San Jose
The capital of Costa Rica is not the most beautiful city in the world, but
offers enough to keep visitors busy for a few days before they head for the
distant forests, volcanoes and beaches. There are a number of interesting
museums and galleries and the ornate Teatro Nacional should not be missed.
As in almost any capital city, there are a number of gay bars and saunas and
also some good gay and lesbian hotels. We stayed in a very well appointed
gay hotel with a fantastic view just a short distance from the downtown area
of the city where the nightlife is located.
Volcanoes and Rain Forest
We sat in the hot water springs in Arenal watching the nocturnal
fire-spitting from the top of Arenal volcano in what was a natural light
show. Quite amazing. The volcanic cone rises majestically to 1633 metres,
towering over the lush pastures and forest at the eastern end of Laguna De
Arenal. The current phase of volcanic activity started with a major eruption
in 1968 and now intermittent explosions occur on a daily basis. The next day
we were lucky enough to be there when the cloud cover lifted and we saw
smoke fizzling through the cracks in the upper regions of the volcano. There
are a large number of activities available in the Arenal region including
canopy tours, white water rafting and horse riding. We suggest a stay of two
or three days in this region.
Rincon de la Vieja is an area of cool waterfalls, steaming mudpots, deep
canyons and stunning scenery. Again there are many activities available. As
part of our research, Alan, who does not have a good head for heights, tried
the adrenaline rush of a canopy tour but at the point when he was being
lowered down to the canyon 100 feet below, he did wonder whether such a
commitment to research was really necessary! The swimming at the waterfall
might have been a more appropriate option!
Wildlife and Nature
Turtles, birds and jungle-lined waterways are the temptations of Tortuguero,
which is a village, a river and a national park on the Caribbean coast.
Reached by either plane or bus and boat from San Jose, this is the area to
see a huge range of wildlife. We saw monkeys, crocodiles, macaws, hawks and
numerous waterbirds. Late one night we sat on the beach to watch the turtles
emerge from the sea, dig a hole on the beach, lay their eggs, cover that
hole and return to the sea. That was a privilege to watch. Our lodge
accommodation, on the shores of the Tortuguero River, was of high quality
with a pool, excellent food, knowledgeable local guides and a number of
walking trails within the grounds.
Fabulous Pacific Beaches
Manuel Antonio is the main gay and lesbian area on the South Pacific Coast.
It consists of a spectacularly jagged coastline and sheltered white-sand
beaches backed by lush tropical forest. And all adjacent to a national park.
Again there are a range of activities available, particularly surfing and
white-water rafting. But essentially it is also a chill-out area with a very
good gay nudist beach and three exclusively gay hotels with clothing
optional pool areas. We were very comfortable at La Plantacion with its
pool, jacuzzi and wonderful natural garden. We just wish we had had more
time to spend there.
Travel to Costa Rica 
