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Top Trips for San José, Costa Rica See all Trips»
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If you are staying in San Jose and want to venture out a bit to visit some of the more quaint towns nearby, you may want to go to the historical towns of Heredia and Cartago as well as visit the gateway town of La Fortuna, which offers access to the Arenal volcano. Easily accessible by taxi, car, and bus from many points in San Jose, these neighboring towns offer a tourist a chance to become immersed in the local culture, to meet many friendly townsfolk, and to experience a bit of natural life away from the hustle and bustle of a city.
When you visit both towns, you are immediately struck by the strong influence of the Catholic Church on the area. This is especially prevalent in Cartago inside the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles (La). This church is dedicated to the patron saint of Costa Rica, Our Lady of the Angels and offers the visitor a glimpse into a very tranquil sanctuary. The church is also home to many beautiful displays of religious statues, carvings, and art. If you are lucky to be in town during the Christmas season, you may also be able to partake in a town parade that features floats, music, marionettes decorated with Christmas attire, and evening fireworks. It seems as if the whole town comes alive during these celebrations, which also draw people from other towns and local villages who come to enjoy the festive mood and good will offered.
In Heredia, a religious undertone can be felt in one of the open-air concerts often held here. Whether you are religious or not, it is a spiritual experience to listen to a gospel concert performed live here. Attending this type of concert, you can feel the interest emanated by the crowd as people gather to contemplate the music as well as the day in general. No place for worrying about the day's troubles, you can get a sense of peacefulness and calm here as you mingle with the crowds who often attend these festivities dressed in their Sunday best.
Another point of interest that provides an uplifting experience is a visit to the town of La Fortuna, home of the Volcán Arenal, which is one of the most active volcanoes in all of Central America. When you visit the volcano, you can see nature in its most majestic form as you feel, from an observation point nearby, the earth trembles beneath you. Many tours of this volcano are available from San Jose and other local area hotels and tourist agencies. (See Expediciones Tropicales for an example of a tour group that offers tours to this volcano.) These tours are worth taking as it is truly spiritual experience to stand on a lava slope and watch burning lava flow. Additionally, the rumbling from the live volcano leaves you in awe of Mother Nature over man.
The area surrounding the volcano is also home to many hot springs where you can relax in the warm and calming sulfurous waters. If you are a fan of horseback riding, you will also be able to find guides in La Fortuna that can accompany you across mountain ridges and pass flowing rivers to the Laguna de Arenal, which is a beautiful mountain lake. Although you may catch a glimpse of a speedboat on the lake as it passes by, this modern intrusion into the area does not detract from the tranquil, almost timeless scenery that you view from your vantage point on high.
These are but a few of the many tranquil, almost spiritual areas that you can find to visit in Costa Rica. It is only a matter of inquiring to some helpful tourist agencies, or to your hotel about tranquil areas to visit, and they will be more than glad to point you in the right direction. Pueblo Antiguo
This singular theme park is an unforgettable experience of color, music, and wonderful food. It presents three important aspects of great cultural and historical relevance, recreated on a very realistic setting: The city at the turn of the century, the countryside, and the Caribbean coast. Magic occurs through the architecture, live folklore dances and songs, carnivals, fireworks, boat rides, and lots and lots of fun!
The City: Just close your eyes for a moment and imagine yourself in turn of the century San Jose: Horse-drawn carriages rolling over tile-paved roads, beautiful señoritas wearing laced white gloves and matching sun umbrellas, taken by the arm of elegant gentleman in top or "pita" hats. The buildings resemble those of the epoch, and represent the Municipal Market, the Church and Plaza, the Central Park, the Congress, the Bank, the Fire Station and some souvenir stores and restaurants—Oh! even a train on tracks!
The Countryside: Perhaps the countryside is one of the most nostalgic remembrances of our little piece of land, that although still exists, are being swallowed little by little by the impact of the urban expansion. The Costa Rican peasants are well known for their honesty, candor and kindness. In this setting, you will be able to enjoy typical dances, songs and masquerades, oxcarts, hundred years old adobe and tile houses (some are real structures brought specially to Pueblo Antiguo), and the trapiche (cane mill) where the most delicious sugar cane juice was extracted and cooked in huge pans. Oh! A dairy farm with cows is also included! (Sorry, milking is not allowed).
The Caribbean Coast: You better bring a hat, sunglasses, and tanning lotion! This setting will really transport you over to the Atlantic Coast where the re-creation of the world famous Canales de Tortuguero with its exuberant vegetation, exhort our nature lover and explorer's spirit and plunges us into a realm of relaxation and peacefulness.
TOURS DESCRIPTION:
CLASSIC JOURNEYS
Experience all of Costa Rica on Classic Journey's Costa Rica Guided Tour. This exclusive and luxurious eight-day walking trip takes groups to unique and breathtaking natural and historic sites throughout the country.
