Barts Best of Costa Rica: this is where you want to be
What did you think? Just another trip to Costa Rica? Or maybe not for this year, but you can always dream and a long bucket list composing is never a bad idea. Will you join? And will you write?
Go into the jungle, balance over suspension bridges, see volcanoes, visit waterfalls, spot wild animals, hotsprings tackling, stretching out on the most beautiful beaches and turning off the lights at the nicest ones beach clubs. Exactly. There is something for everyone. From luxury lodge hotels to trendiest hostels. Start planning now. Or let the experts at Travel Legends do it. This is it: Barts Best of Costa Rica.
San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica and in most cases the starting point of your trip. It's fine to recover from your trip, but then move on quickly. The city is not necessarily very nice... That's okay, but that's why: recover and move on!
Of course, recovering doesn't have to be boring. The neighborhood Barrio Escalante is a nice neighborhood with many restaurants. Selina San Jose is a popular spot in San Jose. Young and trendy crowd. With excellent rooms for a good price.
San Jose – Grano de Oro is also a place where you can relax after a long journey and start your holiday right away - an old country house that has been transformed into a boutique hotel. You may even get a little lost before you find your room and it's all worth it. Completely in Costa Rican style, a beautiful courtyard where you can have breakfast and, importantly, the friendliest staff that you can think of.
Hot springs and suspension bridges in the middle of the jungle of Costa Rica! La Fortuna is literally next to the volcano and you guessed it: that makes for a damn beautiful view. From beautiful walks to a visit to a 70 meter high waterfall and then, off you go, into the hot spring. Oh, and don't forget to walk over the Mistico suspension bridge? You might even see monkeys along the way.
Hungry? Go to Organico Fortune for the tastiest sandwiches, juices and more.
Monteverde. From La Fortuna you take a winding road through the beautiful mountains of Costa Rica to the Monteverde cloud forest. How about ziplining through the jungle at a speed of about 70 km per hour. Hello, adrenaline.
looking for a relaxed vibe? Then you have to be in Santa Teresa. This place is located in Nicoya, a unique place, because this peninsula is one Blue Zone. What? Yes, that is a region where Costa Ricans live noticeably healthier and longer lives than the rest of the world. The best thing about Santa Teresa is that the place may be becoming increasingly popular, but there is no mass tourism yet. No big hotels and traffic lights – keep it that way. This is also the spot if you like surfing.
Which beaches are nice here? Playa santa teresa is an attractive and pleasant beach. People on guitars and those kinds of atmospheres. Rest? Then go to Manzanillo Beach. There's a chance you'll be all alone here. Playa Hermosa is also a beautiful beach and easy to reach by bike.
Do you recognize that feeling? That sometimes you have arrived at such a nice place that you think... STOP TIME! NEVER GO HOME AGAIN! Yes, yes, we want to stay here. Well? So we do. When Bartje was in Costa Rica last year, she had exactly that feeling Nosara, a district and true gem in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica.
And when in Nosara, why don't you drop by one of the many cute restaurants, fill your bellies with something tasty between surfing or tanning. Then you're in The Little Window muy bien, vfor your share of vitamins, fun and good food. Nosara is a surfing and yoga paradise with three different beaches that are connected by winding gravel roads. Guiones Beach, Playa Pelada en Playa Nosara. Spending some time here isn't that bad after all...
Fancy a cocktail and some reggae music? Then visit Banana Beach Bar and drink your drink with your feet in the sand. Holiday is so on.
Shopping you can do this at the nicest boutiques here. Jewelry from Costa Rica, typical surf clothing and local items for the home.
Food. What also makes Santa Teresa so nice is that there are more than enough nice restaurants with something for everyone. Breakfast, lunch or dinner? You've come to the right place at The Bakery. Zula is the place for good falafel and bee Eat street they are at home in many markets, as small ones cozy food market.
Oh and folks, don't expect luxury here. It's a surfers town. Relaxed and fun, no nonsense.
Uvita is a cozy village on the coast with a few to do highlights. From beautiful waterfalls, to the sea to spot whales or dolphins and the Marino Ballena National Park to visit.
