Costa Rica Travel Guide

Costa Rica's national parks are its greatest glory. The Costa Rican authorities have set aside one-third of the country as protected areas, and dozens of private wilderness reserves have helped elevate Costa Rica to star status for ecotourism. The country has a stunning variety of landscapes, microclimates, and flora and fauna, and nature lovers will not be disappointed by the superb wildlife viewing. Visitors looking for an active holiday are spoilt for choice, with options from whitewater rafting to surfing. In urban areas, the country's Spanish heritage provides the main features of interest, although sites are relatively few.

Columbus landed in what is now Costa Rica in 1501. Under the rule of General Tomas Guardia between 1870 and 1882, Costa Rica developed many of its principal modern characteristics, notably the minimal role of the Catholic Church in secular matters and an adherence to the principles of democracy. Throughout the 20th century, Costa Rica has enjoyed peace and a steady growth in prosperity, with the notable exception of a civil war in 1948, which followed a disputed presidential election. Significantly, Costa Rica is the only country in the region to have abolished the national army.

In recent times, one of the most prominent political figures has been current President Oscar Arias Sanchez, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for successfully bringing warring parties elsewhere in Central America to the negotiating table.

Ambergris Caye

Seeing is Belizin' in beautiful Ambergris, the country's largest caye.
Coconut-palm-fringed Ambergris Caye comes with one big recommendation: it's the island that Madonna sings of in 'La Isla Bonita'. Located 58km (36mi) north of Belize City, it's awash with colorful, sandy streets and offers sun-drenched days, filled with activity, by turquoise seas.

As the country's top island destination, the best time of year to visit Ambergris Caye is during the dry season (December to May). The wet season (June to November), which is also hurricane season, is not so wet it spoils your holiday, but it's always nicer to relax out of the pouring rain.
Tourist hoardes arrive in the two weeks each side of Christmas and Easter. Considering Ambergris Caye is the most popular of the cayes, book accommodation in advance. During these periods, be aware that prices are at their highest.

There are festivities aplenty around Fiesta de Carnaval (February/March), Holy Week (March/April) and from Christmas to New Year. If you're planning your trip around these times, bring your party shoes as it's all about music, dancing and fun!

For a truly low-key start to the day, be breakfasting in Estel's by the Sea, a sandy-floored seafront restaurant where you can build your own breakfast from a staggering array of options. There's plenty to do on Ambergris, and if feeling active, the choice is going snorkeling or diving the reef, or hiring a windsurfer, sailboat or kitesurfer. If in the mood for something a little more relaxed, catch a water taxi up to one of the northern resorts for lunch and some sea-gazing from a deckchair. Mata Chica and Portofino - both up here - have two of the best restaurants on the island. Back in town, try to make it for happy hour at the beachside Cannibal's Bar, which attracts a good mix of tourists, expats and locals. More drinks and some live music are on the cards at Fido's, from where it's a short walk to Mango's, an award-winning restaurant that's one of the best in Belize. The bar out the front of the Jaguar's Temple always gets a good crowd, and the disco inside heats up around 11.00. For more dance floor action, head down south to Deja Vu, where the party starts later, but often goes until the wee hours.

Travel between Belize City and Ambergris Caye's town of San Pedro is quick and easy, though you'll certainly get windswept on the 90-minute water-taxi journey.

Maya Island Air and Tropic Air run flights to/from San Pedro and Belize City (15-20min), Caye Caulker (10min) and Corozal (25min).

Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association runs boats between San Pedro, Caye Caulker and Belize City. Boats to Belize City (1-1.5hr), go via Caye Caulker (35min). The Thunderbolt, departing from San Pedro's lagoon-side dock, travels to Corozal (2hr), and stops at Sarteneja. It also goes to Belize City via Caulker.

Panama Travel Post Card

Found A Video on You Tube about Panama Travel Video Post Card to give you guys an idea on Panama Travel Adventure. Enjoy!

Panama Adventure!

Some come for business.

Others come to retire.

