Costa Rica Travel and Vacation

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I’m visiting Costa Rica but I’ll only be there a week. One place I am visiting is La Fortuna, which is pretty close to Nicaragua. Are there any good towns or attractions that I can see in Nicaragua in a day? If so, what, and is it difficult to get there transportation-wise? Thanks!!!

There are a couple of places. The department of Rivas in southern Nicaragua borders Lake Cocibolca to the East, the Pacific Ocean to the West and Costa Rica to the South, there you can find San Juan del Sur, a beach-town, very laid back, many Costa Ricans go there. Its only about an hour from the Costa Rican/Nicaraguan border.
http://www.vianica.com/visit/rivas

Lake Cocibolca, also known as Lake Nicaragua, is a very popular day-tour destination for people taking a cruise along Costa Rica or are on a Costa Rican tour near the border (Guanacaste). In the lake are 3 attractions, the Solentiname Islands, they are an archipelago with a community of artisans founded by our famous poet Ernesto Cardenal. Just north of these islands is the Island of Ometepe, it is the largest volcanic island in a freshwater lake in the world. There is much biodiversity there and the island is made up of two volcanoes which are connected by a strip of land. You can take a ferry to the island from the town of San Carlos in the department of Rivas. North of Ometepe is the Islands of Zapatera, small is size but full of Pre-Columbian artifacts and some ruins. You can also go hiking there. http://www.vianica.com/activity/115/hiking-the-zapatera-hill
http://www.vianica.com/visit/ometepe

Now, out of the lake and back onto Mainland Nicaragua. From Costa Rica, taking the Pan-Am road, you heard North to Granada (or you can take a flight from Liberia/San Jose). Granada is the oldest colonial city in mainland America. Its full of amazing architecture. You will see many tourists taking tours throughout the city. Once you get there i recommend you head to the center of town (its a plaza surrounded by a colonial church and other colonial buildings) and there is a park, have a plate of Chancho con Yucca from the place right in front of the Church, its delicious. While in Granada, after you finish sight-seeing and all, head South-East to Asese Port (ask for directions or take a taxi) Its about a 15-20min. ride and as you drive to the Port, you will see the Lake to your left, continue going North and you will get to the parking. There people will bombard you asking if you want to take a tour around the Islets. The Islets of Granada is the result of the Mombacho volcano’s eruption thousands of years ago. Try and get the cheapest offer, bargain with them. There are over 365 islands, but most tours only take you for a 1-hour ride around 100 islets. I was last there in December and they charged us $20 (for the boat has a capacity of about 20 people) for the entire hour without care of how many people went, which was very cheap. Along the water they tell you which islet belongs to who, some are even on sale. A lot of birds and monkey (especially on Monkey Island) can bee seen. From Granada you can also head to the capital city of Managua (1 hour and 30min. away), the city of Masaya (1 hour away; great for souvenir shopping at the mercado), and Leon (about 2 and a half hours away). http://www.vianica.com/visit/granada http://www.vianica.com/activity/29/boat-trip-among-the-granada-islets

There are also many tours that operate along the San Juan River, also, in the department of Rio San Juan in Nicaragua there is Los Guatazos Wildlife Refuge and the Indio Maiz Biological Reserve, the second largest rainforest in Central America after Bosawas (also in Nicaragua but in the North bordering Honduras). Along the river are many towns with interesting history. At San Carlos, in the beginning of the river mouth, is an old Castle/Fort, very beautiful.
http://www.vianica.com/visit/rio-san-juan

Now, transportation wise. From Costa Rica to the city of Rivas in the Department of Rivas the road is very good. From the city of Rivas to the beautiful beach-town of San Juan del Sur is a 20min. dirt road with some potholes in between, but the view at the end is well worth them. From the Costa Rican border to Granada the road is very good, the road from Granada to Masaya is half-half. About half-way to Masaya the road is a dirt and some-what difficult, but manageable, its only bad for about 10min-20min. The rest is good. The road from Masaya to Managua (the capital) is perfect (you pass by two lagoons; Launga de Apoyo and Laguna de Nejapa. Laguna de Apoyo is a must-see and only about 15min off track from the road to Managua). There are two possible roads to Leon, the new highway to Leon and the old highway to Leon. Obviously if you head over there you use the new highway. It is in perfect shape. Also, the view and scenery is absolutely stunning from Rivas to Granada and Masaya to Managua.

