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Weekly UpdatesBEST ADVENTURE DAY TOUR
Canyoning. Get your adrenaline flowing with the tour that made adventure tourism popular. Canyoning with Explornatura combines rapelling down lout waterfalls, zipping through the jungle canopies on a cable-and-pulley system, and crossing a ravine on a suspension bridge. The tour offers a unique and challenging way to enjoy the Costa Rican jungles of Turrialba, just an hour east of San Jose. You don't have to be an athlete to participate in Explornatura's canyoning tour, but basic coordination is a must. Expert guides lead the tour with safety as their primary concern. Explornatura offers transportation from San Jose and provides lunch in Turrialba. Phone: [506] 556-4032.
BEST ISLAND DAY TOUR
Isla Tortuga. Visit Costa Rica's answer to Gilligan's Island. The calm blue waters and palm tree-lined white sands of Isla Tortuga is accessible through tour operator Calypso Tours, which provides bus transportation from San Jose to Puntarenas and boat transportation to the island on a luxury catamaran, complete with music and cocktails. Tortuga Island, located off the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, is a great place to relax, swim and catch some sun. Tour provides a barbecue lunch, drinks and a canopy zipline tour on the island. Phone: [506] 256-2727.
BEST DAY TOUR
Ecoscape Costa Rica Highlights Tour. See the best Costa Rica has to offer in an 11-hour, expertly guided tour of the Central Valley and Northern Zone. This unrushed tour starts with breakfast at a working coffee plantation, a visit to Poas Volcano and the surrounding cloud forest, a stop at La Paz waterfall and a hummingbird farm, and a jungle-safari boat ride down the Sarapiqui River. Naturalist guides provide informative commentary about the surrounding wildlife. Learn more about Costa Rica in one day than regular travelers learn during a lifetime of visiting the country. Daily from San Jose with hotel pick-up. Phone: [506] 240-5106. www.ecoscapetours.com
BEST HOTEL
Barcelo San Jose Palacio Spa and Casino. Tucked into a quiet residential neighborhood near the airport and two kilometers from downtown San Jose, the Barcelo San Jose Palacio offers impeccable European-style service. Regular rooms begin at US$95 a night; the presidential suite runs $155. The hotel has its own convention center with 12 rooms of varying sizes, as well as two restaurants and two bars. For after-work entertainment, there is a spa, casino, tennis courts, sauna, and a gallery of boutiques. Keep in touch with the office via the Internet cafe. Km3 on General Canas Highway. Phone: [506] 220-2034. www.barcelo.com
BEST UPSCALE BAR
The Martini Bar in Escazu. New York-style bar attracts an upscale and older crowd to its nicely decorated and comfortable atmosphere, complete with large-screen televisions. Bar has extensive martini menu with lighter-fare plates. Martinis start at $4. Open 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Centre Comercial, Escazu.
BEST WHITEWATER RAFTING
Rios Tropicales. Experience the thrill of whitewater rafting on Costa Rica's famous Pacuare, Sarapiqui or Reventazon rivers. Challenge Class 3 and Class 4 rapids with the company's expert guides. Rios Tropicales teaches safety training and teamwork. The agency has 10 years of experience leading groups on whitewater tours, offering one-and two day trips with overnight stay at an eco-lodge in the jungle. Also offers sea kayak tours. Transportation from San Jose included. Phone: [506] 233-6455. www.riostropicales.com
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