The simplicity at the heart of the plan de vida may even be why Corazon has fit seamlessly into this Blue Zone; Villegas says his horse has lived so long because he’s not a work horse and has a fairly easy life.

As for himself, Villegas isn’t sure why he’s lived for more than a century. Maybe it’s also an uncomplicated answer. “God’s the one that decides,” says Villegas.

A deeper purpose

Many of the longest-living residents of the Nicoyan peninsula don’t think they’re doing anything different or special than anyone else to live long lives. Some, like Villegas, say it’s the will of a higher power. But a secret may also lie in another kind of faith – one of living with purpose to serve family and community.

Vindas says most centenarians in the region live with family, and are respected as sources of wisdom and experience, which only blossoms throughout their long lives. As residents age, many have a heightened sense of purpose – they find their motivation in providing for their families, and teaching them the skills they’ve learned so they can keep the Nicoyan way of life going for generations to come.     “The lifestyle is very simple,” Vindas says. “ I think the real road to longevity is around there, the simple life. They have less worries, their priority and source of happiness is family.”

Most of the centenarians in the region live below the poverty line, Vindas adds, but as long as they have a house and food for their family, they have enough. When they do have more, they share.

“If they kill a pig or have a big harvest, they’ll share it with their neighbors because it was too much for them,” Vindas says.

Although 89-year-old Ramiro Guadamuz isn’t quite yet 100, he is gripped by the same sense of faith and duty that’s pushing him toward many years to come. He still wakes up at 05:00 to milk cows on his farm, and works until sunset. Guadamuz says he still enjoys working, but teaching his great grandchildren, aged 15 and eight, how to work on the farm is what motivates him to keep going.