back to main page

COSTA RICA - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Costa Rica programme includes visits to the following area

Monteverde – Famous for its’ cloud forest reserve, Monteverde is a large area between Arenal to the east and Guancaste to the west. The area is home to a large Quaker community created in the 1950s and originating from Alabama. The area contains several private nature reserves. Monteverde and the less touristy Reserva Santa Elena have fantastic cloud cover. The rainy season (May to Nov) is the best time to visit to avoid crowds.

Nicoya – A hot place surrounded by low mountains, Nicoya is very picturesque with a Parque Central based around a preserved but earthquake battered white adobe church.

Gandoca – in the Guanacaste province it has mountains to the east, the Pacific to the west and Nicaragua to the north and is known for savannah grassland, volcanoes and the beaches around the Nicoya peninsula. Several beaches are nesting grounds for marine turtles in the Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas. Tourism is rapidly expanding along the coast.

Granada, Nicaragua – A country that has suffered from economic and political instability, Nicaragua is a poor country with a violent past. Little of its’ history remains standing. Although not a major tourist destination, Nicaragua boasts beautiful landscapes of 17 volcanoes, lakes, mountains and rainforests. Granada is set on the western shore of the Lago de Nicaragua and was founded in 1524. It soon became a wealthy Spanish trading post until it was sacked during civil war. Recent renovations are attracting tourism and investment once again and Granada is becoming a vibrant and cosmopolitan city once again.