Costa Rica Intro Page
Volcanoes, hot springs, waterfalls, & rain forests
Monkeys, tropical birds, iguanas, & butterflies
Beaches, surfing, rivers, white water rafting
|
|
||
Arenal Volcano. |
Squirrel monkey near Manuel |
Tours
We use the best tour operators to book all kinds of tours to Costa Rica, including independent tours and packages. If you have a group we can design a tour for your group. Check with us for details or for other information. Please contact us to book your travel. We book travel worldwide. Check out our Special Promotions.
Special Photo Tour
Please contact us if you are interested in a special photo tour of Costa Rica with workshops and instruction in the field with an emphasis on digital photography.
Costa Rica Overview
Costa Rica is a country with one beautiful view after another, and it has been described as the Switzerland of the Americas. Everything is found in an area smaller than the state of West Virginia. Yet the variation in flora and fauna is phenomenal. Costa Rica is a perfect place for ecotourism. There are volcanoes, hot springs, waterfalls, rain forests, monkeys, iguanas, tropical birds, butterflies, and much more. When you go there take lots of film for a film camera and lots of memory cards for a digital camera. There are many photo opportunities.
|
|
||
Waves near Jaco, a favorite |
Toucan at Tilajari. |
San Jose, the capital, is located at about 10 degrees latitude in the tropics. But, because of its' elevation the climate there is like eternal spring. On each coast it is like summer at all times. But go into the rain forests in the mountains and you will need a jacket, especially at night, throughout the year.
With such a variety of things to see and do within such short distances it is no wonder that so many Americans have chosen to retire there. In fact, many Americans went there at a young age and never left; they now own many of the hotels and restaurants.
The country has a very stable political system. There is no military. They have chosen to spend their money instead on education and health care. So it is not surprising that so many Americans go to Costa Rica for medical treatment. The care is good and the costs can be much lower than in the United States. Some of your friends may have gone there for a face lift.
The people of Costa Rica, called Ticos, are very friendly and eager to offer help. They are largely of Spanish descent; there is very little Indian population. In this respect the country is very different, for example, from Mexico and Guatemala. It is a great place to learn or to practice Spanish. However, the guides and many of the Ticos are fluent in English.
|
|
||
Rebecca holding big vine in |
Coatimundi seen on night |
Touring Costa Rica
One way to see Costa Rica is to do it on your own. In fact, this can be the preferred method of travel when visiting a few cities in Europe, the Caribbean, or Bangkok, Thailand, to name a few places. But I personally do not recommend the independent mode of travel for Costa Rica. You will not know what to look for or where to look. Naturalist guides make the tour much more enjoyable since they show you and explain to you the great variety of animal and plant life that is found there. Also, it is really nice to let someone else do all the driving, especially when the roads are poorly marked or in bad condition. In Costa Rica I recommend touring with guides in small groups. It is important to use a good tour operator since not all tour operators have high quality naturalist guides. Also, not all local tour operators have insured vehicles. It is quite affordable for a group of six or eight to have their own dedicated driver/guide. For fewer people we can put you with a small group.
Regions of Costa Rica
Costa Rica can be broken down into a number of regions. For specific details of a region go to any region. There is the Central Region, which includes San Jose and the Central Valley, and features the Poas Volcano and the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. To the north is the Northern Region where you find the spectacular Arenal volcano and the very impressive Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. The Caribbean Region is found in the eastern part of Costa Rica, and includes Tortuguero where you see great wildlife from rivers and canals. The area on and adjacient to the North Pacific Coast is the Northwest Region. This is where you find the beach town of Tamarindo and the Guanacoste Province. This is the driest part of Costa Rica. The Central Pacific Region includes the popular beach towns of Jaco and Quepos/Manuel Antonio, the Carara Natonal Park and the very popular Manuel Antonio National Park. To learn about the distinctive kinds of hotels that we recommend go to Hotels.
|
|
||
Sunset over the Gulf of Nicoya seen from |
Bird on the riverbank of the |
Photos by Sunny Breeding. We sell prints and images.
