Costa Rica is a jewel that lone
travelers and families can
treasure
Rodney Smith | Special to the
Orlando Sentinel
Is waking up to the howling of
howler monkeys any way to start
a vacation? Absolutely.
Especially if you're traveling
in Central America's outback.
During the past ten decades,
Costa Rica has been saved for
surfers and the occasional
angler. But now it has become an
increasingly popular tourist
destination for people and
families from all walks of life.
Take, for example, Katherine
Gaston, a recent graduate of the
University of Florida's
pharmaceutical school. This
summer, Gaston traveled solo
through Costa Rica.
"I love Latin culture," she
says. "The people, the music,
the warm tropical weather and
pounding thunderstorms. It's
romantic. I also wanted to
travel to Spanish-speaking
countries to improve my language
skills."
Gaston didn't hesitate to travel
alone.
"Costa Rica is an extremely easy
country to travel through. The
people are very friendly, the
lifestyle is very relaxed and
open, and there are many budget
hostels and hotels, making it
nice for long-term travel," she
says.
"Meeting cool people with common
interests is super easy. Of
course, all the beautiful
forests, beaches and wildlife is
a major motivating force."
Gaston's enthusiasm doesn't mean
she's reckless.
"As a solo female traveler, I
have to be especially cautious,
and, although it can be
annoying, I have learned to be
aware and alert but not fearful
and distrustful." she says.
"Having a balance between these
things can be challenging."
Surfers Jay and Susan Rieckmann
of Winter Park were traveling
through Costa Rica's Nicoya
Peninsula with their 4 1/2 -year
old son, Noah, when I caught up
with them. This was just one of
their many trips to Costa Rica.
"Generally the length of our
trips is 8-10 days . . . a
pretty typical American
vacation," Jay says. "Costa Rica
is really a great family trip.
Noah has been here five times,
and he loves it! Costa Rica is
generally safe to travel, has a
stable government and is quite
tourist-friendly. In addition,
medical and food is not much of
an issue in Costa Rica, so in
the case of an emergency we feel
quite comfortable. There's so
much for our little boy to see,
experience and learn from -- we
really can't go wrong. This is a
great way for Noah to get his
feet wet with experiencing
different cultures."
There are plenty of ways to get
one's feet wet while in Costa
Rica. You can choose from
whitewater rafting, hiking
through rain forest, fishing or
surfing.
Surfing is becoming a national
pastime among the younger Ticos,
as native Costa Ricans are
known. There are also surf camps
and schools taking root up and
down the entire Pacific coast.
While the surf can be quite
powerful, it's usually not
difficult to find a wave that
breaks gently on a sandy beach.
All you need to do is go to a
local surf shop to get this type
of information. You can
inexpensively rent a surfboard
at many of these shops, but the
deposit is usually more than
$500. Remember, you should be a
good swimmer to attempt surfing.
Jay Rieckmann has a couple tips
for those traveling to Costa
Rica: "Travel light, be an
ambassador and travel with open
eyes and mind." |
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