Tell me about Costa Rica

[Elidor]

My SO and I want to go to Montezuma, on the Pacific Coast. Camping on the beach permitted. Rooms around $50 per night. All those parks and nature preserves! Beautiful beaches and lots of hammocks. Caves. Food. Siestas. Dancing!

We also hope to go to Tortuguero and Parque Internacional La Amistad.

We'll probably spend a night in San Jose, but just for the food and the clubs. Mainly we want to get away from the city and enjoy paradise on $100 a day or less. Maybe we'll never come back.

[ugarte]

1. Get there soon, because sadly

Costa Rica is losing what used to make it so appealing, and the culprit is us, the Gringo tourists who have flooded the country, jacking up prices, bringing resort hotels, prostitution, casinos, shopping malls, tacky beach condominiums, and so many retired Americans that Costa Ricans often feel like strangers in their own country.

Bottom line, there are still some nice natural parks, but the Pacific coast is being overdeveloped at a frightful rate. The last time I was there it really reminded me of Baja California, with all the Americans moving in.

If you want unspoiled nature, savvy travelers are looking north at Nicaragua. Ecologically,it's where Costa Rica was forty years ago.

[Zinfandel]

2. Costa Rica is great. However, the Pacific side is full of American tourist

and Americans who live there....I found, (as I ALWAYS have in my travels)...Check into a nice resort for a couple of days and then GET OUT and search out some much finer spots (and there are plenty without such an American distorted influence) where it's cheaper, more beautiful and less corrupted, not so crowded and away from all the Americans.

Get into meeting the people of Costa Rica, they are wonderful, gracious and very literate compare to the surrounding countries.

Tiny little Costa Rica has more than 5% of the world's natural wildlife still intact...It's simply incredible.

I enjoyed the Caribbean part of Costa Rica (though much more humid) than the Pacific side...much easier to get away and find some beautiful beach Cabana's, etc...I found a great little open air, Mable floored, tropical fruit trees, very relaxing, beautiful beaches, sexy place on the Caribbean side, outside of Limon and it was far more reasonable than the big resorts. Although I did stay in a five star place in and on my return to San Jose, Costa Rica (And admit to enjoying the decadence).

I mean to say, you don't really want to stay in zoo resorts like Mazatlan, Puerto Varta, Cabo, Can Cun, etc. if you go to Mexico...even when I was twenty and on spring break...one never really sees the countryside, or the people, nor the flavor of the country itself doing that....It's like going to England and staying in London (I immediate got out of London and was much happier).

[ugarte]

3. Very true, except for surfers and fishermen,

the tourists haven't descended en masse on the Atlantic. But give it time...

[Lindsey]

4. My very best friend in the entire world is moving to Costa Rica

in three weeks - I'm devastated :-( He's pretty well off financially. He's going to be living in San Jose. He's going to be having five villas built in some other town down there that he'll sell(he's an independent real estate developer/non-corporate/ very liberal) but the climate is too hot for his Husky to live in certain areas - that's why he chose San Jose. He said that it's really beautiful and that the people are wonderful. He's simply jumped the shark as far as this country is concerned. I begged him to wait until after the election but he said he simply can't stay here anymore. He says that everytime * and his gang of thugs do something, he's condoning their behavior by living here(he doesn't place ANY judgment on anyone who stays but he says that since he's of the means to leave, he's going to). He done as much activism as he can so it's not like he hasn't tried. I have to admit. If, GOD FORBID, * gets back in in Nov., I'll have to leave too. My friend and I have already figured out how I can move there. I hope I don't have to but I CAN'T AND WON'T STAY HERE IF * IS IN POWER. GOD HELP ME, I JUST CAN'T. :-(

[MercutioATC]

5. If you really want to get away from it all, go to the Osa Peninsula.

Costa Rica realizes that its #2 revenue generator (behind coffee) is ecotourism. Most of the Osa Peninsula is set aside as ecological preserve.

Fly into Port Jiminez (from Pavas in San Jose). Immediately, you're surrounded by primary and secondary rainforest (as well as scarlet mccaws, sloths, iguanas, and four species of monkeys).

I've stayed at the Iguana Lodge. Here's another property they own, right next door:

http://www.thepearloftheosa.com/

I can't speak highly enough of the region or the owners.

(the pics of the moth, toucan, squirrel monkey, tree frog, and howler monkey on the "wildlife photo" page are mine)

:)

[Elidor]

6. Many thanks for all the info - and I forgot to mention

That we want no part of resorts. We want to stay in little shacks out in the middle of nowhere. Food is our one indulgence. And cerveca. Other than that, we are two-star all the way. The last thing I want is to stay in some upscale POS resort and mingle with gringos in the bar. I want out there in the country, all those parks, local cuisine, away from my fellow gringos.

I've been reading about Ticos, and they seem to have a very enlightened culture. It's a shame that they're being overrun by gringos.

As for Nicaragua, what is their government like these days? I'm reluctant to go any closer to El Salvador.

[greatauntoftriplets]

7. Look to see if flush_bush is around.

He was down there in the last few weeks looking at land to purchase. Not sure if he is back yet, because I haven't seen him around.

Edited for subject line typo.

[Dirty Hippie]

8. Go rafting

Some of the best white water in the world. Lost of tour companies in San Jose.