You finally did it… the plane tickets are booked you have an idea of the fun activities to do and your ready to plan out an amazing vacation in Costa Rica. Now it’s time line up your accommodations or even find a vacation rental home in Costa Rica for a longer stay or permanent living situation if you plan to join the ever growing ex-patriot community looking to stretch those retirement funds.

But first there are lots of things to consider: do you hotel it, motel it, stay at a bed and breakfast, hostel, vagabond from place to place or do something else? There are a lot of options when it comes to finding just the right vacation rental in Costa Rica and a major part of that decision is going to be on just what part of the country you plan on staying in and what sort of budget you have for your vacation. The capitol city of San Jose has a wide variety of accommodations and lots of options whereas some remote destinations like La Paz really only have the resort to stay at so your options are limited.

You are also going to want to keep in mind where you’re going especially if you’re on a budget, if you want to rent a small little bungalow right on the beach in Tamarindo expect to pay a lot more than perhaps a modest house nestled among the Ticos in Heredia. Same goes for staying on the gringo side of town in Escazu, sure you can get a very cool condo with all the amenities you will be accustomed to in the states at hand but it’s going to cost *a lot* more.

But let me stop and back up just for a quick a second and talk about just some of the places to visit while vacationing and where you might want to look for a vacation rental house in Costa Rica or some sort of other accommodation like a hotel.

First San Jose is the capitol of Costa Rica and has one of the international airports nearby for easy access. It’s a very large city and houses most of the country’s population and as such in any big city you can expect a higher possibility of crime and petty theft so it’s best to observe common sense and stay out of seedy areas especially at night. San Jose has everything you could want and need including medical facilities, busses and you can do a lot of activities and adventurer day trips.

Now San Jose has some smaller towns or suburb areas nearby the most notable ones being Escazu and Alajuela. Alajuela is where the airport is located and there are some hotels nearby… of course you’re going to pay a bit more if you stay at the Marriott than if you go with some place a little more off the beaten path that isn’t going to be listed on travel booking sites.

In particular I enjoyed the Hotel Buena Vista, although it’s a bit more than walking distance outside of Alajuela it does have incredible views of the valley plus the last time I stayed there is was fifty bucks a night in the off season! Another place comparable is called Melrost B&B.

Arenal is another area that is popular due to volcano and Lake Arenal which is popular with windsurfers and people who like to fish for the guapote (rainbow bass) and river rafters and kayakers. The Arenal volcano area is also a famous destination area due to the hot spring resorts that attract the crowds coming to soak in the natural hot water in the shadow of the volcano. At night you can watch the lava flows as they come pouring down the side of the mountain, it’s a really cool experience. At Arenal you can bunk up at one of the resorts, or motel at the town of La Fortuna or there are lots of other vacation rental homes in the surrounding area.

Lastly there is the Pacific Ocean side of the Costa Rica which tends to be incredibly popular in some areas like Jaco Beach, Guanacaste and Tamarindo. You are going to find these areas are a bit more expensive due to their popularity with the vacationers and tourists who come to hang out on the beach, surf, deep sea fish or ride the amazing zip line canopy tour at Jaco. Liberia is on the northern end of Costa Rica near Nicaragua and practically right on the Pacific and has an international airport so you can save on transportation expenses to and fro San Jose.

Finally I am going to clue you into a little bit of a secrete if you haven’t adventured to other countries before, especially ones that work on kickbacks like Costa Rica does: if you deal with your own people your more than likely going to pay may than if your dealing with a local. The very best way to find a vacation rental home in Costa Rica is to get hooked up with a good driver who knows all the places and can fit something it to just about anyone’s budget… and with the economy the way it is these days everyone is probably looking to travel a bit lighter on the budget.

Keep that in mind, its just like following the crowd at chow time to find a good place to eat at Jaco Beach. Go where the locals go or in this case find a local to get a great deal on a place to sleep.

