Chuckanut Bay Travel
Costa Rica
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Costa Rica is one of my favorite destinations. The combination of lush jungles, rainforest, waterfalls, volcanoes, and beaches with wild monkeys and scarlet macaws make it a fascinating place to visit. 
 
Getting Around:  After arriving into San Jose airport, you have a choice of renting a car (4 wheel drive is recommended), travelling by bus, or flying on the small local airline to your choice of destinations.  By renting a car you will be able to see more of the country, but be aware that you will be doing a lot of driving on rough roads, and what may look like a 2 hr drive on the map will end up being 4 hrs! For example, from San Jose to La Fortuna/Tabacon (to see the Arenal Volcano and enjoy the hot springs) is a 3-4 hr drive. From La Fortuna to Monteverde (cloud forest preserve) is another 4 hr drive.  From San Jose to Manuel Antonio is 3 hrs (this road is much better). 
 
Flights within Costa Rica are quite inexpensive. For example, from San Jose to Tambor is $65 one way on Sansa Airlines.  Sansa uses 5-15 passenger Cessna's, and tickets can be booked online (click here to go to the Sansa website).  We used them to go to Tambor and thoroughly enjoyed the scenic flight.  We have also taken the local buses which is a great experience.
 

COSTA RICA
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Beaches: with two oceans and nearly 850 miles of shoreline, Costa Rica offers an astonishing variety of beach possibilities. There are white sand beaches and black sand beaches, sheltered lagoons and world-class surf,  upscale resorts and rustic cabins.  

Here is a brief description of some of the beach areas and recommended accommodations:

Flamingo - Nice white sand beach in Guanacaste, one of the most beautiful stretches of the Pacific Coast. Two large hotels maintain U.S. quality services and a thriving marina offers sport fishing, diving, coastal cruises. Amenities and atmosphere of international resort. Recommended: Flamingo Resort 

Playa Grande - A long beach with a strong surf and one of the great nature attractions of Costa Rica: the nesting place of the giant leatherback turtle. Hotel Las Tortugas was designed to minimize disturbance of the turtles and the owners are ardent conservationists. Playa Grande is a place to enjoy splendid isolation, pristine beach trails, tide pools, exploring a mangrove estuary. Recommended: Villa Las Baulas.

Tamarindo - Light sand beach of Guanacaste Province known for superb fishing and surfing and also recently awarded 100% on the Bandera Azul survey for beach cleanliness. Local tour operators provide access to watersports  and horseback riding. Community maintains a lively mix of tico, gringo, and European styles. Recommended: Capitan Suizo, Tamarindo Diria, Villa Alegre,Bella Vista, Sueno del Mar, and el Milagro. All-inclusive resorts near Tamarindo: Paradisus Playa Conchal and Barcelo Playa Langosta.

Samara - A calm bay fronted by a soft, light sand beach with a gentle slope makes this one of the most popular beaches for Costa Rican families. Villas Playa Samara is set apart from the village at one end of the bay and offers a complete range of water sports activities. Recommended: Villas Playa Samara

Playa Tambor - Located on the Nicoya peninsula, dark sand beach surrounded by lush rainforest and home to many howler monkeys.  Recommended:  Playa Tambor All-Inclusive Resort

Montezuma - laid back, hippy village with beautiful beaches and waterfalls. Recommended: Yling-Ylang resort, Amor de Mar

Malpais - great surfing beaches for beginners and advanced. Recommended: Blue Jay Lodge (treehouse bungalows), Tropico Latino (beachfront bungalows)

Manuel Antonio - Popular national park on the central Pacific coast offering white sand beaches, rugged seascapes, rain forest, and plentiful wildlife. Recommended: Villas Nicolas, Si Como No, Casitas Eclipse, La Quinta, Costa Verde.  Note: most of the hotels here are built into the hillside and have beautiful views of the ocean but no direct beach access.

Dominical - South of the small fishing town of Dominical the Pacific Coast breaks into rugged points and small crescent beaches fringed by dense rain forest. Here two Californians have built a rustic hideaway that evokes a Taoist retreat. Cabins are open, facing the ocean. No electricity, but an entire rain forest for your backyard and the ocean at your doorstep. Cabinas Escondidas

Cahuita - The Caribbean is a different world with reggae rhythms, and West Indian culture. Cahuita offers Costa Ricas first marine park, protecting a barrier reef, white beaches, and beach forest. The seaside park also offers a wealth of fauna and flora and some of the easiest birdwatching in the country. Accommodations at the Atlantida Lodge across from a black sand beach are simple, but comfortable with ceiling fans, hot water, and complimentary 24-hour coffee.

Puerto Viejo - The far southern Caribbean offers beautiful white and black sand beaches with coral formations that frequently touch the shore for the easiest snorkeling. Dense rain forest and mangrove estuaries offer a superb habitat for birds and small wildlife. A mix of African, Latino, and Bri Bri Indian culture make this one of the most interesting regions of the country. Recommended: Villas del Caribe (ocean-front 2-bedroom apartments with kitchenette), Almonds & Corals (tent camp), Azania Bungalows (beautiful setting and excellent value - bungalows sleep 4 people for $75/nt including breakfast! 

Costa Rica is known for its wonderful national parks, cloud forests, and nature reserves.  One of its most popular attractions is the Arenal Volcano.  At the base of the Arenal Volcano are the Tabacon Hot Springs with lush vegetation, spa, and restaurant. Recommended hotels in this area are:  Tabacon Resort, Arenal Observatory Lodge.

Another highly recommened activity is river rafting down the Pacuare River.  This trip is offered year round, with 5 hours of scenic rafting in a beautiful rainforest setting.

  

Barcelo Playa Tambor Resort All-Inclusive Resort
 
Tambor Beach is located on the Nicoya Peninsula. The easiest way to get here is by a 25 minute flight from San Jose to the Tambor air strip, which is located right next door to the Barcelo Playa Tambor All-Inclusive Resort. We love this resort-it is one of our favorite family vacation memories!  The food and service were wonderful, and the entertainment very enjoyable.  The beach was great for boogie boarding and surf kayaking. There are activities going on throughout the day to keep you entertained.   The weekends got a little too busy (lots of locals) but midweek was quiet.  
 Click here for more information on the Barcelo Playa Tambor!  This is the best value all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica!

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You will see monkeys in the trees!

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Playa Tambor

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