Costa Rica
PURA VIDA
LIVE. Create memories of a lifetime in the most beautiful country in the world: Costa Rica. Accessible, fun, and healthy living with comfort of our poolside and beach condo is a wonderful option, and adventure just a short distance away.
Costa Rica Info
Find useful information about the country of Costa Rica for United States Travelers:
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National Parks
Find useful information about the most famous parks of Costa Rica:
Activities
Swimming in the pool or at the beach, Surfing, Shelling, Hiking, Zip-lining, rain-forest canopy tours, tram tours, ATV tours, bird watching, botanical gardens, shopping and dining in nearby towns of Jacó, Parrita and Quepos, Sport-fishing in Quepos, Golf atLos Sueños, and The Rodeo at Parrita!
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CAN'T MISS TO DO LIST:
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SPORT FISHING
ZIP-LINING
CANOPY TOUR
SURFING
GOLFING
BIRD-WATCHING
BOATING
BIKING
Sport Fishing
BY COSTA VILLA LLC
Costa Rica is an angler's dream come true. The country's Pacific ports and beach resorts provide access to some the best deep sea fishing in the world. Billfish are the country's biggest attractions, with abundant sailfish and marlin off the Pacific coast, but fishermen also hook plenty of other feisty fighters, such as wahoo and roosterfish. Giant marlin, sailfish beyond number; high jumping tarpon, record class snook and a dozen or more hard hitting fresh water species... Many of these are catch and release, but if you reel in a 50 lb mahi-mahi, as we have at Quepos, prepare to have (and share with many friends!) a most delicious dinner fresh from the sea. Costa Rica has them all! Fishing just doesn't get any better than this.
Quepos is center of fishing on the central coast, but there are charters available out of Puntarenas, the resorts at the southern end of Nicoya Peninsula, Jacó Beach, Punta Leona and at Drake Bay. Billfish are the target of most visiting anglers, and they are seldom disappointed from around December through April. Some sails and marlin are taken throughout the year. From most areas mentioned above, it's no more than 12 to 20 miles run to the blue water where most of the billfish action is encountered. Inshore sport includes tuna, roosterfish, wahoo, dorado, jacks, mackerel, cubera, a varity of small snapper species and even snook. The snook can be taken trolling just outside the breaker
line off the river mouths in the area, but are more often fished from shore. Some boats out of Quepos also offer multi-day trips to Drake Bay and Caño's Island area, overnighting at one of the several lodges centered around Drake Bay. This region is best known for its wahoo, big cubera and rooster-fish, but there are also tuna, dorado, sails and some marlin.
THE JUNGLE AND FOREST CANOPY
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Tram and zip-line tours let visitors explore the elevated ecosystem of the rain forest canopy, a luxuriant and little-known realm that is home for most of the jungle's plant and animal species. It has only been in the last two decades that biologists have begun to seriously study the canopy, using such varied devices as mountain climbing equipment and construction cranes, and tourists now have the opportunity to follow them into that biological frontier. Visitors can take a "tram" ride on a modified ski lift that takes passengers floating through the treetops to platforms set in the crowns of massive tropical trees, more than 100 feet above the jungle floor.
Adventurous travelers may want to try a local canopy tour, which entails strapping on a mountain climbing harness and "zipping" along suspended cables to a series of small wooden platforms built in the tops of trees. These tours offer a monkey's-eye view of the rainforest canopy, where thick branches serve as platforms for an incredible diversity of smaller plants, and such animals as tree frogs, vine snakes, sloths and hundreds of bird species.​
SURFING
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SURFING
Costa Rica already has quite a reputation among surfers, who are drawn there from near and far by the quality and consistency of its waves. Though the country gets plenty of the big waves that true surf fanatics live for, there are also days and spots that are perfect for people who have little experience with the sport, or who have been away from the ocean for a long time, and would like to try it again. This means that whether you're a veteran wave ripper or a belly-boarding beginner, you can usually find the conditions you need to have a great time.
Playa Hermosa
The most consistent beach break in the area (10 minutes south of Jacó) and 10 minutes north of Esterillos, where deep waters off the coast and exposure to different swells have built up a variety of sand bars. The preferred sand bar to surf is located in front of a large tree known as the "almendro". Explore up and down the beach for a perfect A-frame peak of your own. Another powerful beach-break. One of the most consistent waves in Costa Rica. Practice holding your breath for a while before coming here!
Esterillo Oeste, Esterillos Este, Bejuco, Boca Damas
Plenty of beach breaks with conditions similar to those of Playa
Hermosa. Access is easy from Costa Villa.
Playa Jacó
One of Costa Rica's most visited surf towns, only 20 minutes from
Costa Villa. It hosts a wide range of tourist attractions,surf shops,
ding repair facilities, hotels, cabins, campgrounds and restaurants.
Jacó Beach itself is a fun beach break, and home to some of Costa
Rica's best surfers. It tends to close out on larger swells but its
central location and wide range of amenities make it a good base for
surf adventures.
Roca Loca
The "Crazy Rock" is located at the southern tip of Playa Jacó, just off
the cliff from the coastal highway. This tricky wave breaks right over
submerged, shallow rocks and is best during large swells.
Birding and Boating
BIRD-WATCHING
Birding in Costa Rica is an extraordinary experience. With over 878 species recorded to date, Costa Rica offers to birders great birdwatching opportunities within relatively short distances, involving very diverse habitats from sea level to high mountains above 12,000 feet.
From Carara southeast to the Panamanian border, the Pacific lowlands offer some of the best birding in CostaRica. A number of species unique to this region make this zone essential for the visiting birder. Idyllic beaches and arrange of accommodations add to its allure.
Thirteen miles north of Jacó lies the Carara Biological Reserve, home to a large population of scarlet macaws and acres of unspoiled Pacific lowland forest. The scarlet macaws can be seen early or late in the day as they fly between the reserve and roosting areas to the northwest. Well over 100 notable species can be easily spotted in the Carara Reserve, including the great tinamou, red-lored parrot, crimson-fronted parakeet and scarlet-rumped cacique.
Other good spots for birding in the Pacific lowlands within easy drive of Costa Villa include the Rio Tarcoles Estuary, (also known for its crocodiles) and Manuel Antonio National Park.​
BOATING
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Sea and river kayaking, white-water rafting and boat tours are all available in North Puntarenas, within easy drive of Costa Villa, in Manuel Antonio, Jacó and the Carara Reserve.
For those who enjoy adrenaline filled vacations with heart pounding adventures, white water rafting is the sport to enjoy. Rated as being among the best white water rafting spots in the world, Costa Rica is a paddler’s delight. Here rivers range from Class II to Class V rapids, with something for everyone.
From families to adventure junkies and from novice rafters to those who enjoy the thrill of zipping down a river, Costa Rica offers some amazing experiences.
