Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a very popular destination even though it is one of the smallest countries in Central America,. Divided in the middle by a beautiful extension of the Andes-Sierra Madre mountain range, the country is known for its natural beauty. Idyllic rainforests, vast mountain peaks, volcanoes and sparkling beaches are all found in the 50,000 square kilometer paradise. Costa Rica possesses vast natural resources and offers world-class surfing. Costa Rica is home to 6% of the world's biodiversity within its tiny geographical areal. The Monteverde Cloud Forest is home to thousands upon thousands of species including over 100 species of mammals. Manuel Antonio National Park, located along Costa Rica's spectacular coastline, is known for its diversity as well as beautiful beaches. The monkeys of the park are very friendly, and if you bring a picnic you are bound to have a few visitors. With over 800 miles of beaches and thousands of breaks, surfers from around the globe flock to Costa Rica to train, compete or just enjoy. Other natural attractions here are the fantastic volcanoes. Arenal Volcano has been constantly active since 1968, producing towers of ash and red-hot lava daily. The Poas Volcano National Park is also active and home to two deep craters. At the bottom of each you will find eerie blue lagoons still bubbling with sulphurous gases. On top of all this, Costa Rica is known for being one of the safest and friendliest Latin American countries.

ATTRACTIONS:

Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal- Created in 1995, the Arenal Volcano National Park is found in the rugged Cordillera de Tilarán. The main attraction in the park is the Arenal Volcano, reaching 1,633m/5,356ft. There is a wide range of biodiversity in the park, and an approximate half of all Costa Rican birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals can be found somewhere within its boundaries. Arenal is extremely large and cone-shaped with huge ash columns streaming from the crater. Arenal was dormant from 1500 AD until a massive eruption on July 29, 1968 which killed 82 people, 45,000 cattle and destroyed two villages. Continued activity since that day includes large eruptions and an almost daily flow of glowing red lava. Hiking is possible on the volcano's lower slopes, but not any higher. Conditions can be dangerous, and rocks, gasses, emissions and burns have maimed and even killed some climbers. Visitors should be aware that volcanic activity differs from week to week. While the glowing lava can't be seen that well during the day (night viewing is better), loud explosions are often heard and the ash creates huge clouds above the volcano.

Arenal Observatory Lodge- Originally a private observatory established in 1987, this is the only lodge within the Arenal Volcano National Park boundaries. The lodge is found on a macadamia nut farm on the south side of the volcano. From the lodge there are excellent views of the volcano and Arenal Lake in the opposite direction. Hikes can be taken from the area, including some to waterfalls, as well as old and recent lava flows.

Rainmaker- The Rainmaker is a unique attraction featuring suspension bridges running through the rainforest canopy. The Rainmaker was the first such aerial walkway in Central America. The linked bridges stretch 250m/ 820ft, and the highest point reaches 25 stories.

The surroundings are also very attractive; a rainforest trail leads along the bottom of a canyon to the bridges, passing streams and waterfalls. Boardwalks and bridges were built to protect the canyon floor. Other hiking trails are found in the 2,000ha/4,940ac preserve.

Butterfly Garden- The Butterfly Garden is one of the top attractions in Monteverde. Naturalists provide information on the butterfly's importance and life cycle through the examination of eggs, caterpillars, pupae and adult butterflies. Butterflies are raised in greenhouses, and hundreds of species can be seen in the screened garden. There are excellent photo opportunities of the beautiful creatures.

Parque Nacional Santa Rosa- Established in 1971, Santa Rosa National Park is one of the oldest in Costa Rica. The park covers 37,117ha/91,679ac of land on almost the entire Santa Elena Peninsula, which juts into the Pacific Ocean at the far northwestern corner of Costa Rica. Not only does this park feature some of the best camping facilities in the country, it is also protects the nesting sites of several sea turtles and includes some attractive beaches. Several hiking trails through the park offer sightings of over 250 bird species and 115 species of mammals and reptiles including monkeys, snakes and iguanas. The Indio Desnudo trail is marked and offers explanations of the surroundings, and petroglyphs can be spotted etched into the rocks. Bats are commonly spotted at dusk, and insects are abundant. There are 4,000 species of moths and butterflies alone. Santa Rosa National Par offers the largest remaining tropical dry forest in all of Central America. Other habitats include savanna woodland, oak forest, evergreen forest, mangrove swamps, riparian forest and coastal woodlands. This park is part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area, which has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Parque Nacional Corcovado- Spanning 54,539ha/134,711ac, Corcovado National Park encompasses great biological diversity. The park has two sections; most if it is found on the southwestern corner of the Osa Peninsula, while another section covering 12,751ha/31,495ac is found on the north-eastern side of the Dulce Gulf.

Corcovado national park was established in 1975 and protects what is considered to be the best remaining stretch of Pacific coastal rainforest in Central America. Corcovado is of great interest to ecologists as it protects eight distinct types of habitat. The rainforest vegetation includes montane forest, cloud forest, alluvial plains forest and swamp forest. There are at least 500 species of trees in the park, including the silk cotton tree that can grow higher than 71m/235ft. There are rivers and waterfalls as well as Corcovado Lake, a herbaceous swamp covering 1,000ha/2,470ac. Corcovado National Park is home to a diverse amount of wildlife. Tapirs, cats, crocodiles, anteaters, monkeys and sloths are present but difficult to spot. In total, 140 species of mammals have been recorded in the park as well as 400 species of birds. Corcovado is home to the nation's largest population of the scarlet macaw. Corcovado National Park has the most extensive trail system of any national park and is popular with travellers who enjoy long-distance hikes. Several trails lead through the rainforest to various ranger stations. While the hiking is hot, humid and riddled with insects, Corcovado should not be missed and there are many options for day visits. Visitors should note this is a very rainy area, receiving 5,500mm of rainfall annually.

