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Gift-giving season is upon us; why not give the gift of travel to Costa Rica?
Finding the perfect gift can be a challenge, but you can never go wrong with a trip to Costa Rica. Do something unique this holiday season; give the gift of travel to Costa Rica in 2018.
A good travel date is one of the first decisions you’ll need to make about your gift. High season begins mid-November and runs through April. It’s warmer and drier than during the green season (May – October), meaning more there will be people and higher rates. Green season, marked by daily rains, which will by no means dampen your vacation as the rain is typically a half day occurrence, is less crowded and less expensive.
You’ll be spoiled for choice of destination because of Costa Rica’s varied climate, geography, and vast biodiversity. A family vacation probably means selecting one or two destinations. Couples, on the other hand, could consider multiple locations around the country. Regardless, a good jumping off point is often San José.
Hotel Grano de Oro, a colonial mansion turned boutique hotel, is in the heart of the city of San Jose. Each room is unique, and the city’s fabulous Central Market is only a few minutes from the hotel. San José is the perfect introduction to Tico culture: museums, theatres, restaurants, and tours are all nearby.
About an hour north of San José, is Peace Lodge on the flanks of Poas Volcano, set on the grounds of La Paz Waterfall Gardens. The gardens are open to lodge guests, with five miles of trails, aviary, butterfly observatory, hummingbird garden, serpentarium, jungle cats exhibit and frog exhibit.
Either hotel in the Central Valley means day trips to area attractions are doable. Tour options include coffee plantations, whitewater rafting on the Pacuare River, ziplining, as well as trips to either coast and personalized options.
From San José, you’ll just need to choose a direction. With beaches on two coasts, multiple national parks and nature reserves, volcanoes, and wildlife galore, you’re practically guaranteed a trip to remember. Here’s our whirlwind tour of Costa Rica to help you decide.
In Guanacaste on the northern Pacific Coast, Hotel Capitan Suizo sits above Playa Tamarindo next door to Las Baulas Marine National Park; there, leatherback turtles nest in the area during nesting season. Tamarindo Bay’s calm waters are perfect for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, or lazing the day away on the beach. Guanacaste boasts dry tropical forests, reminiscent of the African savannah, which contrast sharply with the nearby cloud forest, giving a different face to most visitor’s view of Costa Rica.
Set in the Monteverde cloud forest, Hotel Belmar boasts Tirolian chalet-style buildings surrounded by gardens of native plants, vegetables and herbs. Next door to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, this elegant boutique hotel’s focus is on sustainability: from the farm-to-fork organic produce to eco-tours of the surrounding countryside, including horseback riding, birdwatching, or hiking.
Villa Caletas and Alma del Pacifico, on the Central Pacific coast, mean fun in the sun and on the water. Villa Caletas overlooks the Nicoya Gulf, while Alma del Pacifico is closer to Marino Ballena National Park in Uvita. Tour options include Manuel Antonio National Park, whitewater rafting on the Savegre River or kayak to Damas Island, as well as ziplining, horseback riding, snorkeling, and kayaking for an opportunity to be up-close-and-personal with the sights and sounds of the natural world. From whales to aracaris, canopy to coral reef, the Central Pacific coast is what most folks think of when they think of Costa Rica.
Farther south, on Golfo Dulce and accessible only by boat, Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge is the ultimate, and intimate, back-to-nature destination. With the old growth rainforests of Corcovado, Piedras Blancas national parks in the backyard, and the gulf on the doorstep, this award-winning eco-lodge delivers eco-adventure after eco-adventure for everyone.
In the heart of Costa Rica’s agricultural Cartago Province, and midway between San José and Limón, is Casa Turire. A lakeside, boutique hotel, Casa Turire harks back to the traditions of CR’s old plantations. Tours include visits to Reventazón River, Lankester Botanical Garden, and Irazú and Turrialba volcanoes, and the ruins of the prehistory city of Guayabo. Ziplining, biking, hiking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, and canyoneering are also options for getting out into the surrounding area.
Staff at any of these distinctive boutique hotels can help with every aspect of planning your trip. From inquiry to booking, you can rely on impeccable professional service to address all the details of your unique, and impressive, holiday gift of Costa Rica travel.
Regardless of how you celebrate this holiday season, Costa Rica in 2018 is the gift of “Pura Vida” for you and your loved ones.
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