Monkeys in Costa Rica
Costa Rica has four species of monkeys: the white-faced (or capuchin), howler, spider, and squirrel. Along with approximately 50 other species, they belong to a group called New World monkeys. They inhabit a wide range of habitats, from the rainforest canopy to the scrubby undergrowth of the dry f
Costa Rica's Best Hot Springs Spas
Several entities make the most of the hot springs that pour from the base of Volcán Arenal. Most famous and largest of the balnearios (bathing resorts) is Balneario Tabacón (Tabacón Hot Springs, tel. 506/2519-1999, U.S. tel. 877-277-8291, 10am-10pm daily, full-day pass with lunch or dinner adults
La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Costa Rica
Splendid nature and wildlife park La Paz Waterfall Gardens (tel. 506/2482-2720, 8am-5pm daily, adults $38, children $22) is at Montaña Azul, about four kilometers (2.5 miles) north of Vara Blanca. It features trails through a soaring hangar-size aviary with a separate climate-controlled butterfly
San Vito and Las Cruces Biological Station
San Vito is a pleasant hill town that nestles on the east-facing flank of the Fila Costeña, overlooking the southern end of the Valle de Coto Brus, at 990 meters (3,250 feet) above sea level. The town was founded by Italian immigrants in the early 1850s. The tiny park at the top of the hill in the
Poás Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
There are few volcanoes where you can drive all the way to the rim. At Parque Nacional Volcán Poás you can—well, at least to within 300 meters (1,000 feet), where a short stroll puts you at the very edge of one of the world’s largest active craters, 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) wide. The viewing ter
Cultural Walking Tours in San José, Costa Rica
The past few years have seen a blossoming of cultural appreciation for San José and the corresponding launch of several walking tours and regular cultural events. Here’s the pick of the litter:
Enamorate de tu Ciudad (Love Your City, tel. 506/2257-1214 or 506/8655-1793), sponsored by the Ministry
Heredia, Costa Rica's City of Flowers
Heredia (pop. 32,000), 11 kilometers (7 miles) north of San José and colloquially known as La Ciudad de las Flores (City of Flowers), is surrounded by coffee fields. A pleasant atmosphere pervades the grid-patterned town despite its jostling traffic. The National University is here.
The bronze Mon
What to See in Costa Rica's Santa Rosa National Park
Founded in 1972, Parque Nacional Santa Rosa was the country’s first national park. The 49,515-hectare (122,354-acre) park covers much of the Santa Elena peninsula and is part of a mosaic of ecologically interdependent parks and reserves—the 110,000-hectare (272,000-acre) Área de Conservación Guana
Protecting Costa Rica's Land
While much of Costa Rica has been stripped of its forests, the country has managed to protect a larger proportion of its land than any other country in the world in national parks. In 1970 there came a growing acknowledgment that something unique and lovely was vanishing, and a systematic effort w
Costa Rica's Ballena Marine National Park
Parque Nacional Marino Ballena (6am-6pm daily, $6) was created in 1990 to protect the shoreline of Bahía de Coronado and 4,500 hectares (11,000 acres) of water surrounding Isla Ballena. The park extends south for 15 kilometers (9.5 miles) from Uvita to Punta Piñuela, and about 15 kilometers (9.5 m
Things to Do in and Around Dominical
Dominical, 45 kilometers (28 miles) southeast of Quepos, is a tiny laid-back resort favored by surfers, backpackers, and the college-age crowd. The four-kilometer (2.5-mile) beach is beautiful albeit pebbly, and the warm waters attract whales and dolphins close to shore. Río Barú empties reportedl
Río San Juan: Whose River Is It?
Nicaragua has disputed Costa Rica’s territorial rights to free use of the Río San Juan, while Costa Rica disputes Nicaragua’s claim that the river is entirely Nicaraguan territory. The 205-kilometer-long (127-mile-long) river, which flows from Lago de Nicaragua to the Caribbean, marks most of the
The Oxcarts of Sarchí
Sarchí is famous as the home of gaily decorated wooden carretas (oxcarts), the internationally recognized symbol of Costa Rica. The carts once dominated the rural landscape of the Central Highlands when, at the height of the coffee boom and before the construction of the Atlantic Railroad, oxcarts
Sea Turtle Nesting Sites in Costa Rica
Five of the world’s seven species of marine turtles nest on Costa Rica’s beaches, and you can see turtles laying eggs somewhere in Costa Rica virtually any time of year.
When near nesting sites, respect the turtles’ need for peace and quiet. Nesting turtles are very timid and extremely sensitive t
Explore La Garita, Costa Rica
La Garita, spanning the Pan-American Highway (Hwy. 1) about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) west of Alajuela, is important for its location at the junction of Highway 3, which leads west for Atenas, Orotina, and Puntarenas (and east for Alajuela). The area boasts a salubrious climate, and La Garita is f
Things to Do in Drake Bay, Costa Rica
On the north side of the Osa Peninsula, Drake Bay, pronounced “DRA-kay” locally, lies between the mouth of the Río Sierpe and the vastness of Parque Nacional Corcovado. It is a good base for sportfishing and scuba diving, and for hikes into nearby wildlife refuges and the national park. The bay is
Doing business & staying in touch while in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Doing business & staying in touch
Costa Rica Weather, Climate and Geography
Costa Rica Weather, climate and geography
Costa Rica History, Language and Culture
Costa Rica History, Language and Culture
Costa Rica Travel Guide and Travel Information
Costa Rica Travel Guide
