Costa Rica

Central Valley

Poás volcano

A trip to see the smoking crater of this volcano is a very nice excursion from San José and can be combined with a visit to the nearby La Paz Waterfall Gardens. The drive from the capital is an experience in itself as the countryside surrounding the volcano is extremely green and beautiful. First you climb past coffee plantations, through small towns and then, as you approach the foothills of the volcano, the terrain becomes steeper and more abrupt and you are surrounded by fields of the deepest green where cows graze and every bend in the road reveals another breathtaking panorama, including views all the way down to the floor of the Central Valley far below. Once you arrive at the volcano, you pay an entrance fee, park and walk about a kilometre to the viewpoint overlooking the crater, which is an impressive sight with its lake of milky water and constantly-emerging plume of gas. There is also a good gift shop at the entrance.


Poás volcano

 Click on the photo to enlarge it.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens

This excellent attraction is an ideal complement to a visit to nearby Poás volcano. The gardens are beautifully designed and full of local fauna and flora. There is even a walk-in enclosure where tame toucans will perch on your arm for a photo. Here you can see most of the wild cats that live in Costa Rica in relatively spacious enclosures and looking reasonably healthy and content. There is also a trail that takes you past the impressive waterfalls that give the gardens their name. The on-site restaurant serves up a good buffet lunch. www.waterfallgardens.com

La Paz Waterfall Gardens

 

Café Britt

A visit to this coffee plantation and roasting plant is highly recommended. It’s led by two guides who give a real insight into the history and process of coffee production in Costa Rica during an entertaining and humorous tour that is quite different from any other tour of this kind I’ve taken. There is also an excellent shop and restaurant on the premises. www.cafebritt.com/

Orosí and Ujarrás

If you fancy driving back to San José on a different road, you could take Route 10, which goes via Turrialba. This was the main road to the coast before the Zurqui tunnel was built making Route 32 the fastest way to Limón. Nowadays it’s used by mainly local traffic and is consequently pretty quiet, although it is a bit of a switchback with lots of hills and bends to negotiate. Having said that, it winds its way through very attractive countryside and allows you to visit two of the oldest churches in Costa Rica, at Orosí and Ujarrás. The former is still in use and has a small museum attached. The latter is a ruin situated in a small park that you have to pay a fee to enter. There are many other places in this area that I unfortunately didn’t have enough time to visit. Even though I didn’t stay there myself the Orosí Lodge looks like a great place to base yourself while you explore this part of the country. www.orosilodge.com

Hotel Santo Tomás (San José)

Conveniently located about 10 minutes’ walk from downtown San José, this hotel is in a large, characterful old house. The owner is a very friendly American who has lived in Costa Rica for many years and who often appears at breakfast time to talk to the guests and help them in any way he can. The other staff are also very welcoming and helpful. The only downsides are that the breakfast doesn’t exactly encourage you to leap out of bed in the morning and smoking is forbidden anywhere on the property, even though there is a large open-air area. www.hotelsantotomas.com

Los Volcanes Hotel (Alajuela)

Due to its proximity to the airport, this hotel, in an old mansion in the centre of Alajuela, is a good place to stay if you’ve just arrived in or are about to depart from Costa Rica by air and don’t want to spend the night in San José. The owner and staff are very friendly and the breakfast is excellent. The rooms are comfortable and clean and it’s very reasonably priced. hotellosvolcanes.com

 

Atlantic side

Rainforest Adventures Atlantic Aerial tram

This attraction is on Route 32 between San José and Limón and is worth a visit if you’re going that way. You ride above and through the tree canopy in metal gondolas, which is an experience in itself. I didn’t see much wildlife as it was pouring with rain most of the time, as it often does in this part of the country, so don’t forget to bring waterproof clothing.

