AHHH…September and October…the DOUBLE EDITION of the Quepolandia. This wonderful time of year where we typically have the rainiest of weather, the slowest of tourism numbers, and the best kept secret in all of Costa Rica. What is that secret you ask? Come close so I can whisper it to you…Thats it…A bit closer…“THESE ARE TWO OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, SERENE, COOL, AND ENJOYABLE MONTHS TO SPEND IN THE MANUEL ANTONIO AREA!” Looking to spend all day tanning, maybe February is for you. Hoping for packed restaurants and bars…Semana Santa will be here soon enough. For anyone reading this article you are either a local (congrats) or one of the lucky visitors who braved the ‘rainy season’ fears and will get to experience this town, the rainforest, and Marina Pez Vela in some of its purest forms. Don’t let the sleepy feel and sometimes rainy weather fool you, there is PLENTY going on and lots to get ready for in the coming months as these tranquil days are the restful periods before our 2019-2020 madness starts again before you can blink an eye.
Whale Watching
What was once a quite natural phenomenon has become a PILLAR of our low season tourism flow and an incredibly important financial push for our community. Whale Watching is at its FULL PEAK during September and October and it is one of the most amazing experiences you can ever witness. These majestic creatures are part of the longest mammal migration cycle on the planet and we get to watch the first steps of it with the mothers and calves in the waters right off our shore. Marina Pez Vela is proud to be promoting and a launch pad for this important experience and in addition to all the promotion we do as a project, we are also proud to be giving courses from Marine Biologists, MINAE, and some of our local residents about sustainable practices and how to understand these species, educate our tourists, and protect these amazing animals. Do NOT miss out on the opportunity to experience these whales up close and you can reach out to our team at ifishquepos.com for more information on a tour, private boat charter, or personalized experience.
August is a very special time here in at Marina Pez Vela and in Costa Rica as it is the month of MOTHERS DAY! While most of our monthly schedules revolve around fishing tournaments, massive events, movies under the stars, etc. in August we have a month dedicated to allowing our local community to enjoy the space of Marina Pez Vela, focus on families and the last days before the more intense seasonal rains tend to visit in September and October. Marina Pez Vela has and will continue to dedicate a great deal of our time, energy and resources in to creating a year round tourism destination with dynamic activities for those who are visiting us regionally and internationally but we also have a very firm commitment to our local community and creating time and space for locals and expats alike to enjoy this marvelous public space. August is one of those months and we will highlight some of the events taking place, special dates and activities to enjoy.
MOTHERS DAY
As mentioned above, August is about celebrating the amazing women who give us life, sustain us all guide us with their love, wisdom and unwaivering support. Mothers Day in Costa Rica, August 15, is actually a NATIONAL HOLIDAY in Costa Rica with everything and everyone in the nation stopping to pay tribute. This year, Mothers Day falls on a Friday so you can bet that many will be taking a long weekend and treating Moms all over the country to some love and attention,. While there is no planned event at the marina, due to the inability to count on a starry evening for Mothers Day, all of our restaurants and shops will have specials running well before the big day so you can plan a special dinner, sweet dessert, family tour or pick up something at one of our boutiques to show your appreciation. Start your planning now and make reservations at Z Gastro, Gabriellas, Runaway Grill, Mercato del Porto, Sunrice or Double Hook for the best seating and specials.
July… SUMMER is here… or wait, WINTER is here… still can’t get used to this whole summer being winter, but unlike decades ago, when Quepos and Manuel Antonio truly went into a hibernation mode in the months after Semana Santa until Christmas, we now enjoy a robust mid-season here with travelers from around the world coming to Costa Rica. The increase in families, school summer trips, and other exploring the “green season” and all its magic have become something special, and here at Marina Pez Vela, while the fishing tournaments have ended, the ACTION IS JUST GETTING STARTED for another month full of reasons to come out to MPV!
