Costa Rica Travel Guide by Conde Nast Traveler
The exemplary reforestation program that began in the mid-'90s and ushered in Costa Rica's era of ecotourism has resulted in one of the most environmentally progressive tourism industries in the world. In 1997, the government, recognizing that "greenwashing" was afoot in many a hastily built pseudo eco-hotel, instituted the Certification of Sustainable Tourism (CST) program, and more stringent rules began to be applied to any place touting itself as ecologically friendly.
By now, you can assume that what a hotel claims is true, or that what you see is what you get-and what you see verges on the incredible. In a land that covers a mere 0.03 percent of the world's surface, some 5 percent of the planet's species are thriving, including about 870 bird varieties and 1,200 kinds of orchid.
Over a quarter of the country comprises tropical reserves, wildlife refuges, and national parks. There's abundant coastline (800 miles of it), both Caribbean and Pacific, with excellent surf; a couple of medium-size mountain ranges (3,000 to 6,000 feet, topping out at 12,515 feet), several active volcanoes, including one frenetic one, Volcán Arenal, and many rivers that provide great sport for rafters and kayakers. Visiting is made even smoother by the stable political climate of Costa Rica, though not by its road system, which is atrocious. Consequently, though the country's surface area is not large, getting around is such a pain-especially in green season-that most people concentrate on one area at a time and don't even try to tour all the terrain. Since there are seven provinces comprising very divergent regions, you can return to Costa Rica repeatedly and have a different vacation every time. Many people do.
Guanacaste and Nicoya Peninsula
The Nicoya is easily reached via ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya from Puntarenas; less easily reached by land. Lined with some of the best hotels in the country (and many far more modest), it attracts surfers from all over the world, as well as locals; it's also, along with the region lying farther north, one of the areas most popular with Americans. Guanacaste, which was an independent province until 1825, has dry tropical forest, cattle ranching, and spectacular beaches (Panamá, Cocos, Flamingo, Ocotal, Hermosa, and Grande, to name a few). Some equally spectacular hotels cater to the visitor more interested in relaxing than in arduous nature bothering— guests tend to stay here for some R & R after their adventures are done. And there are plenty of adventures to be had nearby, with, for example, the Rincon de la Vieja National Park surrounding its namesake volcano. There are three more volcanoes—Tenorio, Orosi, and Miravalles—sheltering in the Guanacaste Mountain Range, plus a remarkable biological inventory in the tropical dry forest of the Santa Rosa National Park. Another, newer, attraction—and a sign of the times in the developing (gentrifying?) northwest—is the Ellerstina Costa Rica Polo and Equestrian Beach Club (506/258-9219). It opened in 2004 to instruct well-heeled visitors and Ticos in the art and science of polo—as well as other horsey pursuits. Very convenient for the new Four Seasons, a 15-minute drive away.
Osa Peninsula & Puntarenas
Puntarenas, the largest province, contains the remarkable Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula. Marking a boundary between the dry tropical Guanacaste and the green forests of the Central Pacific, this pretty, remote area is incredibly rich in biodiversity. Everything lives here, from hordes of scarlet macaws to whales, which hug these shores during their migration, just as hundreds of American crocodiles hug the banks of the River Tárcoles. Needless to say, this is all magnetic to eco-lodges, and some of the first to have been built anywhere still thrive here today.
Moving northwest up the coast, you come to Manuel Antonio National Park. It's small, but popular, because of a white-sand beach, equally beloved by backpackers and vacationing Ticos, and also its dense rainforest, home to the increasingly scarce spider monkey, or tití. Farther west still, the port of Caldera and the city of Puntarenas are frequent stops for cruise ships en route to the Panama Canal and are often crawling with day-tripping passengers. North of Puntarenas lies the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Reaching it requires an arduous journey up unpaved tracks (it's about a four-hour drive from San José), but it's widely regarded as one of the highlights for a nature lover, especially one who doesn't mind roughing it a little in the none-too-luxe local lodges.
San Jose City & Central Valley
About a third of the country's population lives in the San José province, a good number of them in the capital itself. You're likely to land here, and it makes a good base for exploring the national parks, forest reserves, and coffee plantations of the Central Plateau, as well as the Central Mountain Range to the northeast and the volcanoes (notably Poás and the thrilling Arenal, which is too dangerous to approach too closely). However, you're not likely to want to spend daytime exploring the city itself, which lacks beautiful architecture. It does have the Museo de Oro Precolombino and the Museo de Jade—unusual gold and jade museums—plus a few parks and the pretty late-19th-century Teatro Nacional.
Caribbean Coast: Tortuguero, Limon & Puerto Viejo.
The northeastern coast is totally tropical, with Tortuguero National Park being the main draw. It's especially fine for sport fishing and turtle watching—the Atlantic green turtle calls these Caribbean beaches home in the summer nesting season.