Samara Beach- (Local Name: Playa Sámara) This beach is gaining in popularity and has a reputation of being one of the most attractive and safest beaches in Costa Rica. The white-sand beach offers gentle waters, but has less shade and wildlife than other beaches in the area. Snorkelling, diving, kayaking and sportfishing are popular activities.

Pre-Columbian Gold Museum- (Local Name: Museo de Oro Precolombino) This museum houses one of the largest collections of pre-Columbian gold pieces in the Americas. Over 20,000 troy ounces of gold in more than 2,000 objects are found in the museum complex that also offers coin and stamp collections as well as a display of Costa Rican art.

National Theater- (Local Name: Teatro Nacional) Costa Ricans take pride in the National Theater, which is considered to be the most impressive building in San José. In the 1890's, the ruling coffee barons voted for a tax on coffee exports in order to fund the construction of the theater, and European artisans were imported to design the building. Completed in 1897, the building features a classical Renaissance columned façade topped by statues symbolizing Dance, Music, and Fame. Inside, the pink marble foyer features allegorical figures of Comedy and Tragedy, and painted murals depicting themes in Costa Rican life. The most famous of the paintings is one showing coffee harvesting and export painted by Arturo Fontana in Milan in 1897. The mural highlights the three-story horseshoe-shaped auditorium that seats 1,040 people. There are regular performances in the theater, and a gallery featuring changing art shows by local artists. The theater's marble staircases, gilded ceilings, parquet floors, bronze chandeliers and gold-leaf mahogany furniture were damaged in a 1991 earthquake but have since been restored.

Guayabo National Monument- (Local Name: Monumento Nacional Guayabo) This is Costa Rica's most important archaeological site. Excavations at Guayabo have uncovered stone aqueducts, cobbled roads, mounds, walls and petroglyphs, although the majority of the ruins have yet to be excavated. Guayabo became a national monument in 1973, and the latest excavations began in 1989 and are still underway.

The monument covers 218ha/513ac, and the archaeological site covers 10% of the monument while the remainder is premontane forest. The protected forest is some of the last of its kind in the Cartago province, and a few species of birds and small mammals can be seen. There are picnic and camping areas as well as trails within the monument. The pre-history and significance of the site are still unclear, however it seems to have been inhabited since 1000 BC. Guayabo's development peaked c800 AD with approximately 10,000 people living there. Abandoned by 1400 AD, Guayabo is believed to be an important cultural, political and religious center but specific details have yet to be discovered. The Spanish conquistadors and settlers did not leave any record as to whether they found the ruins, and local naturalist and explorer Anastasio Alfaro rediscovered Guayabo in the late 19th C. Some pieces discovered by Alfaro are displayed in the National Museum. Systematic excavations began in 1968 with archaeologist Carlos Aguilar Piedra of the University of Costa Rica.

HOW TO GET THERE:
By Air
It takes between 3 and 7 hours to fly to Costa Rica from most U.S. cities. Most international flights land in San José's Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO). However, some international flights are now going into Liberia's Daniel Oduber International Airport (airport code LIR).
Liberia is the gateway to the beaches of the Guanacaste region and the Nicoya Peninsula, and a direct flight there eliminates the need for a separate commuter flight in a small aircraft or roughly 5 hours in a car or bus. If you are planning to spend all, or most, of your vacation time in the Guanacaste region, you'll want to fly in and out of Liberia. However, San José is a much more convenient gateway if you are planning to head to Manuel Antonio, the Central Pacific coast, the Caribbean coast, or the Southern zone. From North America: Air Canada, American Airlines, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Mexicana, Spirit Air, and US Airways all have regular direct flights to Costa Rica. From Europe, Iberia and Martin Air have established routes to San José.

Getting around while in Costa Rica:

By Bus:
This is by far the most economical way to get around Costa Rica. Buses are inexpensive and relatively well maintained, and they go nearly everywhere. There are two types: Local buses are the cheapest and slowest; they stop frequently and are generally run down. Express buses run between San José and most beach towns and major cities; these tend to be newer units and more comfortable, but rarely have bathroom facilities, additionally they sometimes operate only on weekends and holidays.

By Car:
Renting a car in Costa Rica is no idle proposition. The roads are riddled with potholes, most rural intersections are unmarked. But unless you want to see the country from the window of a bus or pay exorbitant amounts for private transfers, renting a car might be your best option for independent exploring. (That said, if you don't want to put up with any stress on your vacation, it might be worthwhile springing for a driver.)

Be forewarned, however: Although rental cars no longer bear special license plates, they are still readily identifiable to thieves and are frequently targeted. Never pay money directly to a police officer who stops you for any traffic violation. Before driving off with a rental car, be sure that you inspect the exterior and point out to the rental-company representative every tiny scratch, dent, tear, or any other damage. Also, if you get into an accident, be sure that the rental company doesn't try to bill you for a higher amount than the deductible on your rental contract. It's sometimes cheaper to reserve a car in your home country rather than book when you arrive in Costa Rica. If you know you'll be renting a car, it's always wise to reserve it well in advance for the high season because the rental fleet still can't match demand.
Among the major international agencies operating in Costa Rica are Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, National, Payless, and Thrifty.

ATTIRE:

One word…Casual. Short and t-shirts and of course your bathing suit. You will want to bring a set of long sleeve shirt and pants for hiking in the jungle. Be sure to pack comfortable walking shoes and a pair of sandals.

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