Pura Vida, Puur Natuur: Are We Getting It Wrong?
October 27, 2024
Last Friday, October 2025, 2024, it made the news again: the Prime Minister finally, for a change, following his promise to continue the “facelift” for the beaches at Lagun, Jeremi, and Caracas Bay. This came after listening to local voices and a new design for Lagun was published, showing fewer concrete structures and replacing some with wooden palapas. But beneath the softer, leaf-covered shades, the ground remains concrete—a stark contrast to the puur natuur we might hope for in these places.
Puur natuur—a slogan I remember seeing in the Netherlands, although I cannot recall the product. Yet it keeps coming to mind because that is what our beaches should be: pure, natural. This sentiment is not local; studies show that tourists value the untouched beauty of our shores. Booking.com’s survey confirmed it; people travel far for our pristine, natural landscapes.
They have coined "Pura Vida" in Costa Rica, especially regarding tourism. It’s not just a phrase; it’s a way of life that values nature as its biggest draw and its most genuine wealth. Years ago, Bonaire adopted sustainable development as its guiding principle—long before becoming a particular municipality of the Netherlands. Recently, Bonaire reaffirmed this commitment by choosing "slow growth" tourism, while Aruba now enforces a “No More Tourists” policy.
Meanwhile, here, we cling to concrete, asphalt, steel, and glass. The message seems to be, let’s make our beaches “fancy” at any cost. But are tourists—or locals—asking for this? Many don’t understand that nature isn’t just priceless; it’s profitable. People travel to see these untouched coves, where nature’s beauty is its upkeep, sustainable, and free from interference—if only we keep it clean.
Our data should guide us in protecting and preserving. Today's real luxury isn’t more concrete; it’s sophistication, subtlety, and simplicity. The proper facelift for our beaches is puur natuur, not what we’re getting. Because this isn’t “Pura Vida”—it’s Puro Estupidez.
Miguel Goede
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