However out of all the different people who come to Panama, there are those in that group who also come for much more: the adventures. And you can find your share of adventure here. There are 14 national parks in Panama covering an area of roughly 22% of the country. This is quite an area when you consider that 30% of the country is still covered by jungle. What probably appeals most to the adventure seeker here is the fact that Panama is still a simple land having not been polluted by mankind. There are many unexplored trails in the forests and something new to see just about every day.

One tour company, Wildland Adventures, offers these types of adventurous excursions into the rain forests that the entire family can enjoy. Remember that the jungle is a very beautiful place yet most of us do not realize just how dangerous this place can be. This is the wild and do not forget it. This is why it is especially advisable that you have an experienced tour guide lead you through this environment.

You might be the adventure seeker who wants to go through a little "survival." These courses may exist in Panama but one of the tours we found was through the densest jungle in Panama: the Darien. The message on that particular web page said the tour was no longer offered. Tourists may not have a thorough understanding of just how harsh this environment was for the pioneers who built the Canal.But you don't really need to rough it with a survival tour. There are plenty of Panama adventures such as bicycle tours, Rainforest tours, and ExtremePanama.com even offers a cave tour. How exciting to see the wildlife in their natural habitat.

Honduras Adventure

Probably the most popular adventure backpackers like to take is to the Copan Ruins. Copan is rich in history from the Ancient Mayan culture.If you like the uniqueness and appeal of Caribbean music, then the Black Garifuna towns play Punta music quite frequently. There is also a rich pirate history in this area too as pirates tried to rob the gold and silver discoveries from the Spaniards. You will find pirate historical sites on the Bay Islands. Plus, on the Bay Islands, you can catch up on your scuba diving and snorkeling. There are rainforest adventures where wildlife live such as the Jaguar and Tapir. And one must adventure into the Rio Platano Biosphere where nature is protected and preserved.

There are all sorts of kayaking adventures in Honduras. In fact, a company called Rios Honduras runs adventure tours and they have a contact address in Eagle, Colorado. They have developed a set of trips with a wide variety of choices for adventurers to explore Honduras. Their packages range from touring the ancient Mayan Ruins to Caribbean getaways. They have scuba packages for those interested and a Surf and Turf package that takes you kayaking through the world's largest barrier reef.

Colombia Adventures!

There is no shortage of Colombia adventures in this land of diverse geography from one extreme to the other. Probably the most fascinating of all the adventures are those that take you through the jungles to places like Ciudad Perdida (Lost City) and those along the Amazon River. Ciudad Perdida is an ancient city built somewhere between the eighth and fourteenth centuries. It has circular stone terraces covered by jungle foliage. The views from this city are said to be breathtaking. But do not attempt to get their on your own. You are going to need a guide. You can arrange for treks from some of the hostels in Taganga or Santa Marta. The Turcol Travel Agency in Santa Marta also offers treks to the Ciudad Perdida. While Ciudad Perdida tour sounds very exciting, it must be noted that this is a somewhat dangerous tour in terms of the threat of violence. The city lies in a national park known as the Sierra Nevada de Santa Maria. The U.S. is not allowed to sponsor drug crop aerial fumigations so, as you an imagine, those conducting illegal drug activities want to be in this area to avoid being tracked by anti-drug forces. There have been instances where hikers were kidnapped by rebel insurgents. At one time, trek guides would not take Americans but reportedly that has changed now.
Mantaraya Tours offers a tour on the northern or tropical part of the Amazon in Colombia. This is a fully-guided tour that takes you through an ecosystem of swamps and vegetation in the jungle where you can see pink dolphins, jaguars, otters, and manatees. In the canopy part of the jungle tour you will see all sorts of lizards, monkeys, birds, and bugs.

Costa Rica Bird Watching!

