All-inclusive Vacations in Costa Rica
All-inclusive vacations in Costa Rica can be less expensive as somebody could think. This country features a large number of hotels, villas and vacation rentals, many of them offering quality accommodations and all-inclusive vacation packages; if you choose a such a package you can spend a nice vacation in this country at affordable prices. Costa Rica is a good destinationan for your vacation not just because here are available many outdoor activities, such as hiking a volcano or watching the rich wildlife from the rain forest. Many vacationers visit it for diving, surfing, fishing or just to lay on a secluded sandy beach.
The best season to travel to Costa Rica is from December through March, but the cost of lodging, airfare and food is much cheaper if you visit this country after the tourist season.
Accommodations Guide
Camping in Costa Rica is cheap, but this type of accommodation is recommended only for young or experienced travelers. Many areas provide lodging facilities, including drinking water. Inexpensive accommodations can be easily found in the entire country; for example, Puerto Viejo, on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, offers excellent lodging with rates below 25$ per night.
If you don't want to spend to much money then stay away from resorts like Manuel Antonio, Jaco, Tamarindo, or Arenal. Places like Playa Samara, Mal Pais, La Fortuna (not far away from Arenal volcano), and Puerto Viejo are excellent choices for an inexpensive vacation in Costa Rica.
Travel by airplane
San Jose is the capital city, host the International airport (code SJO) and has a central location allowing easy travels from here both to the Caribbean shore and to the Pacific shore of the country.
Liberia, in the northwest corner of the country, has the only other international airport (code LIR) and is the best place to arrive if you want to visit Guanacaste and Nicoya peninsula.
When is the best time to go?
Between April and November is the season when just a few travelers visit Costa Rica and when the hotels discount their rates substantially. Costa Rica is covered with rain forests,so here you'll find sunny mornings and rain during the afternoon, possibly at night too.
The northwest region of Costa Rica contains the driest areas of the country. The southern Caribbean beaches offer the best vacation conditions from late August through October, but in Costa Rica rain showers can happen anytime during the year.
Don't expect to see the Arenal volcano during the rain season because the clouds will hide everything, including the spectacular lava flows. The small town La Fortuna provides all year affordable lodging close to Arenal, but at significantly cheaper rates in extra-season.
Travel by bus!
The public bus system in Costa Rica goes almoast everywhere. The cost of a ticket varies, depending on the bus route, but expect to pay less than $7 to go anywhere! Generally, the buses are not air conditioned and can be the best choice for other vacationers too, especially in the season, so arrive early if you want to get a seat!
Food & restaurants
The restaurants from Costa Rica, called "sodas", provide good food at cheap prices. All imported food and drink is very expensive! Gallo Pinto (a rice and bean dish made with spices), Lizano Salsa, fresh tropical fruits, chicken, and seafood are some of the best dishes in Costa Rica.
You can do it yourself
In Costa Rica the guided tours can be very expensive. But don't afraid, you can do a lot of outdoor activities without to much money. Hiking in the rain forest without a guide is very inexpensive, you just have to follow a good map. Generally, the national park entrance fees are between $6 - 8. The park Manuel Antonio can be easily hiked without guides, but is one of the most expensive areas from the coutry if we talk about accommodation. Rincon de la Vieja National Park features wild orchids, bubbling mud pits, volcanic craters, and great nature hikes; here you can also spend beautiful & affordable all-inclusive vacations.
Costa Rica is a premier vacation & retirement destination
Costa Rica is the Latin American country where more as 1.6 million tourists spent their vacation in 2005. This country is nowadays a very good vacation destination, but is also searched as a retirement destination. The land is beautiful, the climate is excellent, the people are very friendly, and many real estates can be found at affordable prices. Due to the development from the past few years places like Tamarindo are no longer little sleepy coast towns. If you want to see the pure and "wild" Costa Rica, then now is the time! Go before it's to late!