Archive for the ‘Costa Rica’ Category

Costa Rican Vacation Packages

Saturday, August 28th, 2010

The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage–at least it seems that way. If you’ve been thinking you need to know more about it, here’s your opportunity.

Most of the tour companies and even the major airlines have packages tourists can look through brochures and pick out a tour package that fits their budget since many run someone back around $1500-2000 for the average 5 to 7 day tours and a little more if you’re doing the full 10-14 day tours.

You can Google up Costa Rican vacations and you’ll pull up countless tour companies that offer everything from student to specialized tours for people with disabilities. There’s a package for everyone and the budgets they wish to spend since some people want to keep it simple and some want it to be elaborate. Most of the tours usually feature tours of ancient ruins of Costa Rican indigenous people.

Always go for tour companies that are experienced and know everything from A to Z about Costa Rica. Inexperienced tour companies are not up to par with issues that many tourists ask questions about such as the full cost of an actual tour and any other information pertinent to you booking or otherwise.

You want to get the most out of your money when booking a vacation package and make sure that what is stated in the literature matches what you see because those who book with companies that don’t have a good reputation should be aware and it’s ideal to check them out through consumer protection websites to see if they’re accused of pricing unfairly or misrepresenting something in their literature about the tour(s) they’re advertising. Many companies even allow tourists to design their own packages by giving them a choice of different things to mix and match and come up with a price that’s satisfactory to the customer’s budget needs.

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Costa Rica story from informed sources.

A good solid package if someone’s on a limited budget between $490-900 for 3-5 days, or if someone’s wanting an elaborate type of tour package of 10-15 days could spring up $3500-5000 depending on what the tourist puts in their package which determines the cost of the trip in total.

Most packages include your airfare, meals, and hotel costs, and all gratuities (tips), but some of them don’t include airfare or meals or hotel costs so it’s important to research this before you put a down payment on the trip. It’s cheaper to do packages because if you had to cover the cost of airfare, meals, and hotel stay separately you would be looking a lot of money.

This is why packages are important to tourists, so they can get more out of their money and not have to spend more than they are wanting to do just to have a vacation that’s relaxing and fun. Investigate all travel companies and agents through word of mouth if you know anyone who’s used them for a vacation tour package and the major airlines have a travel bureau.

That you can look at since many travelers who use the same airline can rely on their carriers information, but the only downside is that they don’t provide extra details such as issues with personal and public security, and knowing how to convert currency. Travelers are advised to consult with the Costa Rican consulate for any information surrounding security and conversion of currency so you’re getting the right and correct information.

That’s the latest from the Costa Rica authorities. Once you’re familiar with these ideas, you’ll be ready to move to the next level.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

Costa Rica Tourist Traps

Friday, July 9th, 2010

Costa Rica has a great tourist industry. They are welcoming and friendly and in most cases they are honest and genuine. But human nature being what it is, sometimes we end up getting less than we bargained for. The following are just a few tips on what to look out for before you pay out of pocket.

In most cities these days, when the local cops aren’t busy they park in a discreet spot and scrutinize drivers to see if they can catch them in an infraction. One person I read about got stopped for speeding and the cops told him that it was an expensive ticket. The cop told them that for $100 he would look the other way. Later he was told that he could have settled the ticket at any Bank of Costa Rica.

This is a great example of why you should take the bus and taxi whenever possible. You may think you are free with your own vehicle but you won’t be very free if you are stuck in a hole on a dirt road in a foreign country. Just figure into your budget, taxi and bus fare. Always hide extra cab fare on you somewhere just in case of emergency.

Is everything making sense so far? If not, I’m sure that with just a little more reading, all the facts will fall into place.

Another trap is that using travel agent doesn’t always pay off. You could end up paying as much as $50 a night more on your lodging because of the travel agent’s cut. Go ahead and book your own rooms and make payment arrangements. Also try to find out the distance from your hotel to your destination. Why pay a cab to drive half a mile when you can walk it, unless it’s raining of course.

This next thing isn’t necessarily a tourist trap but you should know about this ahead of time. In the Monteverde Cloud Forest there are the attractions of the Sky Bridge and Canopy tours. A sky bridge is a bridge made over the tops of the trees. Canopy Tours are like ski lifts, the canopied car moving on a cable from tree to tree. The idea being, that you are able to see a great variety of wildlife from this vantage point. I hope you don’t have vertigo.

