Are you in a wintertime funk, Bucko? Are your better days behind you? Don’t let the world pass you by, get out of your funk! A Costa Rica vacation may be just what the doctor ordered. Consider:
1. Airfares are unbelievable right now. They have not been this low for years. And, with Costa Rica tourism down by about fifteen percent this year, an informed and frugal traveler can really take advantage of the plight of resorts, hotels, and hostels. Luxury resorts like the Hilton Papagayo are offering accomodations around $160.00 a night, seniors pay even less, and more budget-conscious folks who travel Costa Rica can stay at very nice Costa Rica hostels (some with private rooms) for about $12.00. For the finest deals, visit between May and mid-November. Tip: look for a cash discount because many places offer substantial price reductions for cash. Do not be shy: ask and ye shall receive!
2. With nearly 800 miles of coast visit some of the exquisite Costa Rica beaches. Hike off of Drake Bay, named after Sir Francis Drake, who visited the southern Costa Rica Pacific coast a decade before sinking the Spanish Armada and saving England in 1588. You can even walk the same Caribbean beach where Columbus named Costa Rica 600 years ago. Sandy beaches, coral and shell beaches, and boulder strewn beaches are everywhere.
3. Frolic on the same Costa Rica beaches as Mel Gibson and Britney Spears. Be sure to bring your surfboard because some of the best surfing in the world is found here. Most beaches are completely free but if you prefer to visit a very popular national beach park called Manuel Antonio, there will be a small entry fee.
4. Discover Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean coast, the world’s largest green sea turtle preserve. Or, check out Ostional National Preserve on the popular Pacific Gold Coast, where thousands of olive ridley sea turtles come ashore in massive nestings, called “arribadas”, perhaps the largest spectacle of its kind in the world. Arribadas occur year-round but the biggest (sometimes involving hundreds of thousands of turtles) typically are from July through November when the moon is in its last quarter. And, keep in mind that Costa Rica ecotourism is helping to conserve endangered sea turtles, exotic macaws, and many other species.
5. Think Green. Imagine the Switzerland of Latin America with nearly as many different species of birds as in the entire continental U.S., more than 900. It is a peaceful democracy with more species of butterflies than Africa—all of Africa. 10% of the species of butterflies on earth live in a place comprising just 1/10,000 of the earth’s surface.
6. If you are adventurous and fit, visit magnificent Corcovado National Park on the southern Pacific Coast, a place National Geographic calls “the most biologically intense place on earth.” Though small, it is true wilderness that hosts the largest remaining population of scarlet macaws in all of Central America, including crocodiles, monkeys, and six kinds of wild cat, including the spectacular jaguar, not to mention some of the tallest primary forest remaining in this region of the world. Bring your camera, bandaids for blisters, and mosquito repellant.
About the author: Vic Krumm lives in sunny Costa Rica. Visit his lovely, authoritative website about Costa Rica Vacationsand if you like whales look at Costa Rica Humpback Whales
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