San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, is a city of about 400,000 inhabitants. While it may lack the flashiness and glamor of other Latin American capital cities, San Jose exudes an aura of genuineness and warmth. In this humble city, you will not find an abundance of fancy shopping centers, ornate architecture or showy monuments and statutes. At its basic core, San Jose is a workingman’s town, a little rough around the edges but comfortable like a snug coat.

To really get a feel for Costa Rica’s capital city, I suggest that you go sometime around noon to the city’s Central Park located at the end of Paseo Colon, one block East of 2nd avenue - you’ll see a cross section of businessman on their lunch break, tourists enjoying the pleasant spring like weather, performing musicians and mimes as well as artists and craftsman selling their wares. Unlike other Latin American cities, you’ll encounter very little begging. Surrounding the plaza are a number of outdoor cafes, where you can sit down and enjoy a strong cup of coffee or espresso while you take in the Pura Vida vibes of Costa Rica.

If you want to see fancy boutiques, trendy restaurants and bars, I suggest that you spend some time in San José’s upscale suburb of Escazu. This is the stomping ground of the ‘Gente Plastico’ and highbrow expatriates.

Costa Rica is one of my favorite destinations - there is so much natural beauty crammed in this small country of 19,600 square miles. From the humble capital city of San Jose, located in the center of the country at about 3.600 feet above sea level, everything is close at hand - the Caribbean and the Pacific Coast are less than 90 minutes away, the lush lowland rainforests of the Caribbean slope are about 75 minutes away and the cloud forests and the volcanoes of the central highlands are less than 1 hour away. For a visitor who can afford only 7-8 days in Costa Rica, it is possible to explore a variety of habitats and life zones in a very short time period.

The following 8 day/7 night itinerary would be ideal for such a traveler:

• One night in San Jose - if you arrive during the day, you may have time for a quick highlights tour of the city and some shopping
• Two nights in the Caribbean lowlands - an opportunity to explore the lush rainforests of Costa Rica. Nature hikes, white water rafting, birdwatching etc.

Alternate: 2 nights in Tortuguero - well-established ecotourist destination located on the Northern Caribbean Coast. Wet coastal forests, very lush and green. Drive/take motorboat from San Jose/return by air. Important nesting area for both Green and leatherback turtles.

• Two nights at Bosque de Paz - private nature reserve and lodge at about 7,000 feet above sea level, Cloud forests and montane rainforests, Secluded and quiet. Ideal for hiking and nature studies

Alternate: Two nights in Monteverde - popular ecotourist destination and mountain resort straddling the continental divide. Misty cloud forests, very lush and green with views of the Pacific Ocean. Somewhat commercial but there are many attractions in the area. Many lodges to choose from. Nice social scene.

• Two nights La Fortuna – Popular resort area, and site of Arenal Volcano, most active volcano in Costa Rica

If you can afford to stay 3-5 days longer, I would add an extra night at Bosque de Paz and in San Jose and/or perhaps 2-3 nights in Manuel Antonio, a popular resort area with lush tropical landscapes and excellent beaches on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast. Alternate – any number of resort areas located on the Nicoya Peninsula (Northern Costa Rica) – Ocotal, Playa Tamarindo, Playa Samara or Nosara.

For your information, a variety of tour packages to Costa Rican are offered by Calypso Island Tours, with themes ranging from turtle watching to butterfly gardens. All these tours are fully customizable.

Costa Rica is one my favorite places in the world. It is so green and lush and the tropical landscapes are simply marvelous. In addition, the ticos have such an even temperament and are so cordial to the tourists. What a wonderful place to be!

The worst thing I can say about Costa Rica are the roads. I have driven a number of times in Costa Rica, and let me tell you thing - outside of the Pan American Highway and the scenic thoroughfare which passes through Braulio Carillo National Park to the Caribbean Coast, the roads are abysmal. There are potholes (in Spanish, huecas) of every size and shape imaginable - in general, they are somewhat circular in shape and range in size from 1 - 10 feet in diameter or more. I have heard of small cars been swallowed by huge crater size huecas.