You are walking off into a bridge into the trees and the clouds, or your are taking the Canopy ride through the clouds but your purpose in doing this is to be able to see the wonderful wildlife. You will see nothing unless the clouds clear. It does cost you money to get across the bridge and to ride the Canopies but why pay the money if you can’t see anything. Better to wait until you have a clear day.

The next one is really important. Look before you sit when using the restroom in remote locations. One lady said that someone had stolen the toilet seat and she had no place to sit. To make matters worse there was no toilet paper. So my advice to you is to always go to the restroom in a store or restaurant if you have the chance before going into on tours and always, always take some toilet paper.

If you’ve picked some pointers about Costa Rica that you can put into action, then by all means, do so. You won’t really be able to gain any benefits from your new knowledge if you don’t use it.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit this new site for my swedish customers: Billigt Webbhotell – from SEK 10:- per month!

Costa Rican Cruises

Sunday, June 20th, 2010

When you think about Costa Rica, what do you think of first? Which aspects of Costa Rica are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

Some people want to take the slow boat to China deal by doing a cruise to Costa Rica leaving out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida with stops in Costa Maya, Limon, and Colon, Costa Rica and you can spend 8 days on a Carnival Cruise down to Costa Rica and experiencing port of calls along the way. This is a lot more exciting than being cramped on a flight when you can spend all the time relaxing and having a good time before you get to the ports of call, which is on days 3,5 and 6. Each stop is approximately one day long and there’s only one stop in Costa Rica that is on day 5 of the trip.

You can just sit back and look out on to the ocean and take in the next breath of air so clean you forgot you’re not in the city. Par t of the fun about a cruise is the nighttime sky when you can walk out on to the deck and look at the clearest sky around. Most tourists enjoy that where they can go walking around the deck at night and the cost doesn’t come cheap you’re looking at about $3-5 grand for a week and a half or longer that’s why tourists need to plan their trip well to make sure you can get the most of out of it financially.

I trust that what you’ve read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

Carnival cruises is one of the lines that does have stops in Costa Rica as their port of call and usually there’s a trip through the Panama Canal, but it’s just straight down south winding your way through the Caribbean islands and stopping in some places, but you spend more time out on the water than you do stopping on land. Sailing instead of flying just buys you more time to relax comfortably instead of being squashed up inside a plane for a few hours when you can spend a few days chilling out on the deck and enjoying a drink while taking in some rays. There are a lot of cruise ship websites out there that can tell you when you should book your trip since like the airlines prices change quickly in a matter of a day.

So it’s ideal to get email notices about the fares so you can book them quickly. Doing your homework can ensure you get the best fare possible for your money since it’s not exactly cheap to go on a ship. The average person spends a couple years saving up for a cruise and booking when the price is not so high since like flying cruises are costly at certain times of the year.

Booking a year early is your best bet in getting the dates you want so you’re not paying full fare when the reduced rate is offered to you in advance to give you a chance to book your cabin. Cabins are booked by level and are priced differently. The most expensive would be towards the front.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest acquisition: Adsense Sites and make sure to download the free adsense sites package!

Costa Rica: Music, Dance and Nightlife

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

In today’s world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.

Music in Costa Rica is music to dance to. From Salsa to Chamber music there is something for everyone. Live bands play at different clubs all over the country. Salsa, Jazz, Rock, Tango, Tex-Mex, and Calypso are all on the venue at different nightspots in Costa Rica.

If you are staying in and around San Jose the best nightlife is found at El Pueblo in Escazu. Here you can find restaurants, nightclubs and shops. Club Twister is one club that is very popular playing contemporary and Latin music. Another is El Tobagan and while they are open only on the weekend they are always packed.

Somewhere in El Pueblo the Tango Bar is located. It has a couple of older gals that serve drinks and perform sentimental ballads. If you are lucky an Argentine visitor will be able to translate the lyrics. Occasionally you will have the treat of seeing a good tango performed.

Costa Ricans love to dance and they are so good that it is scary. Not too much cha cha, but there is plenty of cumbia, merengue, lambada, and salsa. If you get a chance before you go to Costa Rica try to get in some salsa lessons. It is the most fun you can have and it sure makes you know that you are alive. There is dancing at night in any number of clubs all over Costa Rica but most of the better hotels have music at night.

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there’s more to Costa Rica than you may have first thought.