One option to consider when looking for a vacation rental is Craigslist. Craigslist has lots of listings for vacation rental homes in Costa Rica but more often than not these listing on CL are just gringos or ex-pats slanging over-priced vacation rentals (albeit some of them might be very posh and well worth the money) to other gringos. The real deals for the budget conscious are going to be had by a local Costa Rican tico or tica who may or may not even know about Craigslist and probably doesn’t speak English anyway. If you can’t get a referral for a driver from a friend then book the regular hotel for a few days and then try and track down a local who can get you hooked up with a great vacation rental home in Costa Rica, there are a ton of them waiting to help just outside of the arrival terminal at the airport in San Jose.

Hurry up and download your free Costa Rica vacation guide written by John Andersen detailing all the fun adventures and hot spots to hit like La Paz, Jaco Beach or the Arenal Volcano region when visiting or living in wonderfull Costa Rica.

The food in Costa Rica isn’t extravagant or way out there as far as exotic food goes but its simple and tastes delicious. Often a meal will consist of rice and beans with some sort of protein (even at breakfast – they mix it with some sort of meat or sausage and call it pinto gallo) along with a side salad made from shredded lettuce with avocado… you will also find a good selection of fruit, plantain and yucca as well since they are big crops grown there. Yucca root is a starch sort of like a potatoe and is rather quite tastey when fried and plantain can be good too served as part of a meal or prepared with cinnamon as a dessert.

Again most food that is eatin by the locals are simple meals but very good and filling. The beef you find served in restraunts is not very fatty and not nearly as tender compared to what you will probably be used to eating so stick with the chicken which is typically served con salsa which is a mild sauce. The Costa Rican chicken by the way is much better than the chicken found in most of the US, I don’t know what they do to it but it just tastes better.

Anyhow,  on the Pacific Ocean side at Jaco Beach of course its a very touristy area (read lots of gringos) with lots of different activties like zip lines both the canopy tour through the rain forest or the superman style where you literally fly down the mountain side in a few seconds. You will also find gringo eating establishments like subway sandwiches at Jaco, but if you want good food all you need to do is just follow the locals at noon to a nearby soda.

Now soda’s are found all over Costa Rica and they offer cheap but good meals very quickly, sort of styled like a Mexican taqueria you see a lot in the states especially California. You will usually find the working tico’s eating at a soda for lunch… so at Jaco a good soda to eat at after your zipline adventures is called Soda la China, don’t let the drab green color of the building and the plastic chairs out front fool you. Soda la China is good and cheap and you will find locals eating there.

So remember to follow the crowd at chow time… don’t be a gringo and eat where the gringos eat, thats like going to a Red Lobster in Hawaii… it just wouldn’t make much sense. Get out and experience authentic Costa Rican food! Its generally very safe if you use common sense and follow good hygiene practices like washing your hands before eating.

Some Tico's getting food at a Jaco Beach soda in Costa Rica

However on the positive side the proposed departure tax is only a mere $15 and I’m sure most vacationers coming to Costa Rica won’t have much of a problem paying such a small tax.

The flip side to the coin is that there is already a departure tax you must pay when leaving the country which begs the question why have yet another tax?

Fortunately for vacationers the Internation Air Transport Associate (IATA) is on your side and is pushing against the arrival tax by claiming it will deter visitors from coming to Costa Rica and will opt instead to visit other nearby countries.

Pura Vida,
-John Andersen

One of the more adventuresome things you can do while vacationing in Costa Rica is to ride one of the many zip line or canopy tours. From being strapped in like superman and flying down the cable at incredible speeds or just touring through the jungle canopy, the zip lines are great fun!

One of the popular zip lines (featured in the video above) is located near Jaco Beach on the Pacific Ocean side of Costa Rica… it’s just a short distance south of and down the highway past the turn off to Jaco itself.

That turn off road to Jaco also has a great little soda to eat at, Soda La China… forget eating at the sub-sandwich chain nearby and stick to the authentic Tico cuisine!

Anyway once you show up at the base station and sign your life away you get all geared up and pile into the tractor to haul you and ten of your closest friends up the steep trail going up the mountain side… along the way you get to stop for a great photo opportunity of Jaco Beach and then pile back in and continue on up to the starting platform.

This particular canopy tour consists of several different runs to platforms high up in the trees. This is certainly not the ride for you if you are afraid of heights. A fair warning that some of the lines are faster than others, and one in particular they will let you ride it upside down! Just remember to sit back and keep your hand on the cable to control how fast you go.

