Costa Rica Guide

Highlights

1 Reserva Monteverde Night Walk Take an eerie night walk through the dense, verdant rainforest of the Monteverde Reserve – the intrepid guides catch bats, and introduce you to stick insects and frogs, and maybe even a tarantula.

2 Reserva Santa Elena Search for the elusive quetzal in this lush reserve that protects one of Costa Rica's most perfect cloudforests.

3 Karen Mogensen Reserve Follow puma tracks to waterfall pools on the Nicoya Peninsula's newest and most ecologically important nature reserve.

4 Reserva Absoluta Cabo Blanco Costa Rica's oldest piece of protected land features unique Pacific lowland tropical forest and is home to howler monkeys, sloths, deer and pelicans.

5 Mal País Ride the waves at this mellow surfing hangout in the southwest of the Nicoya Peninsula.

6 Manuel Antonio National Park Relax on palm-fringed beaches and explore tangled tropical forests and mangroves abundant with wildlife, from green turtles and rare squirrel monkeys to the shimmering green kingfisher and laughing falcon.

Isla del Coco

Rising dramatically out of the Pacific Ocean 535km southwest of the Costa Rican mainland, Parque Nacional Isla del Coco ( 258-8570 or 250-7295, www.guiascostarica.com/area81.htm ) is revered among divers, biologists and treasure-hunters. Gigantic waterfalls plunge off jungle-strewn cliffs straight into an underwater world that has made this national park a veritable "Costa Rican Galapagos". More than 250 species of fish – including one of the world's largest concentrations of hammerhead and white-tipped reef sharks – patrol the surrounding waters. The rugged, mist-shrouded volcanic island itself, which provided Michael Crichton with the inspiration for Jurassic Park, is home to 75 endemic plant species, two endemic reptile species and 97 bird species.

Nearly 25 square kilometers in size, Isla del Coco is one of the world's largest uninhabited islands, yet few would be able to locate it on a map. Perhaps that's why pirates found it such a perfect hideout during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Legend has it the golden spoils from fruitful church-looting expedition to Lima were buried here; known as the "Lima Booty", the stories sparked a frenzy of treasure-seeking missions. More than 500 tried their luck (and failed) before Isla del Coco was declared a national park in 1978, ending all gold-digging expeditions.

Conservation is now the order of the day on this UNESCO World Heritage Site, although illegal fishing, shark-finning in particular, within the fifteen kilometre restriction zone is rife and park rangers and marine organizations lack the resources to bring it under control. Despite this, Isla del Coco remains an increasingly coveted destination for experienced scuba-divers. More than a thousand a year brave the gut-wrenching 36-hour boat journey from Puntarenas to spend a week or so moored in the island's sheltered harbour on live-aboard boats. The subterranean treasures range from underwater caves and technicolour coral reefs to schools of hundreds of hammerhead sharks. The real danger here is not sharks, but strong currents, and divers often wear gloves to grip onto rocks to stop themselves from drifting away. Water temperatures are a balmy 22–26°C and the best time of year for seeing sharks is the rainy season (May– Nov). Two sheltered bays provide access to the island itself, and during the day visitors can venture onshore to hike the steaming tropical forests. Two diving companies make the trip year-round from Puntarenas. Packages with Aggressor's 33-metre-long Okeanos ( 289-2261 or US 1-800-438-2628, www.aggressor.com ) start at $2600 for eight days. Undersea Hunter ( 228-6613 or 1-800-203-2120, www.underseahunter.com ) runs similar expeditions on board their Sea Hunter and Undersea Hunter vessels with ten-day trips from $3950. There is an additional daily national park fee of $25 a person.

Isla Tortuga

One of the most popular day-trip destinations in Costa Rica, Isla Tortuga is actually two large (over three square kilometres in total) uninhabited islands, just off the coast of the Nicoya Peninsula near Paquera. Characterized by its poster-perfect white sands, palm-lined beaches and lush, tropical deciduous vegetation, it's certainly a picturesque place, offering quiet – during the week, at least – sheltered swimming and snorkelling. At the weekend, however, boatloads of passengers come ashore roughly at the same time, somewhat marring the islands' image as an isolated pristine tropical paradise.

Cruises to Isla Tortuga usually leave from Puntarenas and take between one and three hours each way. There's plenty of opportunity for spotting marine animals, including large whale sharks, depending upon the season. You also pass by Negritos and Guayabo island sanctuaries, where swarms of sea birds nest. On the island there's time for lunch (usually included in the tour price) and snorkelling, followed by sunbathing or a little walking.

The majority of visitors to Tortuga actually come on day-trips from San José. All in all, tours from the capital – including transport to and from Puntarenas – cost about $100, which is fairly steep, especially as you only get two to two-and-a-half hours on the island itself. One of the biggest operators is the fairly luxurious Calypso Tours ( 256-8585, www.calypsotours.com ), who also offers exclusive cruises to their private nature reserve Punta Coral, set in tropical dry forest on the Nicoya Peninsula. A slower-paced and cheaper option is to take a tour from Tambor or Montezuma. Group tours can also be arranged from Mal País.