Considered to be one of the most exotic beaches on the Costa Rican Gold Coast, Playa Conchal is situated in the north of Guanacaste province on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Two kilometers from Playa Brasilito, this marvelous beach is also a stone’s throw away from the famous Playa Flamingo and Tamarindo. Together with Playa Brasilito, this beach is separated by a rocky headland known as Punta Conchal, which gets its name from the sand found here that is composed of hundreds of millions of tiny crushed shells.

This four kilometer beach stretch is accessible by air from San Jose to Tamarindo Domestic Airport, from where you can take a 10-minute taxi ride into town. However, you can also get here by taxi from the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, but it is around a 45-minute drive. If you don’t mind the traveling, you can enjoy a lovely scenic drive from San Jose to Playa Conchal, which takes around 4 hours.

You may acquire this status if you invest in a local business in Costa Rica . According to the Center for the Promotion of Exports and Investments (PROCOMER), the current priority investment areas of business are ornamental plants, leather articles, spices, fruits and vegetables, processed foods, wood products, and tourism. You will be required to invest at least $50,000 US dollars in one of these areas. If you prefer an area of investment not listed by PROCOMER, you must invest $200,000 US dollars in that business. You must live in Costa Rica for six months per year and will not be required to maintain a minimum monthly income.

While Tamarindo maybe the most developed beach resort along the Guanacaste coastline, Playa Flamingo is still one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica. Situated on the country’s Gold Coast, Playa Flamingo is located in Punta Salinas, northwest of Bahia Brasilito, 75 km southwest of Liberia. Located in between the beaches of Playa Potrero and Playa Brasilito, Playa Flamingo or Flamingo Beach is the sole full-service marina between Acapulco and Panama on the Pacific coast of Central America.

With its stunning white sand, unspoiled beaches and pristine clear blue waters, Playa Flamingo is the ideal vacation getaway, offering visitors some of the best deep sea fishing in the world. Marlin, tuna, swordfish and snapper can be found off the coast all year around, making this beach an extremely popular tourist destination. Every July, this beautiful beach also plays host to a fantastic international sailfish tournament sponsored by the Costa Rican Amateur Fishermen’s Club.

Besides deep sea fishing, Playa Flamingo also offers a wealth of water sports along with close proximity to the amazing Santa Rosa National Park and the Palo Verde natural reserve. Nearby, for the golfing enthusiast is also an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.

Scuba diving is available here all year round, allowing tourists to experience the excitement of swimming with white-fin sharks and an array of other stunning tropical fish and marine life. Sailing and diving expeditions and tours can also be arranged to the close by island of Plata.

Home to some of the most beautiful hotels, condos and private residences on the coast, the Playa Flamingo is a fabulous holiday spot if you prefer taking advantage of the world class fishing out here, or if you prefer a simple sunset cruise. The best time to visit here is from December to April, when the beaches are bathed in sunshine and the average annual temperature hovers around 28°C (82°F).

Explore the beautiful Cahuita National Park and the Gandoca Manzanillo Refuge
The beautiful Cahuita National Park and the incredible Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge are two of the major attractions of the South Caribbean Coast. The ideal places for a sandy adventure, here you can explore lush dense coastal rainforests with some of the most beautiful and remote beaches in Costa Rica.

The Parque Nacional Cahuita is by far one of the most popular national parks in the country. One major reason for this is its abundance of wildlife, which can be easily observed throughout the park, on land as well as underwater. Home to the largest and only coral reef in Costa Rica, this national park has a number of attractive beaches; and with quick access to many nearby hotels, resorts and restaurants, it is no wonder then that so many people visit here. A tiny park of just 1,067 hectares, the Cahuita National Park has many wonderful walking and hiking trails as well as a plethora of water sports, fishing and other water based activities to enjoy. You can camp on the park’s premises too, to experience some wonderful snorkeling and diving opportunities.

Protecting some of the most endangered flora and fauna in the region, the Refugio Gandoca Manzanillo is one of the most scenic parks. With a diverse wealth of plant and animal life, this reserve is the habitat of the sole mangrove estuary on the Caribbean Coast. What makes this park so special is that here you come across some of the most gorgeous beaches in the Caribbean. Secluded and isolated, these beaches make for the ideal escape if you want a quiet and hassle-free retreat.

