Costa Rica:
Costa Rica is gorgeous, and the people are friendly. There are mountains and volcanoes to climb, hot springs to soak in, rivers to raft and canoe, waves to surf, beaches to lie on, and rainforests to hike through. Nature lovers head to: Manuel Antonio National Park, which is teeming with amazing animals such as coatis, agoutis, howler and capuchin monkeys, sloths, and iguanas; Cahuita National Park,; Corcovado National Park, more remote than the other parks, and also absolutely full of thousands of types of plants, trees and animals; Jaco Beach, and Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.
Other ecological hotspots include: Curu Wildlife Reserve, and 84-hectare private wildlife reserve where turtles, huge spiders, howler monkeys and margays live; and Tortuga Island, a good day trip out of the town of Puntarenas;
If, however, you're looking for indigenous culture as in Guatemala to the north, there's none here. Most of the people are either Spanish or Mestizo, and live like North Americans. There's no army, and the middle class rules. Because of this, a lot of Americans have settled in Costa Rica.
This is the least violent of the Central American countries, and the human rights record is good. Thus, tourists can feel less vigilant than if they were travelling in the other countries. But petty theft is still an issue, and there are parts of San Jose, the capital, that you should avoid.
Travel guidebooks all say you need to book in advance, but independent travellers usually find accommodation throughout the country. A vacation in Costa Rica won't cost you an arm and a leg, but costs are higher than in the other Central American countries. You definitely get what you pay for.
This page last updated April 2, 2000.