Vitality, May 2003 - Vitality Magazine Cape Cod

Costa Rica is a place every
American should visit. Not only
is this country-- which is slightly
smaller than New Hampshire-- a
model of democracy, but it also
shows what a country can do when
it decides not to sustain a militaryindustrial
complex. Costa Rica,
with a population of 3.8 million,
has no full-time military. It was
abolished in 1948. The money that
would have been spent on a fulltime
military, goes into education
(resulting in a 96% literacy rate),
medicine (free medical care for all),
and public works (the drinking water
is delicious and healthy throughout
the country, and is retested every
two months). The result is a country
that has the highest standard of
living, education and health care in
Central America.
Add to this, Costa Rica is
magnificent. Fully 25% of the
country is national park. It has
mountains, beaches, 900 varieties
of birds, lush rain forests and cloud
forests, and a people that are as
peaceloving, friendly and helpful,
as they are handsome.
The climate in Costa Rica is
remarkable. Those that populate
the central plateau of Costa Rica
literally live in perpetual spring; the
climate is as perfect as you can find
on planet earth. The average low is
in the high 60’s and the average high
is in the high 70’s. There’s a “rainy
Page 2, Vitality, May 2003
The beautiful Orisi Vallehy is one of the largest coffee-producing areas in Costa Rica.
season” from May to November,
but rains only last a couple of hours
a day, at the most. To say that there’s
a corresponding “dry season” is a
The pool area at the Marriott Costa Rica
misnomer, as during the rest of the
year spiradic rains that keep the
countryside lush. If you’d like more
summery weather, you can venture
from the central plateau to either
coast, where it is hot and humid
year around. It’s truly remarkable
how the weather changes as you
drive out of the mountains. It also
changes by degrees as you go; they
call these “micro-climates.”
Medical tourism is a big deal
these days in Costa Rica. Costa Rica’s
inexpensive medical care is among
the best anywhere in the world, and
the cost is half or less. (Business in
cosmetic surgery alone is booming.)
If you’re caught without health
insurance in the States, you’ll find
health full-coverage care insurance
a BARGAIN in Costa Rica (under
$100 monthly). The Social Security
public health care system is even
more affordable and covers 100%
of everything including pre-existing
conditions. Both programs are open
to foreigners.
Resorts:
The most comfortable way to
see Costa Rica for Americans who
are traveling on their own is to stay a
few days at two or three resorts, and
The hot and cold waerfall at the Tabacon Resort
optionally, to take short day trips to
neighboring attractions from each
one. “Attractions” in Costa Rica
are all celebrations of the country’s
natural beauty. Hiking trails abound
through rain or cloud forests. Many
discover bird watching for the first
time in their lives here (over 900
species and many with spectacular
beauty). Very popular as well are
canopy rides. The canopy is the
covering that trees lend to the rain
and cloud forests. These canopy
rides along the treetops lend a
spectacular view of the profusion of
flora and fauna in the forests. Each
tree, for example is home for at
least 300 species of plants that grow
on their trunks and branches. Other
attractions include volcano viewing
and swimming in streams, lakes
and hot springs. For those planning
to go off the beaten path during the
rainy season, a 4wheel drive vehicle
is recommended.
Marriott Costa Rica hotel:
Located just a few minutes

from the airport on a working
coffee plantation, is the 248-room
Marriott Costa Rica hotel, which
features hacienda-style colonial
architecture, the stone arches,
wrought-iron balconies, spacious
courtyard, carved antique furniture
and tapestries, and a small chapel.
On the hotel grounds are five
restaurants, three large meeting
rooms, amphitheater, two swimming
pools, a health club, sauna, tennis
courts, and a golf driving range.
This is undoubtedly one of the most
luxurious large hotels in Costa Rica.
(www.marriotthotels.com)
Aurola Holiday Inn
It’s fun to spend at least one night
in downtown San Jose. And the 18-
story, 200-room Aurola Holiday Inn
is a very economical way to do it.
Their current package is $75 night,
which includes breakfast. It offers
its own restaurant, lounge, pool and
exercise area. The rooms provide
a remarkable view of the city.
While there, you’re within walking
distance of the main shopping street,
Central Avenue (Avenida Central),
which has been entirely closed off
to cars, and is usually a great place
for not only shopping, but people
watching as well. (www.aurolaholidayinn.com)
Teatro Nationale is the premiere,
century-old showplace in San Jose.
It is located at Calle 5 avenida central
(Central Avenue and 5th St.)
Be sure to visit the Museos
Banco Central De Costa Rica,
which houses three museums: one
on Numismatics, one with changing
exhibits, and our favorite, the
Gold museum. The latter contains
1600 pieces of precolombian gold
artifacts dating from 500 to 1500
AD. And while visiters from the
U.S. may know about the Aztecs
and the Incas, the museum brings to
light the names of those tribes who
originally inhabited Costa Rica,
that Americans have never heard
of: the Chorotegas, the Borucas, the
Bribris, the Huetares, the Teribes,
the Guaymies and the Malekus. The
museum is located in the plaza next
to the National Theater, at Avenida
Central, Calle 5 (Central Avenue and
5th St.) They’re closed Mondays.
