We have arranged this guide in a way that makes it easy for readers ether to plan a logical itinerary or get right into the details of specific adventures. Unless you’re just going to one area, travel in Costa Rica always involves passing through the Central Valley. The best way to think of it is as a spoked wheel, with San José as the hub. You can see a lot of the country if you are based in the capital. Costa Rica is small enough to get from coast to coast in one long day of driving, or half an hour in a plane. (Then again, some areas have such bad roads you’re lucky to get a few kilometers in a half-hour – we’ll steer you away from those!)

We divided our guide into regions: San José; the Central Valley; North by Northwest; the Nicoya Peninsula; Pacifica (the Central Pacific Coast); the Caribbean Coast; and Zona Sur, the South Pacific. Each offers its own diverse enjoyments. We wrote this Adventure Guide with an ecologically responsible slant. Costa Rica is an environmental paradise. In fact, 2003 was declared the Year of Eco-tourism by the United Nations. Don’t be a tourist, be an ecotourist.

Flexible travelers can always get a lot out of their vacations, and that’s especially true in Costa Rica. Starting in San José and wandering off to find your pleasures is a great way to go. The main north-south road is the Inter-American Highway, which connects the towns of La Cruz (near the Nicaraguan border) with Canoas (on the border with Panama).

Because Internet cafés come and go faster than we can type, we haven’t bothered to list them. Just ask. There will be one nearby. Remember, new places pop up overnight, places that are good go bad, formerly lousy restaurants clean up their act, and hotels remodel. If you find things are different than we have suggested in the pages of this book, please let our publisher know or send us an e-mail directly (brucewrite@ aol.com or junioc@aol.com). Same goes if you’ve found something good that we didn’t include – let us know. Our goal is to make your stay the best ever!