Caribbean

Costa Rica's Atlantic Coast offers tropical, pristine rain forests, abundant wildlife, excellent eco tourism opportunities, world-class fishing for tarpon and snook, and miles of breathtaking beaches, where endangered sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs.

One of the country's most popular eco tourism destinations, the canals, rivers, beaches, and lakes of Tortuguero National Park "Costa Rica's Amazon" are a working laboratory of rain forest, freshwater, and marine biology. In one of nature's most amazing spectacles, Green Turtles nest along the beaches here from July to October.

The northern coast of Costa Rica near the Nicaraguan border, Barra Del Colorado boasts superb tarpon fishing that draws fishermen from around the world. Other fish caught in the area include snook and calba, which run upstream from December to January.

The port city of Limon is Caribbean flavor all the way. Capital of the Afro-Caribbean culture in Costa Rica, Limon possesses dialects based on the English that have survived thanks to the natural barriers between the Central Valley and the Caribbean Coast.

If a stop in Limon produces a little culture shock, it's a good equalizer for the journey ahead.

About an hour south of Limon is Cahuita, another charming Caribbean town, which adjoins the Cahuita National Park. Known for its marine wealth, Cahuita's reefs also hold one of the greatest varieties of live coral along its' white-sand seashore. Half an hour south of Cahuita is Puerto Viejo, the perfect place to kick back and relax for a few days or weeks with miles of gorgeous beaches running north and south from town.

Manzanillo is literally the "end of the road" and the beginning of many great adventures. From here you can take a boat, a horse, or set off on foot. This area is part of Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, one of the most scenic regions in Costa Rica and one rich in flora and fauna. With offshore diving as good as any in Costa Rica and enviable weather all year round, Manzanillo is as close to the lost tropical land of your dreams as you are likely to discover!