Even the little people in Costa Rica
are good-natured.
Within walking distance from
the Holiday Inn, a great place to eat
is the always-crowded News Cafe,
located on Avenido Central at the
Hotel Presidente. It’s a favorite of
locals and visitors. (www.hotelpresidente.com)
If you don’t feel like walking
to dinner, one of the most pleasant
discoveries about downtown is
how cheap a cab ride is. That being
the case, be sure to check out El
Pueblo, a delightful conclave of
eateries, bars, night clubs and really
excellent gift shops that’s only a $2
cab ride from Holiday Inn (central
downtown). While there, don’t miss
trying either a dinner or lunch at La
Cocina de Lena (Lena’s Kitchen).
You’ll love the beef tenderloin.
Marriott Los Sueños:
The luxurious Marriott Los
Sueños is nestled between the beach
of Playa Herradura, just south of
Jacó, and the nearby rainforest.
It encompasses one of the largest
marinas in all of Costa Rica. The
hotel draws much of its charm from
colonial architecture and décor.
Handset floor tiles, ceiling fans,
and wrought iron railings all create
a mood of “casual elegance” that
define the ambiance. Its stunning
waterfront location means that most
of the 201 rooms offer views of the
ocean or rainforest. A lively casino
and seven restaurants and bars
entertain guests, while an 18-hole
championship golf course, 25,000
square foot pool, health club,
sauna, two lighted tennis courts
and jogging trails are available for
recreation. There’s also complete
spa facilities.
Many staying at Los Suenos like
to take the day-long cruise to Tortuga
Island, that’s leaves from the marina
next to the Resort. The white-sand
island offers shell-strewn beaches,
The spa and hot mineral spring pool at the Rancho Rio Perlas
coral reefs and crystal clear waters.
(www.breezecruises.com)
Nearby, be sure to visit the
Carara National Park (Parque
Nacional), along whose hiking trails
you can see some of the rarest and
most spectacular animals of tropical
America. The best time to hike these
(and most) trails is early, in order to
see the most wildlife.
Villablanca Hotel:
If more rustic is your style, you’ll
enjoy an overnight in one of the 48
neat and clean casitas that make
up Villablanca Hotel. Each casita
has its own fireplace (mountain
nights can be cool), a restaurant,
lounge, and a remarkable cloud
Central Avenue in San Jose is always filled with people.
Page 3, Vitality, May 2003

night tours to marvel at the live lava
flows, ride on horseback through the
varied terrain and immense natural
beauty of the region, take a tour to
the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, go
canoeing on Cerro Chato Lake in the
crater of an extinct volcano, use the
swimming pool and jacuzzi, with
a wonderful view of the volcano,
enjoy birdwatching, hike through
rain forest, have a massage, listen
to nearby howler monkeys, watch
toucans fly by, or wade in the waters
beneath a jungle waterfall.
To get to Arenal Observatory
Lodge, drive to La Fortuna and
follow signs. For more information,
go to http://www.arenal-observatory.
co.cr/
Tabacon Resort & Spa
This is one of the most remarkable
resorts we’ve ever seen, and one that
we’d recommend. Located minutes
from the Arenal Volcano, the resort
offers 73 magnificent guest rooms
and 9 junior suites which offer
private garden jacuzzis. These are
also decorated with handcrafted,
locally-made furnishings. The
rooms feature private balconies,
gardens or terraces overlooking the
volcano.
The full Spa is located on
grounds that feature magnificent
is absolutely mystical, and relaxing
beyond belief. A massage in the spa
almost seems like overkill, but we
recommend it anyway.
The restaurant is also
magnificent. It overlooks the mineral
springs pool and swim-up pool bar.
The composite effect for the visitor
is magic. No wonder so many have
had their honeymoons here. And
the room rates are a fraction of what
a property like this would go for in
the U.S. A standard room in high
season is only $139 night.
The resort also offers canopy
riding, waterfall hikes, horseback
riding, white-water rafting, etc.
(www.tabacon.com)
Hotel Barceló Rancho Río Perlas
Located about an hour north
of San Jose, The Hotel Barceló
Rancho Río Perlas is situated
in the beautiful Orosi Valley in
the province of Cartago. It is a
magnificent holiday hotel in the
mountains surrounded by beautiful
National Parks. The hotel is
impeccable, containing a hot-spring
pool, a full spa, hiking trails, two
wonderful restaurants and a lounge.
(www.barcelo.com)
Not far from this resort is
Purisil Park, which contains a trout
farm where you can catch your own
Canopy riding offers a unique view of the rain forest.
forest. Ask for a guided trail walk.
The naturalist that will accompany
you will impress you with his
knowledge of the cloud forest. It’s
a real learning experience. The
hotel is located in the Los Angeles
Cloud Forest, which is 2,000 acres
of primary forest located at 3,750 ft.
elevation, northwest of San Jose.