COSTA RICA’S BIGGEST JULY 4TH PARTY IS ON AT MARINA PEZ VELA!
Sure we are in Costa Rica, sure Independence Day here is in September, but this IS our local English speaking paper, this is a melting pot of locals and expats, and when have we ever been one to not embrace any excuse for an amazing party! As in all of our activities, July 4th at Marina Pez Vela is an all-day event and one for ALL of the family. There will be games, inflatables, and a host of activities for all the kids to enjoy around the plaza starting at 3pm, just as the heat of the day starts to fade. At 6pm, the party kicks up a notch with the insane music of Kin Rivera Jr who will jam away through the sunset and until the epic fireworks display closes out the night at 8pm. All the restaurants here will have specials, some featuring traditional bbq and summer eats, along with their regular menus and options. Marina Pez Vela is a melting pot and this is a party for ALL to enjoy. So whether you are an expat who ran from the USA, a local looking to experience a bit of US culture, or just someone looking for some cold drinks, great food, good fun and amazing music…DO NOT MISS JULY 4th at MPV.
SUMMER IS HERE… That feels incredible wrong to say after the hot dry months of March and April just ended, but as the North American Spring melts into Summer time, things here in Quepos, Manuel Antonio, and Marina Pez Vela also evolve into a whole new vibe of family travel, amazing events and activities. One of the beauties of this area is that what was once a definitive “on/off” switch after Semana Santa has visually disappeared. While there are certainly some slower times for tourism, both in the area and here at the marina, there is ALWAYS something going on to enjoy. The transition into our “green” season, while welcomed by virtually everyone for the lushness and cooling trends, is far from break, just a new season to take part in! Here are some of the highlights for May and June here at Marina Pez Vela.
Pelagic Pura Vida Inshore Classic Tournament, May 24 – 26
The enormous success of the Pelagic Rockstar tournament which has become an annual event here at MPV during February, has led to a new incarnation of the Pelagic Tournament Legendary Fun. This year on May 25th there will be a one day Pura Vida Inshore Classic. This tournament is solely focused on the bountiful inshore fishery here with cash and prizes for either the most Roosterfish Release Points (points managed by length of each fish released) as well as a slam division for the combined weight of 3 total fish weighed in at the Marina Pez Vela scale. Weighable fish include Snook, Snapper, Corvina, Tripletail, Amberjack, Sierra Mackerel, Grouper, and Jack Crevasse. There are a host of individual jackpots and is going to be a fun-filled shoot out of some the most enjoyable inshore angling on the planet. Read More…
March Madness may be over, but April is going to include celebrations of all shapes and sizes here at Marina Pez Vela, as we embrace the last month of our peak travel season, dry season under the stars, and get ready to welcome the cooling first rains of May! It seems like every month is action packed here at MPV, but with each passing year, the team at the project, along with our guests and tenants find new ways to reinvent this space and build on the synergy between the community fo Quepos/Manuel Antonio and the marina. April 2019 will be another fun filled time as we forge another stitch in the fabric of our community.
Last month of MOVIE NIGHTS
With the end of the typical dry season we also have our last series of FREE MOVIE NIGHTS here at Marina Pez Vela. It is so common for families, couples, and friends to be looking for something to do on Friday nights and this is a great way to share under the stars, enjoy some of the great food and shopping at MPV, and relax with some great cinema on Costa Rica’s largest outdoor screen
Friday, April 5th: Aquaman
Friday, April 12: Spiderman – Un Nuevo Universo
THURSDAY, April 18th: Marco Ramirez
Friday, April 19: Hombre de Fe
NOTE: We have a special Thursday night movie, a Costa Rican film based on one of the nation’s most iconic pieces of literature, Marco Ramirez during Semana Santa, and Friday, April 19th will be our LAST movie night as on the 26th of April we will be hosting the final leg of the Marina Pez Vela Championship Series of Fishing that weekend.