If you speak a small amount of Spanish and you are looking for local happenings then you can try to read the local papers the Tico Time and La NacĂ­on. These should help you find local movie times and info on concerts and festivals.

Every year in February and March there is the Monteverde Art Festival, which has local musicians and visiting guest musicians. The venues for the music change from year to year depending on what festival planners have in mind so check the local newspaper or simply ask around. The local Ticos will be more than happy to give you any info they have on where the next performance is.

Costa Rica is predominantly Catholic so most of their holidays follow the usual Catholic holidays such as Christmas and Easter but one holiday that stands out is the celebration of the Black Christ Esquipulas. This festival originates in Guatemala but is celebrated all over Costa Rica. There is large population of Guatemalan immigrants so this may have something to do with the celebration.

The Teatro National was built over a hundred years ago an in that time Costa Ricans have developed there own national theater company. Additionally Costa Rica has their own Symphony and Ticos love classical music almost as much as Salsa.

For those of you that like a different kind of nightlife there are also a few nature and wildlife tours. In the Mountverde Cloud Forest there are night tours that show you the beauty of wildlife that only shows itself at night.

Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what’s important about Costa Rica.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest acquisition: Adsense Sites and make sure to download the free adsense sites package!

Airfares to Costa Rica

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

When you’re traveling to Costa Rica you want to get the cheapest airfare and the issue with flying is that the prices change every few minutes to an hour and it’s ideal to research sites like Orbitz.com, Travelocity.com and Cheaptickets.com because they offer rates for flights at different times whether it’s high or low travel season.

Most of the major carriers have fares that are early bird specials for when the peak season of travel happens usually during the summer and holidays. Nailing the perfect airfare when you want to travel to Costa Rica will be a work in progress because you could be sitting in front of your computer for hours surfing travel sites for the perfect airfare because the rates change quickly and they can be up one moment and down the next. Your goal is to book the cheapest rate possible and it’s ideal to do it through travel sites like Orbitz, Travelocity, Cheaptickets, Priceline, Hotwire, Expedia and Hotels.com because independently owned websites may not be reliable and you will get a better deal through these reputable sites.

Book your flight at least 90 days before you travel so you can have time to get your tickets if mailed to you and any documentation with travel visas and passports.

It’s really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of Costa Rica. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas.

Usually the summer is the best time to book flights for the fall season because late summer is when you can get the best deal on airfares. Airfares aren’t cheap to Central America since you’re looking at least a couple grand and that even depends on who you’re flying with since the major carriers out here will change rates quickly usually on the hour because of the competition that’s out here they have to be able to keep up with the current rate for airfares. So it’s ideal that if you have an account with the travel sites on the Internet always check on a frequent basis usually early morning, mid-day and evening to see how the airfares to one place change within 12 hours.

When you see the airfare that you want book it right away because within the hour it will likely go up since travel sites usually change their information when the carriers change up. The only downside is that if you book online you have to have a major credit card and not everyone has a credit card to book their flights with.

Now it’s easy to use your debit card since many banks issue them with the VISA or MasterCard logos on them so that people can use it to book an airline ticket right away when they spot the fares they want and can catch it before the fares change in the next few minutes to an hour. If you can access the Internet wherever you can it’s easy to nail the fares you want if you catch them early and often. Some sites offer email notices that can inform you of when a discount or reduced fare comes up during the hour since emails are sent on a daily basis so you can keep tabs on when the airfare you want is posted and sent out by email.

Now you can understand why there’s a growing interest in Costa Rica. When people start looking for more information about Costa Rica, you’ll be in a position to meet their needs.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this great product..
- Do you want to make Your PDF files viral? Use This Secret Viral PDF Rebrander: Viral PDF

Costa Rica: Let’s Eat!

Friday, May 7th, 2010

I was mistaken when I thought I would be eating mostly Latin food but Costa Rica has a phenomenal diversity in the foods that it serves. You would be surprised to find that there are many Asian restaurants and just as many European restaurants. The food is plentiful and the cost is reasonable. Of course every fine hotel has a restaurant on the premises but you will want to eat at the local restaurants.

In San Jose there are quite a few fine restaurants. Ristorante Bohemia is a fine European restaurant that serves a formal European dinner with a fine wine list. While looking for restaurants to try out, I repeatedly found Tin Jo’s on the list. This is a restaurant that seems to have stood the test of time and is still in business. The food is considered Pan Asian and you can find Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and even some East Indian food. The deserts are delicious.

