Adventure Awaits On A Costa Rica Family Vacation

A Costa Rica family vacation offers something for every member of the family, young and old alike. The local hotels cater to families by offering guided tours of the most interesting sites as well as travel packages with activities like hiking or biking through the jungles.

No matter your age, you will marvel at the natural wonders of Costa Rica. The Arenal volcano is still active, and visitors are amazed at the power it exhibits daily. Other volcanic regions in the area give you a glimpse of how the Earth was formed through the cycle of eruption and cooling.

If you’d rather take a more relaxed Costa Rica family vacation, you can stay in a hotel on the coast and enjoy the tropical breezes that blow in across white sandy beaches. Parents can lie on the sand all day while the kids wear themselves out playing in the warm surf.

More adventurous visitors might want to center a Costa Rica family vacation around the whitewater rapids of one of the raging rivers. You can rent a tour through the rapids on a raft, or go it alone in a kayak. Either way, the river’s raw power will exhilarate you as you shoot through the middle of the rain forest.

A quieter way to experience the cloud forests and jungle is through a walking tour or horseback riding. You’ll get a true sense of what life in the rain forest is like when you are on the ground working your way among the trees and undergrowth.

One of the most spectacular Costa Rica family vacation offerings is the aerial canopy adventure. You’ll ride a tram from the floor of the rain forest up into the canopy, where everything looks completely different. A zip line is available for you to glide over the tree tops to see the side of the forest few people ever get to experience.

Looking to find the best deal on Costa Rica Family Vacation, then visit www.graylinecostarica.com to find the best advice on Grayline in Costa Rica for you.

5 Tips You Can’t Travel Without In Central America

Is a purse necessary? I’ve noticed most of you women travelers have a hard time parting with your purses. So why not take a good hard look through your purse, I’m sure you will discover it is not necessary. I understand that when you go out at night to a restaurant or a bar, you will need a few vanity objects, and that’s perfectly fine. But when it comes to sightseeing or going on tours while on a trip you have to ask yourself:

What do you really need?

Money

Credit Cards

Camera

Sunglasses

All of these can easily fit in comfortable clothes with pockets, which I guess you will be wearing. So why not use them? So leave your purse at home you’ll find it to be such a stress reliever!

Wear comfortable shoes: Perhaps this seems obvious and it should, but sometimes shoes that may have been comfortable at home are not comfortable for traveling. A good idea is to use the shoes you plan on taking on vacation for a long walk before you leave in order to see if they can handle the wear they will get, if you like to get as much sight-seeing as possible in one day.

Research: This is another tip that may seem like an obvious one, but this way you will avoid being stressed on vacation, it can also happen if you plan too many things. But at the same time it sucks being bored on a vacation with nothing to do so believe me: Putting in a bit of extra work before leaving to figure out what it is you want will make your trip a lot more enjoyable. I suggest mapping out a specific itinerary in advance.

Blend with the Crowd: In other words, leave the Hawaiian shirt, crop top and fanny pack at home. If not just to avoid becoming a target for scams and theft, but to show respect in certain places where exposing too much skin can be offensive. I understand that not everyone is a fan of modesty, but if you don’t want to be robbed, you will have to.

Always Have a Copy: This may be paranoia speaking, but I feel safer knowing I have copies of my passport, identification, and contacts in different bags and back at the hotel. If you think about it what would you do to go back home if you lose your passport. I have heard some horror stories, so this extra step gives me peace.

Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, has been living in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. Traveling with her family to all parts of Costa Rica and Guatemala, she now loves organizing vacations for people and offers first hand experience. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

Picking The Ideal Costa Rica Vacation Rental Houses

For an exciting vacation one has only to visit the beautiful country of Costa Rica. With its beautiful mountains, jungles and beaches there is something for everyone. Its location between the North Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea gives one the opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of flora and fauna as well as ocean activities. The country is proud of its ability to provide opportunities for visitors to enjoy every aspect of their country by providing Costa Rica Vacation Rental Houses in any area of interest.

In planning a visit to this wonderful country, one should consider Malpais and Santa Teresa. These two locations are known worldwide for the wide variety of attractions available. Possibly one would like to reserve a beachfront rental. This supplies the opportunity to set on the beach and enjoy a gorgeous sunset, visit the jungle or partake of a fabulous meal at one of their famous restaurants.

