| Population | 4,100,000 |
| Language spoken | English/Spanish |
| Currency | Costa Rican Colon (CRC); 10 Colones = (appr.) 0.0212 USD |
| Average temperature | Summer: 68°-69°F; Winter: 66°-68°F |
| High season | December to April |
The proud, upstanding representative of all that is well and good about Central America, Costa Rica is a lush haven amidst turbulent surroundings. Visitors to this small, coffee-growing country will discover miles of prime beach on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, acres of carefully conserved rainforest and dozens of outdoor sports offerings to impress even the bravest sportsman.
With a pleasant temperature throughout the dry season, Costa Rica makes itself very inviting to couples looking to honeymoon on its beaches, surfers looking for the finest waves in Central America and urbanites looking for a taste of the jungle. Our patented three-day itinerary will show just how much fun a voyage to Costa Rica can be. Like most trips to this gem of a country, it all starts in the capital of San Jose.
Note: All prices are in U.S. dollars.
Day 1: The crossroads of Costa Rica
As the transportation hub of Costa Rica, San Jose is the point of entry where visitors of all kinds invariably spend a day or two before moving on to the rainforest or beach. Some feel that this makes the city a tourist destination only by default, but this bad rep is unjustified. Though the city has more of an American feel than other Latin American metropolises, San Jose's character is still unmistakably its own. A one-day stroll throughout the city is all that's required to see beyond the cookie-cutter shopping malls and find the goodness that lies beneath.First off, though, you need a place to stay. The Hotel Grano de Oro is a converted old mansion with unique rooms, two rooftop Jacuzzis and a great restaurant that boasts some of San Jose's best desserts. The Vista de Oro suite is impressive but, at $250 a night, rather pricey.
You may want to opt for one of the $90 standard rooms instead. Whatever the level of accommodations, you'll be impressed with the style and hospitality of this little hotel, which is conveniently located near the downtown area.
see the lively cultura
Downtown San Jose can be tough to navigate -- it features a network of haphazardly-placed avenues and urban centers -- but it's where the action is. As this will be your lone full day in the city, take advantage by first visiting the Plaza de la Cultura. This square is dominated by the Teatro Nacional, a performing arts center and by far San Jose's most impressive building. If you're interested in catching some Costa Rican theater, purchase tickets for a night show, then stroll through the surrounding shops and take in the marimba bands, jugglers, clowns, and other street entertainers.San Jose is said to be the most cosmopolitan of Central American cities, and you'll see evidence of that in the number of multiracial families who stroll by as you make your way down the city's Avenida Central, one of the main thoroughfares.
Your next destination should be the Centro Nacional de Arte y Cultura, a block-long cultural center that houses the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design. The name may make it seem drab, but the galleries in this museum show are home to some very unique works of arts by a legion of talented Latin artists. Admission is a mere $1, so it's certainly worth visiting.
For lunch, you can go the traditional route and visit one of many sodas , the Costa Rican equivalent of diners, in the area. Here you can sample typical tico (as the locals call themselves) food, which is usually a variation of rice and beans. At lunch, the two come in the form of a cascade , served with steak, chicken or fish, fried bananas, and a cabbage and tomato salad. Top it all of with a fresco fruit drink (or have it con leche -- with milk -- for a tastier treat and to avoid potential stomach issues with the local water) and you have a typical Costa Rican lunch for roughly five bucks.
shop the democratic way
For shopping, start at the open-air stalls of the Plaza de la Democracia. Long rows of small kiosks line this area, and in them you'll find handcrafts, shirts and other locally-produced items. This market makes for a fun atmosphere, one wherein you can grasp the livelihood of San Jose even during your brief stay.Less than a mile away from the Plaza de la Democracia is the Mercado Central, a market that, while quite busy, doesn't bustle as much as you might expect. Costa Rican culture is notoriously laid back -- perhaps it's because of the consistently nice weather. In any case, it's you who must adapt, so do like the ticos and take your time perusing the market, which sells everything from live turkeys to leather goods.
jade & gold
If you haven't had enough of a museum fix, San Jose proudly boasts two more interesting places: the Museo de Oro Precolombino (where you can view centuries-old gold pieces) and the Museo de Jade (home to fabulous jade carvings). Both can be visited at a minimal price, and can help fill in those couple of hours when your stomach is growling but the late-eating Costa Ricans aren't quite ready to dine yet.To tide you over, visit a local fruit vendor -- there seems to be one on every corner -- and try some of the country's many varieties of mango. Buy some that are already precut and in a bag. It costs more, but it's worth it -- imagine going to shake a beautiful Latina's hand only to find that yours is sticky with mango juice.
Once dinner time finally arrives, visit La Masia de Triquel, San Jose's finest Spanish restaurant. For between $10 and $20, you can choose an excellent main course from a menu that features great lamb, quail, rabbit, octopus, and lobster dishes. To maximize the tasting experience, try a paella dish and discover all sorts of tastes mixed together.
To top off your night, the El Pueblo complex is the place to go. Housing many clubs and bars, this entertainment center is designed like an old Spanish village and will be instantly known by any taxi driver you hail. Twister and Discoteque Infinito are two of its finest dance spots, where the salsa and merengue beats play well into the early morning. Now's the time to show off your dance moves and impress the local hotties.
