Costa Rica
Tourist information, useful links & accommodation
B&B, Hotels and Hostels in Costa Rica
Costa Rica Photo Gallery, all pictures by Victor Ovies
Tourist information, history, travel articles, photo galleries and relevant ads
to help you find accommodation in a number of popular destinations in Costa
Rica.
Useful
links and information on some of the most popular destinations in Costa
Rica. Accommodation in places of cultural or natural interest, many of which the
World Heritage Committee
considers as having outstanding universal value. Historical and practical facts including
pictures, photo galleries and relevant ads & links on one of the most
beautiful countries in Latin América
Central AmericaCosta Rica is Central America's jewel. It's an oasis of calm among its turbulent neighbours and an ecotourism heaven, making it one of the best places to experience the tropics with minimal impact. It's also mostly coastline, which means great surfing, beaches galore and a climate built for laziness. Costa Rica's enlightened approach to conservation has ensured that lush jungles are home to playful monkeys, languid sloths, crocodiles, countless lizards, poison-dart frogs and a mind-boggling assortment of exotic birds, insects and butterflies. Meanwhile, endangered sea turtles nest on both coasts and cloud forests protect elusive birds and jungle cats.
The best time to visit Costa Rica is the dry season (December through April). But this is also when everyone else goes, so prices are up and hotels are full. From December to February Costa Rican schools are closed and beach towns are especially busy on weekends. Lodgings during Semana Santa are usually booked months ahead. In May begins the rainy season. The early months of this season are wonderful: you can avoid the tourist bustle and accommodation is slightly cheaper. However, when the rivers start to swell and dirt roads get muddy, travel gets all the more challenging. Ask locally for safety tips before setting out. April, May and mid-October to mid-December should give you the best of both worlds. Some Costa Rican towns experience a mini-high season in June and July, during the northern summer holidays. Expect to pay high-season prices in some towns at this time. For surfers the travel seasons vary slightly. The Pacific coast sees increased swells and bigger, faster waves during the rainy season. The Caribbean side, however, has better waves from November through May. Wildlife enthusiasts may wish to plan their trip around turtle seasons or feathered friends.
San Jose is the capital city of Costa Rica, it's packed with office towers, shopping malls and fast-food restaurants, men chattering on mobiles and girls in low-rise jeans. San José is more cosmopolitan than other Central American capital. It may not be a thing of beauty, but it is the hub of Costa Rican life. World class restaurants offer gourmet delicacies alongside typical eateries serving traditional Tico treats. Museums, theatres and cinemas dot the cityscape and the nightlife is vibrant, with packed bars, live music and nightclubs pumping every day of the week.
San José has a pleasant, though at times sticky, climate all year round. Cooling rain is at its heaviest from May to November, usually in the afternoons. Coinciding with the coolest period of the year, December is the most vibrant and thus crowded time in San José with a series of festivals leading up to New Year.