How to Travel Costa Rica?

Question

I was thinking of taking my next vacation to Costa Rica. I've been looking at some areas and there are so many to choose from.

Can anyone offer advice as to what area would be good for:

Nightlife?

Tours?

Snorkeling - is the water clear enough?

Can anyone offer advice? Thanks.

Answer 1

Costa Rica is not as dangerous as other Central American countries, in fact, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have the Maras and Salvatruchas, those are a kind of local gangsters. I live here and I love it! It's obvious that all country have crime, that's part of the city's life but in CR is not very very dangerous. Maybe, it's because I live here and I'm 18 but night life is cool depending the place you go. For example, I don't go to San Jose Downtown at night because could be dangerous but rounding cities as San Pedro have great mood. I like to go with my friends to some bars there. A great advantage of Costa Rican Metropolitan Area is that this is a very little place, I mean, all "cities" are near, for example if you don't like San Pedro's bars, you can go to Zapote that is 5 min ahead, or, Escazú or Santa Ana, a very fancy places, are at 45 min aproximately.

In the case of tours, the advantage of arriving at JuanSantamaría Int'l Airport, at San José, is that, it's located on the middle of the country, so the near beach (Jacó) is at 3 hours, Irazú volcano at 2 hours, the Braulio Carrillo National Park and Rain Forest at 1 hour and Arenal Volcanoe and Lake at 3 hours. But if you arrive at Daniel Oduber Int'l Airport, at Liberia - Guanacaste, you will have near all the most beautiful beaches of Costa Rica, that are at from 1 to 2 hours, the Light Blue River at 1 hour and a half, Nicaragua's Limit at 2 hours and Rincon de la Vieja Volcanoe at 2 hours aproximately. In Guanacaste, snorkeling is cool, but if you have money you must go to Cocos Island there is a huge biodiversity, but the problem is that it's 200 miles from Costa Rica continental land. One advice is that try to keep control on your money because you will begin expending and expending on beautiful things, and at the begining you will see some stuff very cheap but sometimes have the same price or could be more than they are at the States.

Answer 2

WARNING!!!!!!!!!!

COSTA RICA IS DANGEROUS

MAYBE GO TO GUATEMALA OR PANAMA

IN GUATEMALA YOU CAN GO TO THE MAYA CULTURE

COLONIAL CITY "ANTIGUA GUATEMALA"

BLACK, GOLD AND WHITE SAND BEACHES

37 VOLCANOS

A BIG "ZONA VIVA" 150 DISCOTHEQUES

THE BEST LAKE IN THE WORD "ATITLAN"

FROM US YOU CAN GO IN

TACA

CONTIENTAL

UNITED

AMERICAN

DELTA

US AIRWAYS

SPIRIT AIR

Answer 3

try visit this website for info

http://www.travelinfocentre.com/destinat...

Answer 4

Costa Rica is a very poor country, very heavy and angry people, if they look at dollars they charge from you the triple one, you cannot take photographies opposite any person for whom almost that steal your camera from you, they  assaulted me in manuel antonio's beach in addition it is a country with many violence in centroameica better sees Guatemala or Panama they are most nice, clean, beautuful and the secutiry is better.

Answer 5

I don't know why the guy above me said Costa Rica is dangerous. IT ISN'T UNLESS YOU GO THERE LOOKING FOR DRUGS. Costa Rica is a great place to live and visit, it has lots of options and some are really inexpensive.

I don't really like nightlife, but it depends on where you do it. Downtown San Jose can be dangerous at night, so you might want to choose another option.

Tours are great, but it depends on where you go! SOme are really expensive, others aren't. For example, if you go there for a week, you might want to choose one day tours around the country, because it's a small country you can have a little bit of everything in a week. I like Monteverde, Tortuguero, Manuel Antonio, and Guanacaste.

About snorkeling, water is clear enough but it depends on where you go. Look for a travel angency and ask. I like Isla Tortuga, it's a beautiful place and you might see dolfins on the way there. There is also a camping site where you can spend a few days(if you're coming here for a week, don't camp, it would be a waste of time, though it's a wonderful experience.)

Have you considered canopy and rafting?There are a lot of inexpensive options like Monteverde for canoping and Reventazon for rafting.

Costa Rica used to be dangerous before the previous government, but if you stay in nice places, and don't go out alone at night looking for trouble, you won't get it. In fact, Guatemala is WAY more dangerous than Costa Rica. People are really nice and friendly, not like the guy above said. If you need help you will always get it here. And no, people don't charge you more if they see dollars. I'm from Costa Rica and I've taken several people from the US there and they were all thrilled wit the experience. It has very nice, clean, safe beaches and it has a balance between tourism and ecology. Don't let other people's opinions spoil yours before you go. People from Argentina and Chile don't like us costaricans because they are meaner than us.

I hope you enjoy the stay in Costa Rica...

Pura Vida!!

Answer 6

Okay, wow that was some hostility up there buddy. Cutting all this c**p

If you want a nice cool laid back beach vacation check out Mal Pais - Santa Theresa. It is a really cultural place with good music and nice surf.

http://www.malpais.net/

If you go a little further North from there you have Tamarindo which is the party place and you will find a majority of American tourists to hang and party with.

There is some really good snorkelling around Tortuga Island, and it is well worth going to visit this part of the GUlf of Nicoya for sure.

http://www.anywherecostarica.com/tortuga...

There are tour companies in every town that offer guided tours of the forest, or through the estuaries in the gulf, and they are safe. Go with a company that looks professional (which they mostly are) and tour tour tour. This country is leading the world in Eco-tourism and there are tons of great, friendly, and knowledgable people living here who love their country. Standards of living in Costa Rica are very good compared to most of Latin America and they have no military so the government put its efforts into educating the people. they have a 94.7% literacy rate here!

See you down here soon!

Answer 7

Costa Rica is the safest country in Central America in my opinion, have the nicest people, and the most natural beauty.  I live in Detroit, so saying Costa Rica is dangerous is a joke.  In fact I would say that Costa Rica pales in comparison almost ALL major US cities.  

Like the other people said . . . you have to use common sense ANYWHERE you travel.  I've been to Manuel Antonio and Guanacaste.  Both are beautiful, but Manuel Antonio was stunning.  The Pacific Coast is definitely more scenic than the Carribean, but I've heard VERY good things about the Monte Verde Cloud Forest in the interior of the Country too.  

Someday I would love to retire in Costa Rica.  Pura Vida.

Answer 8

there are dangerouse places no matter what country you go to... just use common sense and that wont hurt you.

But, Costa Rica and Belize are particularly the most pasific and safe countries in Central America.

Nightlife, Tours, Snorkeling??... Costa Rica is the all-in-one-place. Too many options, just take one and enjoy.

Clear water. 100% clear. You can even take video underwater