Posted by admin on Jan 08, 2009
The Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, a rugged region, with a sea of good waves and a prehistoric rain forest, stretches for 125 miles from the border with Panama to the border with Nicaragua. Tourists take advantage more than anything of the white sand beaches, but in fact this is one of the most diverse geographical regions of Costa Rica. In the middle forest near the beaches, the north has lagoons marshes and in the southern area there are the mountains of Talamanca piercing the clouds.
The tropical Atlantic coast of Costa Rica offers beautiful rainforests, diversity and abundant wildlife, excellent eco tourism opportunities, world-class fishing for tarpon and snook, and miles of stunning and comforting beaches.
One of the most popular eco tourism destiny in the country, with its canals, rivers, beaches and lakes is the Tortuguero National Park, “” Amazon of Costa Rica “an active laboratory of the rain forest, freshwater, and marine biology. It is here where one of the most astonishing spectacles of nature can be seen, the green turtles nesting along the beaches from July to October.
The entire east coast of Costa Rica is located within the province of Limon and it is almost always hot and humid. It rains all year but is between May and August and between December and January when the area can be flooded. When the weather is good, the beaches attract surfers while others tourists take advantage to see wild animals.
The highway 32, known as the highway to Guapiles, connects Limon with the rest of Costa Rica. This road in a straight line connects San Jose to Puerto Limon, a town with no much activity now but in their time was an important port for the exportation of bananas. For several days, during carnival, Limon becomes a place of celebration and fun.
The port city of Limon has a Caribbean flavor from beginning to end. Limon is the capital of Afro-Caribbean culture of Costa Rica and is based on English dialects that have survived through the natural barriers between the Central Valley and the Caribbean. If a stop in Limón makes you absorb a little of their culture, be sure to be something very good for the journey that lies ahead.
About an hour south of Limón, there is Cahuita, a charming village, which borders on the Cahuita National Park. It is known for its rich marine life, the reef of Cahuita maintains a great variety of live coral along its coastline of white sand. A half hour south is Puerto Viejo, the perfect place to get comfortable and relax for a few days or weeks, with miles of beautiful beaches that through the town from north to south.
Manzanillo is literally the end of the road and the beginning of many adventures. From here you can take a boat or a horse or set off on foot. This area is part of the Wildlife Refuge Gandoca Manzanillo, one of the most beautiful scenic areas of Costa Rica, rich in flora and fauna. With beaches as good as any other to dive in Costa Rica and an enviable climate all year round, Manzanillo is close to the tropical forest loss that anyone would like to discover.
Posted by admin on Nov 28, 2008
The Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica is home to some of the most consistent and enjoyable beaches for surfing around the country. From the endless break points in Boca Barranca until the big waves at Playa Hermosa, this area offers something for everyone because there are many beautiful beaches with excellent waves to enjoy an unforgettable experience. In the area you can find an excellent accommodation and a good infrastructure, for that reason you have the ingredients for a surfing paradise.
The best time to practice surfing in the Central Pacific of Costa Rica are the months of April through November. The best places in the Central Pacific of Costa Rica for surfing are:
Barranca in Costa Rica
The waves are formed at the mouth of a river that has great breaks. This is a short stroll from San Jose and a great trip from Jaco Beach. Comfort and quality of the break attracts surfers from around the world.
Suf in Caldera
Caldera in Costa Rica has an excellent breaking to the left located 3 km south of Boca Barranca. The rupture occurs outside the dock / river near the mouth of the harbor.
Escondida Beach in Costa Rica
It is situated about 5 minutes of a luxury resort and quite near Jaco. It is a horseshoe beach-shaped which presents good breaks to the right and to the left. It is one of the most popular spots for local surfers when there are good waves.
Jaco Beach
Jaco is one of the most popular surf towns in Costa Rica, located only 2 hours from San Jose. There are a variety of good restaurants, surf shops and nightlife. Jaco Beach in Costa Rica has a beach break fun and is home to some of the best surfers of Costa Rica. Its central location and a wide range of services make it a great place to base your surfing adventure. The waves are great for those who learn to surf, lessons are available.
Roca Loca Beach – Costa Rica
Located at the south end of Jaco Beach, just below the cliff of the coastal road. This beach has a delicate wave that breaks to the right when is submerged.
Hermosa Beach – Central Pacific
This Costa Rica beach is the most consistent beach break in the Central Pacific and is located only 10 kilometers south of Jaco. Deep waters off the coast and exposure to different currents have created a variety of sand barriers. The preferred place to surf is in front of a large tree known as “The Almond”. The beach has perfect waves for surfing.
Esterillos and Bejuco in Costa Rica
They have areas with good potential for those willing to go a little beyond in their way they surf. These beaches are located 20-30 kilometers south of Jaco, and are usually empty. There are many beach breaks with conditions similar to Hermosa Beach.
Quepos town and beach in Costa Rica
It has a left break located at the mouth of a river just outside the city and also has several good beach breaks in the area. Quepos is about 45 minutes south of Jaco. Manuel Antonio is a little beyond the hill of Quepos and is home to a beautiful national park and white sand beaches.