More than just the temperatures are hot this time of year, the recreational and competitive angling going on at MPV is at an all-time high and March kicks off the first leg of the Marina Pez Vela Championship series this year! In addition to all the public tournaments, MPV is also hosting private tournaments organized by groups of friends, professionals and anglers and whether you are looking to compete at the highest levels or want to create a new and fun way to share with friends and family, our team at IFISH Quepos can help you organize and create a memorable tournament experience. While the high season brings the world’s finest anglers to the project, Marina Pez Vela is MUCH MORE than just an anglers marina and our community events, movie nights, gastronomic offerings and services continue to play a prominent role in the lifestyle of the area and our visiting tourists!
Marina Pez Vela Tournament Series
2019 is on inaugural year linking our two signature tournaments, the Quepos BillFish Cup and the Marina Pez Vela open into a series of tournaments with prizes and Offshore World Championship qualification among the most coveted of opportunities. The MPV Tournament series uses a video release verification format with release points awarded to both teams and anglers. Each of the two tournaments are 2 day events, which have both the scoring ability for sailfish, blue and black marlin, as well as exciting game fish divisions for Dorado and Tuna, along with daily jackpots to raise the stakes even more. The first of the two events is the Quepos Billfish Cup scheduled for March 15-17th and the series wraps up with the MPV Open, which runs April 26-28th. Read More…
HIGH SEASON and LOW SEASON pattern is now very much a year round destination, with activities, tourism, dynamic events and a sense of community which seems to always evolve to a new level. December of 2018 was close to one of the busiest and most exciting years in the history of Marina Pez Vela. The Triathlon, 5th annual Bright Lights Parade, Manuel Antonio Vivo concert and holiday events were an amazing kick off to our 2018-2019 season, and January is going to be ON FIRE with some of the most fun events of the year.
ROCKSTAR IS BACK!
That’s right, put the kids to bed early, cover your eyes and your ears as the ICONIC PELAGIC ROCKSTAR TOURNAMENT IS BACK AND BIGGER THAN EVER! This two-day tournament (three-day event), starting on January 11th is going to be the largest tournament in prize money and participation that the Marina has ever seen, with the 3rd annual edition of this amazing event. Teams from around the world converge on the Marina for some of the most competitive angling on the planet and for some of the most FUN you can imagine in any fishing event on the globe. Live music nightly in the plaza at the marina will be welcoming the teams with the live weigh-ins, parties and storytelling of each day’s epic battles. With 4 divisions to compete, Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, and Tuna there will be big prize money and big ego on the line! If you are not already signed up, DO NOT MISS IT, and if you are not an angler, you will not want to miss the energy and fun each night in the plaza. Cash and prizes valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars will be on the line and nowhere in CR will there be more fun going on than at MPV! Read More…
September and October were a wild ride for us all, with some of our first real intense rains and storms of the year, as well as a month of national strikes which made for some interesting experiences for both our local community and nation as a whole. November brings with it the final days of our green season and the annual rains, along with it the first big events and energy for the coming high season of 2018 and 2019. Marina Pez Vela, as usual, is doing things bigger and better than ever and November is when all the activities start to roll out in full force. It is such an amazing experience to see how MPV has become a part of our community with locals, expats and tourists alike making the project a home base for dining, shopping, services and special events and our team and family here have already begun full planning to insure that we have even more to share with you all in the coming months!
For November here are a few highlights of what we have to come!
Dorado Derby, November 17
This is our first annual Dorado Derby Fishing Tournament which has been designed to be the MOST FUN TOURNAMENT in all of Costa Rica. This one day event, scheduled for November 17th, is all about anglers of all abilities and experience, friends, families and businesses coming together to enjoy a day on the water, some good times, great laughs and fun way to participate in an fishing tournament at MPV. There are amazing packages here for $1,750 which includes the boat, tips, entry fee for the team and participation in the pool for biggest Dorados of the day and it is a great way to get your business, family or friends out on the water and experiencing one of the big draws and magical parts of our area. The day will culminate with a live weigh in for all the teams in the plaza, awesome DJ, and a fish fry part to celebrate the winners, the losers, new friends and old. There is still time to sign up and join the party of the first annual DORADO DERBY. Contact the team at IFish to make your reservation now!