Playa uvita is a very large beach. During low tide it is about 100 meters wide, which of course provides a picture perfect view. Behind the beach are high mountains and lots of greenery with waterfalls. Nice job. Wait until sunset and you won't know what you'll see. This beach extends into Marino Ballena National Park. And this park is shaped like a whale's tail during low tide. Okay, interesting indeed.
Playa Punta Uva (caribean) : This beach is one good to go from Puerto Viejo. Nice to rent a bike and you'll be there in no time. Oh and the sunrise or sunset is so beautiful here. Recommended.
Gusto Italian. Of course it sounds a bit crazy, Italian food in Costa Rica, but you don't want to miss this. The restaurant is located in the jungle and a little higher on a mountain with a breathtaking view of the ocean. There is even a good chance that you will see parrots and howler monkeys during dinner.
This is another art spot you don't want to miss and a good place to end the trip. Puerto Viejo is about 20 km away Cahuita National Park. Don't ask us why, but it is a lot less busy here than in most parks in Costa Rica, while the park is not one bit less beautiful.
Recommended to go through Cahuita de hiking trail to walk. It takes about four hours. Leave on time so that it is not too hot yet. Do you want to know what to expect? To your left, white and black beaches and to your right, jungle with howler monkeys, raccoons and sloths.
Also very nice to have one here to rent a bicycle and visit all the beaches. Go: bikini on, dress over it. Bring a large bottle of water, a bunch of bananas and go from one beach to the other. Wonderful, isn't it?
With more than 1700 kilometers of coastline, there are plenty of beautiful beaches in Costa Rica. From long beaches full of palm trees - instant holiday feeling - to pitch black sand with big waves for surfers.
Playa Guiones (guanacaste): The perfect beach for novice surfers, or just if you want to watch while relaxing with your book. A wide beach and nice and quiet. There is a nice café at the entrance to the beach, often with live music.
Playa Chiquita (Caribbean): This is the kind of beach that once you find it, you're immediately hooked. The beach is about six kilometers from Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. It takes some searching, but it's worth it. This is the ideal spot if you want to escape the more touristy places. Please note: the path is opposite the Italian café on the main road and appears to be private property, but it is not.
ArtVillas. You can't call it a hotel, but how? Yes, jungle houses in the jungle. A combination of luxury and yet houses that are fully adapted to the nature of Costa Rica. Look at the pictures and you already know enough, right?
Isla Chiquita. Isla Jesusita is located in an inlet of the Pacific Ocean... It just sounds beautiful, doesn't it? Well: it is as beautiful as it sounds and on this small island you will find the only glamping hotel in the whole of it Costa Rica: Isla Chiquita. If you ask us, you should go here just for the name! From the moment you step foot on this island, you will notice that this is truly a special place. The hotel has a total of eighteen luxury tents with sea views. These tents have the modern facilities you are used to: a wonderful bed and with your own veranda you can enjoy the view endlessly.
Are you going on holiday to Costa Rica with the whole family, don't you want to miss anything, see the whole thing, without too much hassle and unnecessary stress? Then you can also book your trip at NRV tours. 'Pura Vida' par excellence – enjoying life. That is the motto in Costa Rica, NRV's and ours. When in Costa Rica you go into the jungle, balance over suspension bridges, see volcanoes, visit waterfalls, spot wild animals, hotsprings tackling and sprawling on the beaches. Precisely. There is something for every family. A true mecca for adventurers, animal experts and nature lovers.
Time:
It is currently 8 hours earlier in Costa Rica than in the Netherlands.
Transport: Costa Rica is one of those countries where it is useful to have a rental car. You want to see a lot, but you want to be able to go your own way. Of course it's not a must, there are plenty of taxis, buses and the like, but still. Team rental car it is.
How long: Click let's be honest. You have those people who say: 'to Costa Rica? Oh then you have to go for at least three weeks'. At Bart we think differently. Be selective in what you want to see and make choices. Ten days is also a nice period.
Quanto Costa: The local currency of Costa Rica is the Costa Rican colón. The American Dollar is also accepted everywhere. It is useful to have both currencies with you, because entrance prices are often indicated in dollars. And if you pay in colon, you often pay the amount at a not very favorable rate.
