https://longeviquest.com/2025/07/costa-rican-woman-marta-rojas-arrieta-turns-110/

Costa Rican Woman Marta Rojas Arrieta Turns 110

Marta Rojas Arrieta, a resident of Sabanilla, San José province, Costa Rica, is celebrating her 110th birthday today, according to Asociación Península de Nicoya Zona Azul.

Rojas Arrieta was born in Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, on 30 July 1915. She lost her mother at the age of one and was taken in by a neighbor who raised her during her early years until her grandmother Vitalia took over her care. It was her grandmother who taught her the prayers she would continue to recite every morning before dawn—even into her centenarian years. From her, she also inherited a deep sense of discipline, devotion, and order.

When she was in the sixth grade, she fell seriously ill with an infectious disease. At one point, she lost consciousness and her vision, and the doctor warned that she was close to death. So certain were they of her passing that someone even came to take her measurements for a coffin. For an entire week, she neither spoke nor opened her eyes. Then, unexpectedly, she awoke and uttered just two words: “Saint Anthony.” Her family believed her recovery was nothing short of a miracle—there was no other explanation.

At some point, she married Fabio Carmona Briceño, and the couple had three children. Her husband passed away around 1992.

It’s worth noting that she was born in Guanacaste Province in the Nicoya Peninsula, one of the world’s recognized Blue Zones — regions where people are known to live exceptionally long lives, often surpassing 100 years. This longevity is attributed to a lifestyle that emphasizes regular physical activity, low stress, strong social connections, a diet of local whole foods, and a low incidence of chronic disease.

Happy 110th Birthday!