The World Meeting of Blue Zones will take place in Nicoya, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, from November 16 to the 18 and will have the presence of national and international guests that will be able to enjoy an agenda full of activities.

Blue zones are geographic regions with an unusually high longevity.

“A part of Costa Rica stands out worldwide as a “Blue Zone,” which is characterized by the long, healthy lifespan of its population. Men and women exceed the average life expectancy with ages of more than 100 years. We speak on behalf of five cantons in Guanacaste, which are located on the Nicoya Peninsula: Santa Cruz, Hojancha, Carrillo, Nandayure and, part of the Nicoya canton.

Part of the Nicoya Peninsula is added to the exclusive list of only five “Blue Zones” in the world, which includes: Icaria in Greece, Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan and Loma Linda in the United States. The Nicoya Peninsula is the only Blue Zone in Latin America and it is the largest, ” explains the press release sent by the Costa Rica Tourism Board.

The World Meeting of Blue Zones will allow the possibility of sharing the experiences and information on the lifestyles of individuals in this area that have lived a long and healthy life, and with this information generate public policies that will promote protecting habits and factors that will allow others to live a long and healthy life.

The event includes different cultural and artistic activities, open to the public and organized by the Ministry of Culture.

According to studies done by the Costa Rican demographer, Dr. Luis Rosero from the Central American Center of Population (CCP, as per its acronym in Spanish) of the University of Costa Rica, the concentration of inhabitants older than 90 years old with a healthy lifespan on the Nicoya Peninsula is unique in the world, and the mortality rate of this population is 10% lower in comparison to other inhabitants of the similar age in the rest of the world. According to recent data, the nonagenarian population consists of 865 inhabitants (beginning after last May 31st), which means that Nicoya will continue to be painted blue for a long time.

Among the five cantons on the peninsula, there are currently 41 long-lived individuals that have passed the goal of more than 100 years, and nine people that will be one-hundred years old before November.

According to the data from the Ministry of Health, the high life expectancy on the Nicoya Peninsula exceeds the national average of 77 for men by 25 years and the national average of 81 for women by 9 years. It even has a population of over 5,000 inhabitants who are older than 75.

“This Meeting is of great importance for the Costa Rica Tourism Board since it has been diversifying its offer to take advantage of the potential of wellness tourism. The country strategy Wellness Pura Vida hopes to position Costa Rica as a destination for wellness, differentiated from the rest in offering unique and transforming experiences; having a Blue Zone opens doors in this industry, consolidating the country as a destination that improves the quality of life of our inhabitants and those who visit the country”, stated Mauricio Ventura, Minister of Tourism.