The never ending coast lines with all their splendor, the raging volcanoes, stunning rainforests and steep walls of the slopes of the hills are all on your way to the peaks of excitement, here is quite a handful of treats from this small yet beautiful country of Costa Rica. One of the most popular forms of sporting activity in Costa Rica is adventure racing. In the early 90s this form gathered immense attention when in the early 90s the 2nd Raid Gauloises Expedition Race traveled across Costa Rica from Coast to Coast in an expedition race, which lasted for 10 days. The Coast to Coast Adventures in the last 15 years, since its inception, has organized adventure trips and adventures in this country, most of which have been functioning with enough considerations of safety, without cutting down on the excitement that is fetched on the truly rough and spectacular Costa Rican terrain. Adventure racers from all around the world flock to participate in the Coast to Coast challenge, or the basic flagship race. In 2006, the rugged stretch of 500 km saw on display all the racers biking, paddling, hiking and climbing their way to glory. All this, across the coasts of Costa Rica. The route varies from typical villages to remotest of Costa Rican suburbs. In the dense rainforests quench your thirst for all the wildlife you expected to see ever, all the rarest birds and orchids, all those nesting sea turtles, are all for your eyes. Cross class V rivers in rafts. Walk in the Manual Antonio sanctuary. Take a shower in all those cascades of water under the best of waterfalls, stretch in the relaxing hot springs, be a witness to the raging active volcanoes spitting fireballs, paddle the boats across the jungle canals, all the excitement in the world is here for you with adventures in Costa Rica.
Mention Costa Rica and people think paradise. The country's Disney-like cast of creatures — ranging from howler monkeys to toucans — are prolific and relatively easy to spot. The waves are prime, the beauty is staggering and the sluggish pace seductive.
Costa Rica, despite being such a tiny nation, draws well over a million visitors every year - and you can see why. The incredibly varied topography means you can cruise a cloud forest one day, climb a volcano the next, and finish passed out on a hot sandy beach.

Belize Adventures!

Belize practically has it all for a perfect vacation destination that caters to just about anyone. It has jungles, mountains, coastline, beaches, wildlife, rivers, barrier reefs, sun, sand, and fun. It is also the perfect place for the adventure seeker too. This is the place pirate's legends were made of and the adventure continues. Kayaking is a favorite adventure sport here and adventure tour companies like Toadal Adventures has guides to offer the ultimate in kayaking thrills. Kayaking can be thrilling but it can also be dangerous if you do not have the right experts guiding you. Toadal Adventures has paddle guides who are trained in the techniques of sea kayaking. Their guides have also been trained in natural history so that they can also give you some background in the surroundings as well as show you adventure. No matter which adventure company you choose, it is critical to have experienced guides for the safety of the entire trip. The jungle, while very beautiful, is a very hostile environment. You want guides who understand the country. Preferably, they should be natives to the country. These guides should be trained and understand areas such as jungle camping, jungle survival, and how to handle jungle emergencies. Here's some more adventures in Belize that is the maximum in thrills. Bike Hike Adventures, Inc. runs a tour called the Belize Blast which includes tubing, horseback riding, snorkeling, caving, kayaking, and biking all within 9 days. They ride horses through the jungle, float on inner tubes in the Kayaking, bike on dirt trails through tropical forests, and go snorkeling to see the wildlife of the ocean to include rays, manatees, and nurse sharks.

This tiny nation is so laid-back it's almost comatose. Dabbling its toes in the Caribbean Sea, Belize has more in common with its island neighbors than the fiery volatility of Central America - its history is thoroughly coup-free. Soak up the glorious natural wonders and rich cultural history.
Unpaved roads, high prices and a lack of infrastructure make it a difficult place to travel, but Belize compensates with brilliant diving, dramatic ruins and pristine jungle - secluded eco-lodges cater for sedentary adventurers. The English-speaking population is mainly Creole and Mestizos

Guatemala Adventures!