MES DE LA PATRIA!!!
Like any good holiday in Costa Rica, and for some of us like our birthdays, September 15th is not about just a one day celebration but a MONTH LONG party for this amazing country we call home! That’s right, Faroles, Cimarronas, flags and patriotism is going to be the theme all month, but September has some other news in store for our Marina Pez Vela family and our community at large and we look forward to seeing the local community here at the marina soon.
Independence Day Activities
TYPICAL DANCE PRESENTATIONS BY SOME OF OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS
September 13
The events will start at 4pm and will feature several of our local escuelas doing presentations of typical Costa Rican Dance, folklore and dress. For many expats and tourist, who come to Costa Rica for its iconic beauty, the opportunity to learn a bit about the history, culture and pride which each Costa Rican has for this amazing nation is a WONDERFUL experience. There is something so special to see the families reliving the passing on the Independence Day traditions, lore, music and dance and do not miss this wonderful day to share and integrate with our international and local community at the Marina. Read More…
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While it’s almost impossible to imagine a month with more activity than this past March with our amazing Quepos Billfish Cup, Semana Santa and the completion of Costa Rica’s second and final round to elect our next president… APRIL is even MORE ACTION PACKED!!! While tournament fishing is definitely at the forefront of our April calendar, there are some other important events and opportunities to share with the our community and we invite and hope to see all of you here sharing in the energy and excitement this month!
FISHING TOURNAMENTS
We have teams from around Costa Rica and the World coming to Marina Pez Vela this month and have created a two leg tournament series to insure the most fun and competitive fishing environment on the planet for these anglers.
Marina Pez Vela Open, April 12-14
The actions starts with the MPV Open which is an open tournament where local anglers from Costa Rica and the world can register and compete in this three day event. Many participating in the OWC (offshore world championship) come early to “pre-fish” and the MPV Open provides an amazing platform for non-qualifying and participating teams to take part, warm up, win some money, and enjoy the world class waters of the area. marinapezvelatournaments.com/event/2018-marina-pez-vela-open/
Offshore World Championship, April 16 – April 20
The World Series, Super Bowl, Heavyweight Title fight and Olympic Gold medal round for the world of offshore fishing once again comes to Marina Pez Vela. This tournament brings teams from countries around the globe and requires participating teams to have won a tournament in the previous year’s qualifying circuit. Teams from as far as Australia and Brazil descend upon our community in a unique tournament where ALL teams are fishing on National Costa Rican Charter boats, with a rotation to a new boat each day to insure a level playing field. Daily dock socials, parties, weigh-ins for species which are not catch and release make for an incredible energy each morning and afternoon at the project and EVERYONE should come out to join in the activity and support their favorite teams from around the world. offshoreworldchampionship.com Read More…
March is one of the hottest months of the year both in temperatures and in important activities here at Marina Pez Vela and we are honored to share with our community all of the events and details to add to your calendars! The activities here are diverse and include two full weeks of tournaments, dance performances, live music, the iconic movie nights, Semana Santa, and will culminate with the April 1st elections for Costa Rica’s next president!
