The area of the Tempisque Basin where the Nicoya Peninsula joins the mainland has a foundation of relatively soft limestone. Water has cut extensive caves through Cerro Barra Honda and the other small mountains creating the best know feature of this National Park. However, the park also has well … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2015
Turrialba & Orosi Honorable Mention
Moderate Hikes Easy Access Authentic Costa Rica Whitewater Rafting Boutique Lodges Birdwatching The region around volcán Turrialba and Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Parks and the Orosi River valley was the hardest one to leave off of the list of the top ten best … [Read more...]
San José Honorable Mention
Museums & Culture Convenience Adventure Tours Necessity Visitors rarely travel all the way to Costa Rica for shopping, traffic jams or international restaurants but San José have other things to offer as well. Necessity Sometimes San José or one of the suburbs … [Read more...]
Jacó & Hermosa Honorable Mentions
Condos Convenience Deep Sea Fishing Surfing Adventure Tours Restaurants & Bars Resort Manuel Antonio and Tamarindo are racing to catch up but Jacó is still the undisputed king of the condo beach towers in Costa Rica. Modern & Cosmopolitan Okay so … [Read more...]
Dominical, Uvita Honorable Mention
Hikes & Walks Easy Access Deserted Beaches Surfing Adventure Tours Birdwatching Wildlife Refuges Two of the best private wildlife refuges with on site eco-lodges in Costa Rica are adjacent to Dominical (Hacienda Barú) and Uvita (La Cusinga). Both specialize in … [Read more...]
Las Baulas National Marine Park
Leatherback Sea Turtles Marino las Baulas de Guanacaste Tamarindo/Playa Grande National Park has a history nearly as long and convoluted as its name. For thousands of years leatherback sea turtles that hatched at Playa Grande have returned to lay their eggs. The park's namesake leatherback turtles … [Read more...]
Braulio Carrillo National Park
As you head east from San José on the Guápiles Highway the Zurquí tunnel transports you from the modern world into the rainforest and cloud forest of Braulio Carrillo National Park. The two most important features of Braulio Carrillo National Park are ironically opposed in some ways. One is the … [Read more...]
Cahuita National Park
The Coral Reefs Cahuita National Park is best known for the coral reefs close to shore. In the dry season, there is good snorkeling (guide required), and you are likely to see light yellow brain, elkhorn, and blue staghorn corals, sea fans, and gorgonians as a back drop to the more than 500 species … [Read more...]
Caño Negro Wetlands National Wildlife Refuge
Caño Negro is off the beaten path, but worth the effort. Most visits start out at Los Chiles where you board a boat and glide up the Río Frío through canyons of green towards the everglade like Lago Caño Negro. Hundreds of tourists from the Arenal Volcano region bus in every day to tour … [Read more...]
Motorsports in Costa Rica
Please respect the risks. Personal motorized vehicles are dangerous and will allow you to be as stupid as you try to be. People just out to have fun die instead on 4Wheelers and Jetskis every year in Costa Rica. Don't drink and drive, do follow instructions and if you're unsure pick a different … [Read more...]
Cell Phone Coverage
If you haven't already you'll want to determine if your phone will work at all in Costa Rica. Cell phone signals in Costa Rica are a bit like the wildlife, you never know what you're going to get until you get there and it could be there one minute and gone the next. One of our favorite spots … [Read more...]
Okay to Break the Law
The normal flow of traffic in Costa Rica is often moving at around two to three times the speed limit which can make it extremely dangerous to abide by the law. If you slow down to 25 kph (15 mph) in the school zones on the Pan American Highway you may be rear ended by someone going 100. An even … [Read more...]
Not at the San Gerardos
When trying to give an accurate picture of what to expect when traveling it can be as helpful to describe what isn't in an area as it is to describe the highlights of a region. Below are a few things not to expect around San Gerardo de Dota and San Gerardo de Rivas/Chirripó National … [Read more...]
Not in Tortuguero
Roads, Buses & Cars There are no roads to Tortuguero village. Visitors arrive by plane at the airstrip north of town or by small boat (see details on all four boat routes to Tortuguero). Swimming, Snorkeling & Surfing Beaches Beautiful tropical beaches stretch for miles both north … [Read more...]
Not at Tenorio & Miravalles
Canopy Ziplines Sometimes you can learn as much about a region by what's not there as you can by what is. One of the most telling observations about the Bijagua region is that there is not a single zipline tour. It's the only little corner of Costa Rica without one (or typically many … [Read more...]
Not at Rincon de la Vieja
Rincón has so much diversity it was a bit tough coming up with a list of what not to expect to find in the area. Of course it's inland an a volcano so there are no beaches but even that's less than an hour away so you could pop down for the sunset after lunch. No Hiking Trails to the … [Read more...]
Not on the Osa
Sometimes it's as helpful when planning to know what's not readily available in an area as it is to know what's there and there are a few things you're not likely to find in Corcovado national park or anywhere on the Osa peninsula for that matter. Luxury Resorts & Spas Not that there aren't … [Read more...]
Not at Nicoya Peninsula
Highways, Bridges & Easy Access There's an unpaved road that runs the length of the Pacific coast of the Nicoya peninsula but it's not always passable. In May or June through November vehicles may not be able to cross some of the rain swollen rivers and have to turn inland to the paved … [Read more...]
Not Monteverde
Sometimes it helps as much when planning to know what's not easy to do in an area as to know what's there and below are some of the things you shouldn't expect to find in or around Monteverde. Beaches It's not really that people expect there to be beaches on the mountain top, but many hope they … [Read more...]
Not Manuel Antonio
Sometimes it's as helpful when planning to know what's not readily available in an area as it is to know what's there. Of course none of the things listed below are absolutely impossible but the area is not particularly known for them or you may have to travel farther to find them. Miguel San … [Read more...]