This post is updated regularly – 5/16/2010

My first recommendation is that you get my EBOOK OR AUDIO BOOK. The audio book is fun to listen to while make your way down here and it relieves the tedium of travel. The eBook has some great photos, plus you’ll be that much more informed and have a better visit.

COSTA RICA GUIDE SERVICE I am offering my personal service as a guide. I can even pick you up at the airport.
Here are some great one day tours I can give you:
Jungle Beach Adventure
Lovely Mountain Drive
Fun in the Waterfalls

WEATHER IN COSTA RICA – The Costa Rica climate varies from place to place in this small country, due to the different weather patterns created by oceans on either side and great mountain ranges inland.

The Caribbean is nicest in the late summer and fall. I love it here from August to mid October. The sun is out, the water is flat and good for snorkeling and swimming. It’s not so good for surfing at that time of year.

Springtime in the Caribbean is cooler and often just lovely. The day time temperatures in my part of Costa Rica are usually in the high 80’s. In the summer it can get into the 90’s. In the winter, the low 80’s and even the high 70’s. Of course it is somewhat cooler at night.

In the Caribbean we get the most rain from November to January. It also rains in May thru July but there’s lots of sun, too.
It is warm when it rains. You won’t need more than a light jacket for outer wear.

COSTA RICA TRAVEL TIPS

WHERE TO STAY
NEAR THE AIRPORT: Vida Tropical is a great B&B right near the airport. It is clean, cheap and charming.

IN PUERTO VIEJO: Email me if you are looking for something specific and I’ll help you. There are several backpacker’s hostels in Puerto Viejo.
Casa Verde and El Pizote are very nice family hotels, both with pools and various price levels for rooms. For the most peace and quiet, you might like to stay in Cocles, rather than Puerto Viejo. For a hotel right on the beach, I like Villas Del Caribe.

El Tesoro is a good, low priced place, right across from Beach Break – the surfer’s beach. This is a nice beach to walk and watch the surfers. It is not good for swimming, as the rip currents are dangerous.

La Isla Inn is a lovely hotel with a few more amenities. It is also right across from the surfer’s beach. It has air conditioning, a pool and wifi, which is nice if you brought a laptop.

Puerto Viejo is nice to go out but can be noisy. Cocles is less party and more residential. It is about three miles from Puerto Viejo. You can get a cab for $3 or $4.00, the bus goes through three times a day, you can rent a bike for about $3.00 a day or you can walk along the beach or even hitchhike safely in the daytime. Don’t walk very far or ride your bike after 7 p.m.

Korrigan Lodge is further down the road from Puerto Viejo, in Punta Uva. Aa a real jungle lodge should be, this small family hotel, recently built, is nestled in the tropical forest within the Manzanillo-Gandoca wildlife refuge. This is an ideal place to fully appreciate the richness of nature with its lush vegetation and its abundance of animal life.

WHERE TO EAT: Costa Rica food is pretty good but the word often used to describe it – typical – applies. It is not as flavorful or varied as Mexican. My favorite restaurant is Cafe Ivon. Here you can experience authentic Caribbean style cooking, while looking out over the ocean, in a relaxed, casual atmosphere. You can also meet my daughter (who works there) and her boyfriend, Jonnathan, who owns the restaurant. It is a second floor restaurant across from the beach. Jonnathan is a born and raised local. The restaurant is named after and devoted to his mother, who passed away a few years ago. He’s a great kid and a good cook, too.

WHAT TO DO: Use my guide service and I can take you to the waterfall at Volio. It is amazing! That’s my son in the photo below. My daughter’s boyfriend, Jonathan, born and raised here, can take you on an all day tour which includes two waterfalls and to the Bri Bri (Indigenous) reservation. We went there and talked to the tribal leader, Timateo. It was fascinating – a great insider’s look at Costa Rica culture. Jonathan also gives excellent salsa dancing lessons. Contact me to reach him or stop in at Cafe Ivon.

When you are tooling around Puerto Viejo, be sure to stop at Caribeans Coffee for a frozen coffee. It is a great place to meet people.

There are several little towns along the beach road, between Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo. Punta Uva has the most popular, swimming beach. Go to Manzanillo for a jungle tour of the park and have dinner at historic, Maxi’s. Maxi opened his restaurant over thirty years ago, before the bridges and roads were built, before they even had electricity in that town. Look for local tour guide Carlos Leon (8826-6599 or 2759-9070) in Manzanillo. It is well worth the reasonable price he charges to take you through the jungle and tell you all about the plants and animals. You can also get a boat ride in Manzanillo and go to Punta Mona (there are no roads there), which has an organic farm and teaches sustainable living. Punta Mona is gorgeous! Ask someone at Maxi’s for Bacalao. He is the one to call for the boat ride.

COSTA RICA TRANSPORTATION: I highly recommend Interbus or Grey Line to get here from San Jose. You can also take the public bus, but that gets a bit more complicated. Email me for more help with this. For finding your way around San Jose, I highly recommend taxi driver Gerardo Villegas. He will help you find whatever you need and even drive you to other parts of the country. He speaks English, is absolutely trustworthy and is lots of fun. Links are below.

None of these people or places compensate me. I just like to connect good people and be of help. If you think of it, tell them I sent you.

LINKS:

Costa Rica Tours – Elaine Bobbitt, a lively and vivacious American woman, takes groups on adventures throughout the La Fortuna and Volcano Arenal area. In her jungle world there are hot springs, hiking to waterfalls, volcanoes, butterfly gardens, botanical gardens and other excursions.

El Puente – the Bridge – My friends Barry and Nancy created this non profit to offer educational assistance, food, and microloans to indigenous people in Costa Rica.

The Servas Program – A way to travel immersed in the culture, promoting peace through cultural understanding.

Intercultura Language School – the excellent school I went to in Heredia.

The Best Taxi Driver in Costa Rica – my friend, Gerardo Villegas

Insiders’ Limon – Audio Guide to the Caribbean Coast – This is a CD collection with cool music and interesting information!

Boomers Offshore - A website for those seeking new life experiences in Latin America and outside the United States.

Tico Times Directory Blog – more interesting information on Costa Rica.

Puerto Viejo – Just about everything you need to know about Puerto Viejo is here.

Grey Line or Interbus – A great way to get around the country!
Costa Rica Travel Directory – It has links to all kinds of Costa Rica web sites.

Costa Rica Blog - Interesting information written by an expat from Chicago.

Costa Rica News – Up to date information along with reader’s comments.

Danza de Mariposas – Ocean view lots and houses near San Ramon
Rancho Lobo – Country living, cool climate near San Ramon
Solo Bueno – Real Estate Sales and Rentals in San Ramon