Nicoya, a region located in the northwestern peninsula of the Central American country, is one of the five blue zones listed in the world with an abnormally high rate of centenarians.
- The concept of the blue zone appeared at the end of the 20th century when the Belgian demographer Michel Poulain and the Italian doctor Gianni Pes noted a strange proportion of centenarians in the region of Barbagia, in Sardinia (Italy).
- Loma Linda in California (USA), Icaria in Greece and Okinawa in Japan are the other places with an abnormally high rate of centenarians.
Costa Rica is a great place to live in harmony with nature. The country alone is home to around 5% of the world’s biodiversity and has the most biodiversity per square kilometer. In this green democracy without an army and where a quarter of the country is protected territory, there is also one of the five blue zones in the world. These are territories with an abnormally high rate of centenarians.
Barbagia, Loma Linda, Icaria and Okinawa
In Nicoya, located in the province of Guanacaste in the northwest of the country, the longevity of the inhabitants is astonishing. Reporting in the region, theAFP tells the story of Saturnino Lopez, said Sato, a 94-year-old resident who leaves every morning to cut the wood he will need for the day before leaving for a walk around his house. “For my age I feel good because the Lord gives me the strength to walk slowly. I leave for maybe 1 kilometer or even 4 kilometers, then I go back, calmly”, he says. In this zone there are more than 1,010 Costa Ricans over the age of 90 who form a blue zone.
The concept of the blue zone appeared at the end of the 20th century when the Belgian demographer Michel Poulain and the Italian doctor Gianni Pes noted a strange proportion of centenarians in the region of Barbagia, in Sardinia (Italy). On their map, they circled the mountain villages with a blue pen, a gesture that inspired the name of these places where it is good to grow old. Subsequently, the National Geographic Society, based in Washington, identified three other blue zones where life expectancy is abnormally long: Loma Linda in California (United States), Icaria in Greece and Okinawa in Japan.
have goals
What strikes Nicoya is the calm and the sweetness of life. Far from the city bustle, the inhabitants live to the rhythm of the sun and their activities, without stress and goal of result. “During the day, if you have to sweep the patio, you sweep it; if you have to cut wood, you cut it. There are lots of little things to do”, describes Don Sato who lives in the village of Dulce Nombre. Regarding his diet, the nonagenarian says he eats “rice, beans, a little meat, fruit and avocado”.
Make no mistake, if life is peaceful, it is not aimless. “Setting goals is key to healthy agingeven affirms Aleyda Obando, responsible for the Social Security of Nicoya. They always have projects in mind to plant something in the garden, to see their friends (…) It is the sum of several small things that make this population live longer.” Everyone stays active, eats local products and has a fulfilling social life. “We have always eaten what we grow”, continues Clementina, 91, who lives in the region with her 100-year-old husband Agustin. The latter is one of the 53 centenarians in the region.
A growing blue zone
According to demographer Gilbert Brenes, who works at the University of Costa Rica, this blue zone is booming. According to him, “demographic momentum and higher fertility rate than before” are the reasons. However, this should not last”more than 20 to 30 years“, he believes. The poorer dietary practices of new generations, more prone to developing obesity or diabetes, and the increased presence of processed food from abroad could well harm this blue zone.
