Costa Rica
Costa Rica isn't afraid to take her own path. While other countries in Central America were busy fighting, Costa Rica remained without a military. While other countries around the world destroyed their natural habitat, Costa Rica set aside more than 25% of its land for protection. Costa Rica's unique choices are your gain. The country is a delight to visit.
Politically stable, easy to get around, and geographically beautiful, Costa Rica is a popular vacation spot these days. The main attraction is its geography. From lush rainforests to beautiful beaches to pretty mountains to raging rivers, Costa Rica is a veritable playground for those who enjoy the outdoors. In fact, while they country has only .1% of the world's landmass, it also has 5% of the world's biodiversity. If you visit you are bound to see animals that you have never seen before.
What to do
The popularity of Costa Rica's Eco Tourism – as well as the number of expats who have bought property there – has made it more expensive to travel to than it once was. Still, you can visit the country and travel relatively cheaply if you do a bit of research ahead of time.
The capital of San Jose is a nice enough city, but not nice enough to want to stay there more than a day or so. Most people either head straight to one of Costa Rica's fine beach areas, or to the jungles. There are good beaches on both coasts and good surfing on the Pacific. Jaco Beach is a popular destination for surf bums, and the areas in the northwest of the country are great for package vacations at holiday resorts.
Even near the beach areas you can see wildlife and do jungle activities. Zip-lining is huge in Costa Rica, and other forms of canopy tours are available in places as well. The many national parks make the country extremely popular among nature lovers.
Getting there
Flying to Costa Rica usually means flying to the capital San Jose. You can also sometimes catch a deal on flights to Liberia. To search for the best deal on flights to either city, check out the Costa Rica Airfare finder.
Where to stay
Where does one stay in Costa Rica? There are plenty of choices. There's everything from simple hostels to hotels that will blow you away. You can search for both hostels and hotels to get a better idea of what things are like.
You might also consider checking out our friends at Costa Rica Travel & Vacations for more information about traveling to Costa Rica.
Attractions in Costa Rica
Address: Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
What happens when a volcano you think is dormant suddenly erupts? Why, you have a major tourist attraction on your hands! Such is the case with the Arenal Volcano National Park in Costa Rica, which encompasses the Arenal Volcano. This is the youngest of Costa Rica's volcanoes, but also the most active - it was thought to be extinct until it erupted in 1968 after a roughly 400-year nap. Since then, it's been extraordinarily active, with small eruptions every five or ten minutes at times.
These frequent eruptions, however, are generally small and not dangerous so visiting the Arenal Volcano National Park isn't something to worry about. In fact, visitors often find that night time is the best time to see the volcano, as there is the possibility to see the dramatic orange glow of lava against a dark sky.
The park itself covers more than 30,000 acres, and also includes Lake Arenal and the Chato Volcano. The entire area is a protected environmental area that is full of great hiking trails and lots of flora and fauna to see.
Admission: $6 per person ($1 extra for the guide, sold at the ranger station)
Address: Central ave, 42 street Parque Metropolitano, La Sabana, San Jose, Costa Rica
The Costa Rican Art Museum in San Jose may be small, but it's a nice collection representing some of Costa Rica's best artists of the 19th and 20th centuries - and it showcases how European art movements were interpreted on this side of the world. You'll find all manner of art housed here, from paintings to sculpture, including a relatively new outdoor sculpture garden. The permanent collection alone is great, and the museum is always playing host to a temporary exhibit or two which makes it a dynamic place to visit.
This museum, known locally as the Museo de Arte Costarricense, was once the international airport terminal for the capital city of San Jose, and the adjacent Sabana Metropolitan park used to serve as the runway! You may not recognize the structure as an airport building, because they just don't build 'em like this anymore.
Take your time to enjoy the more than 2,500 pieces in this little museum, and reward yourself with a stroll through the park afterwards.
Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 10:00-18:00; Saturday, 11:00-18:00; Sunday, 11:00-16:00
Admission: $5 adults, free for children and students; Sunday - free admission for everyone
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