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Costa Rica: No artificial ingredients
and no stress on the budget
Page 2 of 3
Other transfer options are a bit
more costly (too expensive for
the purposes of this column),
but much more comfortable and
private. A taxi to my locale
cost $70 per cab, not per
person, and no tipping is
required. Drivers will often
play the role of tour guide,
pointing out volcanoes,
waterfalls, and other points of
interests along the way, while
also stopping on the roadside to
view basking crocodiles. To make
sure you get a fair price, go to
the airport taxi desk and
request a ride from there;
they'll even escort you to your
driver. Your hotel will be able
to assist you on the return
trip.
A final option is semi-private
mini-bus transportation via a
tour operator like Grayline,
which costs between $20 and $25
one way.
Where to stay
Because I only had a few days, I
wanted a hotel that would be
easy to get to from San Jose and
that would epitomize what Costa
Rica is known for: great
beaches, rainforests, and
ecological sustainability. I
preferred a resort, opposed to a
regular hotel, in hopes of
having affordable activities and
food onsite, so I wouldn't have
to waste time getting around
while I was there.
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Hotel Punta Leona, located
90 minutes from San Jose on the Pacific Coast province
of Puntarenas, was the perfect choice. For just under
$100 per night including all taxes ($292.68 for three
nights for two people), I received basic accommodations
with a full bathroom and air-conditioning. If booked
through the hotel directly, it would have cost $304
total, but I was able to shave a few dollars off by
booking through Travelocity. Green season rates were
about 24 percent lower.
Set in 750 acres of
rainforest, the resort itself had much to offer,
including three restaurants and several snack bars,
three pools and two beaches, and a mix of independent
and organized activities. There was also a boutique
where I picked up a much-needed pair of sunglasses for
$10, and a small grocery store where I bought bottled
water for hiking. Some of the rooms came with
kitchenettes, in case you want to cut costs further by
cooking your own meals. Once inside the resort, I never
had to leave. And despite its sprawling size, shuttle
buses conveniently scooted guests around who didn't want
to walk. The crowd was a mix of international guests and
Tico families.
What impressed me the most was the resort's commitment
to ecological sustainability. Although Costa Rica has a
reputation as an eco destination, mass tourism expansion
has caused several hotels to fall off the wagon. Punta
Leona, however, maintains Certification for Sustainable
Tourism (CST), meaning that it preserves conservation,
consumes natural products and recycles, and honors local
integrity, among other things. It has also won an
Ecological Blue Flag for keeping its beaches
environmentally sound. My biggest pleasure was learning
that the breakfast restaurant, which rests in a
relatively untouched natural forest setting, was made
solely from fallen trees.
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For more information on this and other tours in
Costa Rica, please write our travel desk at:
traveldesk@insidecostarica.com
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