Fun Stuff in Costa Rica

A Costa Rica vacation means adventure, and fun in the tropics. From secluded beaches to volcanoes, from rain forest nature tours and zip lines to exotic nightlife, discover these and other tourism attractions on your vacation to tropical Costa Rica. Each month we uncover more muy rico secrets of Costa Rican hotels and resorts, Costa Rica fishing and scuba diving,...

Tours in Costa Rica tours range from laid back to extreme, from a nature hike through rainforests sprinkled with lilies or birdwatching, to exploring active volcanoes, white water rafting and bungee jumping. From aerial canopy zip line rides to sailing, scuba diving and horseback riding, Costa Rica tours offer the adventure of a lifetime. Or just take it easy on a...

Sailing Away in Costa Rica Sailing, long popular in Costa Rica, has become a major attraction in Manuel Antonio with the arrival of a new 60-foot catamaran, the Tom Cat. Sailing Manuel Antonio Bay Run by Planet Dolphin, the Tom Cat can accommodate 40 or so people on a 2 1/2-hour morning cruise. While it's is a fun party boat and one of Manuel Antonio's top day...

Scuba diving in Costa Rica begins by gliding over living coral reefs and leads deeper for the stunning sight of Manta Rays swimming by like a formation of underwater hang gliders. As the political situation worsens around Indonesia and other parts of Asia, more people visit Costa Rica for scuba diving, which is some of the best on the planet. For the finest in...

Ambiance of the Islands Puntarenas means "sand point,"? but it is really a peninsula that juts into the Nicoya Gulf between a river and an estuary. This narrow spit has only five avenues, bisected by 37 streets. Most of the action is on the east end and along the Paseo de Turistas. Characterized by typical island ambiance, the town has wide streets and...

Costa Rica Adventures and Tours Costa Rica adventures -- for thrilling Costa Rica adventures such as white water rafting or rocketing through the rainforest on a zip line cable tour, book a custom vacation with us today. Adventure travel tours include hiking up volcanoes, scuba diving, surfing, rain forest tours, volcanoes, sportfishing for marlin, deep sea...

The main beach of Flamingo has the whitest sand in Costa Rica; It is a short walk from the center of town. Other beaches are found farther north, and include less well known playas such as Playa Conchal and others in the Gulf of Papagayo vicinity. Here you will find many upscale resorts and all-inclusive packages. The climate in this part of Costa Rica is drier...

If it's privacy you seek, we suggest the beaches of Nicoya. Not as many tourists visit this part of the country, which can be reached by car, boat, or airplane. This photo shows a small island in Nicoya Bay. It is a featured stop of the Calypso Cruise, a luxury catamaran that departs from Puntarenas. Nicoya is south of Guanacaste and west of Puntarenas. You...

People come to Costa Rica for diving and fishing, tours fine hotels and villas. We also have some of the world's finest resorts, many of which private and secluded. For all-inclusive deals, Guanacaste and Puntarenas are your best bet. These are just a few of the many reason savvy travelers choose this laid back tropical land as their favorite place for a holiday....

So you hiked 47 kilometers of nature trails from Monteverde to Santa Elena and didn't see a single quetzal? Then head for Zoo Ave, the only place in Costa Rica where you are guaranteed to see live quetzals. Not your typical zoo Quetzals, the legendary birds with brilliant red and green plumage, are only one of Zoo Ave's attractions for nature lovers. Over...

Costa Rica diving off Manuel Antonio Until you'llve seen them from sea you haven't truly witnessed the wonders of Manuel Antonio’s beaches. Few visitors realize it, but 90% of the park's 738,000 hectares lie underwater, where you'll marvel at the colorful marine life that greets you on every dive. A relaxing way to see the park from above and below the...

The Arrowhead plant grows in the shrub layer of the canopy, which extends 15 feet from the forest floor. Its huge leaves turn into drums played by drops of the purest water during rainy season. This is only one of the countless types of rainforest plants that festoon the forests and mountains from one end of this country to the other. And they grow practically...

When is the best time to travel to Costa Rica? Any time except the week of Good Friday (Easter weekend) or Christmas week. These are major holidays for Ticos, so everything is crowded, transportation is hectic, and many shops and restaurants are closed. State banks and other offices are also closed for nearly a week during both holidays. Beaches and nightlife...

