence Day, celebrated on September 15, is a significant event that unites the country in a display of national pride, history, and culture. It commemorates the day in 1821 when Costa Rica, along with other Central American nations, gained independence from Spanish rule. For Costa Ricans, this day is a reflection of their dedication to peace, democracy, and their rich cultural heritage.

The Lantern Parade

On the eve of Independence Day, the country’s children participate in a lantern parade. The lanterns, known as “faroles,” symbolize the light of freedom. These lanterns are handmade, often resembling traditional Costa Rican houses or national symbols, and are proudly carried through the streets. Each school organizes a parade every year. Make sure and keep your eyes peeled on Saturday, the 14^th for the local Playa Grande Parade. The parade will happen as soon as the sunsets to allow the lanterns to illuminate.

The Local Dishes

Costa Rica’s Independence Day is not only about national pride but also an opportunity to indulge in the country’s culinary delights. Traditional dishes such as gallo pinto (a rice and beans dish), tamal (a corn-based meal wrapped in plantain leaves), and chifrijo (a mixture of rice, beans, pork, and avocado) are enjoyed by families as they gather to celebrate.

Costa Rica’s Independence Day is more than just a holiday; it’s a celebration of the country’s identity as a peaceful, democratic nation. Make sure and join us in the restaurant at RipJack Inn on Sunday the 15^th of September to enjoy the best Chifrijo in town!

Pura Vida!

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Jan 12, 2020

The Best Type of Yoga for You (Today)

When you look at a yoga schedule, you might be surprised by all the different types of yoga classes available. If you are new to yoga or have only practiced one or two types of yoga, you might also be left wondering what exactly each of these different types of practices entails, and which one is the best type of yoga for you.

The beauty of yoga is that yoga is for everyone. And depending on what yoga means to you and what you are seeking on a particular day, week, month or year, there is a class or several types of classes that are well-suited for you. To choose the best type of yoga for you, it is helpful to understand what each one is and what you can expect from a practice.

At the end of this article, you’ll find a link to a quiz that can help further point you in the right direction.

The following four types of yoga are regularly offered at the RipJack Inn. If you are in Playa Grande for four days or more, why not try them all!

The Best Type of Yoga for You

Vinyasa Flow

Vinyasa flow can be summed up as a yoga practice that involves breath to fluid movement. You will flow from one posture to the next in a varied sequence that is likely to be different in every class you take. You can expect several sun salutations and short holds if any.

This is an ideal class for you if you like to move, want to build your strength, improve your balance, and increase your flexibility. Depending on the instructor, some classes are more challenging than others. You might even see classes labeled “power vinyasa,” which indicates the class is faster paced.

A vinyasa flow is an excellent workout, as well as a lovely way to get out of your head.

Hatha

Hatha yoga is a very traditional form of yoga in which many modern yoga practices are derived from. Hatha harmoniously blends breath, movement, and meditation into one sweet practice. This is a great type of yoga for beginners, as it is a bit slower-paced and really focuses on the basic and essential yoga postures.

Yin

A yin yoga practice is a meditative and passive practice that involves holding poses for longer periods of time. By holding certain poses for several minutes, the benefits of the practice are targeted at the connective tissues in the body and can greatly benefit the pelvis, hips, spine, and lower back. Yin yoga is especially blissful as an end-of-the-day practice.

Restorative

Restorative yoga is similar to yin in that it is a passive practice in which you hold poses. However, in a restorative practice, you might hold poses upwards of twenty-minutes. This very gentle practice usually involves props such as bolsters, blankets, straps, and pillows. Restorative yoga is truly a treat for your mind, body, and soul.

Everyone has different personalities, different bodies, different physical limitations or injuries, and different reasons for wanting to practice yoga. How you feel physically and emotionally can also vary from day-to-day. What’s so unique about yoga is that there is a type of yoga that is best for you for every unique variation of you.

What Kind of Yoga is Right for You Quiz

Stay tuned for a follow-up on four other types of yoga commonly offered at yoga studios and on yoga retreats.

