TRAVEL GUIDE: COSTA RICA

Costa Rica is a traveler's dream with rainforests, active volcanoes and great surf spots. Exploring this diverse country offers the chance to see a wealth of animals, from a variety of monkeys to toucans, butterflies and sloths. Add to this a vibrant culture and a relaxed, friendly attitude, and you have the perfect antidote to the toxic pace of modern life. Highlights include the remote jungle of the Osa Peninsula, the Amazon-like canals and fauna of Tortuguero National Park, the lush landscape around Arenal Volcano and the misty, magical Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve. The spirit of "Pura Vida" makes visitors feel right at home.

TOP 10 ROMANTIC DESTINATIONS
Costa Rica
Stunning natural rainforests and exotic landscapes make Costa Rica not only a superb romantic getaway, but also an eco-friendly one. There are so many romantic things to see and do in Costa Rica, including a trip to the Irazu and Poas volcanoes or the romantic La Paz Waterfall and Butterfly Gardens.

TRAVEL FEATURE
Pacific Explorer Cruise
Experience untouched Costa Rican nature and the Panama Canal on this small yet intimate cruise from the Cruise West company, where fresh ingredients—and food for thought—replace fancy ballrooms and glitzy entertainment.

ALAJUELA

TOP HEALTH RETREAT
Pura Vida Retreat & Spa
If you're looking to learn more about yoga, this is the place. The natural beauty of Costa Rica provides the backdrop for this mountaintop estate, which overlooks the Irazú, Barva and Poás volcanoes and the Central Valley all the way to San José.

ARENAL VOLCANO

TOP SPA
Tabacon Hot Springs
The famed Tabacon Hot Springs Resort & Spa, nestled against active Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica's Northern plains region, offers a labyrinth of hidden thermo mineral pools, cascading waterfalls and rivers to lounge in, set against lush foliage and bright, large tropical flowers.

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COYOTE MOUNTAIN

TOP 10 HOTEL CULINARY SCHOOLS
Hotel & Inn at Coyote Mountain
The only vacation cooking school in Central America holds one- to three-day inclusive cooking vacations with accommodations, meals and hands-on instruction in the heart of Costa Rica on a 70-acre nature preserve.

Top 10 Hotel Culinary Schools

GUANACASTE

PRIVATE ESCAPE
Hacienda Cabo Velas
Few properties in the world are as select and as secluded as Hacienda Cabo Velas. It is part of the small Sanctuare collection, a new breed of resort group that is upping the ante on the definition of privacy.

TOP 10 DIVING HOTELS
Ocotal Scuba Diving Resort
Discover massive schools of fish, rays, jacks, whale sharks, giant mantas, sea turtles, bull sharks, white tip sharks and dolphins at the only all-in dive resort in Costa Rica, which is situated along Costa Rica's Northern Pacific coastline and offers panoramic views.

SANTA TERESA & MALPAIS

TOP 10 VALUE HOTELS WORLDWIDE
Hotel Milarepa
Asian architecture and a beautiful setting are combined at the Milarepa Hotel, a collection of four exotic bungalows. Surrounded by pale golden beaches, tide pools and densely wooded hills, the property offers the splendor of nature along with an array of water activities.

TAMARINDO

TOP 10 YOGA RETREATS
Los Altos de Eros
Day-long yoga immersions in a place of stillness and peace. A lush spa carved into the side of a hill. Healthy cuisine with an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables. Do we have you sighing yet? This luxurious hilltop retreat’s name roughly translates to “the heights of love,” and the designation is indeed apt.

For more information visit the Costa Rica Tourism and Travel Bureau.

Guides for other parts of the world

(Updated: 03/09/11 CT)

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