Playa Hermosa

High-adrenaline tours, wildlife encounters and beautiful sunsets make up the days and nights in Northern Guanacaste, where diverse ecology and ecotourism allow visitors to walk along miles of golden and gray-sand beaches, float down the tranquil Tempisque River, and explore acres of national parks, wildlife refuges, and a private African safari park.

Nearby Beaches (from north to south):

Gulf of Papagayo: The Gulf of Papagayo is dotted by 12 golden-sand beaches separated by gray cliffs that jut out into the Pacific Ocean. The calm coves’ protected waters are ideal for beginner swimmers, young children and visitors just wishing to relax.

Many of Papagayo’s secluded beaches are best accessed by canoe or sea kayak. Their sparkling sands dance with scuttling hermit crabs, and the gulf’s resident howler monkeys will boldly call out to you during a relaxing sunbath. Make a date to watch the sunset from one of these gentle strips of sand – the Northern Pacific coast is known for some of the best sunsets in Costa Rica.

Playa Panama: Just a few miles north of Playa Hermosa, Playa Panama is a bay within a bay. The resulting waters are nearly wave-free, and perfect for floating the afternoon away. Playa Panama is very popular with vacationing Costa Ricans, who often set up camp on the beach.

Playa Hermosa: Not to be confused with Jaco’s neighbor of the same name, Northern Guanacaste’s Playa Hermosa is an elegant, mile-long strip of gray-sand beach. Tide pools mark its northern and southern points, and its bay is always filled with fishing boats, sailboats and even the occasional cruise ship.

Playa del Coco: Shaped like a horseshoe, Playa del Coco is one of Guanacaste’s most popular and accessible beaches. Hard-packed gray sand is ideal for walks down its mile-long beach, and the waves are often strong enough for boogie boarding fun.

Playa del Coco is the best departure point for trips to Ollie’s Point and Witch’s Rock, both located in Santa Rosa National Park. These surf breaks are world famous and some of the best in Costa Rica, though not for the faint of heart. Witch’s Rock is particularly well-known for its appearance in the classic surf movie Endless Summer 2.

Playa del Coco is also one of the best scuba diving and snorkeling locations in the country. Diving tours depart daily for the rich waters of Bat Island and Santa Catalina Island, and sailboat tours regularly take snorkelers to reefs and underwater volcanic formations.

Playa Ocotal: Just two miles south of Playa del Coco, Playa Ocotal is quieter and more relaxed than its busy neighbor. A small gray-sand beach lines the waterfront.

National Parks, Private Parks and Wildlife Refuges:

Africa Mia: One of Guanacaste’s newest and most unique attractions, Africa Mia safari park is a treat for all. Giraffes, antelope and zebra roam the open savannah, the lovely El Salto waterfall rumbles in the distance and visitors happily feed the park’s ostriches, dromedaries (one-humped camels) and deer. About an hour's drive from Playa Hermosa, Africa Mia is an ideal day trip for the entire family.

Guanacaste National Park: Adjacent to Santa Rosa National Park, 86,000-acre Guanacaste National Park boasts several habitats from lowland dry forest to mountainous cloud forest. Two volcanoes – Orosi and Cacao – frame the park, and researchers can often be found perusing its lands for new discoveries. The park is located less than 90 minutes by car from Playa Hermosa. Read more...

Lomas de Barbudal Wildlife Refuge: Backing up to Palo Verde National Park, this tranquil wildlife refuge helps to protect endangered rosewood and mahogany trees. The 6,500-acre park is also home to 250 bee species – about 25 percent of the world’s total – as well as 200 bird species. There is a small network of hiking trails throughout Lomas de Barbudal, and most visitors are accompanied only by wildlife and the occasional researcher. The refuge is a one and a half hour drive from Playa Hermosa. Read more...

Palo Verde National Park: This 45,500-acre wetland sanctuary is the largest component of the larger Tempisque Megapark, which also includes the Caballero Wildlife Refuge, Lomas de Barbudal Biological Reserve, Barra Honda National Park and the newly-added Cipanci Wildlife Refuge.

More than 300 bird species make their homes here, including herons, storks, spoonbills, egrets, ducks, scarlet macaws and toucans. Monkeys, bats, American crocodiles, coatimundis, armadillos and jaguarundi join their avian neighbors, and make a trip to Palo Verde National Park one that is not soon forgotten. A few miles south of Lomas de Barbudal, budget about two hours to reach Palo Verde from Hermosa Beach. Read more...