Tree of Life Wildlife Rescue Center and Botanical Gardens (Cahuita)

Well worth a visit. The guided tour is very interesting and you get to see lots of different animals and birds that you may not see anywhere else, although this depends on what is in residence at the time. I saw a kinkajou, a jaguarundi, a paca, some coatis, peccaries and all the species of monkey that live in Costa Rica. Most of the animals originally came from private homes and had been acquired when babies. As soon as they got bigger their owners realised they were unsuitable as pets and one way or another they wound up at the Center. The main fact that those who run Tree of Life would like their visitors to take away with them is that most wild animals do not make good pets. The Center also has a small shop selling attractive paintings by local artists. www.treeoflifecostarica.com

Baby sloth at Tree of Life

 

Sloth Sanctuary (Cahuita)

I really recommend a visit to this sanctuary. The owners do excellent work rescuing and rehabilitating sloths that have been orphaned or injured. The visit begins with a tour of the facilities which includes explanations of how the different sloths came to be there. Then you are taken on a boat trip along the backwaters of the Estrella River, where you may see local wildlife. I was lucky enough to see a tayra ( a large member of the weasel family). www.slothsanctuary.com

Cahuita

If you prefer to stay in a quieter village on the Caribbean coast, I would recommend Cahuita rather than Pto. Viejo or Manzanilla. The former is a very touristy place and the latter seems to be a bit lacking in sleeping and eating options. Cahuita, on the other hand, has plenty of both, including the excellent El Encanto Hotel and the equally recommendable Sobre Las Olas restaurant. There are also a number of interesting places to visit nearby, including Cahuita National Park, the Sloth Sanctuary and the Tree of Life Wildlife Rescue Center and Botanical Gardens. The entrance to the national park is at the southern end of the village, which is the start of a very pleasant walk along a path that runs parallel with and very close to the beach. I saw a two-toed sloth, but I would probably have seen much more if I’d hired a guide.

Coati at Tree of Life

 

Pto. Viejo de Talamanca & Manzanillo

The route from Cahuita to Pto. Viejo is a very pleasant drive. Downtown Pto. Viejo is a bustling, noisy place with lots of restaurants, bars and places to stay and has a very different vibe from quiet, laid-back Cahuita. A bit further down the road is Manzanillo, which has a smaller centre than Cahuita and Pto. Viejo and not a lot of character as far as I could see.

Selva Verde Lodge and Rainforest Reserve

A very attractive and well-run eco-lodge just outside Pto. Viejo de Sarapiquí. The room I stayed in was large and simply, but adequately, furnished. There are two good restaurants and a pool on the property. The guide who took me across the river to visit the area of rainforest owned by the lodge was extremely knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. The lodge also organises river trips on the Sarapiquí river, during which I saw a sloth, iguanas and lots of birds. www.selvaverde.com

Chestnut-mandibled toucan at Selva Verde

 

El Encanto Hotel & Spa (Cahuita)

Set in a beautiful tropical garden, this enchanting hotel definitely lives up to its name. The hotel is very well managed by Alex and his efficient and friendly staff. My comfortable room was in a bungalow in the garden, where there is also a medium-sized swimming pool. A filling breakfast is served in the main building. There is a place to park your car within the property. A five-minute walk away up the road is what is generally considered to be the best restaurant in Cahuita: Sobre Las Olas. elencantocahuita.com

El Encanto Hotel, Cahuita

 

Sobre Las Olas Restaurant (Cahuita)

Located in a simple but atmospheric building right in front of the sea, this no-frills restaurant serves very well prepared dishes outside under the palm trees or inside. The fact that it was full all the time I was there is testament to its popularity and quality.

 

Arenal

Eco Termales Fortuna

Having never bathed in a series of open-air naturally-heated swimming pools, this was a memorable first for me. The pools are very tastefully integrated into the surrounding rainforest and as the number of visitors is carefully controlled it didn’t feel overcrowded at any time. The water is very warm, so it’s probably better to go towards the end of the day, when the air temperature is cooler. Monkeys and crested guans move around in the treetops above you as you lie there enjoying the soothing effect of the water. ecotermalesfortuna.cr

Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park

North of La Fortuna just past the bridge at the end of Lake Arenal you turn right and drive uphill for about two kilometres to reach this very well-run eco-park. The guide that showed me around spoke excellent English and made the three-hour circular walk extremely interesting and enjoyable. There is also a restaurant and a gift shop. www.misticopark.com

Butterfly Conservatory (El Castillo)

