Medical Care in Costa Rica is Worth a Look See

You might have heard about it, or maybe not; but Costa Rica has great, new, modern hospitals and a health insurance system that is massively cheaper than the costs you'll face in the United States. CIMA is a private hospital that's just minutes from our Villa Real Eco Residential rental in Santa Ana, Costa Rica.

Now, it's a serious subject, and I'm no well healed, number cruncher sitting a big fancy Washington think tank, calculating and lamenting the rising health care and cost of living in Toledo vs. Miami. But I'll say this-- it's worth checking out the health care costs in Costa Rica if you are pricing your insurance and medical care for yourself or a family member, and trying to save on the cost of a deductibles and monthly payments that are beyond the pale.

You'll find that saving a lot of money for the same level of care is very doable in Costa Rica.

Here is the description of CIMA:

Consorcio Hospital Internacional, S.A de C.V. (CHI) was incorporated in 1992 with the vision of establishing, in Mexico as well as in Latin America, a premier private medical services provider. Consorcio Internacional Hospital is the Mexican affiliate of International Hospital Corporation, a company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. This consortium invests in, operates and markets hospitals, who work under the name of Centro Internacional de Medicina (CIMA).

In fact, a good chunk of visitors to Costa Rica are there on what's called "medical tourism", and it's not just folks hell bent for boob jobs, or Human Growth Hormone treatments. Nearly 25% of CIMA's patients are Gringos looking for standard care at affordable prices, like you and me. It includes retirees who want an affordable trips to doctors, dentists and pharmacies. It includes savvy tourists who paste on a medical check up, or trip to American trained nutritionists, or dermatologists, or dentists, onto their vacations in Costa Rica. It includes people who want root canals, or major dental work at deeply discounted rates.

What kind of savings can you expect?


For example, I had an ultrasound of a major organ for $60 dollars. In Chicago it would have been much much more. My doctor visits are $30 dollars. My doctor is American trained and teaches at an American Medical school. The wait is never more than 5 minutes for most anything, for anything from blood tests to other procedures. A friend of mine brought his father to San Jose for an operation on his prostate after checking into it in America and in Europe. His operation was a great success-- and he reports that the professionalism was fantastic and the cost savings were almost unbelievable.

And as for prevention, well, we all know it's worth a pound of cure, and a Costa Rican vacation with a "medical tour" pasted on is well worth the trip. Whether it's Diet and nutrition, dermatology, physical therapy, exercise programs, or active fitness type retreats, Costa Rica has it.

We are happy to offer referrals to the service providers in Costa Rica to clients and guests, or anyone looking for general information. Contact info@palmmgt.com for details.

Whitewater Rafting in Costa Rica in Class III-IV Rapids!

One of the best new tour offerings we've run across are the white water rafting day trips we've found to Pacuare Gorge in small groups.

So basically you stay in a 4 star setting in Villa Real eco Residential, you'll wake up to hike the nature trails and roads, swim the Olympic sized pool, play tennis, take golf lessons, have personal trainers help you set and reach goals working out, have yoga instructors help you stretch out, and nutritional counsel by doctors at CIMA help you to eat right. Then, you'll take day trips such as these outstanding whitewater raftfing tours in Level 3 and 4 rapids through surrounding rain forests.

Leaving from Santa Ana, you're tour guide takes care of everything on the way, from suiting up to lunch. Here's how the describe the one day tour, which costs 149 per person:

Early morning pick-up by your River Guide at your hotel in San Jose. There will be no more than one other stop en route to a deluxe Costa Rican breakfast on the way to the river. Upon arrival at the put-in, your professional guides will give an orientation and safety talk. You will then proceed down river on continuous Class III-IV rapids. This trip runs with a maximum of three rafts, compared to other groups that operate with as many as 25 rafts.

As you are swept down the Pacuare Gorge by the currents, soak in the natural beauty of the primary and secondary rainforests surrounding you. Water level permitting, a guide will lead you on a hike up one of the many creeks that spill into the Pacuare. Upon your return to the riverbank, you will find a gourmet lunch prepared by your guides turned white-gloved waiters.

Float and paddle downriver to the take-out in the Caribbean town of Siquirres where towels and a victory cocktail await. Drive back to your San Jose hotel (approx. two hours).

For details about incorporating this into your stay at Villa Real eco residential in Santa Ana, contact us at info@palmmgt.com

Hot Volcanic Springs at Lake Arenal, Costa Rica

One of the highlights of any Costa Rican tour are the hot springs near the volcano at Arenal.

Several resorts are organized to offer hot spring/spa services, and are well worth the $10 to 40 dollars they charge for clean towels and hot soaking pools and falls that you can soak in until your skin becomes like a prune.

We always recommend guests take a day or two to drive up to Arenal to see the volcano, see the butterfly/frog conservatory, hike the trails, and soak their bums in the thremal spas. Starting off in Santa Ana at Villa Real Eco Residential Community, where guest stay upon arrival, the drive is roughly 2 1/2 hours to Arenal.


Tabacon Grand Spa and Thermal Resort is designated one of the "Finest Hotels in the World", and offers day passes to their hot spring facilities, along with Spa services which are great, if you enjoy that sort of thing (not really my bag, so I tend to stick to the soaking bit, and the large heated pool, which has a built in bar next to the cold plunge pool). Tabacon is laid out well, it's clean, offers good food and great service.

Tabacon has made the media, in various Spa Magazines and publications. It reached the top of Spa Finder's mineral water division in 2007. The resort opened with 42 four star rooms in 1997 and has steadily expanded to with more than 100 rooms, 13 spa treatment rooms, and a wave pool.

It's also open late, so night soaking is encouraged!

Fitness Retreats in Costa Rica are Unmatched

Waking up at sunrise to 80 degree weather (any time of year), walking the hills of an Eco residential community to the Nature trails, returning to shower and a light breakfast before beginning yoga instruction, then moving on to an active day trip to a coffee plantation in the middle valley, or horseback riding, golf or tennis. Fresh Tilapia with Avicado for lunch; Nutritional counseling a CIMA, one of Latin America's best Private hospitals. Private surf lessons, 2 hour beach hikes on Costa Rica's Pacific shores from a private beach house setting. Endless sunrise and sunset hikes in beautiful places.

These are the signs that your in a Palmmgt Costa Rica fitness retreat program, complete with personal trainers, nutritionists, physicians, massage and spa attendants, and instructors for surfing, yoga, golf, tennis, horseback, martial arts, weight training, cooking, and more. Fitness retreats featuring active, so called "multi sport" vacations are all the rage now. Like Lizano, the green sauce everyone puts on Gallo Pinto each morning in Costa Rica, we're adding our own twist. Call our Gut Buster Team for details!