The Rough Guide to Costa Rica

INTRODUCTION

Hemmed in between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans near the narrowest point of the Central American isthmus, the tiny republic of Costa Rica is often pictured as an oasis of political stability in the midst of a turbulent region. This democratic and prosperous nation is also one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet, an ecological treasure house whose varied habitats – ranging from rainforests and beaches to volcanoes and mangrove swamps – support a fascinating variety of wildlife, much of it now protected by an enlightened national conservation system which is widely regarded as a model of its kind.

Though this idyllic image might not do justice to the full complexities of contemporary Costa Rican society, it’s true that the country’s long democratic tradition and complete absence of military forces (the army was abolished in 1948) stand in sharp contrast to the brutal internal conflicts which have ravaged its neighbours, while the country has also largely escaped the natural disasters which have afflicted so many other Central American states. This reputation for peacefulness has been an important factor in the spectacular growth of Costa Rica’s tourist industry – up to a million visitors are expected to visit the country during the year 2002, mainly from North America. Most of all, though, it’s the country’s outstanding natural beauty which has made it one of the world’s prime eco-tourism destinations, with visitors coming to walk trails beneath the vaulting canopy trees of million-year-old rainforests; to climb the volcanoes that punctuate the country’s mountainous spine; or to explore the high-altitude cloudforest, home to the jaguar, the lumbering tapir and the resplendent quetzal.

Admittedly, tourism has made Costa Rica less of an "authentic" experience than some travellers would like: it’s hard to go anywhere in the country without bumping into white-water rafters or surfers, and more and more previously remote spots are being bought up by foreign entrepreneurs. Still, few Costa Ricans have anything bad to say about their country’s popularity with visitors – perhaps simply because they know which side their bread’s buttered. But as more hotels open, malls go up, and foreigners flock to the country, there’s no doubt the country is experiencing a significant social change, while the darker side of foreign involvement in the country – sex tourism, real-estate scams and conflicts between foreign property-owners and poorer locals – are all on the increase.

Costa Rica’s long democratic tradition and complete absence of military forces stand in sharp contrast to the brutal internal conflicts which have ravaged its neighbours

Despite such problems, revenue from tourism is one of the reasons Costa Ricans – or Ticos, as they are generally known – now enjoy the highest rate of literacy, health care, education and life expectancy in the isthmus. That said, Costa Rica is certainly not the middle-class country that it’s often portrayed to be – a significant percentage of people still live below the poverty line – and while it is modernizing fast, its character continues to be rooted in distinct local cultures, from the Afro-Caribbean province of Limón, with its Creole cuisine, games and patois, to the traditional ladino values embodied by the sabanero (cowboy) of Guanacaste. Above all, the country still has the highest rural population density in Latin America, and society continues to revolve around the twin axes of countryside and family: wherever you go, you’re sure to be left with mental snapshots of rural life, whether it be horsemen trotting by on dirt roads, coffee-plantation day-labourers setting off to work in the dawn mists of the Highlands, or avocado-pickers cycling home at sunset.

WHERE TO GO

Though everyone passes through it, hardly anyone falls in love with San José, Costa Rica s underrated capital. Often dismissed as an ugly urban sprawl, the city enjoys a dramatic setting amid jagged mountain peaks, plus some excellent cafés and restaurants, leafy parks, a lively university district and a good arts scene. The surrounding Valle Central is the country s agricultural heartland, and also home to several of its finest volcanos, including the huge crater of Volcán Poás and the largely dormant Volcán Irazú, a strange lunar landscape high above the regional capital of Cartago.

Though nowhere in the country is further than nine hours drive from San José, the far north and the far south are less visited than other regions. The broad alluvial plains of the Zona Norte are often overlooked, despite featuring active Volcán Arenal, which spouts and spews within sight of the friendly tourist hangout of Fortuna, affording arresting night-time scenes of blood-red lava illuminating the sky. Off-the-beaten-path travellers and serious hikers will be happiest in the rugged Zona Sur, home to Mount Chirripó, the highest point in the country. Further south, on the outstretched feeler of the Osa Peninsula, Parque Nacional Corcovado protects the last significant area of tropical wet forest on the Pacific coast of the isthmus and is probably the best destination in the country for walkers and also one of the few places where you have a fighting chance of seeing some of the wildlife for which Costa Rica is famed.

In the northwest, the cattle-ranching province of Guanacaste is often called "the home of Costa Rican folklore", and sabanero (cowboy) culture dominates here, with exuberant ragtag rodeos and large cattle haciendas. Limón province, on the Caribbean coast, is the polar opposite to traditional ladino Guanacaste, home to the descendants of the Afro-Caribbeans who came to Costa Rica at the end of the nineteenth century to work on the San José Limón railroad their language (Creole English), Protestantism and the West Indian traditions remain relatively intact to this day.

Close to the Pacific coast, Monteverde has become the country s number-one tourist attraction, pulling in the visitors who flock here to walk trails through some of the last remaining cloudforest in the Americas. Further down the coast is the popular beach of Manuel Antonio, with its picture-postcard ocean setting, plus the equally pretty but far less touristed beaches of Sámara and Nosara on the Nicoya Peninsula.

BIODIVERSITY UNDER PROTECTION

Despite its small size, Costa Rica possesses no less than five percent of the world s total biodiversity, in part due to its position as a transition zone between North and South America, and also thanks to its complex system of interlocking micro-climates, created by differences in topography and altitude. This biological abundance is now safeguarded by one of the world s most enlightened and dedicated conservation programmes about 25 percent of Costa Rica s land is protected, most of it through the country s extensive system of national parks.

Costa Rica s national parks vary from the tropical jungle lowlands of Corcovado to the grassy volcanic uplands of Rincón de la Vieja, an impressive and varied range of terrain which has helped the country become Central America s prime ecotourism destination. Outside the park system, however, land is assailed by deforestation ironically, there are now no more significant patches of forest left anywhere in the country except in protected areas.

WHEN TO GO

Although Costa Rica lies between 8° and 11° north of the equator, temperatures, governed by the vastly varying altitudes, are by no means universally high, and can plummet to below freezing at higher altitudes. Local microclimates predominate and make weather unpredictable, though to an extent you can depend upon the two-season rule. From roughly May to mid-November you will have afternoon rains and sunny mornings. The rains are heaviest in September and October and, although they can be fierce, will impede you from travelling only in the more remote areas of the country the Nicoya Peninsula especially where dirt roads become impassible to all but the sturdiest 4WDs. In the dry season most areas are just that: dry all day, with occasional blustery northern winds blowing in during January or February and cooling things off. Otherwise you can depend on sunshine and warm temperatures.

In recent years Costa Rica has been booked solid during the peak season, the North American winter months, when bargains are few and far between. The crowds peter out after Easter, but return again to an extent in June and July. During peak times you have to plan well in advance, faxing the hotels of your choice, usually prepaying or at least putting down a deposit by credit card, and arriving armed with faxed confirmations and a set itinerary. Travellers who prefer to play it by ear are much better off coming during the low or rainy season (euphemistically called the "green season"), when many hotels offer discounts. The months of November, April (after Easter) and May are the best times to visit, when the rains have either just started or just died off, and the country is refreshed, green, and relatively untouristed.