Costa Rica Blog » Places To Go

Rincon de la Vieja National Park

George Ellard — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:42:42 +0000

Rincon de la Vieja is one of Costa Rica’s richest and most distinct parks. It was created in 1973 to protect the extensive flora, fauna and watersheds around the area. There are 32 rivers that flow down the flanks of this volcano, making its ecological importance impossible to overestimate. Altitudes and climates vary significantly within the park, leading to a great degree of biodiversity within its borders. Hundreds of species of birds have been identified, as well as mammals of all sizes.

Getting to this national park is not easy, but not too difficult either. Tour operators and hotels like the Papagayo Allegro charge upwards to $115 a person to go there, however I find that it is much better to drive yourself there and enter the park yourself. This is only possible if you have a rental car and I suggest you make it a 4X4. The closest beach to Rincon de la Vieja is Playa del Coco in Guanacaste. It should take you no more than one hour to drive there from Playa del Coco. What makes this National Park different from other national parks in Costa Rica is the fact that there are two main attractions, and you will have to decide which one you would prefer seeing. When you visit Rincon de la Vieja in Costa Rica you will have to choose between the the Volcano itself or the waterfall. Seeing the volcano involves a much longer hike than option two. The hiking trail is well taken care of and you should make it to the Volcano in about 3 hours. The second option, which is my personal favorite, is going to check out the waterfall and boiling mud. This waterfall can only be seen during the rainy season (from May until November), so make sure you know this going in. The boiling mud however, can be seen year round. I absolutely loved watching a literal mud bath bubbling and exploding. This is due of course to the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano that lies next to it.

San Jose, Central Avenue

Patrick Brunelle — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:32:35 +0000

The one and only Central Avenue. At least I think it must be a one and only. I have never been anywhere quite like it. Smack downtown San Jose. Pure Costa Rica in your face. You won’t see any tourists here, which is old for a capital city. Managua is the only other capital where I have seen ZERO tourists. Why you may ask??? I think it is die to the poor reputation of downtown San Jose, more than anything else.

Is it safe to walk down Central Avenue?
I would say yes, within reason. Is it the safest place in the country, no. But it is reasonably safe for you to spend the day walking about and taking in the local vibe. I wouldn’t recommend a stroll at night however.

Is it worth the trip?
If you are already downtown, yes. Like I said, no place like it, however I would recommend spending your time away from the city, and visit Costa Rica’s amazing nature.

What should I see if I am downtown?

My favorite spot is the National Theater. It is a smaller replica of the one built in Paris and is quite charming. Another cool spot to visit is the Gold Museum.

Tortuga Island

Nelson Sanchez — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:55:28 +0000

Tortuga Island in Costa Rica is a popular destination for tourists looking for something different. This one day tour requires travelers to be taken to the island via boat and offers numerous activities such as snorkeling and hiking. Because it is an island, it is not a busy place, and is ideal for those searching for peach along with a wonderful and educational nature experience.

Zarcero

Patrick Brunelle — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:20:19 +0000

Cute little town located in the Central Valley in Costa Rica, about an hour out of San Jose. Zarcero is one of the most famous historical towns in Costa Rica, that continues to hold onto its customs and values. People are so friendly in the typical town. The church serves as the main draw in town because of its beautiful hedges. Each hedge bush is unique from the other, making it quite the site at night when they are all lit up for Christmas.

Manuel Antonio

Nelson Sanchez — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:42:48 +0000

Manuel Antonio is one of the most visited places in Costa Rica. Manuel Antonio National Park is famous due to it being one of the only jungles with hiking trails located on the beach. Many monkeys call Manuel Antonio home, including the White Faced monkey. Tourists beware of those monkeys as they are famous for going through your bags while you are in the ocean. It is crusial you do not feed the monkeys as that endangers them. The is also a public beach next to the park, with all the things you normally see at a beach, such as vendors, coca cola advertisements and lots of people. That is why I love the park so much. You truly get to escape all of that noise.

