Of course, there is still a desire for success (especially in the cities) but in general, the priorities are shifted. Certain common characteristics were also established in order to determine whether additional Blue Zones could be added in the near future. He cautions though that one of the reasons Nicoyas centenarians live so long is that they dont have high incomes, which means theyve had to do physical labor since they were young, their meals are light and mainly of vegetables and legumes, and they cant afford a lot of protein or processed foods. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Living Hotel partners with the Spacio spa, a five-minute walk away, which has several treatments geared to surfers. This information has been translated into lessons that can be implemented into your everyday life. Nicoyan centenarians frequently visit with neighbors, and they tend to live with families and children or grandchildren who provide support, as well as a sense of purpose. Reporter Dan Buettner closed by saying "it is a great honor to see the results of the idea of researching the issue of longevity that emerged fifteen years ago is coming to fruition in the meeting of the major scientific researchers on the subject of Blue Zones." Nantipa means blue in the language of the Chorotega people, some of the first known people to live in the Nicoya region. It includes the five cantons of the Nicoya Peninsula: Hojancha, Nandayure, Carrillo, Santa Cruz and Nicoya. The Nicoya Peninsula Blue Zone, in addition to aligning with our Wellness Pura Vida strategy, are important as a driver of wellness tourism throughout the country, highlighting the importance of creating authentic travel experiences. Protein helps to rebuild and repair tissue, as well as it helps a person to feel full. 11 talking about this. Nicoyan centenarians get frequent visits from neighbors. Nicoyas interior where most of the centenarians and almost-centenarians live and northeastern coast are less visited by tourists but still have much to offer. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Its one of our favorite places in Costa Rica and most likely where we would move if we ever moved to the beach. The world has 5 recognized Blue Zones (as determined by the authority of National Geographic ). A blue zone is a geographical area in which the population is the longest-lived. Drain and pat the onions dry with paper towel. The peninsula is one of the worlds five Blue Zones where many people live exceptionally long and healthy lives. But we must also consider the impact of our individual health and lifestyle choices on future generations. We're going to focus on the last one, mostly because it hits close to home. Cala Luna won most innovative wellness hotel from the Global Beauty & Wellness Awards thanks to daily complimentary wellness activities like hatha yoga, bikes to borrow, farm-to-table cuisine (from La Sendas farm) with organic and biodynamic wines, and the innovative treatments at its Lahari Wellness Center spa. People who have diabetes, heart conditions, or are overweight tend to have a more difficult time if they are infected by COVID-19. Nicoya. They are joined by 42 other centenarians in the Nicoya Peninsula, located in the 5 blue cantons: Nicoya, Santa Cruz, Hojancha, Nandayure and Carrillo (according to data from Jorge Vindas, a field researcher for the Nicoya Peninsula Blue Zone Association). And here are two great reports done that will give you a better understanding of the Nicoya people, area, and mindset. There are 5 Blue Zones around the world, one of which is located on the Nicoya Peninsula; the others on the list are Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan, Loma Linda in the United States, and Icaria, in Greece. 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. Required fields are marked *, car rental deal! Going down the west coast from Tamarindo youll find several beach towns, most notably yoga center Nosara and surfers paradise Santa Teresa. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The information and example set by the inhabitants of the Blue Zone of Nicoya are highly valuable, and some of the life habits can be emulated, planting a blue seed throughout the country. Costa Rica holds one of the original 5 blue zones of the world and you will find yourself in one of them if you decide on living in the Nicoya Peninsula. The gateway to the Nicoya Peninsula is the beach town of Tamarindo on the west coast, which is very popular with international travelers. While a Blue Zone indicates a hotspot of healthy longevity, it also presents a challenge of how to extend these benefits throughout the population outside of these redoubts. That sense of purpose drives them in all aspects of their lives. Barrio La California, A three-course farm-to-table dinner with a tour of the organic garden is available Mondays and Thursdays. Dubbed "blue zones," residents of these areas share a common environment and lifestyle that . I suggest visiting Cabuya (a small town between Montezuma and Santa Teresa) or San Francisco de Coyote (a remote beach town). 1 - The Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica. They embrace the relaxed Pura Vida lifestyle and family always comes first. 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. Water sports are on offer pretty much everywhere along Nicoyas coast, whether you prefer surfing, kayaking, standup paddleboarding, snorkeling, scuba diving, or just checking out whats happening in the tide pools. 