By Mary Angel Castillo Obando, Reporter

On a warm afternoon in the Nicoya Peninsula, 106‑year‑old Juan de Dios Ruiz Ruiz sits quietly in his home, the kind of calm that only a long, well‑lived life can give. Born March 8, 1926, he began working the land at just three years old. His childhood was spent riding horses, harvesting fruit, and reading under the Guanacaste sun, rhythm of life that shaped his philosophy.

“I think the saints can hear me, because everything I pray for, they give it to me,” he says, his faith woven into every part of his day.

Juan de Dios is one of the living symbols of the Nicoya Peninsula, one of the world’s five Blue Zones regions where people live significantly longer than average. But behind the documentaries, wellness trends, and global fascination is a more complicated truth: the elders who inspire the world often live in poverty, supported by grassroots efforts rather than global wellness brands.

This is the real story of Nicoya’s longevity. a mosaic of diet, community, purpose, environment, and genetics and the people working to preserve it.

Community, the Most Needed Medicine

In the Nicoya Peninsula, community is indispensable for longevity. Juan de Dios lives with his son, Edwin David Ruiz Villalobos, and his grandson, three generations under one roof. Edwin’s son cooks for the family, and they eat every meal together.

“That’s the biggest lesson my dad taught me,” Edwin says. “Family is the center of life.” Across the peninsula, neighbors check on one another, elders remain integrated into daily routines, and social life is intimate. Juan de Dios remembers dancing with friends, getting into small drunken fights, and ending the night laughing and hugging.

This level of closeness is not a coincidence; it is cultural.

Researchers say strong social ties reduce stress, increase emotional resilience, and create a sense of belonging that adds years to life. In Nicoya, these bonds are not wellness strategies; they are simply how people live.

What Makes A Blue Zone?

The five Blue Zones are Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Ikaria (Greece), Loma Linda (USA) and Nicoya (Costa Rica). Researchers have identified five interconnected pillars that shape Nicoya’s longevity:

• Traditional diet
• Strong social networks
• Plan de vida (life purpose)
• Environmental advantages
• Genetic inheritance

In Nicoya, these pillars are not trends, they are cultural norms passed down through generations.

The Diet That Built a Century of Life

For Juan de Dios, longevity began with the land. Growing up, he ate what the region provided: beans, rice, corn, squash, bananas, eggs, dairy, pork, and seasonal fruits. According to Jorge Vindas López, founder of the Peninsula de Nicoya Zona Azul Association, this traditional diet is one of the strongest predictors of long life. Today, Juan de Dios still eats gallo pinto, homemade tortillas, cheese, and eggs. He rarely eats meat. He avoids processed foods. And every afternoon, he drinks a small shot of cacique, the sugarcane liquor he calls his “Remedio”.

This diet plant‑based mainly, low‑processed, and portion‑controlled — forms the nutritional backbone of Nicoya’s longevity.

Purpose That Creates Life

A defining feature of Nicoya’s centenarians is their “Plan de Vida’ a sense of purpose that continues into old age. For Juan de Dios, purpose is rooted in faith, reading, poetry, and music. His son believes his father’s sharp mind comes from a lifetime of reading.

“He reads every day,” Edwin says. “Poetry, stories, anything he can find.”

Purpose of life here is not abstract. It is daily, active, and deeply spiritual.

How the Land Sustains Long Lives

Nicoya Peninsula’s environment supports longevity to a great extent:

• Water naturally high in calcium and magnesium
• Dry climate that reduces respiratory illness
• Soil that produces nutrient‑dense crops
• Proximity to the Pacific coast, a trend shared across all Blue Zones

These environmental factors create a foundation that supports the lifestyle choices of the people towards a more healthy and organic life.

Genetics: Are They Decisive?

Genetics play a role, but not the starring one. Many families in the Nicoya Peninsula share ancestral roots that may predispose them to longevity. Juan de Dios, Edwin, and his grandson all look younger than their ages, a common pattern in the region.

But experts emphasize that genes alone cannot explain the phenomenon. It is the interaction of genetics with lifestyle, environment, and culture that creates the Blue Zone effect.

As explained by Vindas; “ Healthy life habits activate the longevity cells in Blue Zone’s populations, meanwhile bad practices kill them”

Modernity is reshaping the lifestyle in the Peninsula

Younger generations eat more processed foods, work sedentary jobs, and face economic pressures their grandparents never imagined. Experts worry that the Blue Zone may fade as lifestyles shift.

Still, community leaders, including Vindas and local families are working to preserve traditions, diets, and social structures that have sustained the region for generations.The question now is whether Nicoya can keep its longevity culture in a rapidly changing and interconnected world.

The Hidden Reality: Poverty Among Centenarians

Despite global fascination, many elders live in poverty in the Nicoya Peninsula.

“This is the biggest problem,” Vindas says. “People see the documentaries, but they don’t see the reality.”

Through workshops, hotel partnerships, donations and educational programs, Vindas raises
money to provide food, medicine, home repairs, transportation, and many more services to centenarians in the region.

His association, founded in 2007, aims to make centenarians visible, because the wellness industry profits from their stories with no give backs.

A Life Story That Teaches Us How to Live Longer And Better

Back in his home, Juan de Dios continues his daily practices: reading, praying, eating simply, and staying connected with his people while the world changes its pace. His life is a reminder that longevity is not a mystery but a mosaic of purpose, community, food, faith, and place.

As the world looks to Blue Zones for answers, Nicoya Peninsula offers a simple truth: living longer is not just about adding years. It’s about adding meaning.

If Interested in Donating Visit: asociacionzonaazul.org