Driving at night in a tropical downpour, while dodging huecas of every size and shape can be especially treacherous – all I can say, been there, done that! I remember very distinctly driving from Poas in the mountains just outside of San Jose on a fogged-in evening to the lowlands of San Carlos Valley. The visibility factor was next to zero! Descending from 9000 feet or so to the lowlands, the heavy mist gradually morphed into a steady rainfall, and I remember dodging pothole after pothole in my 4WD drive car rental with the hi-beams on. What a harrowing adventure that was. Thank G_D, I didn’t have a backseat driver accompanying me or that would have definitely been my last ride! My recommendation is to refrain driving at night on secondary roads and in the countryside. Better be safe then sorry!

A number of years ago (1999) while surveying the beaches and hotels in Costa Rica’s popular Tamarindo resort area, I decided to visit the Melia Resort and Country Club, a luxurious all-inclusive resort that had recently opened at Playa Conchal. While I’m not very fond of large all-inclusive resorts per say because of their rather severe environmental impact, I must admit that the Melia was tastefully done and the 18 hole professional golf course was very impressive – despite the massive amounts of water needed to maintain it. Even more impressive was the dazzling beauty of Playa Conchal, a beach that is definitely one of a kind in Costa Rica.

The sand at Playa Conchal is composed of millions of crushed seashells of many different hues; it looks white but with a decidedly pinkish tinge and is very cool to the touch – definitely not your typical sand beach. The waters are a magnificent turquoise blue with a very gentle surf - perfect for swimming and snorkeling. Reminds me a little bit of the beaches that you’ll find in the Mexican Caribbean. Besides the sprawling Melia resort which occupies the southern end of the beach, there are a number of other small resorts scattered along the hillside. Located just north of Playa Conchal, separated by a hill and some rocks, is the small village of Brasilito - the sands at Playa Brasilito are a light gray and the waters a dirty brown, quite a contrast to the neighboring Playa Conchal.

Like all beaches in Costa Rica, Playa Conchal is open to the public- however unless you are staying at Melia or at one of the hillside hotels, the only way of getting to Playa Conchal is to swim around the promontory which separates it from Playa Brasilito. The alternative is to pay the Melia Hotel a day fee to use their facilities (and have access to the beach). In my opinion, Playa Conchal is by far the most beautiful (and most unique) beach in Costa Rica.

Since I was last there in 1999, the Melia has seen been renamed the Paradisus Playa Conchal, Go Figure!

Over the years, I have visited many beaches in Costa Rica - from the long and wide white sand beaches at the popular Pacific Coast resort of Playa Tamarindo to the black volcanic beaches near Cahuita on the Caribbean coast. If you were to ask me which beach is my favorite in Costa Rica, it would be Playa Espadilla in Manuel Antonio, a popular resort area located along Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast.

Backed by a luxuriant jungle clad hillside that spills onto the shoreline, the beaches of Manuel Antonio stretch for a distance of about 5 miles from north to south. The ambiance is wild and tropical. The northern end of this white sand beach is marked by a headlands that juts out into the ocean; on the other side of the headlands is the small town of Quepos. From the roadside - in particular from La Mariposa Hotel which is located at the apex of the hill on the road to Quepos - there are some very dramatic panoramic views of the coastline and the entire resort area. Going towards the southern end of this long stretch of sand is Hotel Karahe, one of Manuel Antonio’s few beachfront hotels. From the roadside, there is a short path to the beach - the beach here is known as Playa Espadilla. In front of the Karahe’s beachfront restaurant, you’ll find a nice shaded area underneath some trees - it’s a wonderful place to relax, read a book, take a snooze or watch the people stroll by. In addition, you will probably be visited by a variety of ferocious looking iguanas looking for a handout.

At the southern end of the beach just before you hit the entrance to the National Park(about ½ mile past the Karahe) are a series of small open-air restaurants where you can buy some cold beer or have something to eat; the black bean soup here is especially tasty. Please note: Unlike the big time beach resorts in Mexico, beach vendors are very rare in Manuel Antonio and on most public beaches in Costa Rica.

A close runner up to Playa Espadilla (Manuel Antonio) as my favorite beach is the magnificent Playa Conchal. Located south of the international resort area of Tamarindo in the northern province of Guanacaste, Playa Conchal has some absolutely remarkable turquoise waters, and the brilliant white sand beach is made up of millions of tiny seashell fragments. The beach here is absolutely spectacular!