Regardless of which part of this exceptional country one chooses to visit there will be tours and other types of adventures available. There are many lakes and rivers, which provide the opportunity for fishing or rafting. The beautiful beaches invite swimming and surfing. The nearby jungles offer such things as lines in which one sails through and has a bird’s eye of the beautiful foliage and animals. Perhaps a hot air balloon ride would be preferred. There are endless possibilities for relaxation and fun in this amazing country.

Costa Rica has many different types of rental properties available in this for the visitor. Some come with what is known as an ‘all exclusive’ villa rental package. This provides beautiful accommodations with excellent housing and has everything including meals. These villas can accommodate a large number of people so it is a great opportunity to have a complete family vacation.

Costa Rica has two seasons of the year. They are the ‘summer’ December to April and ‘winter’ from May to November. This allows a person planning a vacation choose the type of weather they enjoy. That, in addition to having a wide choice of villa rentals or beachfront rentals makes an ideal situation for a perfect visit to the area.

An ideal place for a honeymoon, Costa Rica offers unparallel opportunities for seclusion or adventure for the newlyweds. Whether lying on the beach, hiking, visiting the National Parks or doing whatever is desired allows the couple to really get to know each other at the start of their married life. The villa rentals and beachfront rentals provide an excellent setting for a period of romance that will always be remembered as a wonderful time of their lives.

When taking any vacation there is always the question, “Where shall we go?” With the advance of technology, the whole world is open for adventure. After deciding on a destination there is the question of accommodations when one arrives. Thanks to the Internet it is now possible to go ‘on line’ to have a complete description of what is available and make advance reservations.

The Malpais/Santa Teresa area of Costa Rica is especially desirable. It has been compared to parts of Hawaii and the California coast for its beauty and the many activities available. Securing a Costa Rica Vacation Rental house or a Montezuma Hotel and enjoying this beautiful part of the world is possible for anyone desiring an experience that is far superior to those found in many other parts of the world.

Looking for Malpais vacation rentals for your trip to Costa Rica? Then try Malpais, Costa Rica for a comprehensive travel guide.

Luxury Hotels in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica – Experience the Tranquility of the Beach

Hotels in Malpais, Costa Rica are varied and offer different facilities as well as wonderful experiences. If you are quick enough then you should be able to find millions of package holiday bargains. These all offer different things, whilst some offer self catering others are all inclusive. All inclusive deals are great if you are taking the whole family and don’t want to take much spending money.

In this beautiful environment you will experience a holiday of a lifetime. There is diverse wildlife nearby as well as monkeys, birds and fish. The hotels in the vicinity are beautiful and usually offer a range of different facilities. Montezuma hotels nearby are also fabulous.

If you enjoy nightlife and loads of other outdoor activities then this is the place for you. This area is great for families and also good for couples. It offers something for everyone no matter what their interests are.

There are millions of tropical under water fish and even dolphins. As well as sea and beaches many people bird watch. With so many tropical birds and a nature reserve you will be spoilt for choice. If you just want to sit and relax by the pool this is of course an option as well. There are many food places where you can sample the local food which is delicious.

Many a Montezuma hotel has plenty of land for you to walk around. Wildlife in the area includes monkeys as well as birds. There is a national park in the vicinity and plenty of other places to explore. People come from all around the world to experience Costa Rica and many people come back time and again.

Depending on your needs there are a whole host of different accommodation types. From bungalows, self catering apartments, five star hotels and budget ones you will have many to choose from. If you don’t mind roughing it a little then there are also camp sites in the area. Santa Teresa and Malpais camping are great ways of taking in the natural beauty of the area and making lots of friends in the process.

The majority of hotels have on site eating places, laundry facilities, swimming pools and many acres of land to explore. If you are attending a malpais wedding then you might want to make a group booking in advance where you might be eligible for a discount. Most hotels offer breakfast either included in the price or as an extra. It all depends on what your specific needs are. No matter what be sure to bring your bathing suit and towel as you will probably do a lot of sunbathing and swimming.

This area is a subtropical paradise with so much to do that you will never feel bored. If you don’t come on holiday to spend time carrying out sports and other activities then you can also enjoy relaxing, perhaps sunbathing. If you have spent the day relaxing maybe the ideal evening would be spent eating out and enjoying a cocktail in one of the many bars.