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I have been reading through all the answers but have decided to ask myself a few questions. My fiance and I are traveling to Costa Rica for our honeymoon in October. My questions are all about transportation. I would ideally like to be picked up from the San Jose airport and be dropped off at our hotel in manual antonio. In order to do this, do you have to take a private bus or a taxi or rent a car? I have heard I shouldn’t rent a car, but wasn’t sure about a taxi if that would be safe? or the public bus? I am just concerned about safety and convenience that money is not an issue.
Thanks!
Also, traveling by air is not an option for us because I already know I would be way over my travel limit of 25 pounds.

I never rent a car when I go to CR. The driving is much different than in the states, and it makes me very nervous. You can take a taxi from the airport if you wish. The laws have gotten very strict about gypsy cabs and all the cabs at the airport are licensed and regulated.

My personal favorite is for the private shuttle. They meet you outside the airport with your name on a sign, load your luggage and take you to your hotel. On the way to Manual Antonio, they make a pit stop around the halfway point to use the bathroom, pick up refreshments and take a peak over the bridge to see the crocodiles.

It makes it nice because you don’t have to worry about navigation or pot holes and you can really enjoy the scenery on the way. This is the company that I use:
http://www.costaricashuttle.com/

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I’d like to visit the Guanacaste province in late March. I would like to be able to visit some beaches, take in a few adventures, enjoy some seafood, drink a few beers, and party. Does it make sense to stay in Brasilito? I would like to be able to split time between Tamarindo, Playa Flamingo, and Playa Conchal.

Any thoughts?

que pos and never look back. Take extra baggage, you won’t want to come home. Costa Rica is beautiful Que Pos, a little beach city, is muy tranquillo. passed through there 2 years ago on my way to Panama from Nicaruga. never made it to Pamama. stayed for 6 days. met a guy that went 12 years ago to surf for 10 days. he’s still there. never came back

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I’m planning a trip to Costa Rica for the last week of September. I’m on a budget but would like to enjoy costa rica to the fullest. Can anyone recommend anything please?

Go on the Internet and look for the cheapest flights to and from Costa Rica.

You can also go on the Internet and check out various hotels and resorts there also.

If you are going to deal with any travel agents at all for this trip – make certain that you check out at least five different ones because this is a very competitive business in Costa Rica and lots of folks have been stung by some of the travel agents there!

Good Luck!

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Me and my boyfriend are having trouble finding a fun destination to go on vacation in May. We were initially gonna do either paris, mexico or costarica but since we are gonna move in together now we are putting ourselves on a budget. We thought the grand canyon but you can see that in one day? is it worth it? what else id there to do there besides just looking into the canyon?

The Grand Canyon is one of the great natural wonders in the world. I have spent up to a week in the canyon at a time, but you can also have a very enjoyable single day there. I would recommend trying to stay at one of the park lodges – nothing beats being able to walk from your room to catch a sunrise or sunset over the canyon. Bright Angel Lodge is the least expensive, El Tovar is the most grand and historic, and Maswik is a good combination of reasonable prices and modern accomodations. All lodges are ran by Xanterra (see link below).

If you are only going to be there for a day, I would recommend visiting Desertview Watch Tower (interesting historic tower and different views of the east canyon) and taking the shuttle ride along the rim from the lodges to Hermit’s Rest. If you feel like taking a little hike, go a mile or two down Bright Angel trail near the lodges or (for better views) go 1.4 miles down the South Kaibab Trail to Cedar Ridge reststop.

Mule rides are fun, but expensive, and require reservations. You may be able to get reservations for a half-day trip, but staying overnight at the bottom (Phantom Ranch) requires reservations over a year in advance (especially for May). Likewise, a river trip through the canyon (while a great experience) takes multiple days, costs quite a bit, and requires reservations.

