The Jaco area can pack the tourists in. Why do thousands of tourists and expats prioritize Jaco as one of their destinations? The most common answer is a combination of the night life and the plethora of adrenalin packed activities. Whether you seek an ATV adventure, horseback expedition, water sport experience, crocodile or monkey encounter, the choice is yours. After living in the area, and ...

Spending your Christmas holidays in Costa Rica and wondering what to do? The capital city of San José has a lot going on. So get your Santa hat and festive cheer ready, and let the rhythm of Christmas in Latin America dash you away! Christmas in San José, Costa Rica, is a lively, fun time. The city is ablaze with huge lighted Christmas trees adorning the front of the Children’s Hospital on Pase...

It has been said in Costa Rica that the best “all-terrain vehicle” for navigating the country is a horse. Costa Ricans love horses and their riding traditions – their equestrian roots coming from the Spanish who brought horses with them to Central America in the 16th century. The heart and soul of Costa Rica’s equestrian life is the northwestern province of Guanacaste. Here, vast rolling plains...

Zip line and aerial jungle canopy tours are among the most popular tourist attractions in Costa Rica, and those who overcome their fear of heights and surrender to their sense of adventure will have only fond memories of their time spent gliding from one section of the forest to another. Such are the memories a 90-year old woman from Texas now has to enjoy from her recent visit to Costa Rica. D...

Playas del Coco has become one of the growing hotspots in Costa Rica for tourists and locals to come and enjoy a weekend away from the ever busy city life. With beaches all around, fantastic weather, and a laid back atmosphere, this little beach town is never asleep and never dull. If you stay for a weekend, you’ll want to keep coming back to enjoy all that Coco has to offer. But if you are...

What are the best places to visit in Costa Rica? What are the best things to do in Costa Rica? I get these questions a lot. Having lived in Costa Rica for 12 years, working in the tourism industry, I field questions from extended family, friends, friends of friends, and even complete strangers if I happen to mention that’s where I live. They all ask the same thing, “If I were to visit Costa Ric...

One of the most popular day tours from San Jose, Costa Rica, is the charming artisan town of Sarchi. Called the “cradle of Costa Rican handicrafts,” both international tourists and locals alike visit Sarchi for its more than 200 stores and small family-operated woodworking and leather workshops. It is a perfect Central Valley day tour to combine with the Poás Volcano, a coffee tour, or the Juan...

Photo of Tom Watling of Cayman Kayaks, thanks to Courtney Platt, visit CaymanKayaks.comGoing out into the ocean in a kayak at night can at first be a little unnerving. The slightest splash tends to make you jump, maybe even bringing to mind that old 1975 movie, “Jaws”. Never mind that it was probably your own kayak paddle splashing; the fact that you can’t see well puts you on edge. We humans...

Everyone who has been diving out of Playas del Coco, Costa Rica has their own story. Whether it is seeing the biggest sea turtle you have ever seen come out of a hidden canyon on the back side of the Bat Islands, coming upon a group of adolescent Humpback Whales with their Mother calling in the distance out at Santa Elena Point, being engulfed by a huge school of fish only to have them ins...

Playas del Coco is one of the more well known beach towns in the country for both locals and tourists. Although it is one of the smaller beaches in the Guanacaste region, it is still full of nightlife and activities to do such as scuba diving, sport fishing, and snorkeling along with many bars and restaurants. During the main holidays such as New Year and Easter, Playas del Coco becomes packed wi...

For all of you who have lived in and around Costa Rica for awhile now, you have undoubtedly experienced water skiing, jet skies, surfing, and other water sports. While, make sure you are sitting when you read the rest of this, imagine flying under water with a totally new water sport experience called, SUBWING. SUBWING is a product invented by 20 year old Simon Sivertsen during a sail t...

I've run into a few people who claim to have gone to Manuel Antonio National Park and didn't see monkeys. I don't know how that happens, in fact it's so unlikely it makes me think that perhaps they screwed up the name or didn't make into the park itself. I've heard stories of exchange students that ate little more than cereal while here—I thought you were legally obligated to eat gallo pinto b...

It is early morning, and my guide, Jose, has just stopped the four-wheel drive jeep in the middle of a dirt road in the middle of the forest. “We get out here,” Jose says. “But first we stop and listen.” We stand in the hush of dawn, the gray light slowly lifting the night, revealing a gray-green mist-shrouded forest. And then we hear a shrill, delicate cry. “Listen,” says Jose excitedly...

Unique and authentic experiences are now bookable through locals in Costa Rica, with Gunyah.com. Working with Green World Adventures a local company based in Cartago, Gunyah now offers a wide-range of short breaks in Costa Rica that are completely original and can’t be booked anywhere else. “Our goal is not to offer a run-of-the-mill package holiday,” says CEO Luke Ford, “by working with a...

You can view more pictures related to this article on The Costa Rica Star Facebook page. If you would like the author of this article, Rey Waters, to come to your Hotel in Costa Rica to write a review and take HD pictures, contact us. Yesterday we had the early breakfast buffet at the Best Western Jaco and then went for check out. A van picked us up at 8:45 for our trip to Monteverde. Abo...

To most valley dwellers Heredia means, traffic, universities, call centers and Intel. To the foreign visitor it's all just San José. Most outsiders haven't a clue about the places we prefer and most of them are not famous outside our little city, unlike places in San José like Soda Tapia and Avenida Central. We've got our favorite spots to meet and eat, and I'll share some with you. Fair warnin...

Canopy tours and zip line adventures have become iconic among visitors to Costa Rica. They are a great way to explore our forests and they boast a great safety record, but a recent zip line-related tragedy in the United States has some tourists wondering about secondary dangers of canopy tours. The case of a young woman in the southern state of Georgia, who is currently being treated for a fles...

Costa Rica is well-known around the world as a paradise for deep water fishing enthusiasts. Previous articles published by The Costa Rica Star touched on this subject, from planning a surfing-and-fishing vacation to Guanacaste for maximum enjoyment, to the joys of the Papagayo Peninsula. Other articles have revealed some hidden fishing spots like Manzanillo, and a lightly scientific discussion on ...

A dear reader named Brad recently left the following question in our Facebook profile: " about good, affordable day trips in and around the SJ. I get a lot of visitors and they are always interested in them." Hello Brad, thanks for your question. Most tourists come to Costa Rica looking for eco-adventures, surfing, fishing, or relaxing at any of our pristine beaches. Our capital city often g...

If you are planning your first trip to Costa Rica, I have a bit of advice, don't go to the Osa Peninsula. You'll ruin your follow-up trips, kind of like drinking 25 year old single-malt your first time. If you live here or have been here before, go. Immediately. Wait, read this first, then go. So what's the deal with Osa? Situated in the southwestern corner of Costa Rica it's one of the most d...

Costa Rica has become one of the top destinations for tourists and travelers seeking close contact with nature, pristine beaches, National Parks and tropical rain and cloud forests. It is well established as one of the best countries to visit for biological diversity, primary forests, coral reefs, endangered species and enchanting white sand beaches, with outstanding surfing and scuba diving. Yet ...