With roughly 400 bird species found in this refuge, the Gandoca Manzanillo reserve is also a bird watcher’s paradise. You can spot several rare birds out here including the Harpy Eagle, Chestnut-mandible Toucans and the Red-lored Parrot. For those who prefer a more active vacation, there is some good offshore diving on hand as well as plenty of hiking tracks. Be sure to take a knowledgeable guide when exploring the area as they can point out many indigenous flora and fauna.

With its pristine beaches, crystal clear blue waters, superb natural surroundings, and near perfect weather, it is no wonder that Tamarindo is among the most popular vacation destinations in Costa Rica. A former fishing village in the northern regions of Guanacaste province on the North Pacific Coast, Tamarindo is the area’s most well developed tourist town with plenty of accommodations to suit every pocket. With much to enjoy & even more to do, this multi-cultural community is the ideal place to have some fun in the sun!

The beaches here are first-rate, and the entire town has a relaxed laidback feel to it, making it a fabulous place for anyone looking to have a good time. With the surfing and windsurfing conditions here near perfect for the experienced as well as novice surfers, Tamarindo Costa Rica is probably the most accessible beach town on the country’s entire northern Pacific Coast. Besides surfing, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, jet skiing, boogie boarding, horseback riding and scuba diving, visit the nearby wildlife refuge of Diria, as well as the Marino Las Baulas National Park, where leatherback turtles come every summer to nest and breed.

Frequented by tourists from all over the world, the Parque Nacional Tortuguero is another significant turtle nesting site in Costa Rica. Among the most important nesting areas in the Western Hemisphere of the endangered green turtle, the stunning Parque Nacional Tortuguero lies on Costa Rica’s beautiful Caribbean coast in the northeastern region of the country. Roughly 50 miles north of Puerto Limon and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to its east, the Tortuguero National Park sits adjacent to the Refugio Barra del Colorado to its north.

Protecting over 22 miles of beach strip beginning from the mouth of the River Tortuguero south to Parisimina, this national park is 19,000 hectares and is a key nesting area for leatherback sea turtles, hawksbill sea turtles and loggerhead sea turtles as well. Declared a national park in 1970 to protect the green turtle population of the world from extinction, this park is also a wildlife sanctuary for monkeys, jaguars, green macaws, tapirs, and a variety of other mammals, birds and reptiles.

Home to around 170 species of reptiles and amphibians, this park is also the habitat of 60 species of mammals and 300 different species of birds as well. A great place for bird watching, both migratory and native birds can be seen throughout the park including herons, egrets, trogons, parrots, toucans, jacanas, kingfishers, anhingas, kites and hawks. Some other common animals here include; caimans, crocodiles, sloths, iguanas, frogs, bats, basilisk lizards, otters, peccaries and ocelots. A variety of crustaceans are also found here. Another endangered animal found in the park is the shy West Indian manatee. Researchers believe that only 100 manatees now inhabit the remote lagoons within Tortuguero National Park.

Explore the pristine beauty of Central America ’s national parks from a totally different angle. Anchor in quiet coves of uninhabited islands, snorkel at coral reefs or dive for fresh seafood. Take the launch ashore to sunbathe on deserted beaches or hike in virgin rainforest. Visit large port towns to experience the hustle and bustle of a foreign city or small pueblos to learn the culture and traditions of its people.

Explore spectacular beaches, islands and coves. Swim, snorkel and see beautiful reef fish and coral. Take pleasure in all of nature’s beauty as you search for dolphins, turtles and manta rays.
Vacations Costa Rica

Also known as the Ancient Metropoli, Cartago was the capital of Costa Rica until 1823, when this title was transferred to the city of San José. It is a relatively small province, with barely 3.124 km2 and almost 35 000 inhabitants.

It is perhaps Costa Rica’s most important area in matters of colonial art. The best example is the temple of Orosi, dating back to 1743, a historical jewel that was witness to the birth of a nation.