Arenal Observatory Lodge
A spectacular view is yours
(weather permitting) at the Arenal
Observatory Lodge, located just
1.7 miles from the active Arenal
volcano. (A very deep, wide gourge
between the hotel and the volcano
protects the hotel from the eruption
that’s been taking place since 1968.)
The dining room overlooks both the
volcano and the enormous Arenal
Lake below. Guests are able to
explore the lava flow trail and take
Pre-Colombian gold shown at the Museos Banco Central de Costa Rica
gardens complemented by hot
mineral springs that flow like a river
through the grounds. There’s also
a cold water stream as well. Each
wind through the grounds like a
system of cataracts. The total effect
and have them fry it up for you in
their casual restaurant. There’s also
beautiful hiking trails that lead to a
magnificent water fall. You’ll also
get an education here on the tragedy
of landslides. The original farm
Page 4, Vitality, May 2003
Produce stands like this are a common sight throughout Costa Rica

was destroyed by one not long ago
and you’ll see the ruins. Of course,
the facility was rebuilt nearby and
it is lovely. The farm is located
southeast of Orosi. You’ll enjoy the
drive there as it takes you through
the biggest coffee-growing area in
the country, the Rio Macho valley.
It’s absolutely beautiful.
Getting around in Costa Rica is
less intimidating than in any other
3rd-world country. Thankfully, you
drive on the right side of the road,
as in the U.S. But there’s a lot of
mountain driving (curvy), the roads
are not as smooth as American roads,
and the road signage is not the best,
so you may feel more comfortable
hiring a guide to pilot your car
rental. Check the Tico Times (Costa
Rica’s English language weekly
paper) for classified ads featuring
English-speaking guides. They only
charge $16-20 a day.
Better yet is planning to see
Costa Rica as part of a group tour.
Many visitors do this. The internet
(and travel agencies) are loaded
with information on group tours.
The currency in Costa Rica is
the Colon (col-own-ees). Right
now, there are somewhere between
350 to 388 colons to $1. But you’ll
have no problem using plain old
American money in Costa Rica.
You can get to Costa Rica with
connecting flights out of Providence
or Boston. If it’s possible for you
to leave out of JFK in New York,
you can save up to half and take a
A worker grooms a hillside at Purisil Park
Papaya is cultivated throughout Costa Rica
direct flight to San Jose via LAKSA
(which is part of the Taca airline
group). Most Americans fly into
San Jose, the bustling national
capital city. However, there is
another international airport in
Liberia, which is more convenient
for those visiting the Guanacaste
(northern pacific coast) area.
Safety tips:
While the Costa Ricas are a
warm, educated, friendly, eager-toplease,
law-abiding people that are
not given to crimes of violence, there
is some petty thieving that goes on
in the metropolitan areas (as in all
cities). And while we felt perfectly
safe in San Jose, we were warned,
not to wear flashy jewelry or leave
expensive items in plain view when
parking the car. Basically, this is
common sense when you travel
anywhere in the world.
Food:
Take advantage of the beef
served in Costa Rica. Because it is
grass-fed, not grain-fed, and because
it is not given growth hormones, it
is infinitely healthier than American
beef. Order tenderloin when you
can. It’s wonderful. Hamburgers, on
the other hand, may not taste right
to you, because of the finer grind
texture used and cooking methods.
Take advantage of the little,
independently run restaurants.
You’ll get a plateful of food for
under $4. If you like rice and beans,
you’ll love the local fare, as it seems
to be the staple. Also, try the yucca
(yuke-a). It’s served usually with
garlic as a sidedish like potatoes.
Also, tried the fried plantain. It may
look like bananas, but it has a flavor
that blends better with other foods.
Don’t worry about drinking
the water, using the ice, or eating
the salads in Costa Rica. These are
a clean, sanitary people, and the
water is better than in most places
in the U.S. And DO try ordering
the iced tea. In Costa Rica, iced
tea is a wonderful fruity tea, quite
different and refreshing; and as
in the southern U.S., they’ll keep
refilling your glass.
If you like butter, rather than
margarine, you’ve got to make
it a point, otherwise you’ll get
margarine. Same goes for cream
instead of milk in your coffee.
Language:
Costa Rica is a Spanish-speaking
country. However, as of two years
ago, the government required all
schools to teach English as a second
language. In the cities, you’ll find
most shopkeepers and those in the
hospitality business to be bilinqual.
This is also true with corporately
owned hotels and resorts around
the country. In small towns, and
in independently-owned hotels,
you may find yourself doing a lot
of pointing. But usually, you can
find someone who speaks English
in just about any situation. These
people really bend over backwards
to accommodate you.
Passports:
Some websites indicate that
Americans do not need passports
when visiting Costa Rica. You
can try this, if you like, but there
were several times we were asked
for ours, by hotels, etc., as well as
customs, so we’d suggest you have
yours.
Electricity:
All our American toys will work
in Costa Rica. They’re current is
110 volts.
Costa Rica’s varied landscapes
and mild climate make this small
country the perfect getaway for
a spectacular vacation. For more
information, go to www.tourism.
co.cr.
And thanks for traveling.
Arenal volcano looms in the distance
as a local tries the fishing
Page 5, Vitality, May 2003