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Why Costa Rica?? |
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Every one comes to Costa Rica with their own
personal ideas of adventure and relaxation.
You may have completely charted out your
trip, knowing exactly where it is that you
want to go and what you want to do. However,
maybe you know that there are a ton of
activities in which to participate while on
your trip, but just don’t know where to
begin, or where to find the activities that
you are looking for. Here we have compiled a
list of a variety of common excursions, and
where you might want to participate in those
activities. Good Luck and remember to enjoy
your trip to the fullest, while continuing
to be safe, and respectful to locals, other
travelers, and of course to the flora and
fauna that will be surrounding you. |
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Activity Check list to help you organize
your Costa Rica travel plans! |
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Hiking: This is one of those activities that
you will be able to participate in all over
Costa Rica. There are many amazing trails
and roads to explore during your adventure,
some areas will have guides that can lead
you, or printed out instruction, or maybe
you will end up exploring completely on your
own. Either way, you will have the
opportunity to spy exotic birds, active
animals, and lush foliage along the way.
For the day hiker who wants to see a bit of
everything, we suggest Manuel Antonio
National Park. For the hiker who wants to
invest a bit more time, we suggest Chirripo,
the highest peak in all of Costa Rica, or
Corcovado on the Osa Peninsula. These two
areas provide very different scenery but
both provide the venue for a couple day
adventure hike, are more demanding, and
require reservations. Of course all of the
national parks will offer wonderful hikes,
each with their own charm. Please refer to
the National Park section for more
information. |
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Surfing:
Whether you are an experienced
surfer or you want to gain the experience of
learning how to surf, we suggest Mal Pais,
in the Nicoya Peninsula. The waves are sworn
to be consistent and the town is sworn to be
not too overly touristed. Additionally, you
can head to Montezuma at the southernmost
point of the Peninsula, or up towards the
famous surfer town of Tamarindo, in
Guanacaste. Jaco is told to be a great surf
spot, but unfortunately, we haven’t heard
any other redeeming qualities about the
town, so we are not quick to send people off
to Jaco. If, however, you are headed in that
direction, slip on down to Manuel Antonio,
where the surfing sure looked inviting to
me. I have also heard that Puerto Viejo,
south of Limon on the Carribean Coast, holds
some beautiful waves off the white and black
sand beaches. Lessons and rentals are
generally available in any area that has
surfing, so if you didn’t bring your own
equipment, or are ready to learn, have no
fear, the opportunity awaits! |
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Snorkeling:
Even if you have a fear of fish that none of your
friends will ever understand, I would definitely suggest
checking out the wildlife under the sea while you are
here on your visit. Cahuita
National Park houses the largest living
coral reef off the coast of Costa Rica, and
it is magnificent. The Carribean coast
provides clear and calm water, which allows
for better visibility and more enjoyment.
While you are there, you could pop down to
Bocas del Toro, Panama where snorkeling
allows you to swim with a variety of marine
life, in crystal blue waters. Another great
place to snorkel is in the Reserva Biologica
Isla del Cano; this is located about 20 km
from the Bahia Drake, off the Osa Peninsula.
It provides extremely warm and clean water
and a wide variety of marine life. |
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The canopy tour:
is an adventure in the sky. Although it was
originally created to give visitors a closer look at the
wildlife living with the canopy of the rain forest, it
has evolved a bit. Don’t get me wrong, you will still
have the ability to see those sweet faced animals that
you have been dying to see, but, as canopy tours have
evolved from simply being hoisted up to a platform high
above the ground, to including zipping down lines from
one platform to the other, some time the adrenaline
takes over and you forget to look around. There are
canopy tours located throughout the country, some of the
most popular are located just outside of Cartago, in Monteverde, Fortuna, Iguana Park near
Orotina, Rincon de la Vieja, and Bahia Drake
of the Osa Peninsula. Wherever you choose to
participate in one of these high wire
adventures, please make sure to choose a
company that has a strong history of safety. |
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Bungee jumping:
Now personally, I have never had this desire, but I have
found that people are often times on a mission to
accomplish tasks that they would never normally do,
while traveling. Jumping off bridges and bouncing around
while dangling from the bridge, seems to be one of these
activities. With that in mind, bungee jumping is
becoming increasingly popular in Costa Rica as the
scenery from the top of the bridge is breathtaking, as
if you weren’t going to have your breath taken anyway,
it is generally less expensive than in other countries,
and provides the same safety measures and history as
other companies. The best part about this activity is
that it takes place not too far outside of San Jose, and
therefore provides a great get away from the city. |
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White water rafting:
If you
are a white water rafting fan, you have come
to the right place. Costa Rica offers a wide
range of rivers, spanning from a calm,
nature float, to the wild rapids of glorious
white water. The Pacuare river is rated the
5th
best river in the world for its variety in
rapids, scenery, and opportunities to do
other activities, such as receive massages
from waterfalls and swim in their lagunas.
You can choose a half, full, or multi day
trip, according to your preferences. There
are many rivers and many companies to choose
from, we like Lee from Loco’s rafting,
based out of Turrialba. He offers a
beautiful tour complete with safety trained
and experienced guides, a delicious lunch,
and an experience that you will remember for
a very long while. |
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Should I book
everything before coming to Costa Rica? |
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If you are on
limited time and know exactly what you want to see then
yes book it all in advance. But if you're not sure
about everything and you have some time then why not
book the important thing that take time to organize eg.
Long tours, rental car and Spanish lesson before
arriving and leave the other days open for what you'll
hear by talking to other travelers and with the help of
local tourist info office, which usually have brochures
from all around Costa Rica including tours
offered by other offices. Don't forget
to investigate your travel guide books. There are
many to be found in many different languages but these
are our favorites:
Lonely
Planet
Let's go
Rough Guide/Rough
guide Orosi page
Moon Travel |
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