Costa Rica

Maxine Levaren

How to explain Costa Rica? It's jungles and beaches, national parks, banana and coffee plantations. It's microchip manufacturers and mountains, and rice and beans, and…

But let me start at the beginning...

The most progressive country in the region, Costa Rica has compulsory education, universal healthcare and a large portion of it is protected reserves and national parks. Because of this, one of the country's greatest draws is eco-tourism. In this small country, you can explore such a variety of environments as rainforests, cloud forests, beaches and mountains. You'll also see numerous species of birds, mammals, reptiles, plants, trees, butterflies and the not-so-attractive biting insects.

Adventure sports are another popular reason to visit Costa Rica. The surfing, sport fishing, scuba diving and whitewater rafting are some of the best in the world. Hikers, kayakers, bikers and windsurfers will also find great locations to enjoy their own favorite adventure flavor.

There's so much to see it's almost impossible to enjoy all of it in just a short time. Instead of rushing through, my best advice is to pick a few areas to see in depth. If you do the Caribbean coast this time, you can check out the Pacific coast, the mountains or the rainforest on your next trip.

Because your flight will put you in San Jose, the nation's capital, I, too, will start our tour in the city. San Jose is clean and modern, with a wide range of accommodations, from five-star luxurious to B&B to basic. As in any large city, you'll find all types of cuisine, including the ubiquitous pizza and burgers; however, if you want a true taste of Costa Rica, make sure you eat rice and beans, and try the variety of tropical fruits.

A walking tour of San Jose can take you to a jade museum, a museum of gold, several government buildings and churches. Use the grandiose Teatro Nacional as your base of operations. It's a great people-watching spot, where you can enjoy a relaxing cold drink at a nearby outdoor café (if you're lucky, you can get tickets to an evening's concert while you're there.)

You can also walk to several crafts markets, but if you really want to revel in Costa Rican crafts, catch a bus and visit Sarchi. This small town just outside San Jose is where you can find everything from painted oxcarts to cowhide folding chairs; however, to get a taste of Costa Rica's claim to fame, you'll have to "get outta town."

One of the jewels of Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast is Tortuguero. This national park is set between a river and the sea. A number of lodges- some rustic and others quite luxurious-line a navigable canal, which we sailed along for an hour's trip to Tortuguero. The river journey was so remarkable that we weren't sure how our destination could measure up. Just minutes from the dock, our captain pointed high up in a tree: it was a three-toed sloth with its baby. Almost immediately, he pointed again. "Cayman," he cried. At first, we only saw a log, but the creature finally came into view-a creature smaller and more slender than a crocodile, but with the same shape. And monkeys: Costa Rica boasts three varieties, and we managed to see them all during the hour's journey.

In Tortuguero, we enjoyed hearty Caribbean food. We needed this food after spending an active two days by going on an early-morning, bird-watching expedition, and canoeing through the canals. Before our hike through the rainforest, we learned some interesting things. Hiking in jungle means covering up as much as possible, and using liberal doses of insect repellent. Contrary to our natural instincts, our guide told us, "Don't touch anything, even if you fall. It could be a snake or a tree with thorns." We walked and slipped and tripped through the mud, grabbing nothing except each other. The rewards? Amazing wildlife, including vampire bats and the gorgeous red frog with brilliant blue feet, used by the indigenous people to make poisoned arrowheads. Much of the vegetation looks like houseplants gone wild: huge bromeliads, birds of paradise and prayer plants adding blazes of color to the lush green. Nature has unique ways of taking care of itself. The walking palm moves a little each year by growing new above-ground roots so it can catch the sun under the forest canopy.

Tortuguero's miracle is watching the giant green turtle emerging from the sea to lay her eggs. We walked along a pitch-black beach with only our guide's red-filtered flashlight leading the way. After a short time, we finally saw a huge turtle lumbering into view. Slowly, she made her way across the sand, toward the brush. We waited for almost an hour while she built her nest, and then we edged closer. Straddling the large hole, the turtle laid at least a hundred eggs, to ensure that at least a few would hatch and safely make it back to the sea. No television special can even begin to emulate the wonder of seeing this live. We watched, mesmerized, until she covered her eggs and trudged back to the sea.

The next morning we flew to San Jose on an early flight. The "airport" was just a pothole-pocked strip carved from the jungle without even a tower or a shelter from the rain. Our 14-seater soon arrived and, after an unexpected stop up t he coast to take on more passengers, we flew over Costa Rica's volcanic ridge to San Jose.