FISHING TOURNAMENTS
March and April are the two busiest months here at MPV for tournaments, both open to the public as well as some private tournaments. Whether you are an active angler or are just looking for some fun times, the tournaments at the project bring energy, world class anglers and always some amazing fish to see at weigh-ins, stories being told at the bar (where fish magically grow in size and strength) and the energy is electric all over the project. Read More…
It seems like the Christmas and New Year celebrations just run right through January and with all of the tourism and events here at Marina Pez Vela, February has appeared in the blink of an eye! With the blue summer skies, flat ocean waters and billfish bite back on, it feels like things are back to “normal” here at the marina with a vibrant schedule for the month and what seem like masterpieces painted each night with our live “SUNSET SHOWS”. The energy here at the project is palpable and growing each day and whether you are a local reading this monthly publication for the updates on the area or just picked up this magazine on your first visit to the area, do NOT miss out on the chance to come down and share in the essence of MPV where our local community, travelers from around the world and the finest project on the Pacific Coast all blend effortlessly into the tropical backdrop. February is another packed month with everything from smash mouth Football of the Super Bowl to a romantic Valentine’s Day concert…
WOW…while there are likely more appropriate adjectives to describe all that took place during the month of December and close of the 2017 year here at Marina Pez Vela, the sheer pace of it all and incredibly memorable moments have even our most verbose of collaborators speechless! Triathalon, Bright Lights, Christmas, New Year’s….a truly fantastic close to 2017 is like the red carpet for 2018 and an AWESOME year ahead.
January has the family at Marina Pez Vela continuing with some amazing events and news and we are very excited to share with you all the most important reminders for this first month of 2018!
The cooling rains subside, the warm breezes and magical sunsets of the Costa Rica summer season begin lightingup the evening skies, we get ready for what is likely to be a record setting season here in Costa Rica and especially at Marina Pez Vela! We are incredibly excited to share some of the events we have planned for the coming months, many of which are community celebrations which have become part of our culture here at Marina Pez Vela. Given some of the obstacles and heart-warming manner in which our families and community responded during this past rainy season, we hope that Marina Pez Vela can continue to support this wonderful area and to create public spaces where we can all share and celebrate the beauty of this region, the spectacular ocean which embraces the project and the families who make this area so special.
Friday Night Outdoor Movie Nights are back!
Out with the rain, IN WITH FRIDAY NIGHT FREE MOVIES UNDER THE STARS AT MPV. This has become one of our favorite dry season traditions. Families, tourists, anglers all relaxing under the stars, enjoying all the restaurants, shops and services here at the project and free outdoor movies on the GIANT inflatable screen, every Friday at 7 pm.
We would like to send out a very special thank you to all of the men and women of Quepos and especially to our extended Marina Pez Vela family who worked tirelessly over the last month, cleaning out neighbors’ homes, hiking food and water into cut off communities, cooking hot meals and lending a hug and a hand where needed. October was not an easy month and we are proud that our Municipality, the private sector and countless volunteers from the community came together in this time of need. Let us all continue to help those who are rebuilding their homes and we pray and hope for a successful high season to lift everyone’s spirits
Now, here are a few things we can all look forward to in the months ahead.
Thanksgiving Dinner
Looking for turkey, cranberry sauce and some of mama’s pumpkin pie…..look no further. The Marina restaurants will be serving up traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, November 23rd to satisfy the cravings of the hundreds of nostalgic tourists and locals alike.
AHHH…September and October…the DOUBLE EDITION of the Quepolandia. This wonderful time of year where we typically have the rainiest of weather, the slowest of tourism numbers, and the best kept secret in all of Costa Rica. What is that secret you ask? Come close so I can whisper it to you…Thats it…A bit closer…“THESE ARE TWO OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, SERENE, COOL, AND ENJOYABLE MONTHS TO SPEND IN THE MANUEL ANTONIO AREA!” Looking to spend all day tanning, maybe February is for you. Hoping for packed restaurants and bars…Semana Santa will be here soon enough. For anyone reading this article you are either a local (congrats) or one of the lucky visitors who braved the ‘rainy season’ fears and will get to experience this town, the rainforest, and Marina Pez Vela in some of its purest forms. Don’t let the sleepy feel and sometimes rainy weather fool you, there is PLENTY going on and lots to get ready for in the coming months as these tranquil days are the restful periods before our 2019-2020 madness starts again before you can blink an eye.