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Nov 4, 2019

The RipJack Inn in Playa Grande is a Hotel For…

The RipJack Inn is a beachfront hotel on Costa Rica’s famous Gold Coast in Guanacaste. It is a family-owned and operated establishment that has long appealed to many different walks of life from all corners of the globe. Playa Grande has a special way of grabbing and holding onto people. Many who visit Playa Grande, often return many more times and sometimes even decide to relocate here somewhere along the way. The RipJack Inn is a sort of epicenter where locals and visitors alike find that home-away-from-home atmosphere.

The RipJack Inn in Playa Grande, Costa Rica is a hotel for…

Friends

Families

Lovers

Yogis

Surfers

Sun Worshippers

Beach Walkers

Saltwater Seekers

Animal Aficionados

Adventurers

It is also a place for those seeking rest, rejuvenation, wellness, inspiration, clarity, and fun.

Is the RipJack Inn for you?

We’d like to think so!

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Sep 6, 2019

Six Reasons the RipJack Inn is a Perfect Place to Host Your Next Yoga Retreat

Costa Rica is a country with an extraordinary spirit. The energy that exudes from the forests, the mountains, the volcanoes, the beaches, the ocean, the rivers, the fauna, and the people is vibrant, enlivening, grounding, and contagious. It is no wonder Costa Rica has long been a highly sought-after destination for yoga retreats. For this reason and many more, the RipJack Inn in Playa Grande is an amazing venue to host your next yoga retreat.

As a yoga instructor looking to bring a group down to Costa Rica, there are key characteristics that you are likely looking for in a retreat venue. The RipJack Inn has quite a lot to offer you!

Location

The RipJack Inn is harmoniously positioned just a hop, skip, and jump away from the beach. One of the main beach access paths is directly across the narrow street in front of the RipJack Inn restaurant. This is about as close as you can get to the beach without renting one of the few private beachfront houses in Playa Grande. The RipJack Inn is also walking distance to several restaurants, a surf shop, and a small store.

Accommodation Options

There are multiple accommodation options available for different budgets and group sizes. Rooms range from cozy single rooms to spacious suites. There are twenty-one rooms and all of them can accommodate more than one person.

Two Pools

What’s better than one pool? Two! Both pools receive direct sunlight so you can rest assured that a dip post-yoga or beach walk will be just the right inviting temperature. Also, because there are two pools, there is always plenty of space in each.

Two Yoga Studios

The main yoga shala is a detached, thatched-roof, wood-floor, glass-enclosed, and air-conditioned space. This beautiful shala is a wonderful place to practice. It is conveniently located in the middle of the hotel, so getting to class only takes a few steps from any of the rooms. The second yoga space is located on the top floor of the poolside suites building. This vast space is ideal for large groups. Both shalas have plenty of mats and props available and can be exclusively booked for your group.

On-Site Restaurant and Bar

The Upstairs restaurant is tucked into the treetops. This open-air restaurant and bar can hold a sizable yoga retreat group as well as other hotel guests and locals without feeling crowded. Our menu is deliciously diverse and has items to accommodate any dietary restriction. There are also plenty of super healthy options, and most of our plates are crafted with locally sourced ingredients.

Experienced Hosts

Our staff has helped orchestrate dozens of yoga retreats and are highly experienced hosts. We can help you completely customize your yoga retreat and work with you ahead of time to plan your class times, tours, surf lessons, additional activities, meals, massages, and transportation for your group. If your dream is to host a yoga retreat in Costa Rica, we can easily help you make that a reality!

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Aug 6, 2019

Embrace a Moving Meditation While in Playa Grande, Costa Rica

As we shared in our last post, “Don’t Hesitate, Meditate,” there are incredible inherent benefits that accompany a meditation practice. To review, this includes a reduction in stress and anxiety, improved quality and depth of sleep, a strengthened immune system, a clearer and more focused mind, a boost in creativity and productivity, an enhanced state of self-awareness, and an overall increased sense of peace and calmness.

