DESTINATIONS COSTA RICA LATIN AMERICA
Costa Rica
LEFT: Sloths are common in Costa Rica
RIGHT: The Pacific coast, surfers’ paradise
£33.50 for children. You can also cross the canopies via a series of hanging bridges (adults £25, children £17). To the north, the Caño Negro
BELOW: Hotel Punta Islita, Guanacaste
Wildlife Refuge sits on the Nicaraguan border. Boats chug along the chocolate river, with expert guides pointing out storks, sloths and ‘Jesus Christ’ iguanas skimming over the water. Get Your Guide has an eight-hour tour from £50.
The climate is temperate, the people are friendly and the wildlife is straight from a storybook
The Pacific coast is a surfers’
paradise. A popular spot is Playa Hermosa near Jaco, which has a busy strip of bars, restaurants and shops. Playa Guiones in Guanacaste is great for beginners with surf schools Nosara Tico and Agua Tibia. Hotel options include the Gilded Iguana, with large, airy rooms just steps from the waves, from £35 per night. A quarter of Costa Rica is protected, whether it’s a national park or a private reserve. For a quieter alternative to the rather busy but beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park in central Costa Rica that’s still just three hours from capital San Jose, suggest secluded Hacienda Baru, a nature refuge with a lodge where rooms start from £40 a night. On-site tours include scaling a tree the height of a 10-storey building, £30, and ‘night in the jungle’, where guests trek to a basic jungle camp and spot wildlife by torchlight after dinner (£90). We snoozed to the chirruping of tree frogs and awoke to an orchestra of toucans, howling monkeys and ‘laughing falcons’. To combine a bit of everything,
suggest Exodus’ new 11-day Costa Rica Mixed Activity itinerary, which will get clients white-water rafting on the Sarapiqui River, zip-lining through the Monteverde cloud forest, biking
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around Lake Arenal, and snorkelling off a catamaran on the Pacific Coast. Starting from £2,059, the trip includes flights, transfers, accommodation, some meals, guiding, transport and excursions.
w FAMILY The country is perfect for families looking for accessible adventures. The climate is temperate, the people are friendly and the wildlife is straight from a storybook. For those who prefer to stay in one
location, holidays at Hotel Punta Islita in Guanacaste come with adventure included. Rates at the coastal resort include unlimited sunset horse rides, kayaking through the mangroves, monkey walks and moonlit excursions to see olive ridley turtles nesting on the beach. Scarlet macaws from the hotel-sponsored Aria Project, which rehabilitates injured parrots, swoop past guests’ patios, some of which have whirlpool baths and plunge pools. Standard rooms have two double beds from £215 per night, while bigger families might want to consider a villa, from £440. Kids will love a tour around Don
Juan Farm in La Fortuna (adults £23, children £10), a coffee plantation dedicated to educating children in sustainable farming practices. The guides are armed with an arsenal of knowledge – and machetes, which they use to cut papaya and cocoa pods along the way. Added delight comes from an inquisitive kitten, friendly pigs and a dog named Tequila. Costa Rica is a perennial favourite
for family adventure tours – the country’s diversity, small size and
PICTURES : ICT/
VISITECOSTARICA.COM
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