Fountain of Youth Discovered in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Everyone wants to know the secret to long life. Find out why it seems Guanacaste, Costa Rica has discovered the fabled fountain of youth.

Since the dawn of time, it seems we humans have been looking for the “fountain of youth” and the secret to long life. And as it turns out, there actually are places on the planet where people tend to live longer and healthier lives.

Guanacaste, Costa Rica is one of those places.

Whether or not we’ve found the fountain of youth, Costa Rica enjoys a higher life expectancy than many developed countries. And in the northwest region of Guanacaste, known to be one of the world’s Blue Zones, residents are more than twice as likely to reach a healthy age of at least 90, often living well over 100.

“People living in Costa Rica have higher wellbeing than the residents of many rich nations, including the USA and the UK, and live longer than people in the USA. And all of this is achieved with a per capita Ecological Footprint that’s just one third of the size of the USA’s,” according to the Happy Planet Index.

Costa Rica in 2016 once again led the world as the Happiest Country on Earth in the Happy Planet Index rankings, published by the New Economics Foundation. This is the third time for the Central American nation to top the list; having done so in 2012 and 2009.

The area of Nicoya in Guanacaste, Costa Rica was named a Blue Zone by U.S. author and researcher, Dan Buettner, in his 2008 book, “The Blue Zones”. Based on Buettner’s research with National Geographic and the world’s top longevity scientists, they identified places around the world where people live measurably longer and better, reaching age 100 at rates greater than in most of the rest of the world. The name “Blue Zone” came from the scientists drawing blue circles around the areas of long longevity on world maps.

So what’s the secret to long life in Guanacaste, Costa Rica? Faith and family play a strong role in Costa Rican culture, along with having a positive outlook and active lifestyle with a lot of walking. Costa Ricans in the Guanacaste countryside eat mostly farm-fresh food with very little processed foods; they enjoy plenty of fiber-rich beans and rice, and antioxidant-rich tropical fruits. They also have a unique secret: calcium and magnesium rich water – minerals from Guanacaste’s many volcanoes. These strengthen bones and help keep disease away.

Visit the healthy living hotspot of Guanacaste, Costa Rica for your next vacation, and return home happier and more youthful. Known for its incredible adventure tours, Costa Rica is an easy vacation destination from the USA and Europe, with many direct flights arriving to the Liberia International Airport in Guanacaste.

Article by Shannon Farley