Osa Peninsula

George Ellard — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:00:37 +0000

One of the less travelled destinations in Costa Rica among main stream tourism, but quite popular with Eco-tourists, the Osa Peninsula is truly the beauty of nature unabashed. Although it can be quite cumbersome to get to, the reward, once arrived, is immediately recognized. Here the nature seeker experiences sights and sounds of the jungle like few places in Costa Rica, not to mention complete and total seclusion from urban settings and a veritable indication of what life was once like in many more places in Costa Rica before the boom in tourism.
We recommend a trip of this nature and magnitude be planned with experts who know the region well and can organize it properly. Although, there are only few pre-made packages that take travellers here, this company will definitely customize a trip at the right price for you. www.costa-rica-travel-and-vacations.com

Tamarindo Sunset

Patrick Brunelle — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:47:59 +0000

The nicest sunset I have seen is not here in Tamarindo, but it is none the less well worth watching. The sun sets at your feet if you find yourself lying on the beach. My personal favorite place to watch this magnificent sunset however is on top of any one of the numerous hills that you can drive up. Now many of those are blocked off by private entrances, but there are still a few open to the public.

The picture above was actually taken at a resident´s home. He was kind Canadian who decided to take us in when the three of us arrived in Tamarindo during holy week without a hotel reservation. This of course was during my first year in Costa Rica and I had yet to learn that this was the second busiest week in the calendar year for tourism. The three of us scrambled from hotel to hotel until a gentleman at the Mono Loco told us he knew a Canadian who sometimes took people in. I of course thought this was weird and asked him if this home was clean and safe? He answered that this was more than clean and safe, that it was actually an mansion sitting on top of the hill overlooking the entire Pacific Coast.

True to his word the address was in fact a mansion that words could not describe. The kind owner took us in under his roof and let us stay at his guest house for two nights.

Drake Bay

Patrick Brunelle — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:22:55 +0000

Drake Bay is a sports fishing and scuba diving paradise. Located in the Osa Pinnisula on the Pacific side of Costa Rica, the Coastal town is as hard to get to as any other place in Costa Rica. Most tourist arrive by either boat or plane as the road is closed half of the year during the rainy season.

The water at Drake Bay is as clear as you can get. You can swim in the Ocean and see the details of the toes. There is a small community at Drake Bay of locals that depend almost entirely on tourism. Most hotels are on the high end range and cater to the wealthy, although there are a few options for those not traveling with a large budget.

Another major attraction is the relative proximity to Corcovado National Park, one of the most well known parks in all Costa Rica. There are endless hiking trails and full day tours are the best way to get to know the park.

Another popular activity is Coastal Kayak, as people can rent a kayak for a day for only $20 a person. One of the nice aspects of the kayaking is that you go against the current on your way out but get pushed back in on your way back. Special note to those thinking of doing activities near Drake Bay, make sure that you are in relatively good shape as you are far from any hospitals and qualified doctors.

Costa Rica – Panama border

George Ellard — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:10:01 +0000

To cross the Costa Rican border to Panama on the Atlantic Coast is an adventure in itself. While heading out to Bocas del Toro in Panama, we came across this border straight out of a comic book. The most challenging part to the crossing was making sure my feet didn’t go through one of the countless gapping holes caused to a serious lack of necessary wooden boards. The second toughest part was staying calm while a huge semi passed and shook the bridge to the point some of us actually thought it might just fall into tiny pieces there and then. Once we got to the Panamanian side of the bridge we were just as surprised to see full fledge army personal with machine guns greeting us on the other side. It made me so happy to know I had chosen to call Costa Rica my home and not the other way around.

A quick tip to those crossing next: Do not accept any help from the people offering to help you with your bags and make sure to keep an eye on them the entire time. To get to Bocas del Toro you will need to take a taxi to the river taxi which should cost around $5 a person. The river taxi is the same price. You will need to pay for these transfers on the way back as well.

Guanacaste

Patrick Brunelle — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:13:15 +0000

The province that is home to the mega resorts of Costa Rica. Guanacaste is both the hottest and most visited province in the country. Located here are some of the most visited beaches such as Tamarindo, Flamingo, Conchal, Hermosa and Samara. You can also expect to see higher than normal prices here as there is practically no local market and everything is geared toward the tourist’s ability to spend more. In addition, scuba diving, sports fishing, snorkelling and golf are some of the most popular activities here.