However, for some and maybe many, sitting in stillness and with a free mind can be a great challenge. Meditation doesn’t come easy to everyone, and that is perfectly fine. We are all a work in progress! For most, developing a meditation practice takes time and dedication; but, don’t all the best things in life?

It is important to remember, though that we are all unique individuals and what works for one person might not work for another. Maybe you are more of a mover than a sitter? I know I am! There are all different types of meditations, and a moving meditation might be what you have long been seeking.

Playa Grande is an amazing place to start or continue your moving meditation journey! Between the miles of nearly empty beach, the warm sea, the salty ocean air, the verdant beach trees, and coastal creatures, the setting couldn’t be any more perfect for quieting that active mind of yours. You might find your moving meditation to take place while you are walking, running, swimming, surfing, or practicing yoga. The idea is the same regardless of what movement you choose to do.

A moving meditation is dependent on focusing on the movement and not on your thoughts. The same way you focus on your breath when you are meditating in stillness, focusing on your deliberate movements will help you still your mind.

Sunrise is a particularly beautiful time to head down to the beach for a moving meditation while you are in Playa Grande. The sun rises very early here, the beach is usually quite empty, and the temperature is rather pleasant. It is also lovely to start your day in such a positive way. You can even start your morning and meditation by setting an intention or creating a mantra.

Your meditation, whether still or moving, is entirely yours and yours to create in the way that best suits you. Play with the process and enjoy the journey.

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Jul 24, 2019

Don’t Hestitate, Meditate! 17 Reasons to Start Today

The practice of meditation is one that has been used for thousands of years by mankind. In fact, there have been archaeological findings that suggest the hunter-gathers and early shamans were the first to practice a form of meditation. Thousands of years ago, it was the Buddha who inspired others who sit in mindful awareness. There are so many different forms of meditation though that it is hard to pinpoint where and who exactly discovered this highly beneficial practice.

But, that’s really beside the point! Meditation has gained significant popularity in modern times among a diverse population of practitioners. As more studies are being conducted and more scientific evidence is proving how powerful meditation is, more people are beginning to incorporate meditation into their daily lives.

The beauty of meditation is that you can meditation for as long or as little as you would like, you can do it anywhere, and you can even do it while on the move. Your meditation practice can be as unique as you are. Developing your own practice might seem a bit daunting if you have never meditated before, but fortunately there is a wealth of classes, apps, videos, podcasts, and recordings to help you find your mindful mind.

The options for where and how you meditate are truly endless. You might be most comfortable sitting, laying down, walking, or flowing through a yoga practice. You might prefer to meditate in a group setting or alone, inside or outside, by guidance, or just by letting yourself be your own guide. The benefits are nonetheless substantial!

Meditation has been scientifically proven to:

Reduce stress, anxiety, and depression

Enhance Self-Awareness

Promote better sleep at night and more energy during the day

Boost memory, concentration, and creativity

Improve tolerance, compassion, and kindness

Support a healthy heart and immune system

Bring a sense of peace, calmness, and balance into your daily life

Here are a few apps to help you get started:

There is no time like the present to start a mindful meditation practice. And, Playa Grande is a perfect place to begin.

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Jun 22, 2019

The RipJack Inn: More than just a hotel

The RipJack Inn is more than just a hotel, it is a home for the first time and the returning visitor to Playa Grande. Dave, Annie, Luli, and the entire staff at the RipJack Inn are all one big loving family. That warm family feeling is extended to everyone who sets foot here, whether in the hotel, the restaurant, the bar, or the yoga shalas. Even Playa Grande locals frequent the RipJack Inn for a post-surf breakfast, sunset cocktails, and weekly live music.

Perfectly positioned right across the street from one of the main beach access paths, the RipJack Inn is the epicenter of the coastal neighborhood of Playa Grande. It is a place where everyone knows or quickly learns your name. It a place where you know you can always go and feel like you belong there.

It is this friendly and welcoming energy that attracts surfers, yogis, families, couples, friends, and solo travelers from around the globe. It is also for this reason that many people who stay at the RipJack Inn once, often come back again. There is nothing quite like feeling like you are home and part of a community when you are thousands of miles away from your actual home.

