OUR DESTINATIONS
Let us help you find your perfect holiday by phoning us on
We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
Alternatively, check out some of our holiday offers below.
- Destinations
- South America
- Costa Rica
- Central Pacific Coast
Central Pacific Coast
The Pacific is more developed for tourism than the Caribbean,
but it still holds a good mixture of luxury resorts and deserted
beaches. Some of the Costa Rica's best beaches are in this region.
Costa Ricans use the perfectly suited phrase '
pura vida', meaning 'pure life', to describe the country
and examples of this are evident everywhere along the Pacific
coastline.
Strung along the coast are scores of seaside villages and
picturesque towns, exotic beaches and several protected reserves or
national parks. Visitors will find an abundance of accommodation,
seafood and local souvenirs. Puntarenas is the largest town and was
the main port, but is now mainly used for a base to catch ferries
to the Nicoya Peninsula. Further south, the Tarcoles bridge is a
renowned spot for watching the alligators in the river below.
Package-holiday tourists stream to the beach resort town of Jacó,
one of the best places to surf and with a reputation for being a
party town. There is plenty of accommodation and restaurants as
well as a lively night scene after a relaxing day on the beach.
There are many activities in the area including surfing,
kayaking and swimming in the azure waters of the pacific. There is
also hiking, birding and wildlife-spotting in the forests of the
national parks as well as beach walks, volleyball and horseriding.
Beautiful parks like Manuel Antonio National Park and Absoluta Cabo
Blanco Nature Reserve have pristine white beaches as well as birds
and animal life. The tiny fishing hamlet of Montezuma near the
entrance to Cabo Blanco is surrounded by pretty coves and is a
relaxed place to hang out for a few days.
Information & Facts
Language
Spanish is the official language, but English is widely
spoken.
Money
The Costa Rican Colón (CRC) is divided into 100 céntimos and is
the official currency, although US Dollars are also widely
accepted. US Dollars and travellers cheques can be exchanged in
banks and many hotels. Banks charge a service fee for cashing
travellers cheques and currency other than US$ is difficult to
exchange. Using black market exchange options is risky as they have
been known to pass on counterfeit bills printed in Colombia. Banks
close anywhere from 3pm to 6pm. Major credit cards are widely
accepted, although American Express and Diners Club might be more
limited. ATMs are available in major towns throughout the country,
but it is advisable to always have some local cash handy.
Time