Santa Rosa National Park: One of the oldest national parks in Costa Rica, Santa Rosa sprawls out over almost 96,000 acres. The park serves as one of the most important nesting sites for several turtle species, and is also a symbol of national pride: Costa Rica has only been invaded three times by foreign armies, and each time, the would-be conquerors were defeated in Santa Rosa.

Reaching Santa Rosa National Park is a challenge, but it’s worth the 1.5-hour trip. More than 250 bird species, 50-60 bat species, 115 mammal species, 4000 moth and butterfly species and thousands of insect species make their homes here. Visitors may hike many miles of trails, explore the historic La Casona building and Monument to the Heroes, or simply relax at one of the park’s beautiful ocean overlooks. Santa Rosa National Park is also home to famous surf breaks Ollie’s Point and Witch’s Rock. Read more...

Rivers:

Tempisque River: Beginning at the Guanacaste Mountain Range, the Tempisque River travels 90 miles south to empty into the Gulf of Nicoya. The river cuts right through Palo Verde National Park, and many river tours float along its waters in search of white-faced monkeys, American crocodiles, and hundreds of bird species.

Day Trips:

Rincon de la Vieja National Park: A mere 90-minute drive from Playa Hermosa, Rincon de la Vieja National Park offers well-groomed trails, towering volcanoes, boiling mud pots, steaming fumaroles, and amazing natural beauty. Full-day tours depart daily and include transportation, a guided tour, lunch and unforgettable memories. Read more...

Monteverde Cloud Forest: One and two-day tours depart Hermosa almost daily, climbing from Costa Rica’s dry savannah into the country’s most celebrated cloud forest. Walk through the canopy along hanging bridges, swing among the trees on the country’s first canopy tour and experience one of the most bio-diverse regions in Costa Rica. Views from Monteverde seem to stretch out forever, and on a clear day you can see straight out to the Pacific Ocean. Read more...

Arenal Volcano & La Fortuna: One and two-day tours depart Hermosa daily, traveling to one of Costa Rica’s most popular tourist destinations. The majestic Arenal Volcano sets off lava light shows nearly every night, and the area’s hot springs are famous for their restorative properties. Read more...

Barra Honda National Park: Go on a caving expedition at Costa Rica’s most famous and labyrinthine caves. Known for its spectacular rock formations and incredible views, visitors will witness geological formations created more than 50 million years ago. Hike through the ancient caves and discover the park’s weaving waterways on a full-day trip from your Playa Hermosa hotel. Read more...

Nicaragua: Discover the beauty of one of Nicaragua’s most colorful cities, Granada. Gaze at its canary yellow church, walk through its colonial streets and swim in nearby Laguna de Apoyo. Purchase souvenirs at the eclectic Masaya market and drink in the views of the town’s active Masaya Volcano.

How to Get to the Gulf of Papagayo

Bus:

Costa Rica’s excellent public bus system will take you as far as Playa Panama, just five minutes south of the Gulf of Papagayo. Buses depart San Jose once daily, and the six-hour ride costs about $5. Buses from Liberia depart many times daily, and the one-hour trip costs less than $1.50. When you reach Playa Panama, take a $5-10 taxi ride to your Papagayo resort. Bus schedules and prices change frequently, so please call ahead for more detailed information: (506)2-221-7202 or (506)2-680-0392.

Private shuttle buses are also available to the Papagayo area. A comfortable, air-conditioned van will take you to the Papagayo Gulf from many popular Costa Rican towns, including San Jose, Monteverde, Jaco, Manuel Antonio and Arenal. The trip costs about $45 per person each way, and 24-hour advance reservations are required. Contact 1-800-517-7893 for reservations.

Car:

From San Jose or the Juan Santamaria International Airport, take the West Interamerican Highway (Route 1) to Liberia. From Liberia’s main road, turn right and follow signs to Papagayo. Cross a small bridge; 200 yards later, you will see another road with signs that will lead you to your Papagayo hotel. This trip will take 4-5 hours by car.

From Liberia’s Daniel Oduber International Airport, head out to the main road and turn right, following signs to Papagayo and to your hotel. This trip will take about 30 minutes.

Air:

Visitors can fly directly into the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, or take a local flight from San Jose. Nature Air and Sansa Air offer 40-minute flights daily from San Jose to Liberia starting around $80. Contact 1-800-517-7893 for reservations.

