Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [479]
Pura Vida Adventures (in USA 415-465-2162; www.puravidaadventures.com; Mal País) Multiday packages catered exclusively for women.
Tico Travel (in USA 800-493-8426; www.ticotravel.com) Offers a great variety of surfing packages and camps.
Venus Surf Adventures (8840-2365, in USA 800-793-0512; www.venussurfadventures.com; Pavones) Offers a six-day surf camp for women only, including lessons, yoga and other activities.
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Wildlife- & Bird-Watching
Any of Costa Rica’s national parks are good places for observing wildlife, as are the various private reserves scattered around the country. The following Costa Rican–based companies come highly recommended by our readers. These companies can book everything, from gentle hikes to expeditions in remote wilderness.
Aratinga Tours (2770-6324; www.aratinga-tours.com) Pieter Westra specializes in bird tours in his native Dutch, but he is fluent in English, Spanish and many dialects of bird. His website provides an excellent introduction to bird-watching in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica Expeditions (2257-0766, 2222-0333; www.costaricaexpeditions.com) Offers custom itineraries and a network of ecolodges.
Expediciones Tropicales (2257-4171; www.costaricainfo.com) Offers a variety of one- and two-week itineraries.
Horizontes (2222-2022; www.horizontes.com) An 11-day itinerary (US$1706) visits Tortuguero, Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio.
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Windsurfing & Kitesurfing
Laguna de Arenal is the nation’s undisputed windsurfing (and kitesurfing) center. From December to April, winds are strong and steady, averaging 20 knots in the dry season, with maximum winds of often 30 knots, and windless days are a rarity. The lake has a year-round water temperature of 18°C (64°F) to 21°C (70°F) with 1m-high swells. For more information see boxed text.
For warmer water (but more inconsistent winds), try Puerto Soley in the Bahía Salinas (Click here).
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BUSINESS HOURS
Restaurants are usually open from 7am and serve dinner until 9pm, though upscale places may open only for dinner. In remote areas, even the small sodas (inexpensive eateries) might open only at specific meal times. See other business hours on the inside front cover of this book. Unless otherwise stated, count on sights, activities and restaurants to be open daily.
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CHILDREN
Costa Rica is a kid-friendly country, especially since Ticos themselves are extremely family-orientated, and will go out of their way to lavish attention on children. Although you will have to take certain precautions to ensure the health and safety of your little ones, Costa Rica is arguably the most popular family destination in Latin America. As such, we have tried to highlight the best of ‘Costa Rica for children’ throughout this book – see various destinations for more information, as well as Click here.
For starters, children under the age of 12 receive a 25% discount on domestic-airline flights, while children under two fly free (provided they sit on a parent’s lap). Children pay full fare on buses (except for those under the age of three). Car seats for infants are not always available at car-rental agencies, so bring your own.
Most midrange and top-end hotels have reduced rates for children under 12, provided the child shares a room with parents. Top-end hotels will provide cribs and usually have activities for children.
If you’re traveling with an infant, bring disposable diapers (nappies), baby creams or toiletries, baby aspirin and a thermometer from home, or stock up in San José. In rural areas, supplies may be difficult to find, though cloth diapers are more widespread (and friendlier to the environment).
For a near-infinite number of other travel suggestions, check out Lonely Planet’s Travel with Children.
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CLIMATE CHARTS
For a small country, Costa Rica’s got an awful lot of weather going on. The highlands are cold, the cloud