As for other things to see and do near the canyon… From the South Rim, you are pretty close to Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monument (NE of Flagstaff on 89). Wupatki is a very large and interesting prehistoric pueblo ruin and Sunset crater is a recently extinct volcanic field with other worldly craters, cinder cones and lava fields.

Flagstaff itself is an interesting historic Route 66 railroad and lumber town. The historic downtown area has many interesting buildings (and a great historic train depot) now home to little cafes, shops and art galleries. Eat at Kathys, Beaver Street Brewery, Macy’s Coffee Shop and visit the historic Monte Viste hotel where scenes from Casablanca were filmed. Overlooking downtown is the historic Lowell Observatory (with a good museum) where Pluto was discovered in 1930.

East of Flagstaff (along I-40) are Walnut Canyon National Monument (where you can go into prehistoric cliff dwellings) and further along is Meteor Crater and Petrified Forest and Painted Desert National Parks. If you go in that direction, be sure to stop at the grand historic La Posada hotel in Winslow – one of the last great Santa Fe railroad hotels – that has been recently restored and has a great restuarant.

If you care to roam further, you could go NE of the canyon onto the Navajo and Hopi Indian reservations. The historic Hubbell Trading Post at Ganado is still ran like the old days, the ruins and canyons at Canyon de Chelly are beautiful and famous Monument Valley near the Four Corners is where many old westerns were filmed.

If you decide to visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon instead, you will find it a very different experience as it is much less developed and crowded. The higher elevation means that it is cooler and there are more trees. The single historic lodge is a very pretty place to stay and the whole area offers great views and solitude – I prefer it over the South Rim during the summer. Note that the North Rim is only open mid-May through mid-October, so it may not be open if you go early in the month. Like all the Grand Canyon lodges, make reservations well in advance.

If you do go to the North Rim instead of the south (longer drive), as the poster above mentions, you could visit nearby Zion and Bryce National Parks. Zion in particular is incredible (especially if you like hiking) and well worth a day or two. Natural Bridges National Monument is also a great place and often overlooked. Canyonlands and Arches National Monuments (near Moab in southern Utah) are great as well, but a considerable drive from the North Rim.

It is some great country for exploring. Have fun!

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I have a vacation rental property in Costa Rica and I have received an offer from a real estate agent for exclusive rights to the property for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Let me hear any perceived drawbacks anyone can think of.

Fortunately you do not need to write in a cancel clause. You can withdraw this contract at anytime. However, this sounds very silly. An agent wants a 3 day contract? Just tell them to get busy and earn a commision. Realtors are usually uneducated and very legally ignorant people. They write contracts all the time that are illegal and would be thrown out of court in a heartbeat. I know, I challenged many and when a contract violates law – its void – its no good and 99% of these realtor contracts violate general law. Most people do not know this – you cannot write anything into a contract that contradicts general law. For instance someone might agree in writing to be your pimp – but since the law forbids it that contract is not going to be enforceable. Its the same thing no matter the subject or industry. The realtor is just wasting time trying to look professional when in the end the opposite comes out – wasting time and totally ignorant of legal framework.

The short of it is they know you are going to rent it. With an exclusive contract they will get a commission from you if YOU rent it. Which is what they are hoping for. They are toying with you so they can guilt you into a commission when you rent it yourself. Buyers agents do this all the time. Thats why they want contracts. They know they are terrible agents and the only way they can get $ from people is to have contacts then chase them if they have any activity. Good agents have no time for this.

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i’m going alone. i’ve hiked the grand canyon and am looking for the adventure side. rain forrest zip lines? also beaches, food, maybe places to stay. good maps. thanks-

I lived in C.R. for two years. In my opinion, the NW coast is the nicest part of the country. Depending on how much time you have, you can visit several places in a relatively short amount of time. Arenal and the Tabacon Hot Springs are a must see. You can also go wind surfing on lake Arenal on the cheap as well. From there you can head up to Monteverde for some cloud forest action and then over to Tamarindo to a really cool beach scene. This would make the trip back to San Jose a little longer, but it’s worth it. Otherwise, fly in and out of Liberia. You can take a bus everywhere and it won’t take you nearly as long.

