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The Secret of the Longest Living Populations in the World
Travel to the regions with the highest life expectancy in the world to disconnect and imitate your good habits. From the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica to the tiny Greek island of Icaria.
Good nutrition, daily exercise, little stress and a lot of love. The secret of longevity is the sum mainly of these variables, as shown by the Blue Zones. A list started in 2000 by the doctor in Demography from the Catholic University of Leuven Michel Poulain. With the also researcher Gianni Pes, they marked with blue marker -hence the name- the areas with exceptional survival. The first, in the mountainous heart of Sardinia, in Nuoro. Later, in collaboration with National Geographic explorer Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, they expanded these zones to the Japanese island of Okinawa, the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, the tiny Greek island of Ikaria, and the town of Loma Linda in California.
More centenarians live in these five locations (and better off) than in the rest of the world. Obviously, genetics play an important role, 25% according to the scientific community estimates, but, in addition, researchers discovered the formula for these outstanding regions. After years of studies and trips to the field, they concluded that consuming fresh products, following a plant-based diet (lower in fat and sugar) and stopping eating before you are full; carry a slow daily rhythm, with responsibilities but without anxiety; doing exercise or at least walking daily and maintaining a good relationship with family and friends as food for the soul and the basis of happiness, were common patterns in these areas. Its inhabitants had a life plan.
In the Netflix documentary Living 100 Years: The Secrets of the Blue Zones, Buettner himself tours the excellent survival recipe. “After 20 years of analysis, I can conclude that, as a common denominator, these populations have an intense, active, and happy life that makes them survive longer and without making an effort,” says the expert in this four-part miniseries. “For the first time in the last century, life expectancy is decreasing in the US, making more progress every day. And, in my opinion, I believe that it is not about investing in death but about learning to live,” he clarifies.
With record ages and magnificent health, the regions take advantage of their extraordinary qualities to disseminate and try to export their bonanzas. Located in the Conchal Reserve, a protected natural area of 930 hectares of dry forest, mangroves, and beach, monkeys, sloths, jaguars, frogs, and countless exotic birds; the resorts The Westin Reserva Conchal and W Costa Rica-Conchal Reserve are two oases in the middle of the Nicoya Peninsula, in the Costa Rican Pacific. “Being located in a blue zone has a significant impact on both hotels as tourist destinations. Both properties offer a vacation experience that not only focuses on luxury and comfort but also on promoting a healthy and sustainable lifestyle with the offer of beneficial practices, such as outdoor physical activities and gastronomic options that reflect a diet rich in natural and fresh foods,” details Hernan Binaghi Complex general manager of these five stars which considers that these conditions make the two neighboring destinations health and well-being centers.
The inhabitants of this area, and also tourists, have at their disposal a magazine natural environment and a local shopping basket, full of tropical fruits, vegetables, and fish. The native diet and the key to their vitality, according to Buettner, “is based mainly on those known as Three Sisters: beans, corn, and pumpkin”. A diet low in calories and abundant in nutrients. The water of the entire province of Guanacaste also stands out for its quality: particularly rich in minerals, its high content of calcium and magnesium strengthens bones and reduces heart diseases. Long live well-being, even on vacation.
Pure life and environmental awareness in Costa Rica
Access to W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal disguises the imposing image that the traveler encounters when crossing the ‘lobby’: its Wet Deck, a swimming pool in the middle of the lush dry forest of Guanacaste. An oasis of well-being – also with a ‘spa’ – hidden among mangroves that pays tribute to all the virtues of the region, from the decoration, the omnipresent ‘pura vida’ of the Ticos to the local recipes of its restaurants. Its beach club, also with a pool, highlights its location: it is called Zona Azul. To preserve the territory, this ecological ‘resort’ recycles its waste in its own recovery center.
Traditional farm in the heart of Icaria
Even the four stone houses of the Ikarian farm – available through Airbnb – are centuries old (the oldest boasts five centuries), although a recent restoration disguises the passing of the years. To learn more about the population of the small island of Icaria, which enjoys enviable health, the owners of the business, Georgios, and Eleni, offer cooking classes from the native recipe book.
Kilometer zero recipes in Sardinia
In the center of the Italian island of Sardinia, a mountainous area dotted with villages, the boutique hotel Su Lithu has just 15 rooms. The Giovanettis, the family that runs the property, are in charge of showing the region, as well as running the restaurant, which offers typical Sardinian dishes with kilometer zero products, such as suckling pig or pecorino also roasted in casaau bread, typical of the area.
Centennial tradition in California
The veteran history of The Mission Inn Hotel and Spa, a quarter of an hour by car from the center of Loma Linda (California), almost as long as the life of the inhabitants of the region, begins in 1876, with an adobe boarding house, which At the beginning of the 20th century it already had 200 rooms. Frank Miller, its promoter, provided the hotel with multiple antiques, such as the oldest bell in Christendom, from 1247.
Disconnection and the local menu in Okinawa
About to begin a renovation to elevate its luxury, The Ritz-Carlton, Okinawa offers almost a hundred suites with terraces and views of the Kise Country Club golf course, where it is located, or the China Sea (the Cabana Rooms, also with private ‘jacuzzi’). Located on this Japanese island, almost on the edge of Kise Beach, this golf and spa complex also offers three restaurants and swimming pools to soak up the region’s lifestyle. Nearby are the Gusuku ruins, typical fortresses declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.