Sidebar #72 - Travel Recs: Where to go in Costa Rica

Although I love taking advantage of these sidebar blogs to highlight certain cultural idiosyncracies about Costa Rica, I'm also aware that most of my networks' interest in Costa Rica probably lies as a vacation destination. And Costa Rica is a spectacular vacation spot: from beaches to volcanoes to cloud forests to adrenaline adventures and ecotourism, pretty much any type of traveler can have a great time here. However, Costa Rica's tourism industry is so well-developed that it can be difficult to decide where to go. With this blog, I will highlight some of my favorite places in the country. 


Puerto Viejo, Limon

If you sampled Ticos (and Peace Corps Volunteers) their favorite destination within Costa Rica, I have little doubt Puerto Viejo would receive the most votes. However, it isn't a place most American visitors have on their radar. The whole Limon province stands out from the rest of the country culturally. Due to an influx of Jamaican immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th century, Limon's population boasts demographics and cultural traditions that mix Costa Rica and Jamaica. In my opinion, the best food in the country is found here, and there are some amazing beaches too, such as Punta Uva and Playa Cocles. Additionally, there are several wildlife refuges and a nearby National Park in Cahuita, making Puerto Viejo a hub for biodiversity as well. Puerto Viejo also isn't nearly as expensive as the rest of the country.



Zona Sur (Corcovado, Drake Bay, and Puerto Jimenez)

Zona Sur (the Southern region of Costa Rica) is undoubtedly the most off-the-beaten path area of Costa Rica. I imagine this region looks kind of like what Costa Rica's other tourist hotspots looked like 20 or 30 years ago. This makes it feel much more authentic than other corners of the country. Corcovado National Park is an amazing place to spot wildlife (going on a tour is required for entrance) and Isla del Cano is the country's premier snorkeling and SCUBA diving location.


Samara

Costa Rica's Pacific coastline is dotted with well-known beach and surf towns, many of which are pretty overrun with tourists. My personal favorite beach town on the Pacific coast is called Samara, located in Guanacaste province. Samara stands out to me because it has the stunning turquoise water and white sand beaches that more popular towns have, but it isn't completely filled with foreign visitors. At the same time, there exists just enough tourist infrastructure (restaurants, hotels, bars, shops) to be comfortable on vacation, but yet still feels authentically Costa Rican too.


Monteverde Cloud Forest

If I had to recommend a non-beach destination in Costa Rica, I'd probably pick Monteverde. Monteverde sits in a cloud forest micro-climate, giving the area some of the most unique biology in the country. Here, you can do everything: night hikes to spot creepy crawlers are especially popular, but many also indulge in hanging bridges, ziplining, and more. 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Home for the Holidays: Christmas in MO, New Year's in CR

Image
It's been a busy couple of weeks! Normally I try to post my weekly recaps on Sundays, but I figured it may make more sense to lump everything related to the holidays together in one blog.  On Dec 23, I flew back to Southwest Missouri to be home for Christmas with my family. This was the first time I'd been back in the Ozarks since I began my Peace Corps Service a year and a half ago (roughly 18 months). I was really excited to spend time with family, get some comfort food, and enjoy some colder weather. All three of those things occurred eventually, thankfully, although the latter wasn't until the end of my trip due to a record-breaking warm Christmas Day.  My time at home, was fun and much-needed, although it wasn't particularly relaxing. We had a number of Christmas celebrations and activities, so my time back home went by pretty fast. Some highlights of the trip included celebrating my Dad's birthday sharing a tomahawk steak, eating some Springfield-style Cashew ...
Read more

Sidebar #58 - 2026 Costa Rican Presidential Election

Image
Note: These are my objective observations of Costa Rica’s upcoming election as a foreigner living here, not my personal opinions. Additionally, these observations are my own and don’t reflect those of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps. This is a big week for Costa Rica. On Sunday, February 1, Costa Ricans will cast ballots for their next President. There are other elections, namely legislative, that are also happening on Sunday, but for the purpose of this blog, I’ll keep it simple and focus on the Presidential election taking place. There are several differences between the Costa Rican presidential process and our elections in the US. One of these distinctions is the sheer number of political parties, and therefore, presidential candidates. The election is Sunday (I’m writing this on Thursday) and there are still roughly 20 candidates in the race (with varying degrees of viability). In Costa Rica, the President cannot serve consecutive terms, meaning that there will be a new Pres...
Read more

Feb 17-23: Settling in at School + a Weekend in Puerto Viejo

Image
My first three or four months at site were a bit chaotic as I finished my diagnostic report, or “CASA” report, about the community. Fortunately, counterparts at my respective academic institutions were in frequent contact and communicated to me on the onset of each week how I should divide my time between the schools. However, since classes resumed in February, a more formal schedule has begun to crystallize for me. I’ll spend Mondays and Wednesdays at the high school, or colegio , and Tuesdays and Thursdays at the escuela , or elementary school. Fridays will alternate between them so that I can ensure I split my time evenly at each institution. Although having that schedule seems like a small development, it feels like a bit of a breakthrough in my service to establish more day-to-day consistency. Being the first Peace Corps volunteer in my town’s history, all of this is still relatively new for everyone involved, so getting all parties on the same page feels like a win. And not only...
Read more