"This Is Not Pura Vida" : the Costa Rican campaign revealing the truth behind the green paradise

Costa Rica makes people dream.Volcanoes, tropical forests, endless beaches… and that slogan you hear everywhere: “Pura Vida.”

The pure life. Simple. In harmony with nature.

But sometimes, behind that perfect image, hides a reality that’s far less idyllic…

What you don’t see on the postcards

When I first heard about the “This Is NOT Pura Vida” campaign, it hit me hard.

Because I, too, believed in that image a model country, a pioneer in ecology.

And yet, every year, thousands of animals are electrocuted trying to cross uninsulated power lines.

Monkeys, sloths, toucans… burned alive or severely injured, simply because the cables that cut through their habitats were never protected.

The contrast between words and reality

We’re talking about a country often praised as a model of sustainability, a place where nature supposedly reigns. But the “This Is NOT Pura Vida” campaign, led by International Animal Rescue, reminds us of one simple truth : no paradise is perfect as long as animals are paying the price for our silence.

The saddest part ? This problem is well known and well documented and yet, progress in implementing protections remains painfully slow. Because it costs money. Because it’s invisible to tourists.

Why it concerns all of us

What this campaign exposes goes far beyond Costa Rica. It invites us to open our eyes to a simple truth: what we don’t see matters too.

The silent wrongs, the decisions made far from the field, the compromises we justify “in the name of responsible tourism”…

That’s exactly why, at Vaya Planet, we take the time to verify, question, and connect before sharing any mission.Because a cause can look beautiful but it’s only truly meaningful when it’s fair, consistent, and respectful.

What we can do

But it’s also an invitation to be more aware, more demanding, more curious.

To look beyond the perfect picture.

To ask ourselves:

“What if, behind all this beauty, there was suffering we don’t see?”

To learn more and support the cause, visit Esto No Es Pura Vida a project that reminds us that even in “paradise”, nature still needs our protection.

The real Pura Vida isn’t what you show it’s what you do.

At Vaya Planet, every mission is designed so that your actions truly matter for the animals, for nature, and for you.

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