See what the experts are saying about Lands in Love. 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 »
Lands in Love Travel Experiences
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Coffee Plantation
Today we visited a coffee plantation that was actually a co op of many families. (Diria coffee) We learned and saw how the cof... Continue reading »
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Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica
We then jumped on the bright yellow American school bus that took us to the border of Costa Rica. Our trip took 7 hours and 4 chicken bus... Continue reading »
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Surfing, drinking, and the Monkey Trail
Meredith, Brennan and I headed south for Tamarindo by way of a dirt road known as the Monkey Trail (didn't see any, by the way).&nbs... Continue reading »
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change of heart
The flight was so long, I thought we'd nevere get there. Landed in Liberia at 6 am or so. The airport is funny. the waiting area for depa... Continue reading »
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Tamagringo, indeed!
Wow, I feel like I'm in San Diego. For every Tico there are about 7 gringos. And not just any gringo. Gringo girls with... Continue reading »