Espadilla Beach
Espadilla Beach in Costa Rica is located at the end of the road to Manuel Antonio, just before the entrance to the National Park. The break point of this beach can provide a lot of fun with the big waves that are in the bay.
El Rey Beach in Costa Rica
It is a beach that presents stunning beach breaks and waves. Playa El Rey is located about 25 minutes south of Quepos on the road to Sunday.
Dominical Beach
Dominical Beach in Costa Rica is another powerful and consistent beach with beach breaks like Playa Hermosa, but with a tropical landscape more remote and lush. There are some secrets break points and also has some mouths of rivers. Dominical is about 45 minutes south of Quepos.
Posted by admin on Nov 26, 2008
Parrita Beach in Costa Rica has perfect waves for surfing, suspension bridges in the vastness of the forests, rivers and waterfalls of clean water and mangroves that are rich in species of plants and animals and some of the best scenery for horseback riding and mountain biking. This is only a little part of what gives this place in Costa Rica for the tourism. Parrita is located in the heart of the Central Pacific of Costa Rica, one of the most interesting places in the country.
Parrita Beach in Costa Rica is a territory with an area of 4787.79 square kilometers which also has 42 linear miles of beach and lush forests. Currently Parrita is no longer just a place of passage to most famous tourist sites such as Jaco and Manuel Antonio. Now it has become a new tourist destination attractive mainly for lovers of sun and beach, ecotourism and adventure tourism. Parrita has entered with force in the industry of tourism only a few years ago, but despite of that now it has a lot of amenities and services such as food service with the highest quality.
The town of Parrita has 13,000 inhabitants and has a warm climate for most of the year, Parrita Beach in Costa Rica is also a very important agricultural area with large tracts of land dedicated to pineapple plantations, rice, banana, watermelon and even palm oil, whose major production is well known to the country’s population.
Due to the mass tourism has not yet discovered this beautiful destination of the Pacific, it is not difficult to observe wildlife, or enjoy personal contact with the nature and its beautiful views of the sea. The adventurous tourists in the area will also find a wide range of options to increase their emotions both in the water, soil and air, for example the excursions to the higher areas and the forests that are near or enjoying kayaking trips along with the exploration of primary forests that have rivers of clear water. You do not want to miss the visit to interesting places like Jaco and Manuel Antonio as Parrita Beach in Costa Rica is only 15 minutes to these destinations. Its residents and tourists regularly call this area as the Ecuador in the Pacific of Costa Rica because it is located in a privileged geographical location near the main beaches.
The tourist cannot miss the opportunity of visiting this hot destination in the Pacific, its own people see it as a vein of gold, which is just beginning to show its beauty.
The increasing inflow of foreign capital interested in building projects
tourist and residential luxury in Parrita is contributing to the development
of this region located in the beautiful Puntarenas. The real estate boom is reflected in the
number of permits that were processed in the municipality of the area
during the period 2006-2008.
Parrita Beach in Costa Rica also offers visitors a unique spectacle. For example, it has an interesting attraction since two years ago with its National Festival of Mules, an interesting race in which the mules competing in pairs. This activity was declared of touristic interest by Costa Rican Tourism Institute. According with its main sponsor, this festival is a major attraction for the area because of its unique character.
Posted by admin on Nov 21, 2008
Tamarindo beach an the town located in Guanacaste, northernmost pacific province, has a long tradition as a tourist destination in Costa Rica, especially among people from United States. Even there are fast food restaurants, which caused several protests, even from foreigners as it is considered that threatens the cultural identity of the area. The tamarind trees in this area of Costa Rica offer shade on the wide beach and is the origin of the city name. In the north along the beach, only separated by the Rio Matapalo, it is located also Playa Grande, another important tourist destination of Costa Rica. This region is part of The Leatherback National Park and one of the most important sites for turtles nesting across the Pacific coast.
In the coastal town of Tamarindo - as in most of Costa Rica - the sun shines every day and the temperature is warm and pleasant throughout the year, with very low humidity levels. Bordered by national parks on the north and south, and east by mountains that provide a stunning ocean view, Tamarindo is a privileged area of great beauty, with a white sandy beach which extends for three miles and a half. It is also a place rich in biodiversity and on the north side of the bay, the leatherback turtles come each year to lay their eggs creating an almost surreal spectacle. It is also common to observe howler monkeys, also known as congos, swinging through the trees around the village. In the evenings you can hear the little parrots screaming, preparing for the night. Due to its location in the middle of two estuaries (El Tamarindo and San Francisco), Tamarindo is the perfect home for migratory birds, monkeys and a great diversity of wildlife. During the rainy season, from May to October, is likely to fall small downpours in the afternoon, making the beach shining and clouds full of color create an unforgettable sunset.
As in many other beach communities of the Pacific North, the population of Tamarindo beach and the town itself comes from countries around the world. This raised an incredible variety of restaurants for all tastes and budgets, as well as many shops and galleries that sell ceramics and other interesting craft items. At the center of Tamarindo tourists can find a selection of restaurants, bars, clubs, surf schools, tour operators, language schools and shelters. The offer is very diverse in activities: scuba diving courses, fishing on the high seas, horseback riding, excursions with boats to secret locations for surf and much more is possible in Tamarindo. The waves of Tamarindo are so good that came to the movies in the movie Endless Summer! Who still have energy at night can come out to dance in one of the nightclubs or try to test the luck at the casino.