I once went to a Cuban restaurant and found out the hard way that not all Latin food is like Mexican food. I embarrassed myself and asked for chips and salsa. Big oops, I got a dirty look for that one. The same is true of Costa Rica; don’t go expecting the native food to be like Mexican food. It could be considered bland and is healthier than the Mexican food that we usually eat here in the States. Costa Rican food is considered healthier because it is more fresh and natural. No canned peas here!

The nicest thing about eating in Costa Rica is that all fruits, vegetable, and seafood are very fresh. In some cases the beef and pork are actually fresh as well. In all restaurants the juice served is usually fresh. It seems that it is cheaper to serve fresh rather than frozen. Many smaller restaurants actually grow their own fruits, vegetables, and herbs There is also the cheese made by the Quaker community from Monteverde and if you travel through Monteverde you will get a chance to meet the Quakers. .

Most of this information comes straight from the Costa Rica pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you’ll know what they know.

One thing that I have to have in the morning is a hot cup of coffee. I don’t care if the weather is hot or not, I must have a cup of hot coffee to get moving in the morning. One nice thing is that Costa Rica produces a fine crop of coffee. You may want to stock up and take bags of coffee home with you as gifts for friends and family. Many of the hotels are located on either old coffee plantations or on actual functioning coffee plantations.

One of the local dishes is Ceviche, which is wonderful and is made from seafood. I make my own version here at home with cooked shrimp and crab. One of the delicacies found in most salads is Hearts of Palm. I think that is great, especially since I love Hearts of Palm. Here in the states they are expensive and I haven’t had any for quite some time.

As with any Central American country, Plantains are a staple it the diet of Costa Ricans. When I was a kid my Puerto Rican friend was served fried Plantains for breakfast made by her mother. I was shocked to see her put ketchup on a fried banana. Well I soon found out that Plantains are in the banana family but they are used more like potatoes.

Because of all the fresh produce available, Costa Rica is a heaven for vegetarians or those with vegan diets. You will find many vegetarian restaurants available for your dining pleasure.

Most of the big hotels have buffets and you can always eat at these but you will do yourself a disservice if you don’t try the local cuisine with it being as fresh and original as it is. There are a many Americans and others that come to Costa Rica and open up businesses. No matter where you are in Costa Rica, get out and try the food. Visit someplace new every day.

There’s no doubt that the topic of Costa Rica can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about Costa Rica, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this great product..
- Do you want to make Your PDF files viral? Use This Secret Viral PDF Rebrander: Viral PDF

Vacationing in Costa Rica

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

When you think about Costa Rica, what do you think of first? Which aspects of Costa Rica are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

When you’re seeking an exotic spot to vacation or honeymoon Costa Rica is a beautiful country located in Central America nestled between Nicaragua and Panama and is just a few square miles smaller than West Virginia. According to reports done on this country you can find the beauty and tranquility in one small little place with a huge appreciation for life and the pursuit of relaxation.

Covering just less than 0.1% of the Earth’s land mass and is home to 5% of the world’s biodiversity. There are 26 national parks and protected areas spread out across the country. Costa Rica offers a lot of great ocean views since it’s got the Pacific Ocean to the West and the Caribbean Sea to the East so those who want to catch a wave can stay in hotels along the Pacific Ocean side and those who want that tranquil island breeze can stay on the Caribbean Sea side.

There’s so much you can do while on a Costa Rican vacation and the activities are endless where you can do like looking at the rare wildlife like macaws, leatherback turtles, morpho butterflies, and the central American squirrel monkey. They offer tours of the rainforests there and even jungle safaris. You can also get an opportunity to see migrating whales, various dolphin species, sea turtles, and manatees when they migrate through the area at specific times of the year.

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Costa Rica story from informed sources.

There are 3 volcanoes in the country and you can view one of them that’s currently active and that’s the Arenal, which is located in the northern part of the country, the other two are just to the midpoint and southern end of the country. Many people also love to go soak in the hot springs near the volcano.

Much of the most lush and beautiful plant life is near the volcanoes because of the ashes it gives off actually works as a fertilizer since the lava had burned away old plants giving new growth nutrient rich soil to grow from. Many people come from far and wide to spend a few days basking in the sun and taking in some of the culture and language since Costa Rica’s national language is Spanish. The best time to visit Costa Rica is between December and April which is the period of the dry season and May through November when they go through the rainy season.

