So you are thinking of taking a Costa Rica Vacation, how do you plan it? Here is a blueprint on what the country offers and a guide on how to make the most out of your visit to Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a country that offers a wide menu of choice s for nature lover s, adventure enthusiasts and beach connoisseurs. Let’s break down topic by topic and how to approach each.
BEACHES: One of Costa Rica’s main advantage is its dual coastline offering.The Caribbean Coast and the Pacific shoreline which we divide into North Pacific, Central Pacific and South Pacific.
The Caribbean Coast: located in the province of Limon we find the main area of Puerto Viejo and Cahuita with its Afro-Caribbean heritage and a relaxed atmosphere. The Caribbean shore presents a great alternative during April through November, what the Costa Ricans consider the “ wet season”.
The Pacific Coast:
- North Pacific includes beautiful beaches such as Papagayo Bay (with plenty of large resort type accommodations); the area of Tamarindo, Pinilla, Flamingo, Conchal which stand out as very popular destinations including Playa Grande where tourists flock year round to observe the turtles hatching; and ultimately Samara, Nosara and Islita on the Nicoya Peninsula with incredibly beautiful shores.
- Central Pacific has very popular luxury hotels such as Marriott Los Sueños and Villa Caletas, with regular beaches and few outstanding features. The area that does stand out in this region includes the Manuel Antonio National Park and Quepos which offer an active nightlife along with very busy beaches.
- South Pacific we find Dominical, Golfo Dulce and the Peninsula de Osa. Due to the distance from San Jose (5-7 hrs) this area is less convoluted and still offers pristine, virgin areas.
NATURE: we find plenty of National Parks all with different ecosystems, flora and fauna. The biodiversity this destination offers is unique.Birdwatching offers over 800 species of birds and park wildlife includes: sloths, tapirs, a variety of monkeys and occasional big cats among others.
- Caribbean: Tortuguero National Park is humid and hot! Jungle lodges abound. This area is known as the “Amazon of Costa Rica” because it resembles Peru and Brazil’s Amazon area and its lodging alternatives. The Cahuita National Park has the largest system of coral reefs. Fishing is very popular.
- Northern Zone: this area hosts the very popular Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Nature lovers and birdwatchers paradise, this destination has developed into the perfect adventure/nature combination.
- North Pacific: Rincon de la Vieja National Park (inland) usually combined with Guanacaste Beach experience due to the proximity; it offers a fantastic nature alternative for those seeking to visit as much as possible within a short period of time. Marino Las Baulas (coast) is where we find Playa Grande and the turtle hatching coastline. Finally, the Ostional Wildlife Reserve (coast) great for turtle watching as well as for Dolphin and Whale watching tours.
- Central Pacific: here we find the Carara National Park (inland) with many nature and adventure alternatives. The Manuel Antonio National Park (coast) offers wonderful sightings and wildlife viewing. Its main advantage is the possibility of combining nature and beach within this beautiful spot. In addition, the distance from San Jose is approximately 4.5 hours making it very accessible.
- South Pacific: a bit further away we find the Marino Ballena National Park (coast) with incredible marine wildlife opportunities. Finally we find the Corcovado National Park (coast) which is considered a MUST for nature experts and recommended by Natinonal Geographic. If you are a nature lover, it does not get any better than this!
WILDLIFE OBSERVATION: The Turtle Observation activity deserve s a paragraph of its own. When is it a good time to undertake this activity?
North Pacific:
- November to April: you can see the Leatherbacks at Playa Grande and Playa Langosta in the Marino Las Baulas National Park.
- July to December: Ostional National Park for the Leatherbacks and the Olive Ridley turtles.
South Pacific:
- June to October: observe the Hawksbill Sea Turtles at the Corcovado National Park.
Caribbean:
- July to September: you can see Green Sea Turtles, Loggerheads and Leatherbacks.
Another big wildlife activity to do in Costa Rica is the observation of Marine Wildlife. The best area to do this is the South Pacific Coast followed by the Caribbean. Dolphin and Whale watching tours (including sightings of Killer Whales) provide optimum results between July and December.
VOLCANOES: One major attraction for visitors is the array of Volcanoes Costa Rica has.With about 122 volcanoes, Costa Rica has much to offer in this front but two especially deserve to be mentioned: the Peas Volcano which has a crater of 1.5 kms making it the second widest crater in the world, and the Arenal Volcano which has become a very popular Volcano in the country. Tourists flock to see the spectacle of this mountain of fire spitting lava in the dark. In the daytime, the destination offers all sorts for nature and adventure options to select from. Other volcanoes include the Barba, the Riau, the Rincon de la Vieja and the Turrialba among others.
ADVENTURE: everywhere! To organize it in an organized manner:
- Arenal: Canopy, Hiking, Canoeing, Water Rappelling, Horseback riding, ATV, Hanging Bridges, Sky Tram & Sky Trek, White Water Rafting and one hour away, you find one of the few arqueological sites, the Venado Caves.
- Monteverde: Zip lines, Sky Tram, Horseback riding, ATV, Canopy Tours, Hanging Bridges and Hiking options.
- Sarapiqui: Wet forest hiking, Night Wildlife observation tours (ex: Bat tours), Rappelling, Canopy and White water rafting.
- Turrialba: offers the top Whitewater Rafting adventure in the country– the Pacuare Lodge. You enter and exit the lodge rafting! Here you can take 2 or 3 day packages and stay in this superb lodge which offers plenty of activities. Apart from the Pacuare River water adventures, you can find Turrialba Volcano Hiking activities as well as some pretty good Hiking and Canyoning tours.
- Rincon de la Vieja: Canopy, Rappelling, Horseback Riding, and visit to the Volcano and Waterfalls.
- Tamarindo: ATV, Canopy, Horseback Riding, Whitewater Rafting, Canopy, Diving, Snorkeling, Sailing, and Sea Kayaking Tours.
- Nosara/ Samara: Snorkeling, Turtle Observation, Dolphin Sightseeing and Mangrove tours.
And the list goes on.
To take full advantage of your Costa Rica Holiday, contact a Travel Agent that can customize your vacation without adding expense.