Tamarindo in Costa Rica has a place reserved in the schedule for the national championship of surfing; international competitions were also held in this beautiful city of surf. Another category of competition which comes frequently to Tamarindo is the sport fishing. Los árboles de tamarindo ofrecen sombra en la playa ancha, es la causa del nombre de la ciudad. En el norte la playa bordea, sólo separada por el Río Matapalo, con Playa Grande. Esta región es parte del Parque Nacional Las Baulas y uno de los lugares más importantes para las tortugas de toda la costa pacífica.
Posted by admin on Nov 19, 2008
Puerto Jimenez in Costa Rica is now for the majority of tourists a starting point to Corcovado National Park. It has gradually grown to become one of the largest towns in the Osa Peninsula. This city is has grown during the past decades because of the tourism and with the gold rush in the 80s. Puerto Jimenez was the place where they were exchanges of gold with other products, such as liquor.
You can get to Puerto Jimenez by car or bus. However, you can spend up to 10 hours on the trip so it is best to fly to the domestic airport from San Jose. From Pavas there are also flights arriving here. Puerto Jimenez has a small airport where planes can land. There are also many routes in Puerto Jimenez from where you can travel to another interesting places in the area.
More than 3,000 people came here even when there was not much gold, many trees were felled and part of what is now a national park was contaminated with mercury that was used in the search for gold. In 1986 it was forbidden the search for gold in the Corcovado National Park. Now, however, is home to several species of animals like turtles, alligators, caimans freshwater, which took the rivers and trees were colonized by the beautiful and impressive red macaws.
At about 3 km east of Puerto Jimenez is located the beautiful white sand beaches, the water around these beaches is green jade, is a fantastic Gulf and a very interesting travel for the tourists. In Puerto Jimenez there are many vacancies and can be purchased comforts of all kinds and budgets. Located in the Golfo Dulce, Puerto Jimenez has a wonderful beach where you can relax while you walk through the stunning beauty of the Osa Peninsula. This small town “border” has a good number of hotels and resorts, both at very good prices and others very luxurious. It has many tourist leasing companies and travel agencies where you can organize excursions in the region.
There are many things to see in and around Puerto Jimenez. You can arrange excursions of sport fishing and for the more adventurous there are hiking tours, rappeling, mountain biking and kayaking. If you prefer a more tranquil and relaxing holiday, you can take a tour to observe the dolphins from the charming Golfo Dulce and Pacific or simply sit on the beach to watch the most surprising sunset of Costa Rica. During the day you can explore the town and its environs to observe the beautiful and rare Scarlet Macaw parrot when it is flying over. With the best fishing pole in the world, ecotourism is the biggest attraction of this town where you can see up to four different kinds of species of monkeys such as congos monkeys, white face monkeys and many colorful and brilliant birds.
Posted by admin on Nov 13, 2008
The Orosi National Park in Costa Rica is located near the city with the same name, 90 minutes from San Jose, surrounded by the Macho Reserve and cross by the river Grande de Orosi. In the Orosi Valley there are about 150 tributaries that reach the seas of Costa Rica
The Orosi National Park is one of the rainiest regions in Costa Rica, with rates from 6500 up to 8,000 mm that make a normal level of rain, with torrential downpours from March to August, usually during the afternoon.
This park contains two main areas of life, low forest and mountain jungle pre-mountain. Here it is possible to identify more than 45 species of mammals, among which are the tapirs, deer, monkeys and skunks.
It also has been identified about 260 species of birds, among the most common is dominated by hawks, parrots and hummingbirds. Additionally there are in the park 28 species of reptiles such as toads, frogs, snakes and salamanders.
Posted by admin on Nov 12, 2008
National Park Barra Honda in the Northern Pacific of Costa Rica, some 25 to 30 minutes before reaching the town of Nicoya and just some 10 minutes from the Palo Verde national park was established in 1971 to protect an interesting system of caves. Although the park has been shortened in the past, is now home to diverse and abundant species, which enjoy state protection, which has made that many animals before in danger, now are recovering. Barra Honda has an area of 2295 hectares and is located 335 kilometers from San Jose.
There is a good system of roads and trails through the park, allowing access to the caverns, with their unusual formations of stalactites and stalagmites. The park is located on the east side of the city of Nicoya, on the north side of the peninsula with the same name.
Barra Honda national park in Costa Rica contains a vast system of caves, about 42, of whom only 19 have been widely explored. These caves have a reputation for being perfectly preserved, proving that conservation efforts to retain all of the geo-characteristics of the area have been successful.
In this area there is a great bio-diversity; however the main inhabitants are monkeys, coyotes, snakes and other reptiles, which have evolved adaptations to the hot and humid climate of this area in particular. With the help of Costa Rica english speaking staff on duty in the park you can take to and from the caverns, or guide you on how to enjoy the wonders of this park.