Guatemala Adventures are numerous. Adventure companies here offer excursions such as white water rafting, mountain biking, birdwatching, horseback riding, volcano climbing, caving, and customized packages to include any combination of these. This country has many tropical warm water rivers that perfect for white water rafting. In fact, in some rivers, you can do white water rafting year round. This is possible in areas located in the Peten in close proximity to the archeological sites of Tikal, Aguateca, and Ceibal. Some rivers are only good during the rainy season from July to September. One of the characteristics of this country that make it so attractive is the rain forest and other nature areas where on can enjoy beauty rarely touched by humans. One adventure here is the horseback riding tour through untouched areas of this country. Mountain biking is probably the most exciting tour here in the country. What better way to see everything by bike. You are going to go across all sorts of trails, pass through different forests, pass along Mayan Ruins, lakes, and villages. And the best thing about biking is you save your vacation dollar by not having to put gasoline in a car. This also helps to preserve the rain forest because there are no exhaust emissions. Mountain bikers here have even been known to take tours into Mexico from this country. This country is a gold mine of geologic activity and it is no surprise that there are adventures in Guatemala that allow you to learn about some of the Maya rituals and see how they lived in some of these hidden places. Cave adventures are done by canoe or on foot.

Adventure in El Salvador!

El Salvador Adventures provide you with thrill as well as the opportunity to take in the landscape and sights in this beautiful country. This country is small so you might even be able to take in many of the adventures as the travel time between points is not great. These adventures will usually be advertised with varying levels of difficulty because you might have to bike or hike throughout the adventure.El Salvador and Guatemala Loop: This is run by GAP Adventures and features a two week tour of El Salvador and Guatemala. The adventure starts in Antigua, Guatemala and ends up in Honduras before returning to Guatemala. The Highlights are Antigua, Juayua, Suchitoto, La Palma, Copán, Tela, Livingston, and back to Antigua. Click here for this adventure GAP Adventures.


Surf and Jungle Tour: This tour explores the beaches and jungles in the country. It is a 7-day excursion and you stay in cabins, huts, and villas. You can enjoy world-class surf breaks, enjoy all the scenery the land has to offer, and get some great surfing instruction while you are at it. The website is Accesstrips.

Jiquilisco Kayaking Adventure to Madre Sal Island: If you like kayaking then this is one of the adventures in El Salvador that will take your through the Jiquilisco Bay channels after departing from Puerto Parada. Once entering the channels, you can paddle through the mangrove swamps at San Dionisio's Island. While paddling across the water, you will see a view of the Tecapa-Chinameca volcano range. The final destination of this adventure tour finally ends up at Madre Sal Island where the guests partake of lunch on a quiet beach. The kayak excursion takes about 3 hours and you are returned to San Salvador late in the afternoon. The website is Grayline .

Social Travelers!

Generally have a university education. Have a professional career or own a business. These people would sooner spend money on the experiences and adventures rather then accommodation. Now that does not mean that they are adverse to paying for good accommodation should they desire. They often will and do. They are socially aware. Respect their surroundings and those they come in contact with. They want to leave the world a better place before they exit. You could say that any backpacking is an adventure. But you won't know the meaning of the words until you backpack through Central America. Throw the essentials in a backpack. Board a plane. Prepare yourself for the journey of a lifetime! A backpack adventure is packed with thrills, spills, unique experiences that dazzle the senses... gives life a whole new meaning. Not only do you have the freedom to go wherever you want... whenever you want, but you can choose from some of the most exciting activities ever invented in every destination. Living out of your backpack gives you the freedom and independence to visit every country on the continent if you want to. The only problem is where to start! How you decide to choose your first venue doesn't matter; Just go where the wind takes you. Start living every day as if it were your last. Create history.

Backpacking Adventure!

Long haired, dirty, ripped clothes, runners hanging on the back pack, smelly, cheap, bum.... plus many other undesirable connotations of the late hippy era backpacker. There is a group of people out there that are becoming very independent thinkers. And at the same time these people are very social. Don't get me wrong they love their independence. Making their own decisions. Determining their destiny. But they still love the social aspect of the community as well. They love to sit down with friends to discuss the days adventures plus any new backpack adventure coming up. The challenges. The discoveries. The rediscoveries of what they thought they had lost but had along. The exchanges of tips, findings and the local cautions. They started to discover Living again. They have started to create their own history. They are Living History. Their history this time. They are the independent social travelers.