One of the best cultural vacations that you can find is visiting off the beaten path in Costa Rica. Between coffee , sugar cane & other types plantations, there is bird watching, trekking, visiting nature reserves, finding hidden waterfalls and swimming holes as well as mountain biking or horseback riding.
Recently on a trip taken into the Nicoya Peninsula we had the chance to visit the rural west of Costa Rica. The sun beat high on us in what is the summer time in Costa Rica, the dirt roads were dusty, the small creeks were dry but the greeting from the people in the area was warm & friendly! 
Of the many things witnessed during our experience there was the kindness and humbleness that the people of these exceptional communities showed towards us. There simple life that somehow got lost in San Jose, Libreria, Puntarenas & Limón.
It’s like going back in time to a place where people still wake up at 4am and go to bed at 8pm because their time is spent in the fields with cattle, corn, beans & rice other than spent in front of the computer & on the phone at the office. Their evenings are filled with storytelling, remembering old times and watching the children play with fireflies or count the endless starry night.
Women care for the home and the children and their time is spent between washing (which is a lot harder with all the dust), cooking meals & looking after the animals all of which is done with a patience and love like none other.
While there, we got to observe cooking over 
open fire (the food was delicious!) as well stone ovens, feeding chickens & watching the men tend the fields, life may seem simpler but in a society where technology is growing, you can only wonder what will happen to the traditions of Costa Rica.
Before it is lost a visit to these types of areas are a must, you can still experience the rural farm life in areas such as Sitio Mata of Turrialba, Caimital of Nicoya, Buenos Aires of Puntarenas and others.
For more information visit our site: www.verolizvacations.com