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I am a student, I live in San Francisco, i can travel any time from february-march. Are there any specific student travel agencies that specialize in costa rica/international travel? Thanks.

Hey dude, Just make sure you do the research as far as the weather is concerned..dont want to be caught there during the rainy season. When I went I just researched through orbit/expedia and called the hotels direct. They should have someone that speaks English. Costa Rica has a few regions (north, south, etc) so research were ou want to go. Hot spots are Qpes and the surronunding area. laya Dominical is a surf town..you have a few choices – bottom line you’ll love it.

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Fitness travel is an emerging new trend when it comes to vacations. There was a time when the words “fitness” and “travel” do not seem to fit in the same sentence. That is because we had this general connotation that traveling entails gaining weight since the most common things we do during vacations are to relax and to eat.

These days, however, we are given the option to explore the world while working on the pounds that we wish to lose. Whether it is on a fitness cruise or any other fitness tour, many people are choosing this kind of vacation to, not only bring home priceless extraordinary travel experiences, but also to bring home a priceless healthier and stronger new you.

The fitness spa resorts are situated in locations that are away from the urban areas to detach their visitors from the stress that the everyday responsibilities and problems bring. That alone appeals to a lot of people who are looking for a relaxing vacation. If that is not reason enough, here are five more reasons why you should choose a fitness resort on your next vacation:

1. Destinations. Fitness vacations provide everyone with the best venues for the programs that the different fitness tours prepare. France, Spain, Italy, Wyoming, Costa Rica, the Caribbean – what more can you ask for? The fitness resorts are committed to bringing visitors like you to fun, exciting and unique travel destinations, and providing you with the comfort, peace and accommodating service that you truly need and deserve. The tour programs take you to remote destinations that have a calming and tranquil environment. Or, you can opt for a more energetic and lively tour through ancient metropolises. The choice is yours. Wherever you choose to go, you are guaranteed to love the place.

2. Programs. The programs that fitness vacations facilitate are very comprehensive. A month prior to your week-long fitness tour or cruise, a health coach or fitness personnel will contact you for physical assessment. This is to find out the kinds of activities that you will be able to physically endure during your vacation. During this time, the health coach gives you a personalized and structured program that you can work on alone at home. The idea is to get you physically prepared for your tour as well as to help you to achieve the maximum results during your tour. The fitness program does not end as soon as the tour ends. In fact, nutritional and physical counseling by the health coaching staff is conducted until a month after your tour.

3. Support Group. Naturally, individuals seek the company of those they can most relate to when undergoing challenging and life-changing events in their lives. Fitness spa resorts serves as a venue where people with the same interest in active traveling or goal of losing weight meet and act as inspiration and motivation for each other. There are certain studies that prove that the gathering of participants in groups delivers better positive results. It is always good and fun to meet new people. With the same company you get to keep during your one week of fitness touring, you might even gain personal or professional relationships that will blossom into something very significant in the future.

4. Food. What you eat is truly essential in every travel experience. No matter where you go, no travel experience is ever complete without having a taste of your chosen destination’s local dishes. It is a common misconception that, in order to lose weight, you have to avoid food. In fact, fitness vacations serve delectable, mouthwatering dishes for you to succumb into. Bear in mind that food is not only an essential factor of any travel experience. It is also an important factor of having a healthy lifestyle. With a staff of nutritionists to prepare menus, fitness resorts serve their guests with delicious well-balanced meals in appropriate portions. The essence is to keep you sustained for the physical challenges that the tour has prepared for you, and also to help you detoxify and rejuvenate.

5. Health. Who is there to argue that there is no better reason to head off to a fitness resort for your health? With all the travel experiences, great food and friends that any fitness tour offers, none could ever top the health benefits that you are guaranteed to have. The old adage “Health is Wealth” remains true to this day. There is no better way to live your life than living it with a healthy mind and body.

Traveling has always been a rewarding experience. Traveling while gaining health, however, is even more rewarding. In fact, the rewards of fitness traveling are endless!

Tomer Harel
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/top-5-reasons-to-choose-a-fitness-resort-for-your-next-vacation-674241.html

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