Northern Guanacaste

Northern Guanacaste

Guanacaste, Costa Rica’s most northwestern province, is bordered by soaring mountains to the east and the blue Pacific to the west. Visiting this region is like a tour through the highlights of Costa Rica: zip through wild jungle canopy, float down a tranquil river, hike along volcanic park trails, relax on sandy beaches and bask in the glow of a brilliant, coastal sunset. It’s an escape into the extraordinary that is impossible to forget.

The Gulf of Papagayo, Playa Hermosa and Playa del Coco perfectly combine tranquility with convenience as if on purpose. Playful monkeys, sunbathing iguanas and foraging coatimundis often accompany guests on walks along the beach. Four very different national parks are located within 50 miles of the coastline where hundreds of animals, including 300 bird species, make their homes. Together, these beach communities help to form an eco-rich region that is also close to amenities, including eclectic nightlife, luxurious hotels and pampering spas.

Rincon de la Vieja, only 16 miles north of Liberia, is more rural than its oceanfront neighbors. Towering volcanic peaks, sputtering and sulfurous mud pots and steaming fumaroles are reached by hiking trails that wind through Rincon de la Vieja National Park, promising enough to see and do for days.

Planning For Costa Rica

When traveling it is essential to plan ahead, so when you arrive at your destination, you lessen the chances of being at a loss of what to do. Knowledge gained from other's travels can be invaluable, especially when planning to travel to somewhere you have never been before. The advice on this page is helpful to everyone planning a trip to Costa Rica.

Money

The money used in Costa Rica is called colons. You can change dollars into colons at the airports in San Jose and local banks. The exchange rates can be from the low 200s to 400s colons for each US dollar. (Now everywhere in Costa Rica you can buy or pay in US dollars, but I think things are cheaper if you pay in colons.) Other ways you might get colons is if you pay for something in US dollars, you will receive change in colons. During my stay at Costa Rica, I once paid a cab driver in US money, and I received change in the local currency. You should also make sure your dollars are not torn. Local banks and businesses do not accept torn US dollars. I tried to exchange a torn $50 bill, and the bank would not accept it!

-Bringing Money

On my trip I brought my money half in dollars and the other half in American Express cheques. When a traveler cheque is used there will be a commission fee.

When to visit/weather

Costa Rica has two seasons - the dry season and the green season (or rainy season). The dry season is from December to March. The dry season is the busiest time in Costa Rica. Prices are much higher and it is harder to find a place to stay. Now in the green season you will find much cheaper prices. The green season is from April to November. During the rainy season it generally rains for a few hours and then clears up.

Traveling within Costa Rica

Bus - You can catch one to most parts of the country. There are a few places where the bus comes only once a day though...

Cab - There are red cabs throughout the country. If the cab driver tells you the meter is broker, just get out. First it is illegal for a cab driver to drive with a broken meter in Costa Rica; secondly he might just be trying to rip you off.

Renting a Car - You can rent a car, but to me personally I would find driving in Costa Rica difficult, since I'm not from the country and it seems there are a lack of street signs. Also the prices for a car rental can be pretty expensive.

Local airlines - You can catch local flights to places throughout Costa Rica. They are regularly scheduled and reasonably inexpensive.

Cities and Towns

Cities in Costa Rica are San jose (The Capital) Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Jaco, Liberia, Manuel Antonio, park, Pochote, Puerto Limon, Puntarenas, Parismina, and Tamarindo.

By Terrell James

Why Visit Costa Rica?

With the wealth of travel destinations available to us all now, the question is why consider Costa Rica over anywhere else for your vacation this year?

Costa Rica is just a few hours flight from the United States yet offers a varied range of possibilities for a vacation spot.

For the adventurous traveller Costa Rica offers rainforests, mountains and wilderness in great magnitude. You can go rapelling, flying down zip lines, running across bridges slung between treetops and atv driving easily, safeky and cost effectively.

For the nature lover Costa Rica probably has more wildlife than virtually anywhere else on the planet. Coati, sloths, jaguar, tapir, four species of monkey and more butterflies than anywhere else in the world make this a nature lovers mecca. For the avid bird watcher there are toucans, macaws, vultures and a host of others.

For the family vacation there are sunny, safe beaches and resorts on the Pacific coast where you can experience 5 star service, swimming pools and world class cuisine.

