Backpacking in Costa Rica

Advantages: Scenery, friendliness of people, public transport, beaches!
Disadvantages: Cold showers, more expensive than rest of S.America, mosquitoes

...I spent a couple of weeks backpacking in Costa Rica during the rainy season (specifically, August - September). I had a fabulous time and learnt a lot about living on a budget. It is possible to live on around $15-17 dollars a day if you don't mind cutting back on the activities you do. One thing you will have to get used to is converting prices from colones to dollars to pounds. Generally, if a price is given in dollars straight away, be wary because its probably hugely marked up for tourists. I visted Monteverde, San Jose, Ciudad Quesada (In San Carlos), Montezuma and Tamarindo. Out of all these places, Montezuma was my favourite. We stayed in a hostel called Hotel Lys which I would not recommend at all. It was filthy and the manager was extremely unwelcoming. However, the beach was amazing. Quiet and beautiful with shallow, warm...

kittykatty31 15.09.2005 · Read review
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Review of General: Costa Rica

Costa Rica - Caribbean Coast

Advantages: spectacular and exotic wildlife, relaxed atmosphere
Disadvantages: hot & humid, possibility of storms, difficult access

...Costa Rica is a country of spectacular natural beauty having an array of attractions including exotic beaches and coral, volcanoes, mountains, tropical rainforests, scarlet sunsets and a very diverse range of wildlife covering everything from the mighty jaguar to the elusive resplendent quetzal. There is an extensive system of national parks and wildlife refuges which has helped the country become a prime eco-tourism destination. It is also a stable and prosperous nation with a long democratic tradition. The country has had no national army since 1948 and the former president, Oscar Arias, is a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. On the eastern Caribbean coastline, Costa Rica's main attractions include the tropical wildlife paradise of Tortuguero which is also one of the most important nesting sites in the world for green sea...

stuartmelvin 21.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of Caribbean Coast (Costa Rica)

Get out of here and discover beautiful Costa Rica

Advantages: Friendly, small, interesting museums
Disadvantages: There are FAR better places in Costa Rica

...I have spent quite a lot of time recently in San Jose, Costa Rica - what with spending time there on my gap year and going back to visit. This review will be about San Jose itself , but in my opinion, any tourist would be well advised to visit other places in Costa Rica (eg. coast, beaches, mountains). Many hotels in San Jose organise tours, so if you use San Jose as a base than that is fair enough! If you come to Costa Rica and only see San Jose, you will have really missed out! San Jose itself is a smallish city. The best way of getting around if you are a tourist is to use one of the official cabs . These are red with yellow signs, or orange at the airport. They are incredibly cheap, and a reasonably safe option. Always sensible to agree a price with the driver beforehand just in case he tries to rip you off later, but I never...

celticwiccagirl 21.01.2005 · Read review
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Review of San José (Costa Rica)

Monteverde Costa Rica cloud forest

Advantages: Lush, green & refreshing!
Disadvantages: Ca be wet at times

...I was planning a day and a half for the Monteverde cloud forest and ended up staying a week. There is a lot to do, and the area is very safe and comfortable. I've been in Nicaragua and Honduras (I liked these places too), but there is no way you can wander safely for hours by yourself, in the jungle, like you can do in Monteverde. Plenty of well maintain and marked trails, great diversity (primary forest, secondary forest, pre-mountain forest, waterfalls, etc.) and many other things to do like Sky Trek, a new canopy tour ( 11 zip lines, 3 suspended bridges, a observation tower, and 2 miles of lush trails, about 3 hours: $35) that was the most thrilling thing I did in Costa Rica ( the "original canopy tour" is overpriced at $45, and last only 1h15, 3 zip lines ). I liked also the reserve Santa Elena, the Children's eternal cloud...

joli65 05.04.2004 · Read review
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Review of Monteverde (Costa Rica)

I See Trees of Green, A Quetzal or Two...

Advantages: Unusual Cloud Forest & Quaker ice cream to boot...
Disadvantages: Time spent on rickety roads in rickety minibusses

...In 2007, Costa Ricans voted Monteverde (literally 'Green mountain') one of Costa Rica's Seven Wonders, though to be fair there's not all that much to choose from in such a tiny country. That said, I have visited this place as well as two of the other entries on the list (the Arenal and Poas Volcanoes) and I think the country folk made the right choice. Located in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica, Monteverde is a destination often teamed with the Arenal volcano (see previous review). We stayed here for a few days while on a whirlwind tour of the country, and having arrived (on horseback, no less) from Arenal, the difference between the two areas was stunning and immediate. Monteverde is known for its Cloud Forest reserves, and sits at an altitude of 1400m which is still almost 1000m lower than Mexico City. We stayed in Santa...

zoe_page 26.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of Monteverde (Costa Rica)