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. It is fascinating to see which factors play into long lifespan including how you can emulate this lifestyle. Is the Nicoya Peninsula good for a Wellness getaway? The most southerly point is Cabo Blanco Reserve and the south coast also has the town of Tambor. Youre sure to be on the path to a long and healthy life after the four-handed Abundance Treatment, which combines Reiki, Shiatsu, Swedish massage, sound and aromatherapy, and acupressure. Almost 40 percent of the residents of the Nicoya Peninsula (about 5,000 of the population of 132,000) are over the age of 75, more than 900 are over the age of 90, and many are over 100. There are common factors that exist in these populations, such as good physical and mental health, a healthy traditional diet, respect for the family, deep faith, constant mobility, and a purpose in life. Adapting our lifestyles wherever we live to healthier practices such as intermittent fasting, walkability, exploring plant-based gastronomy, and low glycemic index food intake sound like your everyday doctors recipe for a healthy life, says Cedeno-Molinari. Another is a focus on family and a special ability to listen and laugh. This Central American nation isn't that far from the U.S. geographically, but it is way ahead of us in longevity. One of the five designated blue zones in the world, the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica features residents who live even longer than those in the rest of the country. Costa Ricans called Ticos say pura vida instead of hello, how are you, fine, thanks, and see you later and youll quickly find yourself saying it too. The Nicoya Peninsula, in Costa Rica, is one of them, . Most people in this area never move. Plantains are high in potassium, fiber, carbohydrates, vitamin B6 and vitamin C. The waters around the Nicoya Peninsula are also home to several species of fish including tuna and red snapper. We are always happy to help you out! There are four similar places on earth: Costa Ricas Nicoya Peninsula, Okinawa in Japan, the Greek island of Ikaria, as well as Loma Linda in California (though that one might just be due to its large population of Seventh-day Adventists and their healthy lifestyle). However, altering your diet, increasing the amount of exercise you get in a given day, and embracing relationships with family and friends are good places to start. Moderate alcohol intake, especially wine. Speaking of work, finding work/life balance is a constant challenge for many. Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Research shows that 30% of longevity comes from genes, and the remaining 70% from lifestyle. There are two trails for visitors and a pristine white sand beach. 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. Blue Zones: Lessons For Living Longer From The People Whove Lived The Longest. Their traditional diet of fortified maize and beans may be the best nutritional combination for longevity the world has ever known. We do not need to wait for our cities of residence to adopt the principles for healthier living outlined in the Blue Zones Project. Access to natural foods and organic fruits and vegetables (stables of the Nicoyans) is difficult to come by. A Blue Zone is the name given to one of the areas in the world where a majority of people have a life expectancy of at least 100 years old. Though Chicago is not one of those cities that uses the template outlined in the Blue Zones Project, the city could adapt to the Blue Zones principals. In one of Buettner's most recent visits to Costa Rica, he defined Blue Zones as "a kind of lifestyle and environment that creates longevity. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Its also easy to eat healthy in Costa Rica, with its abundance of local foods grown in its fertile volcanic soil. I feel lucky to have found this information, though the credit doesn't belong to me, but rather to the older residents. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The sustainable and equitable promotion of the long-living population of seniors and the establishment of a cultural agenda aimed at strengthening sustainable, rural, community tourism stood out among the commitments made. Warm, Sunny Climate. It would be hard to imagine two more different places than free-wheeling Costa Rica and legally rigid Singapore, yet both are among the happiest places on earth. Longevity then would not be a luxury only reserved for a few living in Blue Zones, but a reality for billions.. As indicated by the World Health Organization, "active or positive aging is the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age". 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. La Senda has a 2.5-acre labyrinth with a two-mile-long path (said to be the biggest in the world) as well as horseback riding. These factors are present, to some degree, in the other four Blue Zones in the world, according to world experts who participated in the World Meeting in Nicoya in mid-November. Blessed with sandy beaches and tropical forest, it's something of a backpackers' paradise. It requires descending 17 yards down a ladder to see cave formations that resemble fried eggs, popcorn, roses, and shark teeth. You can design your own holistic retreat too, choosing from a Kirtan sound bath, detox program, cacao ceremony, blue clay treatment, drum circles, and more. O segreto da Zona Azul de Nicoya. Not only do they live longer, their metabolism is better, the levels of cognitive impairment are lower, and they function at a higher level. Heres how to plan a trip to the Blue Zone in Costa Rica. Check out all of our favorite travel companies. 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. If you want to really embrace the Nicoya Peninsula blue zone vibe, head to any small village in the area. However you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent. Also, we would love to hear your thoughts on Blue Zones and what constitutes a long lifestyle. For those who might need some meal ideas, Dan Buettner, wrote the Blue Zones Kitchen cookbook. Compreende os 5 cantos da Pennsula de Nicoya: Hojancha, Nandayure, Carrillo, Santa Cruz e Nicoya. In the south between the Paquera ferry and the village of Tambor, youll have an excellent chance of seeing wildlife within the privately-owned Cur Wildlife Reserve. The expat community in Coco is generally older retirees, however, there are some younger expats running around. A nine-hole golf course is a mile away. Technology permeates everyday life and Nicoya is the perfect place to go for a digital detox. The Adventists are praying. A research team is currently researching the . This has paid off, with Costa Rica frequently scoring high in world happiness and environmental rankings. 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. Nicoyan water has the countrys highest calcium content, perhaps explaining the lower rates of heart disease, as well as stronger bones and fewer hip fractures. BOOK YOUR COSTA RICA RENTAL CAR AND SAVE 10%. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. In Nicoya, Costa Rica, where average incomes are among the nation's lowest, the average lifespan is 85 among the world's highest. One Nicoyan, a centenarian, said he knew death would eventually come for him but it is the love for his children that motivates him to keep going every day. These characteristics are: Despite this, it is believed that 30% of a long healthy life comes from genes and 70% is based on lifestyle. Meaning, family ties are strong. Buettner had spent several years before penning the article leading expeditions including tracing Darwin's route in the Galapagos and Marco Polo's trip along the Silk Road. They eat many fruits and vegetables often grown on their own lands, and they tend not to consume much meat. "The five cantons of the peninsula continue to appear with greater longevity and we've confirmed this everywhere we've investigated. 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. Specifically, the rural landscapes of the Nicoya Peninsula, where people have some of the longest lifespans in the world. They also practice good physical and mental health. Nicoyans regularly take in the sunshine, which helps their bodies produce vitamin D for strong bones and healthy body function. Arising from this need, one of the results of the meeting was the establishment of an International Network on Healthy Aging, which will be led from Costa Rica in order to "build knowledge collaboratively", said Montero. First . Genetics and Costa Ricas natural environment certainly play a large part, but lifestyle is a major factor in why Blue Zone residents live so long. Here are some of the factors that make Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula a blue zone worth visiting. You can drive to Tamarindo in about 80 minutes from the Liberia airport (its about four hours from Costa Ricas other main airport in the capital, San Jos). For one, Costa Rica is a small country and most people never move away from the area they were born in. Look for howler and capuchin monkeys, parrots and parakeets, and bigger birds like herons and hawks. "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. It is not unusual for several generations to gather on a regular basis for lively gatherings. Many of us in Western countries know we need to eat less junk and add more natural food to our diets. While we may not increase the average life expectancy throughout the world we can use Nicoya as a template for healthier living. I also suggest watching his TED Talk. The five blue zones are: Loma Linda, California; Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; and the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. For Priscila Chaves, a Costa Rican social tech-entrepreneur and ethics thought leader, the question that still stands is, how can we translate these apparent otherworldly effects, to the rest of us? Blue Zones Nicoya desarrolla alimentos, bebidas y suplementos inspirados en los centenarios de la. My Nicoya Peninsula Blue Zone Retreat. That means family ties are the backbone for most peoples existence. Surprisingly, happiness and keeping a focus on family are two of the main components. Scarlet macaws are bred in Tambor and youll have a chance of seeing them, even on the beach. Despite that, the area has many of the same ideals that the rest of Costa Ricans have. In other words, Nicoyans receive a healthy dose of vitamins in their daily diet. Nicoya is located far off in Northeastern Costa Rica. Though Costa Rica has just 0.03 percent of the planets surface, it has almost six percent of the worlds biodiversity and you might see (or hear!) The term Blue Zone was first used in a 2005 National Geographic cover story entitled The Secret of Long Life written by a man named Dan Buettner. He then went on release a book The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who Have Lived the Longest in 2008. But the simplest truth is that what one needs is to sleep eight hours every night, eat a nutritious, plant-based diet during a six-hour period to give your pancreas an 18-hour break until your next meal, and be at peace with everything and everyone all of the time, he adds. The most amazing part about people who live in Nicoya, Costa Rica is that many of them live without medication or disability. Read more below about the lessons that Nicoya, Costa Rica can teach you about longevity. In terms of a definition, these zones are geographical areas with a high concentration of long-lived populations, who frequently reach ninety or one hundred years of age. He finished, stating emphatically "please keep it and put the new generation on the same line in the treasure of this Blue Zone.". Its difficult to maintain family bonds and friendships when school and work take us far from home, into strange communities. These include Nicoya, Costa Rica; Loma Linda, California; Ikaria, Greece . They typically do not consume a lot of meat. In the southern part of the peninsula, Santa Teresa is a popular surf area that sprawls for miles along the coast. The town of Nicoya is considered the oldest in Costa Rica, it is popularly known as "the colonial city". The world has a number of Blue Zones, areas where the locals live healthier and longer lives. Loma Linda, California. Try spending quality times with your loved ones. American researcher, Dan Buettner, discovered that people in these areas shared several lifestyle characteristics: They don't smoke; They eat a plant-based diet Costa Rica Tourism Board, Institutional Site, Costa Rica Convention Center, Promotional Site, Costa Rica Tourism Board | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Site Map. Black bean starter To a small pot over medium-low heat, add one can of rinsed black beans. For those who want to explore the peninsula at their own pace, renting a car might be best (you can use your home countrys drivers license for a maximum of three months). By encouraging Nicoyans belief community and sense of purpose through work, family, or nature, cities could help their poorest thrive. Butterflies in Costa Rica The Best Places to See Them, Irazu Volcano Visit the Highest Volcano in Costa Rica, 20 Free Things to Do in Costa Rica That Youll Love, Costa Rica Rental Car Discount Save Up to 20%, The feeling of a sense of purpose in life. He then had the idea to research areas in the world with the longest lifespan. It is home to some of the most active, hard-working, and friendliest people on earth. While walking gives Nicoyans a chance to exercise and get fresh air, it also gives them time to enjoy the natural beauty for which Nicoya is known. In other words, it lives longer than the average global life expectancy.