1. Costa Rica Experience Travel Guide
Costa Rica is an incredible destination for adventure seeking vacationers. With enough PTO earned
at my corporate gig , I had a chance to experience the country's beauty as well as surf sports
activities firsthand. Discover from my mistakes as well as consider my suggestions. Buy your travel
manual and hit the actual road!
SAN JOSE
Most worldwide flights arrive at San Jose Internationalairport terminal (Juan Santamaria) SJO. Take
care of any instant currency as well as foodrequirements inside of the airport terminal because there
are no amenities outside. The airportis situated 20 minutes north of down-town San Jose. Most
vacationers take theplentiful minivans as well as taxis tugging up to the actual curb of the smallish
airport terminal exit upon arrival with regard to $20 every. No need ! There is a local city bus outside
ofthe airport that will consider you down-town for less than $1. The bus stop is located down the exit
ramp about the airports aspect of the road , about 100 yardsin the airport exit. You might be using
next to chickens and 80-year-oldabuelas, but this isn’t that your reason for adventure vacationing in
panama and nicaragua , ? Ifound the bus ride to be rather fast , with minimal stops, lots of highwayair
, and a fairly limited quantity of space. Pretty good.
BUS TRAVEL in COSTA RICA. Therefore began my love affair along with publiclocal Costa Rica
chartering. Overall, public buses operate semi-frequently in between majordestinations , depart
promptly , are not over-crowded, are very inexpensive , and haveno bathrooms. As long as you
prepare using the facilities from bus stations and load up on treats and water before leaving , you
should have sleek trips.
Heedingthe suggestion of a friend who trained English presently there , I didn’t plan to spend any time
in the “armpit” San Jose. I would be back at the end of my tripanyways , so I charged on in the main
bus station in San Jose to the west Coast: Jaco (Ha-Ko, gringo’s!)
JACO
The bus trip was about two 1/2 hours and a number of changefrom San Jose to Jaco. Jaco offers
exploded as a surf spot , simply because it is the closest pacific destination towards the residents
associated with San Jose and the main valley, where the majority of local people live. In hindsight,
mostly of the disappointments associated with my trip was the difficulty in finding local ticos in order to
minglealong with. The gringo path in Costa Rica offers bean clear-cut, and it doesn’t seem tomeander
into virgin mobile local places often. Possibly I should have explored San Josein the end. There are
worldwide brand resorts and fast food chains in Jaco. A major road / highway runs several blocks up
from the seaside.
BEACH &surf. The waves here had been good enough to hold the Billabong world Surfing games
2009. Unfortunately I showed up immediatly following and the location was trashed. I’m not sure how
much solution the town is normally , though, because othervacationers reported comparable
experiences sometimes. Iwas not compelled in order to surf nor stay in Jaco any longer than
necessary. The actual beach is somewhat wide and it has ok fine sand withsmaller smooth rubble.

2. PARTY. Bars are plentiful along the main road in town. Many beautiful local women going tothe
actual black awned Beatle club , so naturally I followed in tow. Within , there weretoo many beautiful
ladies. All by on their own. With hardly any guys in the bar.Yep , this was a prostitute club. A pity too,
because it seemed to be the only real place in town with some good action. I suggest the slightly
smaller bars along the seaside over the types on the main drag in Jaco. The actual ocean is really a
muchnicer sight compared to dirty road where questionable looking local people offer jane janeas well
as coke.
DOMINICAL
From Jaco, i headed southern along the pacific Coast,moving in Quepos to Domical. Both legs were
below 4 hours each, for about 8 hours of total travel. NO reservations are needed and a number of
buses operate daily. Dominical is a small town mainly inhabited through backpackers. A dirtstreet
runs along the beach making the industrial corridor. There are a handful of hostels to choose from.
WATERFALL &SWIMMING pit. About 10 minutes South associated with Dominical is really a
descent-sized waterfall creating a floating around hole called Pozo Azul. There is a string swing large
enough to get a back flip out of ! I believethere are some tours that go here -- which appears a bit
unusual to me since it is a smaller swimming pit. It is easy to get to by 4x4 , which is necessary to
cross a steam en route. Go to the town Escaleras in Dominicalito, about 5kilometers south associated
with Playa Dominical. On the main highway head towards the bella Vista hotel and then go ahead
and take first street on your right. Travel past a schoolas well as cross over a small stream. Continue
on this street for about three hundred meters till you achieve a point where the road expands. Listen
for the waterfall! you might drive past it if you're not cautious.
BEACH &surf. The waves in Dominical areheavy. Best with regard to intermediate in order to
advanced viewers. Mainly seaside break along with rights as well as lefts which close away. The
good news is that we now have few viewers inDominical and you will most likely have your own break
to enjoy. I observed the otherviewers were generally foreign- european. Rainforest overhang runs
along the beach, that is walk capable for about 15-20 minutes in either direction. The actual sandis
brown as well as pebbly, although not uncomfortable in order to lie down in.
PARTY. When i went in the off-season, open bars had been limited to 1 per evening. Follow the seem
to the celebration. There aremainly smaller bars playing music. The feel is laid-back surfer or
backpackerand many people you will notice out are foreigners. This is not a typical pickup spot. You
may also be quite happy with easy evenings relaxing with a few local grown ,high quality jane jane
that is not difficult to locate in this town.
Somewhere between the surfing as well as partyingi met Jon, a larger, buzz haired surf traveler from
Miami. Jon had a 4x4 andoffered to drive us to brother Antonio when i told him or her of my plans to
travel north.
MANUEL ANTONIO
A stunning highway takes the lead from Quepos to brother Antonio national Park (Parque Nacional
brother Antonio). My trip to Costa had toconsist of at least one trip into the jungle , something i had
hoped in order to experience because elementary school. Manuel Antonio sounded a minimum of as