If you are a visitor searching for a Costa Rica hotel on your vacation, then click Malpais Hotels or Santa Teresa Hotels.

Rent a vacation home or villa in the paradise town of Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

Welcome to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world: Malpais and Santa Teresa, known for their rugged jungle beauty, unforgettable sunsets, and especially the epic surf in Santa Teresa. The area has also become known as a hot spot for amazing cuisine in Costa Rica, since many amazing chefs have moved here from different parts of the world.

When you arrive in Santa Teresa and Malpais, you’ll instantly become aware that you’ve found an amazing and unique place, very different from most other villages in Costa Rica. The Malpais area has been compared with Hawaiin beach towns decades ago, but with monkeys in its forests, or with a warm-water version of Santa Cruz, California.

Despite its popularity, the Malpais area still has beautiful beaches that you can often find almost deserted, many beautiful waterfall hikes, and secret surf spots where you can have a great wave to yourself.

Santa Teresa is known primarily as a great location for incredible surfing. This remote beach town was unheard of only 10-15 years ago, but now is a favorite destination for surfers from around the world. Costa Rica and Santa Teresa’s surf is consistent year-round, as the area faces the open Pacific Ocean, with warm waters that are comfortable throughout the seasons. The Malpais/Santa Teresa area has many surf schools, surf instructors, and surf shops.

Many tourists come from South America and Europe, not only the United States and Canada. Many have stayed in the area and found a way to make a living by creating unique little restaurants, hotels, and rental houses. The food in Santa Teresa has become among the best in Costa Rica. Many five-star chefs have built restaurants here and do their own cooking, creating a plethora of dining opportunities.

The beaches of Santa Teresa have become very popular among Costa Ricans as well, and many families travel here to surf or enjoy the waves during weekends and holidays. The ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera is often a very lively scene with people starting to party before they even arrive. Malpais mean “badlands” because it is a virtual desert from December to April, with hardly a drop of rain. That also makes it very popular among tourist who don’t want any rainy days during their holidays.

Santa Teresa, Costa Rica offers a variety of luxurious villas and vacation rental homes. The most consistently popular are the beachfront homes, which always fulfill the tropical beach fantasies of their rental clients. These range from $350 to $2000 per night, although there are a few cheaper options. Even the highest price vacation rental houses are frequently booked, and many celebrities and movie stars have been seen here escaping the cameras of the paparazzi. This may be because Forbes Mazazine voted the beaches of Santa Teresa to be among the top ten most beautiful in the world.

Renting a vacation home in Santa Teresa has become increasing popular. Many tourists enjoy the independence of having their own rental villa instead of a hotel room, for the privacy and extra space, often at no additional cost. Plus it creates a very unique vacation experience.

Malpais area hotels are extremely popular as well, especially the beachfront ones, which range in price from $100 to $1000 per night for a room, depending on the season. Most Santa Teresa hotels that are beachfront have great surfing waves right in front. The owners are from different countries all over the world… Americans, Canadians, Germans, Italians, Swedes, etc. All have the same dream of living in paradise on one of the most beautiful beaches and passing that thrill to their hotel clients. The area has also become very popular for weddings and honeymoons.

Want to find out more about renting a house in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica? Then visit Geoffrey McCabe’s vacation and tourism information site on Santa Teresa Vaction Rental Homes for your needs.

Enjoy the Unique Luxury of Jaco Vacation Rentals

If you want the beauty and escape of a tropical paradise without the crowds of the large tourist hotels Jaco vacation rentals may be exactly what you’re looking for. You can rent your own beachfront condominium and enjoy the freedom of having your own residence on one of the most amazing beaches in the world.

Jaco vacation rentals are available along the Costa Rican Central Coast. These comfortable retreats offer the hospitality of a hotel with the comfort of a private condominium. Rentals are located in the beach resort towns of La Paloma Blanca, Bahia Azul, and Bahia Encantada. Costa Rica is famous for its beaches and entertainment. Visitors can enjoy day tours of the area with knowledgeable guides who will make sure you know about all of the best places to visit along the beaches or in nearby towns. There are also adventure tours for guests who enjoy the thrill of water sports.

Of course, Costa Rica also has several options for dining and dancing. Spend the day on the beach and the night on the town at one of the many bars or restaurants. If you prefer to shop, you will find everything from simple souvenir stores to high-end boutiques. Explore the history of the area, or spend the day people watching at the beach.

