The tropical dry forest native to the lower elevations of Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula nearly all went through the typical progression referred to as “improvement.” The commercially valuable lumber was removed by clear cutting and everything remaining burned to open new fields. Sometimes … [Read more...]
Archives for November 2014
Gallery Forest
Gallery forests are the ecological environment travelers encounter most frequently in Costa Rica. These are basically any forest you can look at straight on like pictures hanging in a gallery. Edge or gallery forest occurs where there's a gap in the canopy and the ground and sides of the … [Read more...]
Get a Guide
No matter how tight your budget or how much you enjoy your independence one of the best pieces of advice we can give you is "at some point get a guide." We've seen amazing things on our own and had some incredible experiences just hanging out with the locals but trained professional naturalists, … [Read more...]
Islands
Most of the protected islands in Costa Rica have landing prohibition policies in effect. Visitors are welcome to cruise offshore photographing birds and other wildlife and boat dives are allowed at most, but the islands themselves are off limits. These strict regulations are enforced because the … [Read more...]
Our 1996 Top Ten
The ten best places to go in Costa Rica in no particular order from our 1996 website. ...this is a page we wrote almost 20 years ago and we've found some new spots since 1999 so take a look around and see what you think and maybe we'll make a new list for 2016 on the Platinum Anniversary... This … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Time Travel
The time machine outputs your best Costa Rica trip in one of two ways... If you can travel any time - Input your priorities and the results will be the best time to visit and suggested destinations. If your vacation time is already determined - Input when you plan to travel and what you want … [Read more...]
Mangroves
The mangrove ecosystem is one of the most important to the world's economies and one of the most endangered. By definition mangroves grow in swamps which are areas that are fully or intermittently submerged but support populations of trees and other woody plants. Different species of … [Read more...]
Crime Against Costa Ricans
The Dark Side of Pura Vida Costa Rica works very hard to prevent crimes against tourists and for the most part does a very good job. Unfortunately the same cannot be said when it comes to protecting her own population. There are many reasons Costa Ricans are tens if not hundreds of times more … [Read more...]
Get the Most for Your Money
About 30% of the cost of everything you buy goes to advertising and marketing. Sometimes it's over 80%. Too Cheap to Advertise The only way to consistently avoid paying for advertising is to stay below the marketing radar. Backpackers always seem to get so much more for their money because they … [Read more...]
Group Tour Plus & Minus
To tour group, or not to tour group Advantages of group tours Organization and efficiency: If you decide to travel with a tour group you will almost certainly find that you pack a lot into your days. If you want to see and do the most possible things in the least possible time, then an organized … [Read more...]
Páramo
Rainy Páramo - also known as Andean Páramo is sort of the tropical equivalent of tundra and occurs at very high elevations above tree line. The plant life is dominated by shrubs and small herbs on slopes and bogs in low lying areas where water accumulates. Originally the páramo ecosystem was … [Read more...]
Rain Forest
Tropical rain forests are what most people envision when they hear the word jungle and the ecological region that most people want to visit when they plan travel to Costa Rica. Over half of the National Parks in Costa Rica protect some tropical rain forest. Rain forests in the western … [Read more...]
Volcanoes
Individual Volcanic National Parks are described here and via the links below. The geological activity that led to the formation of Costa Rica's volcanoes continues today generating lava eruptions at Turrialba in 2015-2017 and the boiling mud pots, geysers and hot springs at Arenal, Irazú, … [Read more...]
Our 1996 Best Secrets
The Best Kept Secrets in Costa Rica - circa 1996 Some of these have been discovered but many are just as pristine and applicable over twenty years later. Wildlife Cruise If you're on a tight budget and can't shell out the $US 35-50 for a nature cruise in Tortuguero or Caño Negro, or you just want … [Read more...]
Wetlands
In Costa Rica if it's Flat it's Probably Wet There are two main types of wetlands. Marshes of grassy herbaceous plants and swamps with woody trees and shrubs. Most of Costa Rica's swamps are comprised of mangroves which are described in detail at that link. Grassy marshes cover much of … [Read more...]