3. good asothers if not better and had been convenient to my travel path , which formed upalong the
Pacific coastline. Hotels as well as hostels operate along the main road from ManuelAntonio town
down a mountain to the seaside.
HIKE. ParqueNacional brother Antonio life up to the actual hype. Indeed , I compensated gringo costs
toenter and met travelers from my hometown waiting in collection , but tranquility andopen trails lied
ahead. Explore the park for at least half a day. There arepersonal and not therefore private beaches
to discover, in addition to amazing lookout points. White-face monkeys, sloth’s, giant lizards, and a
numerous bird life abound.
BEACH & surf. Las olas, the waves are more mellow in brother Antonio, ideal for beginners. The
actual beach is quite nicealong with white sand along with few pebbles. The water is really a beautiful
azul, more glassythan uneven. You can walk a good distance along the seaside up to the actual
parkentrance or perform beach beach ball.
PARTY. A variety of nightlife options exist in brother Antonio including sports bars ,clubs along with a
casino. Our hostel employee shuttled a busload associated with travelers for an open-air dance club
great on saturday nights. Beverages and handles are expensive because the town experiences
heavier visitor traffic. Fresh seafood in a myriad ofdining places is incredible. Overall, brother Antonio
had been one of the illustrates of my trip. From Manuel Antonio, I bussed to Quepos and on in order
to Puntarenas exactly where Icaptured a beautiful as well as inexpensive ferry ride in order to
Paquera to Mal Pais / Playa SantaTeresa.
MAL PAIS / santa TERESA
With its remoteness, insufficient people as well as abundant coastline ,Santa Teresa feels like an
escape in heaven. Especially when the actual rainstormsstrike. There are a insightful small resorts ,
hostels as well as restaurants along with international flavor. No fast food. There’s a great vibe going
on here which hopefully will not be spoiled.
BEACH & SURF. The actual surf is excellent with intermediate difficulty. The actual beach lines are
ruggedalong with rock outcroppings (point breaks or cracks ) and cove after cove is waiting to
bediscovered. The fine sand is nice and also the rainforest overhang is omnipresent.
PARTY. Presently there are just one handful of bar/clubs in santa Teresa. Even though town were
built with a more relaxed hippy vibe going , I was delighted to learn of an all night moon party from
one of the outdoor cabin hut clubs looking over the seaside. What must have been the entire town
turned up and partied into the early morning. It was a blast. I have to have partied a little bit an
excessive amount of , because i missed the actual infrequent bus out of town. Time was ticking on
my 2-week vaca clock, and that i wasready to change things up so I decided to rent an automobile
and going up to the most popular panama and nicaragua , surf location , Tamarindo.
TAMARINDO
Tamarindo offers obviously been touched through the American traveler’s hand. Prices are high(with
regard to Central America). Many hotels plus some hostels are available in this large town.
BEACH & surf. Although overblown, the seaside in Tamarindo is stunning. It is broad andlong with a
variety of surf problems. Waves are crowded. Tamarindo is thestarting point with regard to trips in

4. order to famous saltwater breaks ghouls Rock as well as Ollie’s stage.
PARTY. Families ,hardcore viewers , backpackers, vacationers , and everyone’s mother go to
Tamarino. You will probably have to out-shout large groups of SoCal viewers inthe actual bars as well
as clubs. There are lots of restaurants clubs and bars within a walkable town. The actual nightlife is
jumping in Tamarindo. Simply don’t be prepared to meet a Costa Rican.
LA FORTUNA / ARENAL
Cradled in the main valley closest theimpressive Arenal Volcano and river is la Fortuna town. Plenty
of resorts andhostels are available in this quant town laid out on a street grid surroundinga park as
well as church. Beyond the volcano, outdoor adventure is the pull to la Fortuna.
HORSEBACK RIDE as well as ZIP collection. After shopping the plentiful tour companies in town, i
decided on one of the higher elevated , longer zip-line tours along with horsebacktrip. White-water
rafting and atv tours are also available , as well as a trip to the impressive La Fortuna waterfall. The
actual zip-line tour was incredible ! It wasexciting to travel through the jungle like a monkey.
VOLCANO viewing. Volcan Arenal is one of the world’s most energetic volcanoes. Tours willshuttle
you to ideal lookout factors , but with a rented vehicle you merely need directions. Even though it was
pouring down rain when I had been there, i was able to capture aglimpse of a few lava streams
moving down the actual mountain. Awe-inspiring. Naturalwarm springs circulation into town. Access
to them is available from pricey resorts andspas , and via friendly local people willing to reveal their
town’s treasure.
PARTY. LaFortuna is a slower , smaller town good for families. I found what was probablythe only
real party in town at a good-sized karaoke as well as dance club 10 minutes in the road. There are a
number of goodlocal restaurants though , and two fast food restaurants.
The Caribbean coastline of panama and nicaragua , , with its laid back rastafeel , clear water and
perfect beaches appealed to me greatly , but i focused on pacific Coast surf-spots and could not miss
jungle and volcano. Alas, my 18 times inheaven had go out. I made it back to San Jose from La
Fortuna in 3 hours, stopping at virtually every fork in the windy street for instructions and treats.
Overall,panama and nicaragua , is an incredible place to visit. The jungle , mountains as well as
beachesare beautiful. Your pet experiences as well as surf spots are one of the worlds
best.Opportunity for adventure lies around every part. Enjoy your own travels.
Dominical activities