Up the hill from El Castillo village, this interesting nature-generation project with the main focus on butterflies is worth a visit if you’re in the area. You walk down from the reception into a valley and enter a series of enclosures where enthusiastic volunteers explain the life cycles of butterflies and frogs. Afterwards, you can return to the entrance via a self-guided “Rainforest River Walk”. There is also a good view of Arenal volcano (if it isn’t shrouded in cloud) from the road outside the conservatory. www.butterflyconservatory.org

Banded owl butterfly

 

Arenal Volcano National Park

The entrance to this park is just off the dirt road to El Castillo village (watch out for coatis and monkeys crossing the road or rooting about at the roadside). After paying your entrance fee, you drive a short distance to the carpark, from where you can do an easy circular walk to see lava fields from previous eruptions of the volcano. I saw more wildlife on the road outside the park than on the trail, but it was a pleasant stroll. www.arenal.net/arenal_volcano_national_park.htm

Arenal volcano

 

La Fortuna Waterfall

This impressive waterfall is about 20 minutes’ drive from La Fortuna. You can see it from the viewpoint at the top, but it’s worth descending the 600m to the base of the fall where there is also a swimming area. www.arenal.net/la-fortuna-waterfall-costa-rica.htm

La Fortuna waterfall

 

Monte Real Hotel (La Fortuna)

This simple-but-comfortable, motel-style hotel in the centre of La Fortuna is five minutes on foot from the town’s main street, where most of the restaurants and shops are to be found. The rooms are large and the beds comfortable. There is ample parking. The gardener will give you a tour of the riverside garden, including resident sloth, if you ask him. Breakfast is served just up the street in the El Río restaurant, but it’s worth the walk. www.monterealhotel.com

Don Rufino Restaurant (La Fortuna)

The fact that reservations are essential here is a reliable indicator of the quality of the dishes they serve. The tables may be close together, the noise-level high, the atmosphere hot, and the walls “decorated” with the inevitable large TV screens, but the food is very good and the service friendly and efficient. So if my caveats don’t put you off, I think you’ll enjoy your meal. www.donrufino.com

La Choza de Laurel (La Fortuna)

This is another good place to eat at in La Fortuna. Located in a huge, hangar-like, rustic-style building, it specialises in no-nonsense “typical” Costa Rican dishes that are filling and tasty. It’s within easy walking distance of the centre of La Fortuna and even has a small gift shop selling coffee and handicrafts. lachozadelaurel.com

 

Guanacaste

Pacific beaches

Playa Flamingo has fine white sand and there is a line of shady trees between the access road and the beach itself, so you’re not exposed to the full force of the sun’s rays all the time. What’s more, the setting is very picturesque with hills rising up on both sides and the area seems to have more or less resisted the temptation to turn it into another Tamarindo. However, there are a couple of multi-storey blocks at the northern end of the beach, so it may be just a matter of time before more high-rise monstrosities start to appear.

Playa Flamingo

 

Playa Tamarindo has become a tacky, overcrowded tourist trap since I was last there in the early 80s. In those days there was one hotel and a couple of simple restaurants, so you had to bring your food and night-life with you. Ah well, like they say, “nostalgia ain’t what it used to be”! Nowadays Tamarindo is packed with every tourist-oriented business you can imagine and the traffic’s so bad it may take you up to half an hour to drive the short distance from one end of the town to the other, especially at peak times over Christmas and New Year. That said, if you survive the initial shock, it’s not such a bad place to spend a few days.

Playa Tamarindo

 

Playa Ocotal, which is further north up the coast, just south of Playas del Coco has a small beach, limited low-rise accommodation and a very nice bar/restaurant right on the beach which goes by the name of Father Rooster Bar and Grill. www.fatherrooster.com

Playa Avellanas, south of Tamarindo, is what the latter used to be like thirty years ago and is home to the famous Lola’s bar/restaurant.

Playa Negra has a nice beach and a rather run-down, but very well positioned beach-front hotel.



Playa Negra

 

Hotel Pasatiempo (Playa Tamarindo)

This is a great place to “spend time”, as its name suggests. The attractively-decorated rooms are distributed around a tropical garden with a shallow designer swimming pool at its centre. The Monkey La-La bar and restaurant serves tasty snacks and cocktails. The staff are very professional and go out of their way to make your stay a pleasant one. It’s conveniently located just inland from the centre of Tamarindo, but only a five-minute walk from the beach. www.hotelpasatiempo.com