Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [1]
R H PRODUCTIONS / PHOTOLIBRARY
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JACÓ
I know it’s not the ‘real’ Costa Rica, but I can’t deny that Jacó (Click here) isn’t a blast every time I pass through. Sure, there are better surf spots and cleaner beaches, but its bar, restaurant and club scene is the best you’ll find along the entire Pacific coast.
Alex, Traveler, USA
PAUL KENNEDY
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SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN
By day, lounge in a hammock, snorkel uncrowded beaches and visit the remote indigenous territories of the Bribrí and KéköLdi. By night, dip into zesty Caribbean cooking and sway to reggaetón at open-air bars cooled by ocean breezes. The villages of Cahuita (Click here) and Puerto Viejo de Talamanca (Click here) seem to have it all.
Carolina A Miranda, Lonely Planet Author, USA
LUKE HUNTER
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TORTUGUERO
Watch endangered sea turtles practice the millennia-old ritual of building a nest and laying their eggs on wild black-sand shores in this charming Caribbean jungle town (Click here).
Carolina A Miranda, Lonely Planet Author, USA
CARVER MOSTARDI / ALAMY
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DOMINICAL
A permanently chilled-out beach town where time slows down to a crawl, Dominical (Click here) has a way of forestalling your future plans. But when the surf is crashing and the sun is blazing, few travelers seem to really care.
Matthew D Firestone, Lonely Planet Author, USA
CÉSAR G SORIANO
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LLANOS DE CORTÉS
One of the most dramatic waterfalls (Click here) in Costa Rica cascades into a tranquil pond with a white sandy beach. Scramble behind the falls with your sweetie to reach romantic nooks veiled by curtains of water.
César G Soriano, Lonely Planet Author, USA
DAVE AND SIGRUN TOLLERTON / ALAMY
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PAVONES
Pavones (Click here) is one of my favorite surf spots in the world, even though it doesn’t attract as much attention as other, more famous beaches. I like that it’s difficult to get to and a bit of an unknown, though the waves here never seem to disappoint.
Daniel, Traveler, Germany
LUKE HUNTER
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CERRO CHIRRIPÓ
From the lofty heights of Costa Rica’s highest summit (Click here), you can get a true sense of the country’s diminutive size – on a clear day, both the Caribbean and the Pacific are in full and glorious panoramic view.
Matthew D Firestone, Lonely Planet Author, USA
RICHARD CUMMINS
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SAN JOSÉ
Museums bursting with pre-Columbian artifacts. World-class eateries serving everything from Costa Rican fusion cuisine to Japanese sushi rolls. And a pumping nightlife that gets roaring after dark. Central America’s most cosmopolitan capital (Click here) has a little bit of everything.
Carolina A Miranda, Lonely Planet Author, USA
CHRISTER FREDRIKSSON
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COFFEE PLANTATIONS OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY
Soak up plenty of rural idyll and learn all about how Costa Rica’s golden bean goes from plant to cup at the valley’s picturesque coffee plantations. Among the best spots for a tour: Orosi (Click here) and Barva (Click here).
Carolina A Miranda, Lonely Planet Author, USA
CÉSAR G SORIANO
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CAÑO NEGRO
This far-flung, little-visited national park (Click here) untouched by modern development has amazing bird-watching and kayaking opportunities. It’s a great place to get away from it all.
César G Soriano, Lonely Planet Author, USA
CHRISTER FREDRIKSSON
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THE FORESTS OF PARQUE NACIONAL BRAULIO CARRILLO
This little-visited park (Click here) offers a dreamy wonderland of misty forests crisscrossed by cascading rivers and studded by untrammeled volcanic craters – all just 30 minutes from San José.
Carolina A Miranda, Lonely Planet Author, USA
STEVE BLY / ALAMY
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GUAYABO
Nestled into a forested hillside that overlooks the bustling agricultural center of Turrialba, lies Guayabo (Click here), the country’s most impressive archaeological