Bruce Conord - Costa Ricas Pacific Coast

Costa Rica's Pacific Coast

Bruce & June Conord

HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC,

www.hunterpublishing.com

comments@hunterpublishing.com

Ulysses Travel Publications

4176 Saint-Denis, Montral, Qubec

Canada H2W 2M5; 514-843-9882, ext. 2232

Roundhouse Group

Millstone, Limers Lane, Northam

Devon, EX39 2RG, England; 01237-474474

Hunter Publishing, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

This guide focuses on recreational activities. As all such activities contain elements of risk, the publisher, author, affiliated individuals and companies disclaim responsibility for any injury, harm, or illness that may occur to anyone through, or by use of, the information in this book. Every effort was made to insure the accuracy of information in this book, but the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, liability for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.

The Conords have been traveling and writing about their journeys for years. They enjoy adventure and ecological travel, as well as historical and cultural forays in foreign lands. Their other Hunter titles, Adventure Guide to the Yucatn, Adventure Guide to Costa Rica, Cancn, Cozumel & The Riviera Maya Alive!, and Pocket Adventures Yucatn garnered critical acclaim and won several prestigious travel writing and photography awards from the North American Travel Journalists' Assoc.

Bruce went to Rutgers University and has written biographies of John Lennon, Bill Cosby and Cesar Chavez. He has worked as an import manager, teacher, advertising executive, copywriter and publisher's representative. Writing, photography, soccer and travel are his passions.

June grew up in southwest England and went to Plymouth Art College. Whenever she gets near the ocean, she feels happy. Her professional credits include numerous newspaper and magazine articles and stock photography. She has edited, photographed and worked alongside Bruce in many of their joint efforts to eke out a living and travel more. For relaxation, she could happily spend all day on a pebble beach, poking a stick in rock pools and collecting shells.

Their individual work is represented by a stock photography agency and together their photographs of Mexico have been featured at an exhibit in the prestigious New York Arts Club.

Visit their website at www.adventureguides.com.

1. 1. Environment
2. 1. Handy Hints

Costa Rica is a magical land known for beautiful scenery and friendly people. Historic political stability and intriguing Latin-American culture attract all kinds of vacationers. But it is the host of natural wonders and ecological diversions that draws most visitors - and adventure opportunities abound.

Whitewater raft through pristine jungles, or bathe in natural hot water springs. Slide through a canopy of trees on a high wire. Visit coffee farms and banana plantations. Sunbathe on beaches of black volcanic or powdery white sand. Watch a nighttime volcano eruption put on a fireworks display of ruby-red hot lava. See endangered giant sea turtles dig nests and lay their eggs. Climb to the top of a high volcano and look down into its crater filled with a turquoise blue lake. Visit one of the many butterfly farms, or stare back at a poisonous snake at a Serpentarium. Surf, snorkel, hike, bike, camp, eat, dance, read a book - Costa Rica offers a smorgasbord of pastimes for your pleasure. We've been many times and find more to do and see each time we visit. Maybe we'll see you there on our next trip!

You know the old saying. If you find fault with our book, please tell us - but if you like it, tell a friend! We have arranged this guide in a way that makes it easy for readers ether to plan an itinerary or get right into the details of specific adventures. Unless you're just going to one area, travel in Costa Rica always involves passing through the Central Valley. The best way to think of it is as a spoked wheel, with San Jos as the hub. Costa Rica is small enough to get from coast to coast in one long day of driving, or half an hour in a plane. You can see a lot of the country even if you are based in the capital.

We divided our guide into regions: San Jos; the Central Valley; the Northwest; the Nicoya Peninsula; Pacifica (the Central Pacific Coast); the Caribbean Coast; and Zona Sur, the Southern Pacific. Each offers its own diverse enjoyments.

We also wrote this Adventure Pocket Guide with an ecologically responsible slant. Costa Rica is an environmental paradise - so don't be a tourist, be an eco-tourist.

Flexible travelers can always get a lot out of their vacations, and that's especially true in Costa Rica. Starting in San Jos and wandering off to find your pleasures can be a great way to go. The main north-south road is the Inter-American Highway, which connects the towns of La Cruz (near the Nicaraguan border) with Canoas (on the border with Panama).

Nearly every major establishment we mention in this guide has e-mail and a website; we've included the web address after the phone number. Those establishments without their own websites are still likely to have e-mail; we've listed only the e-mail in these cases. Because Internet cafs come and go faster than we can type, we haven't bothered to list them. Just ask. There will be one nearby; if not, find a post office - they have computers for use.

If you find things are different than we have suggested in the pages of this book, please let our publisher know or send us an e-mail directly (book@adventureguides.com). The same goes if you've found something good that we didn't include - let us know. Our goal is to make your vacation the best ever!

Although we made every effort to be as thorough, complete and accurate as possible, things change in Costa Rica - sometimes muy rapido. We use a system of dollar-sign symbols to let you know the cost of various accommodations and restaurants.

There's tons of information available. Make sure you read our Handy Hints section. And, if you plan to rent a car, please read our driving tips below.

There are several sources of Costa Rican information on the web. The government's official site is www.tourism-costarica.com. If you'd like to have a Costa Rica tourism brochure mailed to you, call them at tel. 800/343-6332. Some good maps can be found for purchase or download at www.mapcr.com.

Other good resources include www.costarica.com, www.therealcostarica.com, www.centralamerica.com and www.bruncas.com. Gay and lesbian travel info can be found at www.gaycostarica.com. For a round- up of hotels, log on to www.hotels.co.cr or the association website, www.costaricanhotels.com. Check bus routes and schedules online at www.costaricabybus.com.

If you want to keep up with news in Costa Rica, look every Friday at www.ticotimes.net and check daily on www.insidecostarica.com and www.amcostarica.com, where you can sign up for daily headlines by e-mail. La Nacion newspaper has an English-language site,