Usually it’s best to visit when the weather isn’t very hot and humid since Central America is only mere miles from the equator, which borders the northern end of South America.

Tourists should be aware of all natural disasters and who they tour the country with because if you don’t know the area or language you’re stuck and many Americans have gone missing in foreign lands because they go off with people they don’t know very well so to make your trip a memorable experience to do your homework thoroughly before you plan a trip to Costa Rica so you know all the important details of how long you’re staying and where you’ll be staying at in terms of hotels or resorts.

About the Author
Have you visited Anders’ latest site for adsense publishers? Download new fresh sites in this all new site, called Adsense Ready Websites

Conventions and Conferences in Costa Rica

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

Large companies and corporations sponsor destination business meetings and Costa Rica is one of prominent spots to have a conference and conventions. Exotic locations combine business and vacation at the same time and give a fresh look to business. When you want to bring some relaxation to your company and employees having it in an exotic locale like Costa Rica it’s offering employees a chance to kick back and relax and take advantage of getting in some quality time to go fishing, swimming, horseback riding, golf, tennis, or taking in getting a body massage and spa treatments.

Some companies host their annual company trips to exotic locations for a chance of scenery and environment and to give people a chance to get in some vacation time without actually taking off and holding business meetings and conventions. Most resorts have special packages for companies to book a specific number of rooms and have arrangements for all budgets and to have someone on hand to help with the arrangements of the convention or conference.

This actually is a great way for employees to get out of the office and yet do something fun and not feel stressed. Most companies who do something to take the employees out of the office tend to have less stressed out workers because a change of scenery is usually good for someone not to feel burned out. Getting in some sun, hiking, horseback riding, diving, fishing, tennis, snorkeling, swimming, soaking in the hot tub, and taking in a full body massage and spa treatment is key in lowering someone’s stress level because it’s a way for someone to relax and cool out.

Most of this information comes straight from the Costa Rica pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you’ll know what they know.

Some social organizations plan their annual trips to exotic locations as a way to change the scenery too and to give their people a chance to relax and do something fun instead of the same stuff. Flamingo Beach Resort has a staff that handles groups and events and can help plan out the stay exactly specified to your instructions and meeting your budget restrictions.

You can go on their website and request information for catering and planning your group event to Costa Rica and the resort can hold meeting space for up to 190 people which is ideal for people planning moderate sized events. The catering menu can serve everything from elegant to international cuisine and casual poolside.

This is what you call an awesome business meeting you get to spend it in a foreign country and getting in your vacation without exactly taking off since you’re actually working at the same time. You can even have the planning staff plan mixers, welcome receptions, and themed ice breakers to get employees to interact with each other if some of them work in different departments and aren’t around others from the same office. Group discounts are given if 10 or more rooms are booked. An event like this will make one feel rejuvenated and refreshed after a week in a luxury hotel and being in a peaceful environment.

About the Author
Have you visited Anders’ latest site for adsense publishers? Download new fresh sites in this all new site, called Adsense Ready Websites

Romantic Getaway Costa Rican Style

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

For those who are married or dating and are looking for a nice romantic getaway Costa Rica has vacation packages for those who want an intimate getaway for two. Costa Rican Tours Inc. offers romantic getaways for 11 days/10 nights and the itinerary consists of mostly remote hiking, rafting and overnight stays at upscale resorts and hotels with a spa session to relax and pamper you.

Packages such as this usually aren’t that expensive since one price can cover two people and these are perfect for the couples who want a romantic getaway for Sweetest Day or Valentine’s Day where it’s breaking with tradition of the ‘Hallmark Holiday’-greeting card overkill, chocolate, and flowers. The website Resortflamingobeach.com does this package deal called ‘baby-moon’ which is a special package designed for parents who want that special getaway kind of like second honeymoon for parents.

The cheapest time to go on a getaway is during the summer when the rates are cheaper since it’s more expensive to go in the fall when rates go up.

How can you put a limit on learning more? The next section may contain that one little bit of wisdom that changes everything.

Some romantic getaway packages can be tailored to include spa sessions for a nominal fee and even some horseback riding on the beach and strolls along the beach during a sunset or even a sunrise for those who are early birds.