We picked up our rental 4WD to head for the Pacific Coast. The distance between San Jose and our destination, Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, was only about 100 miles, but the trip was anything but direct. Most of the drive was over mountains on single-lane mountain roads, frequently pitted from the ever-present rain. Finally on level ground, we crossed a bridge and saw several cars parked along the roadside, so we stopped to check it out. This was Crocodile River, home of the largest crocs we'd ever seen. "What's there for them to eat down there?" we wondered, but judging by their size, there must have been plenty of something. On the way, we stopped at Jaco, a beach town known as a surfing mecca, but also a popular spot for sports fishing and riverrafting.

At Manuel Antonio, we found true heaven: a beautiful Pacific Coast beach, with volcanic rock outcroppings just a short distance offshore. A shoreline walk yielded a great wealth of rocks, shells and coral, of all colors and varieties. The national park has, as everywhere else in Costa Rica, white-faced and howler monkeys, sloths and iguanas; however, the monkeys don't limit themselves to the protected areas, as they cruise the trees along the beach and arrive at the beachside bars just around lunchtime (and the iguanas aren't too bashful either!). They travel in troops and wait for handouts, which the midday crowd is happy to offer.

If you haven't gotten your fill of souvenirs, try a quick drive into Quepos, where you'll also find a number of bars and restaurants. Because of the influx of tourists, this is fast transitioning from sleepy tropical port to tourist town.

After three days enjoying the beach and the wildlife, we headed back to San Jose. From there, it's easy to book day tours to a variety of destinations throughout of Costa Rica. You can also catch one of one of the tourist busses, which offer reasonably priced rides to the most popular destinations.

Volcanoes are a fabulous feature of the Costa Rican topology, and you can visit Arenal, Irazu or Poas on a day trip from San Jose. We chose Arenal, the only currently active volcano in Costa Rica's chain. In 1968, the long-dormant spouter erupted big time, wiping out an entire town. The villages that still surround the rumbler, while aware of the danger, are content to take their chances. During our visit, we saw only some thin red streaks of molten lava running down its sides, but just the week before, visitors were treated to a showy eruption.

Another outstanding trip you can book from San Jose takes you to the Aerial Tram, in Braulio Carrillo National Park. This lets you ride above the jungle canopy for about one-and-a-half hours, allowing you to see the plant and animal life from the comfort of your cable car. At the end of the ride, you can hike through the park on a short trail, or enjoy lunch. If you want a bit more of an adrenaline rush, try one of the original canopy tours. Instead of viewing the rainforest from a cable car, you'll glide between the trees strapped into a harness and suspended by ropes attached to pulleys. As you move along the cables, you'll feel that you're flying without a net as you glide through the rainforest. The equipment is first-rate, and expert guides will point out the flora and fauna below you.

Pura Vida, the greeting that all Costa Ricans (or Ticos) use, doesn't just mean pure life; it means independence and cooperation in a modern, socially and ecologically conscious nation. What it means for you is a great place to visit, close to home, that offers a variety of natural environments and friendly people. Pura Vida indeed!

When you've had your fill of culinary delights, you can do what all Italians do after a heavy meal: down an espresso, then go for a stroll. Modena is an eminently walkable city, with a lovely pedestrian zone around its most important monuments.

A good place to start is Modena's cathedral. This masterpiece of Italian Romanesque architecture was begun in 1099 and consecrated a century later. While most medieval artists' names are lost in history, both the cathedral's architect, Lanfranco, and its master sculptor, Wiligelmo, have left their names to posterity.

If You Go

SAFETY: Costa Rica is generally safe, but like anywhere else, it's better to err on the side of caution. As two women traveling alone, we were constantly warned about possible problems. I later realized that Ticos are so anxious for tourists to like their country, that they want to help you prevent any mishaps. So, be smart: stay in well-lit areas; don't flaunt jewelry or expensive cameras; lock up your room and your car.

COFFEE: Costa Rican coffee is strong and mellow-among the best in the world. If you want to take some home, stop at a local super market for the best prices.

WILDLIFE: What I learned from my Costa Rican guides is that feeding wild animals is ecologically irresponsible. (A fed animal is a dead animal.) Altering their diets can have harmful effects and can make them dependent on humans, rather then their natural habitats.

Maxine Levaren is a "Jill of all Trades" who enjoys a life of infinite variety. A former software developer, she is currently working as a writer, personal-success coach and computer consultant, leaving enough time in her schedule for her passion: travel.