If you have never ridden a zip line before give this one at Jaco a go, not only is it alot of fun but it offers incredible, breath taking views making it a great Cost Rica vacation spot!

Pura Vida,
-John Andersen

Here is the second article in the series of posts on some great places to go, see and things to do when planning your Costa Rica vacation. Enjoy!

Baldi Hot Springs is another natural hot spring, much like Tabacon, but without the price tag… however it offers many of the same services.

On my last trip to Costa Rica I spent several hours at Baldi soaking in the natural springs in the shadow of the formidable Arenal Volcano and followed it up with a great full body massage in one of the quaint open air massage rooms and an ice cold mojito at the bar.

Baldi touts over 30 hot and cold water pools with several swim up full service bars and a couple of fun water slides. You also have the option of the eating lunch or dinner at the on-site restaurant.

If you are looking for a place to let loose and have fun Baldi is just the ticket as it is a popular with the younger, party type of crowd and the large tour operations as well. For more information on Baldi Hot Springs check out http://www.arenal.net/baldi-hot-springs.htm

Pura Vida,
-John Andersen

Tabacon Hot Springs is a five star world class resort located in the rain forest jungle at the Arenal Volcano region of Costa Rica. Imagine immersing yourself in naturally heated water cascading down into several pools surrounded by lush foliage and flower gardens native to Costa Rica.

After fully relaxing in the hot spring be sure to pamper yourself with the full range of spa and massage services including private yoga sessions. Afterwards round out your day with buffet or ala carte style dining in one of two restaurants or sipping down your favorite cocktail at the swim up or regular bar.

Unless you are staying at the deluxe accommodations at Tabacon or the nearby town of La Fortuna you will want to get an early start in the morning as it takes several hours (depending on the number of stops) to make the journey to Arenal from the city of San Jose… the roads are single lane highways twisting through the mountain and are poorly maintained.

When making your plans you should definitely put Tabacon on the itinerary of your Costa Rica vacation stops and enjoy lounging in true serenity and relaxation at one of the best places Costa Rica has to offer.

The website for Tabacon is http://www.tabacon.com

Pura Vida,
-John Andersen

1. Check out the Rain Forest. Costa Rica has a bunch of nature preserves set aside by the government and open public use. Another great place to check out for the nature scene is called La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

2. Take a leisurely tour on an aerial tram or for the adrenaline seeker a zip line canopy tour through the jungle.

3. Plan a day at the beach! The better beaches to check out are located on the Pacific Ocean side, in particular Jaco, Quepos and Playa Hermosa are popular with the beach going and surfing crowds.

4. Fishing on both the Pacific and Carribbean oceans for trophy fish like tarpon. There is also fresh water fishing at the Arenal Volcano for rainbow bass.

5. Get wet while white water rafting in Manuel Antonio, Heredia or Quepos. Costa Rica has lots of challenging rafting adventures.

6. Relax, chill out and have fun at world class resorts and natural hot water spas at the Arenal Volcano or smaller secluded resorts near San Jose like Xandari.

Pura Vida,
-John Andersen

The major attraction to Arenal is the natural hot spring resorts including Baldi Hot Springs and the world class Tabacon Hot Springs. At these fantastic natural springs you can enjoy soaking your tired body in the hot flowing water heated by the volcano while downing an ice cold beverage at one of the many swim up bars.

Afterward a relaxing soak finish off an amazing day by following up the hot springs with complete spa services including a full body massage and a fantastic dinner rounding out the evening. If you don’t plan on staying at one of the resorts like Tabacon Hot Springs or Baldi the nearby town of La Fortuna has everything you need including ample lodging, stores, and dining options in particular a great outdoor restaurant.
 
For an incredible night show you can hop in the car and drive a short distance down the road past La Fortuna for several kilometers then segue onto a dirt road to the backside of Arenal, you don’t have to worry about getting lost… just follow the other cars and tour busses headed to the same place. After a short ride down the dirt road you get to watch the amazing lava flows as they spurt, tumble and flow down the mountainside.

Pura Vida,
-John Andersen