Yes. Everything. Costa Rica is amazing. Basically everything there is amazing. I was only there for a week a few years back. I'll love to get back there soon. I spent five days in Quepos, near Manuel Antonio. Loved it there. Then a couple days in San Jose, which paled by comparison. Too city and if it's cities you want there are better ones. I'd really recommend Quepos. As for what to do, I took a few long hikes in the rainforest at Manuel Antonio. Saw lots of monkeys and sloths. Took a boat tour throught the rainforest and monkeys came when the guide called, climbed onto the boat and ate bananas out of our hands, peeling the clenched fingers of our fists like they would banana peels. Spent a good lot of time on the beach. Drank incredibly cheap, good beer and ate amazing fruits and vegetables (if you're not vegan like me, the food will blow you away). Also went on a canopy tour which I'll never do again. Thrilling as hell but terrifying. You climb up a tree in the rainforest, about ten or twenty stories and ride a zip line from one tree to another that seems about a football field away. You're attached by a safety chain but it is really scary. When you're done you repel down your destination tree, which is pretty scary too. If you're not scared of heights like I am, you'd have a great time. There are also volcanoes and great fishing if you do that sort of thing. There are millions of things to do there. If I spoke better Spanish I'd probably move there. Just beautiful, beautiful country and the friendliest people you've ever met (in Quepos anyway, not so much in SJ). And if you've got a couple hundred bucks, you're rich. Pura vida.
sorry but i cant get over how over rated this place is... panama , mexico, are much nicer just like shania says -- "that dont impress me much"
I'd love to go there...sigh...back at work...I knew a guy from Costa Rica, and he gave me the impression that Costa Rica is much safer than, e.g., Panama...and cleaner. I was told some refer to it as the "Switzerland of Central America". He gave me a book about Costa Rica which just made it look amazing. Hope to go there one day!
How can anyone say Costa Rica is overrated? Ahh its incredible. Go to the Monte Verde cloud forests and go on the zip line canopy tours as Batman said. Very fun. Hit the beaches, especially on the pacific side, they are incredible. Some of the small Carribean towns are very nice and enjoyable. If you are a meat lover like me you will love Costa Rica. Awesome steaks. Volcanoes, horse back riding, river tours...all a must. Like Batman said, dont stay in San Jose at ALL. Its basically a dirty crummy city with nothing to do....a smaller less interesting Mexico City... and say pura vida to anyone you come across, those people say pura vida to anything.
Volcano Arenal is awesume. (go to the hot springs, a great place to stay is called the Observatory I believe, about 30 minutes from the hot springs resort around the other side of the Volcano) Mounteverde Cloud forest is awesume too. Manual Antonio is nice and on the Pacific, but the two above are more unique IMO.
well then i will say it again -- over rated mexico and panama blow costa rica out of the water just an opinion having seen it firsthand
phoenixfeng: I've never been to Panama but what could Mexico possibly have on Costa Rica? You sound a little bit insane.
mexico has -cancun , guanajuato, mazatlan , etc etc etc etc granted i have been more times to mexico but i was simply unimpressed..it was expensive, rather 3rd world, just kind of a sorry place to me i had heard so much about it and i decided to finally scope for myself.. i was expecting more but i can say the same about ibiza i guess what i am saying is its a real disappointment to hear so much about a place then go there and find otherwise
Yeah, Costa Rica is dirt cheap. I think a couple hundred colones equal a dollar and everything there is very underpriced to begin with.
yeah i am sure i was in san jose the surrounding areas and villages then i was on the pacific coast with jaco being the point of reference from which i went up and down the coast i stayed at several pieces of crap and i think they were all well over 40 a night and this was on several occasions..i have heard nice things about the volcano but didnt get to go there
Quepos is fantastic. Spent a week there. Make sure you check out the nightlife. I agree about the capitol...yawn. Oh, and the volcano is cool but avoid the touristy Disney Spa, whatever its called....Tabocon or something...1,000 fat American tourists....yuk.
costa rica is beautiful. i was there for two weeks - went all over - beautiful country. i wish i remembered the names of places, but i don't. pura vida.
I just back back Saturday from CR. My wife's father lives down there and we had an incredible time thanks to his connections. He and his wife knew people everywhere and they treated us like kings. His house backs up to a rain forrest and we spent a day just exploring the trails the locals had created and some of the wild life in there (howler monkeys, poison frogs, wild turkeys, posotos, parrots, (no toucans this trip though - he said the locals (most are very poor) cut down the trees containing the toucan nests and sell the babies and it's dropping the population.)) We went someplace where there were there were some trees by a bridge (sorry that's the best I can describe) where there were 50+ iguanas in the trees. The bridge made you looking right at them. Things to do: Rafting and whitewater rafting. Rafting if you don't want to get to wet and just see the sites. Whitewater rafting if you want to paddle less and have a little fun. Visiting volcanos - Arenal is the most active one. It went off while we were having lunch at the base this time. 11 years ago, I took my son as a baby up to the first line of fisures, my wife was soooo mad - she still brings that up. Now they won't let you get too close - some people got too close and died a few years ago. You can stay overnight at an old observation camp which will allow you to see the lava at night (you can only see steam in the day). Poas is a ok but not as impressive and emits a lot of sulfer. Hot Springs. Around Arenal there are a few hot springs. The one I can recommend is a place called Tabocan Hot Springs that has natural hot water falls that you can sit under that is like a never ending shower and massage in one. There are some muy caliente - very hot - pools (150+ degrees) so be sure and don't just jump in a pool. Most are labeled. It is a hotel also. Beaches. Most are made up of volcanic rock so they are grey. The beach we visited (Playa Hermosa) wasn't very long but had volcanic rock on both side the trapped sea life in during low tide for easy viewing of tropical fish. Overall though - I'd rather go to the Destin, FL area if you want to go to a beach. Fishing. Some of the best saltwater fishing in the world. It will tack another grand on your trip, but if you are going with buddies and you split it, it won't be too bad. The fishing won't be too good though if it's a full moon, since the fish feed at night and aren't too hungry during the day. There are also certain times for certain fish. Bull fighting. They have some great bull fights where the bull does not get hurt - just the people that run out in the arena after a few too many Imperials. Mostly on Friday and Saturday nights - unless there is a festival going on. Canopy tours. Basically big long zip line rides through the tree tops. Other tips: Your going during what they call the rainy season so bring some rain gear. It may rain every day but it shouldn't last all day - 4-5 hours. It's about 425-430 colones per dollar - I have a 1000 colones bill in my wallet still. You have to pay $26pp to leave the country and you have to get that taken care of before you hit the check in line. We had people behind us that waited in a long line only to be rejected because they didn't stand in that long line first. San Jose is only for getting in and out of. Nothing to see there. It's weird that one side of the mountains gets rain and stays green while the other side can go without rain for months and looks like CA or W. TX during the dry season. It was a sunny 72 degrees when we left one side and 103 when we got to the other. Spend your time in the North Central area. That's Costa Rica.
You know George, growing up as a boy in Costa Rica, I heard a rumor that momma had taken a lover. Perhaps Bosco was this man's name.
