Fishing Frenzy

Central American beaches have a well deserved great reputation and many travelers describe the Costa Rica beaches as among the highlights of their Costa Rica vacation. Costa Rica has some of the very best beaches anywhere and offers something few other places can match. Great beaches on the Caribbean and Pacific oceans so close together that either coast can be reached in just a few hours for vacationers. Clean waters. Uncrowded sandy beaches.

Few visitors to Costa Rica realize its rich history or how it got its name. About a decade after discovering what is now the United States, Christopher Columbus returned and sailed south. His wooden craft took him below Limon where he named his discovery Costa Rica! The name is Spanish for rich coast and has stuck for more than five centuries.

Do not be misinformed. Columbus was the first, but not the last, explorer. There are still a lot of adventures for visitors to discover for themselves. Costa Rica has nearly 800 kilometers of Caribbean shoreline. Its eastern coast is still largely undeveloped compared to the Pacific side of the country and has a unique Caribbean ambiance. This is Bob Marley country.

For an increasing number of fishermen, their Costa Rica vacation includes a tour of Tortuguero National Park. This is a remote park along the northern Caribbean Coast, initially formed to protect the green sea turtles which come ashore to nest. Today it has become the largest green marine turtle nesting beach on the planet. Tortuguero provides critical nesting areas over a 20 mile stretch of beaches for four of the seven sea turtle species and thousands of people go there annually to witness a real spectacle of nature.

The city of Limon is south of Tortuguero National Park but should not be considered as a popular destination. Instead, expect to go through it to reach the wilderness areas of Tortuguero and Barra Honda beaches north or to travel south to a number of small beach communities and. It is there that Puerto Viejo awaits. It has the world famous La Salsa Brava wave, a difficult large wave that tests the best surfers on the planet, particularly when at its largest between November and April. Surfers with little or less experience should avoid this beach, except to watch the best, and head to Playa Cocles. Great surfing, great fun, and not nearly as dangerous.

South of Puerto Viejo you will find unending Costa Rica beaches. World-renowned surfing. Excellent swimming beaches. Snorkeling, scuba diving, horseback rides, fishing, hiking, walking the same sands passed by Columbus.

Finally is the Gandoco-Manzanillo Wildlife Reserve nearly at the Panama border. When Christopher Columbus discovered Costa Rica, this is where his boat landed. In this magical place you will find crystal clear waters perfect for swimming and scuba diving. Or, if you prefer, snorkeling at Costa Rica's largest coral reefs. Plus, kayaking, hiking, and terrific wildlife viewing.