Fishing Frenzy

The tiny Latin America country, Costa Rica, is a terrific destination for hundreds of thousands of vacationers from Europe, Canada, the United States and other countries. They vacation for many reasons. Some love the great beaches. Others prefer the tropical mountains, great weather, outdoor activities, or adult nightlife (what happens here, stays here).

You do not have to spend a arm and leg to enjoy Costa Rica so long as you bring a little planning. There are some travel secrets which are not commonly known to tourists.

Explorers, adventurers, pirates, and brave souls have marveled about this country for centuries. Christopher Columbus discovered it in 1503. His ship dropped anchor south of what is now Limon on the country's Caribbean coast. He was so enraptured he gave it the name, Costa Rica--the rich coast. Nearly 80 years later, English captain and explorer Sir Francis Drake set anchor at what is now named Drake Bay off the southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. If the name sounds familiar, it is because you paid attention during history class: he is famous for destroying the Spanish Armada and saving England in 1588.

However, unlike these men, you won't need a boatload of people to help you get around as you travel Costa Rica yourself and it won't cost you the Crown treasure, either.

Like boating? How about a nice cruise along the tropical waters off the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica? About an hour and half long, traveling between Puntarenas and the southern tip of the spectacular Nicoya Peninsula (where you will find fabulous beaches and surfing), take a ferry. There are several to choose from and they set sail about every hour or so. The cost? About $1.50. Less than the cost of a bottle of water, a soda or beer. Is this value or what?

Trains are fun, too. From downtown San Jose, take a four hour ride on the Tico Train to Puntarenas. You'll see spectacular mountains and cross deep chasms on tall bridges. The train will be packed and filled with happy Costa Rican families. Be sure to bring your bathing suit because you are going to end on the beach! How much? About $16 each way. Like the ferry, most tourists don't know about the train. For reservations (you need them) call American Travel at telephone number 22-33-33-00.

Your Costa Rica visit will provide you two coasts to choose from and nearly 800 miles of tropical beaches can be explored, surfed, hiked, swum (but be careful about rip tides at some places), and even fished for free. Every beach in this country is public and open to everybody. And you can get anywhere really cheaply. Public and private buses are everywhere in Costa Rica. For example, suppose, like lots of other tourists you want to take in the lovely Pacific town of Jaco. From the price of a Happy Meal, you can take a large, comfortable, air-conditioned bus ride from San Jose to Jaco. Yep. Less than $5 will get you there.

And, one more suggestion. Consider staying in a Costa Rica hostel. Many hostels offer dorm accommodations for about $12 and lots of them also have private rooms for just a little more. Sure, you can spend $70+ a night in a fancy resort or hotel but you can find very nice rooms for a fraction of that. Hostels are not just for college kids anymore. I know because I stay in them---in private rooms---for way less than hotels.