Nicoya — Chorotega Longevity Secret
Uncover the Chorotega secret behind Nicoya's Blue Zone longevity. Decode ancient rituals at sacred sites to reveal the elixir that defies age and death.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the heart of Nicoya town, the Chorotega people, ancient indigenous masters of this land, guarded a profound secret to extraordinary longevity
Nicoya — Chorotega Longevity Secret
You are a historical ethnographer, arriving in Nicoya, Costa Rica, in the late 19th century, tasked with documenting indigenous health practices.
Your investigation begins at Nicoya's
Uncover the longevity secret of the Chorotega people, by exploring the historic streets of Nicoya, in the heart of Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
The story that haunts this land
Your quest for the Nicoya Blue Zone secret begins at Parque Central, the true historic heart and community gathering place of Nicoya, Guanacaste. Surrounding you, colonial buildings and key monuments bear witness to a rich history, often linked to the region's exceptional longevity. It was here, in downtown Nicoya, that researcher Dan Buettner conducted his studies in the 2000s, seeking to understand why the Chorotega people live longer than elsewhere. Every step in this park brings you closer to the roots of this indigenous culture, present since 1000 AD.
A short walk from Parque Central, you reach the Iglesia Colonial de Nicoya, an example of Spanish colonial architecture built in the 17th century. This historic edifice is a landmark on any themed walking tour in downtown Nicoya. Your exploration then leads you to the Monumento a la Anexión del Partido de Nicoya, erected in 1950. This monument celebrates Nicoya's peaceful Annexation to Costa Rica in 1824, an event that shaped the Costa Rican identity of the Guanacaste region, and is central to Nicoya's history.
Continue your visit to Nicoya to the Mercado Municipal, a traditional covered market located less than 1 km from Parque Central. This is where local products are sold, including the Chorotega diet based on corn and beans, directly linked to the longevity of the inhabitants. This market is a typical stop on walking tours in Nicoya's historic heart. Your itinerary then takes you to the Casa de la Cultura de Nicoya, a cultural center dedicated to Chorotega history and exhibitions on pre-Columbian heritage and the Blue Zone.
The Cementerio de Nicoya, located about 1 km from the city center, is a site that directly reflects the theme of the Blue Zone's exceptional longevity. Here you will find graves of Chorotega centenarians, offering a tangible link to verified local accounts of lifespan. Even though a cemetery might seem like an end, here it is proof of extended life. Calle Real, a historic cobbled street, leads you back towards colonial Nicoya, connecting the church and the municipal market, and allowing you to complete this thematic circuit on Chorotega history.
This OddballTrip thematic circuit in Nicoya will have allowed you to grasp the essence of the Blue Zone and Chorotega heritage. From 17th-century colonial architecture to the longevity testimonies of centenarians, each stage of the 1.5 km route around Parque Central, from the Colonial Church to the Cemetery, has illuminated the factors that make Nicoya, Guanacaste, a unique region. You leave with an understanding of the local traditions and history of Nicoya, which have forged this culture of global longevity.
The Route
8 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Ancestral Wisdom
Uncover the secrets of the Chorotegas, a people who lived in harmony with their environment.
The Blue Zone Mystery
Explore the historical and cultural factors contributing to Nicoya's exceptional longevity.
Natural Heritage
Discover the importance of connecting with nature and local resources for well-being.
Time reveals wisdom.
Uncover the pillars of a long and healthy life.
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Do I need to download an app?
No, never. You get a link, you click, it plays in your browser. That's the point of a PWA: same as an app, without the hassle.
Q02Does it work offline?
GPS yes (handled by your phone). Maps yes (tiles cached). AI and hints need an intermittent 4G connection.
Q03How long does a game take?
1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. The timer runs but only for the leaderboard — you play at your own tempo.
Q04What happens if I'm stuck?
You get 3 levels of hints per puzzle (increasing penalty). If truly stuck, you can skip the step (45-min penalty but you keep going).
Q05What's the age range?
From 12 without an adult, from 6 with an adult reading puzzles. Works for families, couples, friend groups, companies.
Q06What if my city isn't in the catalogue?
Pre-register or contact us — we'll email you as soon as your city is live.
Q07What is augmented reality exactly?
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language. At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's your answer. After each puzzle solved, a treasure chest floats in front of you. Seeing is believing.
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Your turn to play
Uncover the longevity secret of the Chorotega people, by exploring the historic streets of Nicoya, in the heart of Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+24 TripCoins granted with your booking
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