Day 2: Plunge into the Pacuare
San Jose is an eco-tourist's haven, with volcanoes, rainforest treks, beaches, and plenty more only a few-hours' bus ride away. One of the most popular of these activities is whitewater rafting; the mountainous terrain of Costa Rica's interior provides for some fast-running, meandering rivers.hit the white waters
San Jose's surrounding area hosts rivers for rafters of all skill levels, from Class I (the easiest) to Class IV (quite challenging). For an option that's appropriate for the experienced and the not-so experienced alike, try the full-day Pacuare tour, a Class III-IV course that snakes through one of the last untouched areas of rainforest left on Earth.Organized by the venerable Costa Rica Expeditions, this tour starts with an early-morning pickup at your hotel, followed by a three-hour trip north of the city to the Pacuare River entry point. Included during the morning drive is a typical Costa Rican breakfast of rice and beans mixed with everything from fried eggs to steak, followed by a ride on a 4x4 shuttle down to the river bank.
After a dry run, some orientation lessons and a talk on safety, it will be time to enter the raging Pacuare. The 18-mile course can take up to five hours to navigate if the water level is high, and every minute is worth it. During the river's angrier moments, you'll have to paddle like a madman in order to avoid sharp rocks and whirlpools. In calmer areas, you'll be able to take in the wonderful scenery and listen to the calls of all sorts of exotic birds. Expect to catch glimpses of animals that you'd normally only see on the Discovery Channel.
get your land legs back
The trip ends calmly as the current slows, and you'll be given a few minutes to allow your heart to stop racing. During the two-hour ride back to your hotel in San Jose, you'll be driven through Braulio Carrillo National Park, another virgin piece of beautiful rainforest.After cleaning off the rainforest dirt from your pores, you'll be famished. Whitewater rafting is no walk in the park and it takes an athlete to complete the 18-mile course. To get your energy back, take a ride to Casa Luisa, a sublime Catalan restaurant with a warm, inviting ambiance. Try the eggplant pt as an appetizer, and the suckling pig or grilled lobster as a main course. For dessert, nuts and figs drizzled with a white wine sauce is a great choice.
If your legs are able to withstand some more activity, you can opt to revisit El Pueblo and check the scene at Cocoloco nightclub. For a more funky bar atmosphere, you can head to the San Pedro district east of downtown (accessible via bus or taxi), where students hang out in droves, congregating in a two-block stretch called "The Street of Bitterness." Don't be misled by the name; the atmosphere and cheap drinks at nightspots like Omar Khayyam will make your night anything but bitter.
Day 3: A mahogany jungle
You can sleep in a bit on this, your last day in Costa Rica, since your next adventurous tour won't start until either 10 a.m. or noon. After a long day yesterday and another one coming up, this rest will be needed.The Original Canopy Tour company offers a rainforest trek like no other. Instead of hacking your way through the dense undergrowth, the company lets you swing, climb and soar like Tarzan. With a series of elevated bridges, scalable trees and ropes defining the path, participants walk along while enjoying a bird's eye view of the forest. In fact, "walking" may be an understatement; you'll do more zip-lining and climbing than putting your feet on the ground.
The site for this adventure is Mahogany Park, so called because of the abundance of tall mahogany trees. A morning pickup from your hotel will start off the trip and, once you arrive at the site, you'll be briefed on the intricacies of rappelling and swinging through the trees.
king of the jungle
In all, 10 platforms are laid out around Mahogany Park, all connected by a series of ropes. While strapped into a harness, you'll swing and zip-line from platform to platform, observing the forest floor from as high as 75-feet up. Along the way, you'll hear, and maybe see, howler monkeys as well as capuchin monkeys, varieties of lizards and flocks of brightly-colored birds.Your Tarzan imitation will last about two hours, after which a more grounded tour of the rainforest can be enjoyed. You'll be driven back to San Jose just in time for dinner.
lounge like the latins do
As the Costa Rican supper hour rolls around, have your last meal at a traditional Latin American spot located in Barrio La Soledad. Nuestra Tierra takes the common dishes served at San Jose's sodas and gives them a twist. The result is a menu replete with fine cuisine, including seafood and chicken concoctions which cost from $5 to $10. The coffee is also great (which shouldn't be surprising, considering that Costa Rica, is known for its beans) and is filtered the traditional way, through a chorreador cloth.To finish off three hectic days in and around San Jose, chill at Caf Loft, an upscale, chic lounge where the beautiful ticos go for a drink. Observe the scenery and relax to funky trip-hop beats.
With this three-day itinerary of the finer urban and natural spots Costa Rica has to offer, you'll discover that Columbus' claim that this country was a "rich coast" was right on point. From the fresh fruit to the rainforest adventures, you can enjoy a whole lot of this tropical gem in a relatively short time.
tips for the trip
Resources:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/central_america/costa_rica/index.htm
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/sanjosecostarica/
http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=costa_rica@53&cur_section=ove
http://www.costaricaexpeditions.com/index.html
http://www.canopypago.com/index.html
Costa Rica Travel Guide
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