Everyone will find something appealing on the Central Costa Rican Coast. Your vacation will be even more enjoyable when you can enjoy the privacy of your own Jaco vacation rental. You can relax in your temporary beach home without the distractions of housekeepers or other hotel guests.

Rentals are a unique way to enjoy the natural wonders of a beach vacation. Renting a condominium on the beach gives you a real sense of owning your own slice of paradise, even if it is only for a week or two.

if you want more information about Jaco Vacation Rentals, feel free to visit their website by clicking on the following link: http://www.daystarrentals.com/

The Beginnings: Costa Rica Eco Tourism, Teddy Roosevelt And The Matterhorn

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Like many of life’s greatest achievements, it began by accident. It started with one unique man on a desolate but beautiful mountain. The man was Teddy Roosevelt; the Matterhorn was the mountain where an idea that changed our world germinated. Today, we call it “eco tourism” and every year it leads thousands of people to a tiny sapphire that Christopher Columbus named ‘Costa Rica’ five centuries ago.

Two decades before he was to become one of America’s finest presidents, Roosevelt traveled to Switzerland. He was one of the world’s great adventurers who loved nature. So it was that he decided to climb the famous Mount Matterhorn. When he did so, however, he was distressed by what he encountered on the mountain or, more accurately, what he did not see.

The mighty Matterhorn Mountain was nearly lifeless. There were no longer any wolves, bears, mountain goats or sheep, creatures of wilderness. Where once there had been abundant life there was now—silence.

Though “eco tourism” didn’t enter the language lexicon for nearly 100 more years, Theodore Roosevelt was the world’s first eco tourist and, I would say, the responsible for today’s eco tourism.

What do Roosevelt and the Matterhorn have to do with Costa Rica eco tourism? More than you might think. The Matterhorn brought home to him the need to set aside vast tracts of land to preserve life and, when he became President, he took on the robber barons and vested interests to set aside 230 million acres as wilderness and parks: an extraordinary achievement for America and singular achievement for the world.

Teddy Roosevelt’s singular accomplishment led to the birth of eco tourism. Americans quickly demonstrated that they will gladly pay money to visit wilderness and see wildlife—at least in the United States.

But, America’s experience was one thing. It was wealthy and developed. Costa Rica was, seemingly, very different. Here was a place that in 1519 its Spanish Governor described “the poorest and most miserable Spanish colony in all Americas.” Four and a half centuries later, now independent and free, most of its forests had been cut or burned to make farm land. Big (American) business dominated its primary product, bananas, and the country was almost completely dependent upon the export of bananas, coffee, and other agricultural products for its economic life. United Fruit Company controlled the banana market and its relations with Costa Rica were often stormy, sometimes icy. Then, in the early 1970s, prices for coffee collapsed during a glut of the product on the world market. The country’s future looked bleak.

With challenge comes opportunity for the bold and thoughtful and, in an apparently unlikely alliance, conservationists and business interests argued in favor of setting aside resources for sustainable, rather than exploitative, development. For whatever reason, the government agreed to this rather bold experiment and, in just three decades, has now set aside nearly 25% of the country for parks and preserves. Roosevelt, ever the visionary, would applaud if still here.

By any measure, and in the span of just three decades (about as long as The Simpsons have been on television!), the results have been stunning. While many countries were slashing, cutting, and burning their forests, Costa Rica chose to reforest. Today, there are 20% more forests than only 25 years ago. Jaguars, peccaries, and other wildlife are returning to places where they haven’t been seen for more than a generation. The country has enthusiastically embraced sustained development, refusing to allow off shore drilling for oil and building renewable power plants. Impressively 99% of its electrical power now comes from hydro-electric plants—and it is beginning to install wind turbines as well. Columbia and Yale researchers now put it within in the top five of all environmentally sensitive countries in the world.

It has been a spectacular reversal in fortune. The country has vaulted into the #1 position on the Happiest Place in the World Index even as Costa Rica eco tourism has soared. Sustainable tourism has lifted the economy while preserving its wonders. As it turns out, Columbus was exactly right when he named this place “the rich coast” or “Costa Rica.” The Spanish governor was dead wrong when he derided Costa Rica as “the poorest and most miserable Spanish colony in Americas.” And, Theodore Roosevelt, the world’s first eco tourist, would smile in delight if he were here today.