In recent years, the RipJack Inn has also become a popular destination for yoga, surf, and fitness retreats; student group trips and weddings. Between two yoga shalas, two pools, a restaurant, a bar, and immediate access to the beach and surf, the location doesn’t get much better than this in Playa Grande. There is also a diverse selection of rooms, suites, and bungalows to choose from.

Wedding parties have rented out the entire RipJack Inn to host one of the most romantic moments of any couple’s life. Ceremonies are usually conducted on the beach around sunset, dinner is served upstairs, and the party carries on into the night around the pool. Of course, you can customize your day however you see fit. Your guests will likely be delighted that they get to celebrate your love in one of the most magical places in Northern Guanacaste. You’ll feel like you are getting married at a beloved family member’s home.

There is nothing impersonal about staying at and spending time at the RipJack Inn. You might arrive as a guest, but you will surely leave as a member of the RipJack Inn family.

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Mar 31, 2019

How to Stay in the Know in Playa Grande, Costa Rica

Get the inside scoop about what’s happening in and around Playa Grande by utilizing these amazing free online and in-print local resources.

The Howler Magazine

The Howler Magazine was established in 1996 and became Guanacaste’s first English language magazine. It has long served as a source of entertainment, information, and inspiration for both visitors and locals alike. This free monthly magazine is a great resource and can be picked up at the Wilmart, the RipJack Inn reception, Pots and Bowls, Las Tortugas Hotel, the Automercado, and many other local establishments in and around Playa Grande.

Playa Grande, Costa Rica — Local knowledge

The Swell Dealer

The Swell Dealer is a free publication and website where you can find out about what’s happening in Playa Grande, Tamarindo, Langosta, Brasilto, Surfside, and Potrero. This is one of the best sources for finding out about locals events, fundraisers, live music, parties, happy hours, fitness classes, and all sorts of different specials and discounts. You can find The Swell Dealer at the Automercado and other supermarkets, as well as an online and continuously updated social calendar.

costa-rica-guanacaste-playa-grande — Local deals and events

RipJack Inn Bulletin Board

At the entrance of the RipJack Inn bar and restaurant to the right, you will find a bulletin board with flyers and information about yoga classes, live music, and other local happenings.

La Comunidad Playa Grande Facebook Page

This Facebook page is a useful resource if you are staying in Playa Grande long-term or full-time. You will find emergency phone numbers and information about what is happening in Playa Grande.

beachfront-hotel-surf-playa-grande-guanacaste-costa-rica — Know before you go

RipJack Inn Blog

Twice a month we share an article related to surfing, yoga, wellness, nutrition, events, local advice, recommendations, and tips.

RipJack Inn Instagram

Stay up-to-date on the day-to-day at the RipJack Inn and Playa Grande. @ripjackinncr

Grande Real Estate Blog

The Grande Real Estate blog offers local insight into life in Playa Grande. You will also find helpful information about education, relocation, activities, wildlife and adventure tours, surrounding beaches, surfing, and local culture.

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Dec 21, 2018

Tomorrow is a Big Day! Find Out Why!

The end of this week brings with it two very significant cosmic occurrences. Friday, December 21 is the start of the winter solstice and Saturday, December 22 is the last full moon of 2018. The moon will appear completely full on the 21^stthough. The winter solstice and the full moon will not be this close occurring to one another again until 2094!

And as if it couldn’t get any more magical, the Ursid meteor shower will also be visible in the mid-Northern hemisphere on the 21^st.

The full and new moons and the solstices have long been celebrated and revered by many different cultures, communities, and tribes around the world. Whether you have tapped into your spiritual side or not, this dual event is a special opportunity to appreciate the beautiful raw energy and power of our moon and sun.

This full moon, known as the Full Cold Moon and the winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year is a particularly perfect time to reflect and set your intentions for the new year to come. This full moon is also rising in Cancer, which will evoke excitement, positive change, and pleasant surprises according to Astrology King.