The Costa Rica travel directory offers an overview of Costa Rica vacations. Or see Hotels, Resorts and Villas or Fishing and Diving for more specific pages. As more hotels, resorts, tours, fishing boats and other tourism attractions are added to the directory, this section is being expanded into new categories. In our listings, you will discover descriptions of...

Almost 30 species of whales spend their winters in the Pacific Ocean off Costa Rica, often close enough to be seen from shore.Small boats can take you out for a closer look, though a 2005 law now prohibits swimming or diving around whales or dolphins.Where the Whales AreThough blue whales migrate down from the Baja Peninsula of Mexico, but of the whales in Costa...

Fun things to do in Jaco Beach begin with the Costa Rica sun and end with partying and nightlife that can last until the next sunrise. But the list of fun things to do in Jaco seems to go on forever. This Costa Rica beach town offers zip line tours through rainforest canopy, nature trails crisscrossing the rain forest, day trips to explore volcanoes or go white...

Fun Guide: Playas del Coco & Ocotal For such a typical "sleepy fishing village," Playas del Coco, Costa Rica, offers some of the wildest nightlife in the country. Over two dozen bars and nightclubs rock all night, every night, in Playas del Coco on the northwest Pacific coast. And there’s also scuba diving, surfing, sportfishing, marlin fishing, sailboat...

Guaro leads the list of traditional alcoholic drinks in Costa Rica. It’s a generic term for rum, and the taste and quality varies in different parts of Latin America. Some locals insist guaro was invented by the Guaro Indians, but they are so tiny that no one has been able to find them to confirm this. Many find it a potent, even crude spirit. But some tourists...

Ponce de Leon, the Spanish explorer whose futile search for the Fountain of Youth became his signature expedition, is rarely recognized for one of his greatest discoveries—Quepos and Manuel Antonio—which he put on the map in 1519. So abundant are the riches of Costa Rica's Central Pacific coast, that he might have found his fabled fountain had he gone ashore...

Pirates of the Quepos Coast pirates costa rica henry morganSir Francis Drake, William Dampier, Sir Henry Morgan—flamboyant British pirates such as these have endowed Costa Rica's Central Pacific coast with one of the richest pirate histories in the Americas. Perhaps the most intriguing tale from the Quepos and Manuel Antonio area recounts Henry Morgan's final...

San José affords the greatest variety of souvenirs, jewelry, clothing and other items in the country. The best prices too. And not just the usual souvenirs and T-shirts -- some shops imports things from Indonesia, Thailand and other exotic lands, as well as from Guatemala and different places in Latin America. This review will get you on the fast track to finding...

From the city to the beaches, a Spanish language school is always nearby in Costa Rica. You can easily combine learning Spanish with a surfing trip or a visit to the rainforest on your Costa Rican vacation. Many schools provide housing with a local family, so you can save money on a hotel and practice daily even when not in class. There are also several...

Tamarindo is best known as one of Costa Rica's top surfing destinations. True, yet there are tons of other fun things to do in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. One tour outfit even offers an ATV surf tour, driving ATVs into the rain forest and to hidden beaches otherwise inaccessible. Or you can rent a dirt bike or regular bicycle and explore on your own. Snorkeling and...

Beach activities include horseback riding, volleyball, swimming, surfing, parasailing and more. Several top surfing tournaments are held here each year. Heed all warning signs, as the rip tide can be deadly here, and don't go in the water alone. Most beach hotels provide chairs and other amenities for guests. You can rent scooters, quads, surf gear and...

These reviews of Costa Rica's top hotels, resorts, fishing boats, tours and tiki bars reveal the places most highly recommended by our travel writers. Feature articles and pictures covering the history and archaeology of Costa Rica, along with Fun Guides on each part of the country are also found here. Jaco Beach: Top hotels, things to do, fishing, diving, and...

The streets around Parque Morazan are lined with souvenir shops stacked to their ceilings with virtually the same items. Many of which are actually made in Nicaragua, where labor is far cheaper than here. But just around the corner from the Holiday Inn, you can find folkloric art and jewelry and other unique treasures fashioned by local artisans. They are a bit...