To close, we need to revisit the Swiss Matterhorn, the impetus behind Roosevelt’s sudden clarity that parks and preserves were essential to saving wildlife and Costa Rica’s wise extension of that idea leading to today’s incredibly successful Costa Rica eco tourism. Consider the irony here. Costa Rica is often called the “Switzerland” of the tropics but it learned from Swiss failures. Ironically, Switzerland has learned nothing. Costa Rica’s mountains are today filled with life and eco tourism helps fuel its economy. One of every five species of plants and animals on earth are found there. Meanwhile, the magnificent Matterhorn remains silent because its life was exploited and destroyed, not cherished and preserved.

Cocos Island: One of Costa Rica’s Seven Wonders

Cocos Island is one of the treasures of the planet. The famous Jacques Cousteau called this Costa Rica island the most beautiful island he had ever seen , Costa Ricans have voted this little national park one of its Seven Wonders, and it is being considered as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

Though it is a small island located nearly 350 miles off the Costa Rica Pacific coast, it is world famous for its incredible scuba diving. Indeed, its waters are filled with fish, porpoises, whales, and sea turtles, and there are sometimes so many sharks, it is often called Shark Island. Experienced scuba divers travel here from across the planet because it is renowned as the greatest place in the world to dive with large sea animals.

The island has been famous for pirates, real and imagined, for centuries. It is believed by many that Cocos was the inspiration for Robert Lewis Stevenson’s famous pirate adventure Treasure Island but sometimes real pirates sailed to it to escape the English fleet and to bury their treasure. Two great treasures, the Devonshire Treasure and the Lima Treasure, worth hundreds of millions of dollars today, may still be buried there.

It also fired the imagination of Michael Crichton whose world famous Jurassic Park is set off the coast of Costa Rica.

The island is uninhabited except for a few Costa Rica park rangers who are stationed there to protect its waters from poaching. For eons its isolation safeguarded the island’s rainforest and undersea creatures from depredation .

If you are one of the lucky few who get to visit Cocos, you will need previous permission from the rangers to go ashore and you will not be allowed to camp overnight. But, as you walk the shores, thinking of pirates and imagining where the buried treasure is, you will see many rocks along the shore bearing inscriptions from sailors over the centuries. Way before Kilroy was here, sailors wrote their names and dates of visits. There is even find one bearing the name of Jacque Cousteau’s son, who signed a rock a couple of decades ago.

Fiery Arenal Volcano Of Costa Rica

All our luggage and camera gear is packed in the van by 8 a.m. and we are on our way to our first destination, soon to become a real life adventure. We are on a photography tour so everyone is talking cameras and pictures. This is the first day, we are getting to know one another, and the level of excitement in the van is high looking forward to the tour.

Arenal, an active Costa Rica volcano, is our destination but first there are a couple of photography stops along the way. We go first to the little Tico community of Sarchi where brightly colored, decorated oxen carts are made in an old water powered factory. The second stop is nearby Zarcero, which has, as its focal point, an old wooden church and a double row of lovely topiaries leading up to it. Many memory cards are filled just photographing these two places with the magnificent colours and patterns of Sarchi and the incredible shapes of the topiaries in Zarcero.

Luis, our driver, is very familiar with the many potholes that make Costa Rica famous, so he cautiously makes his way along the road while most everyone else, on 2 or 4 wheels, pass us by. The number of wannabe Formula One drivers in Costa Rica is staggering. There is even a bus driver who has been known to have passengers find religion and speak directly to God on his overland route.

After our planned stops and lunch in La Fortuna we are now just a few miles from our lodge at Arenal. As we leave the main highway we find ourselves on a road that is one continuous pothole. It is January and the rainy season has just ended so most roads are in poor condition but what is unique about this road is that it was constructed from crushed lava rock.

Rounding a curve we see a clearing beside a tropical river and there is the perfect cone shape of Arenal Volcano! Those who have never seen a volcano are stunned at the sight.

The top of the cone is shrouded with little fluffy white clouds against a blue sky. It is picture perfect and we quickly stop and everyone piles out of the van attaching cameras to tripods, some of us wading into the river to capture an image from a different perspective and others shooting from the riverbanks.

