Lonely Planet writers compiled a list of the best places to travel in your 20s. Not surprisingly, Costa Rica is on the list! (At least I am not surprised, because I nominated it and I wrote the entry.) Indeed, I…
Costa Rica on a Budget
Traveling in Costa Rica on a budget? It’s easy to experience sticker shock when checking into eco-lodges and renting vehicles and booking tours in Costa Rica. Indeed, it is the most expensive country in Central America, thanks to a booming economy and…
How to get around Costa Rica
Costa Rica packs a world of adventure into a relatively small area. Limited infrastructure means that getting around can be a challenge, but it’s also one reason that Costa Rica is the wild and wonderful place that it is. Do…
Things to know before you go to Costa Rica
Originally written for LonelyPlanet.com but they took it down, so now you can read the whole thing here! On a recent trip to Costa Rica, on a hike in the remote forests of Volcán Tenorio National Park, the sky unexpectedly opened up,…
NEW Lonely Planet guidebooks to Costa Rica
After writing guidebooks for 20 years, it can be anticlimactic to receive the final products–sometimes as much as a year after completing the research and writing. There have been times that my author copies languished in the box for weeks,…
Belize vs Costa Rica
This was a fun one to write. My colleague and I go head to head, debating which is a better travel destination, Belize vs Costa Rica? At any time of year, Central America astounds with its gorgeous beaches, exciting hikes, ancient ruins…
7 Best Hikes in Costa Rica
Want to discover the best hikes in Costa Rica? From popular jaunts through the coastal rainforest to arduous climbs to mountain peaks, Costa Rica has vibrant and varied landscapes that offer endless opportunities for hiking. Indeed, sometimes there’s no other way to…
16 Best Things to Do in Costa Rica
Come to Costa Rica to discover magnificent landscapes, endless outdoor activities and creatures great and small. This smallish Central American country offers a world of adventure, from water sports to mountain hikes, from rainforest wildlife watching to cloud-forest birding. And when you’re…
Playa Hermosa
Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica – Along the northern stretch of the Nicoya peninsula, Playa Hermosa is a tiny little village with a gorgeous crescent of sand fronting the Pacific blue. Here, we spent our final days lounging on the beach,…
Miravalles Volcano
Miravalles, Costa Rica – We are hunkered down at Colinas del Miravalles Hotel, on the flanks of the steaming Miravalles Volcano. We are sucking down batidos and soaking in thermal pools. We are happy. This picture of contentment belies the…