COSTARICAN EXPERIENCES
It's Carnival time! Get yourself ready to enjoy the rhythm and joyfulness of an authentic Caribbean Carnival. The colorful dresses and disguises, the eternal smiles and sensual movements of the dancers will electrify you all the way up and down! Get yourself in the mood, do not be shy, and shake your body! Afterwards, a bilingual guide will give you a tour over all three settings and will tell you stories and legends about the country. If by then you are hungry, a delicious typical lunch awaits you at the restaurant El Ventolero, where you will experience the tradition of Costa Rica's best cuisine.
Optional transportation from and to the hotel is provided.
COSTARICAN NIGHTS
This presentation is enclosed within a setting that evokes the roots of the Costarican traditions, where the origins, idiosyncrasy, and independent spirit of this culture is perfectly reflected. You will enjoy a typical dance show and a fiesta just like the ones carried out in the countryside by the turn of the Century. As an honored guest, you will be served an exquisite traditional meal at the Ventolero Restaurant. The corn kitchen and all sorts of mouth-watering specialties will delight your taste buds in a way you will remember back home!
Optional transportation to and from Pueblo Antiguo is provided.
The Custom Made Tour for the Undercover Tourist
You might be asking yourself, what in Heaven's name is that? Easy, every time we visit a new city, as we all know, we immerse ourselves in all sorts of brochures, guides, Internet information, etc , searching for a list of tours offered by travel agencies. After a close look, we make reservations for some of them. When the time arrives, we wake-up very early in the morning and get dressed accordingly to the instructions of the agency guy. Then we eat breakfast in a hurry, since our tour bus will pick us up around seven in the morning, and wait anxiously in the hotel lobby, camera in hand and a nervous smile.
Finally the bus arrives, and our illusions overflow at the perspective of a great adventure! We jump in and say hello to the gang with whom we are about to share the emotions, novelties, and joys of our trip. Once on the road, and after all the explanations and indications of the guide, we start relaxing and making friends. We even start singing all of those high school songs we remember from the better days gone by! For any outsider, it is obvious that we are a bunch of happy and excited tourists.
This is perfectly all right! Moreover, it is probably one of the best ways to get to know new places, and enjoy our trip in a safe and trustworthy fashion. However, let's propose something different: The Custom Made Tour for the Undercover Tourist!
If you have an adventurous spirit and uninhibited personality, you will love this idea which will take no more than just a few morning hours (Saturdays and Sundays exclusively). First, get dressed in comfortable and loose fashion clothing: shorts, T-shirt, hat, and sandals in the Summer time (between February and April). In the green or rainy season (May to November) jeans and tennis shoes are appropriate. Oh, and you will need a large umbrella. December and January are cold months, so keep a windbreaker or sweater handy. A small backpack is a good idea, and of course your photographic or video camera with lots of film. San Jose is a safe place fair enough, but as in any other city, there may be pickpockets now and then. So please, and for your own safety, leave your Rolex and jewels at the hotel safety box, and do not go around showing great deals of money! Regarding money, you will need some cash, no more than ¢5000. Another good idea is to make this tour in a group. Sell the idea to your new friends at the hotel!
Once armed, cameras I mean, equipped, and with a happy full stomach you are ready to go! Catch a cab and ask him to take you to your destiny: the closest Feria del Agricultor (Mercado Central de San José. These are small open-air markets. You will find them all over the city skirts, in towns and districts. Here, farmers from around the country bring their fresh produce for sale. Fruits, vegetables, and legumes of all kinds are neatly arranged in wooden palettes, which create an unforgettable symphony of color and smell. Meats, chicken, and fish are sold too, and cleanness all over is acceptable. This is a real, absolutely local, and very, very tico setting. Feel at ease. Unless you are sporting a tinted green and pink punk haircut, you might expect just some funny curious looks and a few giggles. Buy some fruit and take it back to the hotel!
Since by now you should start getting hungry, it is time for lunch! Forget about fancy restaurants and chain fast food outlets. Today they are forbidden! Take note of the direction the taxi took to take you there (North, South, and the like). Generally, this ride should be on a range of one to one and a half kilometers from where you started, so we are going to re-create it on our way back by foot. If you get lost, just ask! There should be a few sodas (small refreshment rooms) close to any farmers market. Most of them are tidy, clean and inexpensive places. Go in one that appeals you, and ask for a casado, which is served with some sort of meat of your choice, and rice, beans, vegetables, plantain and salad on the side. To wash it down, the frescos prepared in water (no soda pop please) are just delicious. Pineapple, blackberries, tamarind, cas, etc. just to mention a few, or try one prepared in milk like horchata, crema, pinolillo, cebada, or cocoa. If you are a big eater, you can also have empanadas (a sort of turnover) filled with meat, potato and sausage, beans or cheese, or try the wonderful sweet, ripe plantain empanadas, filled with mashed black beans or melted cheese. So, if you asked for typical food, this is the real thing. If you get tired of walking with all those fruits in your backpack, just grab a cab back to the hotel!
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