Costa Rica

Pros: Wonderful climate, friendly people, lots of volcanos
Cons: Lots of volcanos, horrible roads, bland food

If I can, I prefer to travel without an itinerary, in the off season, and always off the beaten path. And so began my 3 weeks in Costa Rica. in July of 1996. Armed with Moon Publications Costa Rica book by Christopher P. Baker, a good fold out...

Pros: A great experience on a limited budget.
Cons: Pollution and a constant awareness of crime

I just returned from 9 days in Costa Rica, and am writing this with the trip fresh in my mind.

A few things should be clear up front: I did not stay in a cabin, or some third world motel with communal cold showers. I stayed at the San Jose...

Pros: See review
Cons: See review

If you're reading this it means that you are interested in going to Costa Rica. What should you do if you go?

I went to Costa Rica for 2 weeks in the spring of 1999, right before rainy season. There were three things that I found to be...

Pros: Excellent diversity; excellent people; excellent vistas
Cons: Some of the best things aren't enjoyed by the fussy

Having spent slightly less than two years continually living in Costa Rica, I came to experience and appreciate some of the finer details of living in the land of the "Ticos" (as the locals prefer to be called).

Just a few random...

Pros: Spectacular wildlife, vast selection of activities and great people!
Cons: If you are not a nature person, this is not the trip for you.

Costa Rica's northern Caribbean coast offers some of the most spectacular critter-watching in the world. From a canoe or a flat-bottom boat on the maze of rain forest rivers and canals, you'll have a good chance of seeing monkeys, sloths, anteaters,...

Pros: gods country, safe destination for families
Cons: bug bites, non english speaking people, costly rental cars

My husband and i traveled to costa rica in february of 1998 and will never forget it! We booked the package with Funjet vacations and stayed at an awesome hotel near the liberia airport. We rented a car for a week and toured the countryside, seeing the...

Pros: Incredible flora and fauna adventures
Cons: None

The Osa Peninsula has been hailed as one of the most bio-diverse regions on the planet. After spending some time in the rain forest there with the owners of Escondido Trex, Tom and Karen Boylan, I now know why so much has been said and written about the...

Pros: Great natural resources and lots of fun things to do; friendly natives.
Cons: Capital city of San Jose is a dump.

With all due respect to detractors of Costa Rica, I strongly disagree. First, I must state the following: My trip to Costa Rica (which I consider to be one of the best vacations of my life) occurred about 5 years ago during the summertime -- and I am...

Pros: Beautiful
Cons: None!

I went in February, the Dry Season, It was Great, I went to the following destinations that I recommend very Much: San Pedro, San Jose, Rio Frio, Monteverde, Tortuga, Volcan Arenal!
Costa Rica is a great place that is almost as safe as the...

Pros: beautiful, friendly people, lots of fun, lots to do
Cons: English not widely spoken, poor roads

There is not too much information available on Costa Rica. Yes, there are a few travel books on the country, but only a few of them truly give you the information you need to know. Most information I got was from a know-nothing travel agent and some word...

Pros: Beautiful and very friendly country
Cons: lack of interesting cuisine

This is a small country, situated on the southern-most tip of North/Central America. It is surprisingly very modern -- I think this must be a relatively rich country in the region, it was quite pleasant visiting Costa Rica and many of its cities. Costa...

Pros: Lower rates
Cons: A bit of rain in the afternoon

Costa Rica has been called paradise but in the rainy season months, it is even more attractive, specially for the adventurous travelers who like to play it by ear and look for good deals on the spot.

The rainy season hits from May to...

Pros: Beautiful country, beautiful people
Cons: will find out the end of this year

Costa Rica a special spot in my heart. In 1964, our family had a foreign student from Costa Rica stay with us on the American Field Service exchange. Marcelle Banuett was a senior in High School at the time. Our children a daughter a Junior in High...

Pros: Fun, Active, Adventure Travel, Cheap, Friendly People, Beautiful Scenery
Cons: Food is only ok, roads are terrible, infrastructure is shabby

If you are looking for a great, fun and active vacation in a country with gorgeous and diverse scenery and friendly people, go to Costa Rica! Costa Rica's motto is Pura Vida, or Pure Life, and as a country they embrace enjoying nature and life. This...

Pros: A different vacation - animals, rain forest, rugged experiences, volcano
Cons: Not for everyone; might miss amenities

As one can see from all the glowing reports, Costa Rica sets many visitors on fire and some return, even settle there. We went on a family vacation several years ago with another family. It could be we'd gotten too much hype, but we were disappointed....