Costa Rica: my tips for a wonderful Pura Vida vacation experience
Written: Feb 18 '09 (Updated Feb 18 '09)
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Pros: So many activities in a beautiful little country
Cons: Despite its small size, it takes a bit of planning to see and do everything.
The Bottom Line: A wonderful slice of tropical beauty with lots of activities to keep the whole family happy.
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| pilarzmom's Full Review: Costa Rica |
My first stint in Costa Rica came as an exchange student back in the early 80's. Back then most people didn't seem to know where it was, as it was barely a blip on the travel radar screen. Nowadays it seems everyone knows someone who's been there or they're planning to go themselves. Most people I talk to are either stopping there as part of a cruise excursion or going on an organized tour. While both of these options will certainly give you a little taste of this Central American country, my choice was to book my own 10-day excursion when I took my family here last summer. It definitely requires a bit more planning than simply reserving a hotel room and plopping yourself down for a week or so, but it's so worth it! Here are my tips and suggestions for a stress-free adventure in this little piece of paradise!
Travel planning
1. Plan your activities first and book your hotels around them. Usually people book their hotels first and plan activities around their stay, but in Costa Rica I think it's better to do the opposite. For example, in Costa Rica many visitors love to do a zip line excursion. The country has no shortage of them, fortunately, but each of them is a bit different, with some being better for kids, while others are definitely designed for thrill seekers. If you know first which particular one you want, then you may choose to spend more/less days in a particular location. Which leads me to my next tip:
2. Don't stay in only one hotel. Costa Rica may be a small country, but what looks like a short distance on a map can actually be quite a journey. Therefore, many visitors find that it's better to plan on booking hotels in multiple locations and building in travel days into their itinerary. While a week vacation is certainly doable, I'd advise planning to spend a minimum of 10 days if you can. While you can certainly stay in San Jose and do a bunch of one-day excursions, it's much more enjoyable not to be traveling back and forth every day.
3. Spend time researching your ground transportation options. There are many ways to get around Costa Rica, and depending on your budget and how much you want to see of the country side, some work better than others. Many folks do decide to be brave and go the rental car route. If you've driven in other countries overseas, then this may not be a bad option. The roads in Costa Rica have improved over the years, but some sections are still bad. You'll have to also have to have nerves of steel to deal with the local drivers who are more aggressive than the typical Gringo driver. That's why most visitors leave the driving to someone else and rely on a shuttle service. We opted for a larger and fairly comfortable Gray Line Costa Rica bus for part of our stay. Many others opt for private van shuttles, which are an especially good option if you're traveling with a large party. The final option (other than hitchhiking or taking the local bus!) is flying on one of the local airlines (Nature Air or Sansa) that can take you around the country quite efficiently and quickly. This, of course, is a bit more expensive, but we were glad we chose to do this when traveling to Quepos from La Fortuna as it what would have been a long day of travel was reduced to one hour.
4. Remember, Costa Rica has two international airports. If you plan to travel to the Guanacaste region (home to some of the larger resorts with wider beaches, including a few all-inclusives), book your flight through Liberia and not San Jose as it will save you much travel time.
5. Adjust your expectations. Most hotels are smaller and not of the Mexican mega resort style. The exception is the aforementioned Guanacaste area, along with a few in Jaco, and a handful in and around San Jose. Likewise, don't expect every beach to be a perfect white sandy beach. Because Costa Rica has a rich volcanic history, many of the beaches on the Pacific side are a bit rockier. The exception is the Nicoya Peninsula (Guanacaste). It's no coincidence that you'll find the larger resorts here. However, the region is a bit dry during the high season and not as accessible to some of the rainforest attractions that visitors flock to Costa Rica for. Likewise, while the Caribbean side is home to probably the better beaches and the impressive Tortuguero National Park (home to nesting sea turtles), it's not as accessible from San Jose and has not seen the development that the Pacific side has.
And now . . . my top ten list of things to do and see.
1. See a volcano: Poas, Irazu, and Arenal Volcanoes are popular destinations and rightly so. Each offers a slightly different perspective of volcanic activity: Irazu with its craters resembles a moonscape; Arenal offers you a chance to see an active volcano with a spectacular lava show light show at night and rock slides during the day; and Poas with its simmering calderas and geysers.
2. Go ride down a zip line: Zip lining started in Costa Rica as a method for scientists to move around easily through the rain forest canopy. Now you can find zip line tours just about anywhere you go in Costa Rica. While tour operators often try to promote these as canopy tours and a chance to see wildlife, I'd suggest to focus on selecting one appropriate for your thrill level and not so much wildlife viewing. My recommendations - Ultimate thrill seekers: Sky Trek near La Fortuna; medium thrill level: Dream Forest Canopy Tour near Quepos; Little kids: Titi Canopy Tours near Quepos.
3. Visit the Hanging Bridges of Arenal: This private park near Arenal was our favorite jungle experience. It features hanging bridges ranging in length from 160 feet to 326 feet long in a dense jungle at varying heights, giving you a true birds-eye view of the lush Costa Rican canopy.
4. Experience a hot spring: with so many volcanoes, it's no wonder that Costa Rica has several outstanding hot spring resorts. We checked out Eco-Termales near La Fortuna and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of relaxing in the pools of hot thermal water.
5. Lie on a sandy beach: it's a crime to come to Costa Rica and not experience at least one day at the beach. A trip to Manuel Antonio National Park is a great way to combine two activities as the park is home to monkeys and sloths and has some beautiful remote beaches that are definitely better than a crowded beach in Mexico any day of the week.
6. Visit the Ox Cart Factory in Sarchi: Everywhere you go in Costa Rica you're bound to see gift shops filled with colorfully painted replicas of ox carts. Sarchi is where these beautifully crafted works of art are made and for art lovers it's very interesting to see them being painted in person. You might even be compelled to buy one of the larger ones to stick in your living room to impress your friends (they're great for storing bottles of liquor).
7. Visit a Butterfly Farm: there are several throughout Costa Rica, the most famous being Fincas de Mariposas (or The Butterfly Farm) in Alajuela. We vistited one down near Manuel Antonio called Fincas Naturales and were astounded by the beauty and abundance of butterflies.
8. Check out Cartago and the Basilica de Los Angeles: I'm partial to Cartago as I spent my exchange student experience in this town. Located in the shadow of Irazu, this town is also home to the most famous and most beautiful church in Costa Rica. Even if you're not a religious person, it's well worth a visit as the Basilica is unquestionably the most unique structure in Costa Rica, featuring a a mix of colonial architecture updated with a Byzantine look after it suffered earthquake damage.
9. Explore a Botanical Garden: back in Oregon I had a Costa Rican friend who built a greenhouse and raised orchids. Her passion stemmed from the hundreds of varieties that seem to grow effortlessly in this country. One of the best places to see them, along with many other species of tropical plants, is in the Lankester Botanical Garden not far from Cartago on the road to Paraiso. (Combine this with a trip to the Basilica!).
10. See the country from the air: yes, flying a small airplane does require a bit of courage and a bit of smarts (don't step foot inside one without checking the weather report!) but our flight in a 19-seater airplane from La Fortuna to Quepos was one of our most memorable experiences of our time in Costa Rica.
Happy Travels and as they say in Costa Rica, "Pura Vida"
Recommended:
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