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 Cheap Vacation Travel Guide to Costa Rica
By Roger Dalton
Costa Rica vacations can be inexpensive. This is a cheap vacation travel guide for families or solo travelers looking to extend their vacation by cutting down on daily expenses. Costa Rica is not just an adventure travel destination. Many visit for surfing, fishing, or just to hike the rain forest, enjoy wildlife, and lay on a secluded nature beach.
Tourist season in Costa Rica is from December through March. The cost of lodging, airfare, and food is cheaper by visiting after tourist season.
Airfare
If possible travel on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Use Travelocity or other agents that provide a flexible travel option for your destination. Then schedule your vacation around the cheaper flights you find using these tools.
San Jose is the capital city and the International airport (airport code SJO) is centrally located for visits to the Caribbean side of the country and the central or south Pacific.
Liberia in the northwest corner of the country has the only other international airport (airport code LIR) and is the best place to arrive for visits to the Guanacaste and Nicoya peninsula.
When To Go
April through November is when fewer tourists visit Costa Rica and when hotels discount their rates substantially. Costa Rica is covered with rain forests and yes it rains in the rain forest. Generally this means sunny mornings and rain during the afternoon and possibly at night.
The Northwest Pacific beaches are the driest areas of the country. These two areas are Guanacaste and the Nicoya peninsula. The southern Caribbean beaches are best visited from late August through October but rain showers can happen anytime during the year.
Don't expect to see the summit of the Arenal volcano during these time periods. Clouds will generally prevent viewing lava flows during the winter months in Costa Rica. The small town of La Fortuna provides lodging close to Arenal but at significantly cheaper rates.
Getting Around
The public bus system in Costa Rica goes pretty much everywhere. The cost varies depending on the bus route but expect to pay less than $7 to go anywhere. The buses are not air conditioned and can be crowded so arrive early to get a seat.
Lodging
Camping in Costa Rica is cheap but only for the young and hardy traveler. Many areas provide facilities including drinking water. Inexpensive accommodations are easily found throughout the country but especially in Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side where choices are plentiful below $25 per night.
Stay away from the hot spots like Manuel Antonio, Jaco, Tamarindo, Arenal, and elsewhere for budget accommodations. Places like Playa Samara, Mal Pais, La Fortuna (near Arenal), and Puerto Viejo are excellent choices for a fun filled cheap vacation.
The Moon guide book contains many inexpensive options for lodging throughout the country from shared dorm style to small apartments with kitchenettes.
Food
Local restaurants called sodas provide filling food at cheap prices. All imported food and drink is very expensive. Gallo Pinto, a rice and bean dish made with spices and Lizano Salsa, fresh tropical fruits, chicken, and seafood are featured dishes.
Do It Yourself Tours
Canopy tours and other adventure tours can be quite expensive. Hiking in the rain forest parks without a guide is very inexpensive however. Generally, park entrance fees are in the $6 - $8 range. Manuel Antonio park is easily hiked without guides but is one of the most expensive areas to find a room. Rincon de la Vieja National park features wild orchids, bubbling mud pits, volcanic craters, and great nature hikes.
Costa Rica is a friendly Latin American country that hosted 1.6 million tourists in 2005. The beauty of the country and its people are unparalleled.
Roger is publisher of Fun Costa Rica Vacations a destination guide for Costa Rica providing ideas for fun vacations.
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