See what the experts are saying about Costa Rica. Get expert advice on how to get there what to see and more.
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The best mid-range hotels
Hotel Grano de Oro (San Jose; tel. 255-3322; www.hotelgranodeoro.com): San Jose boasts dozens of old homes that have been converted into hotels, but few offer the luxurious accommodations or professional service found at the Grano de Oro. All... Continue reading »
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The best natural attractions
Rincon de la Vieja National Park (northeast of Liberia, in Guanacaste): This is an area of rugged beauty and high volcanic activity. The Rincon de la Vieja Volcano rises to 1,848m (6,061 ft.), but the thermal activity is spread out along its... Continue reading »
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The best views
The Summit of Irazu Volcano (near San Jose): On a very clear day, you can see both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea from this vantage point. Even if visibility is low and this experience eludes you, you can view the volcano's spectacul... Continue reading »
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The most useful websites
The Tico Times (www.ticotimes.net): The English-language Tico Times makes it easy for norteamericanos (and other English speakers) to see what's happening in Costa Rica. It features the top story from its weekly print edition, as well as a da... Continue reading »
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Planning a trip
Costa Rica is beginning to be old hat. It seems like almost everybody's already been, or knows someone who's been. That said, most travelers will want to do some serious pretrip planning. When is the best time to go to Costa Rica? The cheapes... Continue reading »
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Fast facts
American Express -- American Express Travel Services is represented in Costa Rica by ASV Olympia, Oficentro La Sabana, Sabana Sur, in San José (tel. 242-8585), which can issue traveler's checks and replacement cards and provide other standard... Continue reading »
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Visitor information
In the United States or Canada, you can get basic information on Costa Rica by contacting the Costa Rican Tourist Board (ICT, or Instituto Costarricense de Turismo) (tel. 866/COSTA RICA; www.visitcostarica.com). Travelers from the United King... Continue reading »
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When to go
Costa Rica's high season for tourism runs from late November to late April, which coincides almost perfectly with the chill of winter in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. The high season is also the dry season. If you want some un... Continue reading »
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Calendar of events
Some of the events listed here might be considered more of a happening than an event -- there's not, for instance, a Virgin of Los Angeles PR Committee that readily dispenses information. If I haven't listed a contact number, your best bet is... Continue reading »
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Getting there
By Plane It takes between 3 and 7 hours to fly to Costa Rica from most U.S. cities. Most international flights still land in San José's Juan SantamarÃa International Airport (airport code SJO). However, more and more direct international f... Continue reading »
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Package deals
Packages for the Independent Traveler Package tours are simply a way to buy the airfare, accommodations, and other elements of your trip (such as car rentals, airport transfers, and sometimes even activities) at the same time and often at... Continue reading »
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Getting around
By Plane Flying is one of the best ways to get around Costa Rica. Because the country is quite small, flights are short and not too expensive. The domestic airlines of Costa Rica are Sansa and Nature Air. Sansa (tel. 290-4100; www.flysa... Continue reading »
Costa Rica Travel Experiences
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Heading to Costa Rica
After spending 6 weeks in Nicaragua and surfing my brains out, I decided to make the jump into Costa Rica. I had hesitations about... Continue reading »
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Cahuita
Ooit waren we van plan om een deel van Costa Rica te voet af te leggen,pffff: dit nooit meer. Met volle moed vertrokken we uit Puerto Vie... Continue reading »
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Adiós Winnebago
It seems like ages ago that we updated the blog and a lot has happened since. We left you last time having just arrived in a small cost... Continue reading »
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Flamingo
Duncan- Here we are at the beach town of Flamingo. We arrived on Sunday afternoon and hit the beach to cool off as soon as we unpacked be... Continue reading »
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Learning Spanish in Playa Samara
What an amazing country! I have been in Costa Rica for a little bit more than a week yet I feel like I've been here for over a month. I a... Continue reading »
