Planning a Romantic Costa Rica Vacation
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If you’ve never thought about a Costa Rica vacation before, you might want to consider it now before Costa Rica is “discovered” by mass tourism! It’s a gorgeous, exotic Central American country with a treasure of natural attractions and adventures deep inside it's amazing rainforest.
Costa Rica Honeymoon travel is also becoming more popular – Costa Rican beaches are beautiful, and there is a good selection of resorts, hotels and inns for all different budgets.
This page can only “scrape the surface” on Costa Rica vacation info! We hope it can give you a basic idea of some of the Costa Rica vacation packages and tours available. We'll also look at some info on Costa Rica attractions and beaches. Travel to Costa Rica
The best time to go to Costa Rica would probably be during the dry summer season, which is usually from December to April. Although crowds haven’t been a problem so far, this is also the busiest travel season for Costa Rica. The “shoulder” seasons of May and October/November are relatively quiet.
Air Travel to Costa Rica: United, American, Delta and Continental Airlines fly to Costa Rica from the USA ( They also offer Costa Rica vacation packages as well). Miami is a major connecting point for flights to San Jose. Lacsa is the only one of any Costa Rican airlines that flys international routes.
Flight Times to Costa Rica (SJO): Flight time from Miami (MIA) to Costa Rica is 2 hrs 45 min, flying time from Dallas, Texas (DFW) to Costa Rica is 4 hrs, and flight time from New York (JFK) to San Jose, Costa Rica is 7 hrs.
Costa Rica Airports: Costa Rica’s main international airport is Juan Santamaria International (code: SJO). A recent renovation has greatly improved it, and the new terminal is looking good. It takes about 30 minutes to get from the airport to downtown San Jose by taxi. The cost is around $14 US.
If you haven't got a lot of luggage, the bus into San Jose is an option. It's very reasonably priced, and it stops just out front of the terminal (confirm with the driver that he's going downtown). Costa Rica Weather
Costa Rica weather is primarily the 2 seasons, wet (winter) and dry (summer). The Caribbean coast tends to be wetter than the Pacific coast, and the rains are usually more of the shorter, downpour-type.
Altitude affects the temperatures. San Jose is higher up, and has a very pleasant range of lows and highs ( 15 – 25 C), while the low coastal areas get somewhat hotter and stickier, from 22 to 30+ C.
Safe Travel in Costa RicaMany travelers may wonder: Is it safe to travel to Costa Rica? Well, it is considered the safest country for travel in Central America. Violent crime towards tourists is not a big problem, but you should take precautions against theft – the same as you would in America or Europe. Don’t flash money or valuables around, or leave them visible in a car. Try to avoid unlit areas in the cities at night. And beware of any Time Share or real estate deals that seem too good to be true (a popular scam).
The malaria risk in Costa Rica is relatively low, and depends on where you go. If you’re Costa Rica vacation takes you to the northern part of the country or near the Caribbean coastal border with Nicaragua, consider taking malaria pills before you travel. Consult your physician well ahead of time.
Things to Do and See in Costa RicaDay Tours in Costa RicaSome Escorted Day Tours out of San Jose include:
There are various different Costa Rica canopy tour companies, but because of the mechanics of this experience, we recommend the Original Canopy Tour, which does canopy tours in different areas of Costa Rica, including one of the most popular locations, in Monteverde. Cost is about $50 US and the tour lasts 3 hours.
If dangling by a cable over the treetops is not your style, another option is the nearby Aerial Adventures, a chairlift-style ride good for bird and wildlife viewing.
The vegetation in the rainforest is very dense, but if you look close enough, here are some of the Costa Rica rainforest animals you can see:
Some of the Best Beaches in Costa RicaOne of the most desireable features of a romantic Costa Rica vacation is it's "playas" or beaches. Here's a very short list of some of the best beaches in Costa Rica:
Pacific Coast: Caribbean Coast:
Hotels and Inns of Costa Rica
Accommodation in Costa Rica has really been booming in recent years. There are more choices than ever for romantic hotels, inns and Costa Rica resorts.
For more details and links to Hotels and Inns of Costa Rica, Click Here.
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World Famous Costa Rica Canopy Tours
The Rainforest Aerial Tram (about 60 km northeast of San Jose, $50 US) for many will best the easiest and most accessible way to see the rainforest from above. You ride the 1.6 km route in 5-passenger gondolas, and there is a guide to explain the rainforest eco system and it’s wildlife below.