Some hotels and resorts have the all-inclusive option which means you pay one price for all you can eat meals, snacks and drinks which is actually a great value for couples on set budgets and they can get more for their money which is good for those who want to have a good vacation for a good price and value. It’s important to plan your trip so that you’re not going to overspend and going over budget. Romantic getaways are just the kind of rest and relaxation many couples need to reconnect and bond with each other in a loving and caring way.

Many couples find it exhilarating to wake up to smelling fresh air and looking out on the beach when they sit out on the terrace of their hotel room having breakfast or that first cup of coffee in the morning like many people have when they get up in the morning to start their day. Looking onto the ocean is a nice feeling first thing in the morning you’re waking up to the birds chirping and the crashing of the waves and the smell of the ocean air and not waking up to the rustle and bustle of urban city life.

This is a change of pace for couples who spend so much time on a job or some occupation that often leaves them stressed and worn out and a romantic getaway to someplace tropic can be an adjustment to one’s attitude when they’re stressed and burned out from all the things that everyday life brings them. Once you come away from one of these getaways you’ll be a normal person who got some rest and relaxation away from the insanity that everyday life brings to people.

Don’t limit yourself by refusing to learn the details about Costa Rica. The more you know, the easier it will be to focus on what’s important.

About the Author
Have you visited Anders’ latest site for adsense publishers? Download new fresh sites in this all new site, called Adsense Ready Websites

Costa Rica: Let’s Eat!

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

When you’re learning about something new, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.

I was mistaken when I thought I would be eating mostly Latin food but Costa Rica has a phenomenal diversity in the foods that it serves. You would be surprised to find that there are many Asian restaurants and just as many European restaurants. The food is plentiful and the cost is reasonable. Of course every fine hotel has a restaurant on the premises but you will want to eat at the local restaurants.

In San Jose there are quite a few fine restaurants. Ristorante Bohemia is a fine European restaurant that serves a formal European dinner with a fine wine list. While looking for restaurants to try out, I repeatedly found Tin Jo’s on the list. This is a restaurant that seems to have stood the test of time and is still in business. The food is considered Pan Asian and you can find Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and even some East Indian food. The deserts are delicious.

I once went to a Cuban restaurant and found out the hard way that not all Latin food is like Mexican food. I embarrassed myself and asked for chips and salsa. Big oops, I got a dirty look for that one. The same is true of Costa Rica; don’t go expecting the native food to be like Mexican food. It could be considered bland and is healthier than the Mexican food that we usually eat here in the States. Costa Rican food is considered healthier because it is more fresh and natural. No canned peas here!

The nicest thing about eating in Costa Rica is that all fruits, vegetable, and seafood are very fresh. In some cases the beef and pork are actually fresh as well. In all restaurants the juice served is usually fresh. It seems that it is cheaper to serve fresh rather than frozen. Many smaller restaurants actually grow their own fruits, vegetables, and herbs There is also the cheese made by the Quaker community from Monteverde and if you travel through Monteverde you will get a chance to meet the Quakers. .

It’s really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of Costa Rica. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas.

One thing that I have to have in the morning is a hot cup of coffee. I don’t care if the weather is hot or not, I must have a cup of hot coffee to get moving in the morning. One nice thing is that Costa Rica produces a fine crop of coffee. You may want to stock up and take bags of coffee home with you as gifts for friends and family. Many of the hotels are located on either old coffee plantations or on actual functioning coffee plantations.

One of the local dishes is Ceviche, which is wonderful and is made from seafood. I make my own version here at home with cooked shrimp and crab. One of the delicacies found in most salads is Hearts of Palm. I think that is great, especially since I love Hearts of Palm. Here in the states they are expensive and I haven’t had any for quite some time.

As with any Central American country, Plantains are a staple it the diet of Costa Ricans. When I was a kid my Puerto Rican friend was served fried Plantains for breakfast made by her mother. I was shocked to see her put ketchup on a fried banana. Well I soon found out that Plantains are in the banana family but they are used more like potatoes.

Because of all the fresh produce available, Costa Rica is a heaven for vegetarians or those with vegan diets. You will find many vegetarian restaurants available for your dining pleasure.

Most of the big hotels have buffets and you can always eat at these but you will do yourself a disservice if you don’t try the local cuisine with it being as fresh and original as it is. There are a many Americans and others that come to Costa Rica and open up businesses. No matter where you are in Costa Rica, get out and try the food. Visit someplace new every day.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest acquisition: Free Adsense eBook and make sure to claim your free adsense ebook download!