Who is to say how dangerous being this close to an active volcano can be? Fortunately, Arenal is very predictable and today is closely monitored so there is a very low risk of a serious, catastrophic, unexpected eruption. Only 1 km away from the base of the volcano and 2 km to the top of the cone is the lodge where we stay and without a doubt any activity attracts the attention of everyone.

Getting settled in while we are unpacking mighty Arenal speaks! It roars as smoke and gas billow hundreds of feet into the sky and we hear the rocks tumbling down the slopes. The Mantled Howler monkeys are extremely vocal following the eruption, however, we do not know if this is in protest of the roar or if they are just responding to its call.

While enjoying our meal in the lodge dining room mighty Arenal speaks again! Although there are many photo opportunities in Costa Rica, who would have imagined that while eating dinner we would be gazing up at a volcano erupting in front of our eyes? And this on our very first day of the tour!

The next two nights are without much sleep since we find comfortable chairs in the common area of the lodge just outside our rooms and we mount our cameras on tripods attaching cable releases. Since I had already been to Arenal many times I had chosen to use an 80-200mm lens set at 80mm and an aperture of f8, the camera shutter set at “B” for time exposure.

I think a time exposure of more than 20 minutes will produce an ugly yellow blob of light since there is a lot of activity of small flare-ups at the cone. Lava is flowing down the opposite side, so I allow no more than 20 minutes to pass before I closing the shutter and starting another exposure. The use of a cable release makes these exposures very easy and while we were there Arenal puts on quite a pyrotechnical show.

Arenal is the first adventure in Costa Rica for my photo group. With another eight days of photography everybody is looking forward to the next destination that is going to be just as exciting.

Costa Rica Beaches: First Discovered by Columbus And Now You

Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful countries on the planet, world-famous for its beaches, tropical mountains, and volcanoes. Beaches in Costa Rica are unbeatable in their beauty. There are white, brown, and black sand beaches, coral beaches, and rugged boulder strewn beaches with magnificent surf, along two oceans.

The Caribbean beaches were first discovered and explored by Christopher Columbus, who was so taken that he named his discovery Costa Rica, the rich coast. The Spanish were soon followed by English sea captains like Sir Francis Drake (he is the same fellow who defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588). Indeed, Drake Bay along the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica is named for this captain who docked there on his explorations.

Fortunately, Columbus and Drake left a lot of places to discover for yourself. With nearly 800 miles of coastline, you’ll find some special place for you. There are popular beaches with beautiful girls and mile-after-mile of virtually deserted beaches for peace and quiet. The Caribbean has a reggie, Bob Marley, feel to it while the Pacific has attraction after attraction close at hand, not to mention places where the magnificent tropical forests nearly come to the beach.

With year-round warm weather, a great tourism infrastructure, and friendly folks who like Americans, Canadians, and Europeans (and everybody else) tourists flock to Costa Rica. They take advantage of warm, clean waters, two fantastic coastlines, and almost limitless attractions close-at-hand. Fishing, surfing, rafting, hiking, ecotourism, swimming, adult nightlife, volcanoes, and tropical mountains are just a few of the attractions.

There are so many beaches to explore that you could spend months, even years, in Costa Rica and still not manage to see them all. Many tourists and expats travel to or live on the magnificent Nicoya Peninsula along the country’s north-central coast. It is filled with spectacular beaches and the area is replete with non-beach attractions.

One of the more famous beaches on the Nicoya Peninsula is Playa Grande. It is said to be haunted by the spirits of an ancient people because it is situated on the site of their burial ground. It is a great beach for surfing, and there is camping in the area, though you may find some clothing optional folks.

It is impossible to name or describe all the wonderful beaches in Costa Rica. This little country is dedicated to sustainable development and takes pride in what it calls its Blue Flag beaches. In a country filled with great beaches these are the cleanest, most pristine of them all. For those who like to be alone on the beach, Playa Grande, Mal Pais, Bahia Ballena, and Hermosa (not to mention hundreds more) beckon like a siren. For those who like the beach and an active adult nightlife, Jaco and Tamarindo are very popular.

Regardless of which beach you choose, whether Tamarindo, Flamingo, Conchal, Tambor, or some beach without a name, if you enjoy beach life, a wonderful experience is awaiting you. Some of the beaches are easy to reach by car or bus. Others require more unconventional means, like flying into nearby areas or boating or even hiking. But the trouble of getting to them makes the stay all that much more worthwhile.

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