Cartago has a humid, tropical climate. Its mountain system is made up of two mountain ranges: the Central, is where we find the Irazú and Turrialba volcanoes. The Talamanca mountain range is the other great mountain formation of the province. The imposing Cerro Chirripó, the highest point in Costa Rica, is located here, at 3.600 meters over sea level.

Cartago is a land of traditions and religiosity. To the north we find the national monument of Guayabo, located on the outskirts of the town of Turrialba. In Guayabo, visitors may admire the enigmatic constructions, dating back to Pre-Colombian times. It’s one of the largest archeological areas discovered in the country. Mounds, bridges, plazas and highways, as well as an aqueduct that is still working, are some of the remains of ancient cultures.

Pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Angels Basilica at the center of the city of Cartago- is the most important religious activity of Costa Rica. Celebrated each August 2nd, here attend millions of people from all around the country.

Nevertheless, the main attraction of Cartago could be the Irazú volcano, a splendid giant which still remains active, whose five craters gather thousands of tourists yearly.

It is the volcano found at highest altitude in the country, 3.432 meters over sea level. Several rivers nurturing the basins of others, like Chirripó, Reventazón, Sarapiquí and Grande de Tárcoles are born here.
Rentals Costa Rica

One of the first adventure disciplines that conquered the public’s taste, and that nowadays enjoys great popularity is rafting. It’s a sports modality that consists of descending a river of fast waters, where the current impulses the ship. It’s directed by a guide, while the rest of the crew help from the lateral seats with their oars. The word “rafting” derives from the English term “raft” which means raft.

The historical background of rafting lies with ancient rafters, which used the logs of trees they had felled as a transport media in the river. It was also a simple form of carrying the materials to the sawmills.
The first record of a rafting descent goes back to 1869, when John Wesley Powell, one of the most important expeditionary in American history, organized an expedition to the Grand Canyon to travel the Colorado river in wood ships. Each year a descent trial is held on this river to commemorate this date.
In 1909 the company of Julio’s Stone Grand Canyon initiated descents for tourists. The search for a boat that could be adapted to the river’s conditions, led rafting lovers to try different materials. One of these trials was using inflatable boats pneumatic from the United States’ army, which proved to be the most adequate. In 1938 was held the first descent of the Colorado River in a pneumatic raft.
During the decades of the 60’s and 70’s, the sport suffered a stagnation period, only to surge again with all its force in the decade of the 80’s. The creation of a boat called “self bailer”, of lighter materials and resistant made it possible.
Today rafting is one of the tourist activities that best combine adventure with the enjoyment of beautiful scenarios, for those deciding to go down a river.

The climate of Costa Rica. Costa Rica is unequivocally a tropical country, situated between 8° and 11° North latitude, fairly close to the equator. Although in the mountains above 2000 meters you get much cooler temperatures, the average annual temperature for most of the country lies between 21.7°C (71°F) and 27°C (81°F). The coolest months are from November through January, and the warmest from March through May. San José, the capital, where over a third of the population lives, stands at approximately 1170 meters altitude and has a mean annual temperature of 20.6°C (69°F).
The nation’s climate is classically divided into two major seasons: rainy and dry. The dry season runs from January through May and the rainy season from May to November and December. Locally, the seasons were named by the early Spanish colonizers, who compared them to their own Mediterranean climate, calling the dry months “verano” or summer, and the rainy, grey and gloomy months “invierno” or winter. It is interesting to note that some of the coldest temperatures are registered during the early dry season or “summer”. Climate is, of course, a complex phenomenon, and there are many aspects of the weather in Costa Rica that are worth examining in more detail, such as the influences of wind, rain, and topography

Weather in the tropics is essentially a phenomenon of solar radiation and air circulation. Intense heat at the equator puts air in motion, and a worldwide pattern of winds is established. The most famous of these, for Costa Rica, are the north-easterly trade winds, known locally as “alisios”. These winds blow with considerable force from December to March and April. These winds, for example, are responsible for carrying moisture in the form of mists to the slopes of the Tilarán mountain range. These mists are what sustain the magnificent cloud forest ecosystem.
Live in Costa Rica