The Beautiful Girl and the Penis Bowl

Advantages: Good weather. And some different ice creams.
Disadvantages: Not much else

...we made the 500 step climb to see the 5 waterfalls - most of these are going down not up, so it's not as bad as it sounds. If you're travelling at this time of year, I would recommend the half day version that just covers La Paz since Poas is unfortunately not worth it. OTHER STUFF In Costa Rica they don't reply to a "Gracias" with the usual "De nada". They come back with "Con mucho gusto", literally, "With much pleasure". The first time someone said this to me it sounded filthy - it was the bellboy in my first hotel, and it was probably less what he said and more the way he said it, but it threw me for a minute. I quickly realised that everyone - shop assistants, taxi drivers, waiters, men, women and children - all say this, but I still remember that first time. I found the people in San Jose very friendly if a little odd...

zoe_page 25.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of San José (Costa Rica)

The Fortunate Few

Advantages: Pretty town, not too far from San Jose, with good weather
Disadvantages: Not a lot to see in town, and tours can be pricy

...decent, budget accommodations are available. Unfortunately, our motel had no hot water for our entire stay, so if you're booking your own place and you're not on a tour, I would recommend checking for somewhere that boasts "Agua Caliente" under their facilities so at least you have some comeback if they don't deliver. There is a good list of hotels here www.arenal.net/arenal-costa-rica-map.htm since many do not have their own websites. Because of the all-one-street design it's very easy to find your way around La Fortuna, but then there's not all that much to see, and you can walk the entire length of said street in about 10 minutes. Along the way, you can eat in a Soda (local, cheap restaurant), go for a massage or buy postcards. Most of the action, you see, happens out of the town. Tours ranging from white water rafting to wildlife...

zoe_page 30.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of Volcán Arenal National Park (Costa Rica)

Benalmadena the Costa del Sol

Advantages: Friendly town with lots to do, a lovely holiday.
Disadvantages: If you steer clear of the 'English Bars' there are none

...COSTA DEL SOL Benalmadea Costa, I'm afraid I was always a bit of a 'travel snob' regarding the Costa del Sol. I envisaged the types of scene in TV's Benadorm, a type of Blackpool with sun. As members of a vacation club ( it was then Sunterra now Diamon Resorts) we had the opportunity for a weeks break for relatively few points at the Sahara Sunset in Benalmadea Costa, as we could get Easy Jet airfairs to Malaga for a very low price we decided to try it. We have been three times more since then - so needless to say I was not disappointed. Benalmadena is only 15 kilometers from Malaga Airport, car hire is easily obtainable but it is only 25 euros for a taxi from the airport and there are plenty of excursions and good public transport available in the resort. It is set on the Costa del Sol between...

oldchem 31.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of Costa del Sol (Spain)

a small city but a lively city

Advantages: restaurant, views
Disadvantages: crime

..., and it is a buffet lunch, so you help yourself. Lankester gardens is a botanical garden, so you can see all types flora. There are about 800 different species. San Jose has quite a few interesting museums. One that I went to was Fidel Tristán Jade Museum which has the best Jade Collection in Costa Rica. Nightlife There are many bars open through the night. Each one is individual and plays its own chosen style of music. Some of them are: Café Loft ? plays electronic and trance music and there?s usually a live DJ. Club Bash ? plays techno and house music. This club is very popular and is extremely overcrowded. It?s a good thing the building is huge. Patogonia ? this place is very lively and you?ll find it attracts more of the younger crowd For anyone who likes gambling, San Jose is the best to go. Gambling is very much legal here...

madhatter7880 23.07.2004 · Read review
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Review of San José (Costa Rica)

Hotel Costa Caleta - Didn't Costa Fortune

Advantages: Modern, Clean, Close to amenities and beach.
Disadvantages: Bored with food, poorly staffed in bars,

...My summer holiday of 2008 was spent in Fuerteventura and my hotel of choice was the Hotel Costa Caleta. The hotel is also known by its former name Hotel Ocean Costa Caleta. Address is Av. Alcalde Juan Ramón Soto Morales Caleta de Fuste Fuerteventura Spain Tel:+34-928547550 I'm not sure if the hotel offers any car parking facilities as I hadn't needed any. It's a 3 star rated hotel and is quite modern and situated quite centrally in the resort of Costa Caleta (or Caleta de Fuste, or Castillo as it is also known) Only a short 10-15 mins transfer time from the airport. It has over 300 rooms. It was built in 2005 so is still quite new. The hotel is only about 5-10 mins walk (5km) from the beach and the shops and parks are all nearby too. They do have internet facilities with 2 PC's in the lobby with pay to use internet...

missy0303 20.08.2008 · Read review
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Review of Hotel Costa Caleta, Fuerteventura