For the surfer, sandy beaches covered in palm trees and excellent waves can be found on both coasts. Many if them offer a social aspect too as they are so relaxed and chilled out that you may never want to leave.

So Costa Rica might of interest? Great. Getting to Costa Rica is easy enough with regular flights into the capital - San Jose - from the United States. From here you can catch standard buses to anywhere you like in the country (if you have the time) for just a few dollars. Alternatively order one of the tourist shuttle buses that will take you direct to your hotel or anywhere else in the country you desire. Taxis can also be found everywhere though are most abundant in San Jose.

Lastly, if you're feeling a little richer, you can use one of the two small internal airlines to take you to one of the small runways across the country. It is, as you might imagine, the fastest but most expensive way to travel around the country.

Hotels range from the cheapest hostels in shared dorms for just a few dollars a night up to 5 star resorts like Tabacon Hot Springs in Arenal that charges several hundred dollars a night - but provides unlimited access to the hot springs along with your hotel room.

Food tends to be down to earth apart from the posh hotels and resorts but is still perfectly acceptable in nature and standard. From the Costa Rican dish Casado, a combination of vegetables, rice, beans and meat (which is very tasty indeed) to burgers, pasta and pizza most tates are suitably accounted for. Luckily the food doesn't tend to be overly spicy and is generally reasonably priced. Drinks can consist of fantastic, locally grown coffee or fresh fruit smoothies at a tiny percentage of what you'd pay back home.

So choose your activities, buy your ticket and pack your bags. We'll see you down here soon!

By Richard Adams

Why Choose Costa Rica?

Let's face it, there are so many tropical travel destinations out there that it can be difficult to choose which one to travel to. At a glance, destinations such as the Bahamas, Belize, and Jamaica all seem to offer some of the same things: beaches, beautiful scenery, and an exciting culture. However, if you delve deeper into each of these tropical nations, you'll find something that will make a trip there unique and exciting. One location that stands uniquely amongst all of these places is Costa Rica. Yes, it is a country with everything mentioned above, yet it offers many things that none of the other tropical travel destinations do.

Located in Central America, this small nation is covered in some of the most exotic jungles in the world. These jungles offer species of plants and animals that are indigenous to Costa Rica. Whether they are monkeys, insects, or spiny red plants, these aspects of the country make it someplace that no other tropical travel destination can replicate. Trek through the rainforest-covered mountains in Costa Rica and you'll begin to understand how this small area of the world is a place so unlike any other out there.

Not only does Costa Rica sport some wonderful scenery, it is also full of history that is well-documented and extremely interesting. A visit to the dense and urban capital of San Jose will offer you many places to learn about this history in a fun and educational way and also introduce you to the unique culture that surrounds the country and its lively people. San Jose has some of the best museums, art galleries, and cultural activities in all of Central America. People travel from miles to visit these museums, just to experience more of the nation that continues to steal travelers' hearts left and right.

Although the country is, indeed, unique, it still offers what all tropical countries tend to offer, a relaxing environment filled with exotic surroundings and beautiful, sandy beaches. The beaches in Costa Rica are among some of the most beautiful in the Caribbean, and they along the coast of small towns that often have surprisingly quaint and safe little beachside resorts that mix enthusiastic Costa Rican culture with a laid-back beach experience popular for many travelers.

Costa Rica is by far one of the more one-of-a-kind tropical vacation destinations in the world. It's no wonder why people continue to return to the country, year after year, to revisit the sights and sounds of a nation that brings with it things that no other country can offer. Experience these aspects of the tropical nation yourself by visiting Costa Rica and taking part in the numerous activities that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

By Stephen Campbell

Southern Highlands

Rising into the clouds on the continental divide is the Talamanca mountain range, home to the montane rain forest, or cloud fores.

The region, which includes largely unexplored areas, is home to birds such as the Quetzal (pharomachrus mocinno) and several species of the Trogon family, and mammals such as the Jaguar and the Ocelot.

None of the mountains of the Talamanca range is considered volcanic. Its complete geological structure includes marine sediments, lava and igneous intrusions. Here we also find the Cerro Chirripo, highest peak in the country, which is host to the sub alpine and páramo ecosystems. Access to the peak in the Chirripó National Park is very difficult, but a good challenge for the serious hiker

The Talamanca range is accessible through he South Interamerican Highway, which makes it an ideal destination when in route to Corcovado and for bird watchers.