The winter solstice is a time to embrace quiet energy and reflection. It is an opportunity to examine our past year and put into motion the changes that we want to make within ourselves.

This is a time of personal awakening, if you allow it to be. It is a great time to rid yourself of anything that is no longer serving you well. It is a time for patience and rest. “Nature teaches us that resting and drawing inward for a time, is present in all living things. Rest is necessary for growth that comes later in the season,” according to Mystic Mamma’s short interpretation of the significance of the winter solstice.

The events and expectations that accompany the Western celebration of the winter holidays aren’t always conducive with rest, patience, reflection, and quietness. However, even taking just the night of the winter solstice and full moon to come back to the self and honor the universe and your place in it will have immediate and long-lasting benefits.

This sacred day can be celebrated all day long as the short daylight hours are just as special as the long dark moon-filled night. Rituals can include anything from journaling about your past year, writing down your intentions, sitting outside and watching the moon rise into the sky, seizing the sunshine by spending the day at the beach, creating a candle-lit space for a meditation, or just embracing a few quite moments in stillness and solitude.

Make sure that you look to the east behind Playa Grande once the darkness has settled to see the full moon rise above the mountains and into the clear December sky.

If you happen to be in Playa Grande tomorrow evening, Stacy Jane and Travis McClure will be hosting a pranayama (breath work), yin yang yoga, kundalini meditation, and intention setting gathering at the RipJack Inn yoga shala from 6 to 8PM. This is an extraordinary opportunity to join other open-minded individuals from the local community and abroad in a shared full moon and winter solstice celebration. I encourage everyone to join, as it will be a gathering you won’t soon forget!

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Nov 2, 2018

How to Create Your Own Wellness Escape at the RipJack Inn

Most of us live our lives on the go, go, go!

Between working, taking care of our families, keeping up with some sort of social life, managing our finances, planning for the future, and possibly even volunteering or attending community benefits, our agendas are booked up week after week. Then throw in all of the stimulus our eyes, brains, and souls face on a daily basis from the constant barrage of the media, politics, social media and mindless entertainment.

It’s no wonder many of us feel stressed, anxious, sleep deprived, and in serious need of a vacation.

Do you dream of days on end where you can sleep in, nourish your body with healthy and fresh food that you don’t have to personally prepare, bask in the sunshine, walk barefoot in the sand, practice yoga, finish a book, and simply do nothing but listen to the sounds of nature from the hug of a hammock?

It sounds like you need and want a wellness escape! And you deserve one, we all do! The RipJack Inn makes it possible for you to create your very own wellness retreat with very little effort. Basically, all you have to do is book your ticket to Costa Rica, reserve your room at the RipJack Inn, pack your bags, and voila!

The RipJack Inn has all the ingredients readily available for a proper wellness escape.

Daily Yoga

Yoga is offered throughout the week at the RipJack Inn in one of two of our yoga shalas. Meditation, special full moon ceremonies, workshops, and other mind and body classes are regularly hosted, as well.

Healthy and Delicious Meal Choices

Our menu is a fusion of traditional Costa Rican flavors and international favorites. Our dishes feature a lot of fresh fruit, vegetables, and locally-caught fish. We have acai bowls, veggie bowls, and plenty of salads. Our menu also includes some pretty sinfully delicious dishes too!

Clean Cocktails and Smoothies

Think fresh tropical fruit juices and frozen concoctions made from scratch.

Direct Beach Access

The path to the beach is directly in front of the RipJack Inn. How convenient, right? On the other side of this beautiful path is miles of beach and plenty of oceanfront space to have entirely to yourself.

Concierge Service

Do you want to take a surf lesson, go canopy zip lining, ride horses, get a massage, set sail into the sunset, explore Rincón de la Vieja National Park, or go scuba diving? All you have to do is let us know and we will make it happen. It’s that easy!

We also recommend taking naps, lounging by either one of our pools, and making it down to the beach every evening to watch the sun set into the sea. We all need a little time to rest and rejuvenate. The benefits of treating yourself to a wellness vacation are immediate and long-lasting! Let us help you help yourself. Hit the easy button today.

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