Bungalows and Hot Springs in La Fortuna de San Carlos

Bungalows and Hot Springs in La Fortuna de San Carlos

La Fortuna de San Carlos in Alajuela is a beautiful town and a very popular tourist destination. The reason? Volcán Arenal, the country’s most active volcano is a must see. Every night the sky is painted with red sparks and lava spewing out the top of the volcano. A visit to this area of the country deserves a couple of days, so where should you stay? Here are two great places to consider.

Hotel La Pradera is a family owned and operated bussines. They offer two kinds of small villas, Standard room and Mountain Cabin. All rooms have hot water, A/C, cable TV and a gorgeous view of the volcano. If you want to get to know the Read more

Monteverde Mountain Getaway or Cocktails by the Pool?

Monteverde Mountain Getaway or Cocktails by the Pool?

The options on where to stay in Costa Rica are nearly endless. You can stay in a bed and breakfast in the capital close to the museums, theatres and historic district. You could also stay in a quiet hotel in the mountains or a luxurious all-inclusive resort by the beach. Everyone can find what they are looking for in Costa Rica!

The town of Monteverde is home to the famous cloud forest. The downtown area has a lovely down-to-earth, laid back atmosphere. So does the Hotel Fonda Vela located a few kilometers outside of downtown Monteverde. From its luxurious rooms with large windows you can enjoy the  magnificent view of the lush cloud forest and also the rest of Read more

Why Rent a Villa Instead of Staying at a Hotel?

Why Rent a Villa Instead of Staying at a Hotel?

Planning a vacation to Costa Rica? I strongly recommend going with a villa or vacation home rental as opposed to a hotel or an all inclusive and here’s why:

Vacation Villas offer a more private vacation experience.
Villas accomodate larger groups and families better than hotels.
When split among a group a villa rental is a more economic option than multiple hotel rooms.
If you get a villa rental with a pool, you don’t have to share it!
With a villa or vacation rental you can do your own cooking in the kitchen. (Some vacation villa rentals offer an all-inclusive package, for those who don’t like to cook.)
Vacation villa rentals are more secure since no one is entering into

Read more

My Favorite Pizza in the San Jose Area

My Favorite Pizza in the San Jose Area

Want to get out for the night and eat out somewhere other than your typical haunts in San Jose? Head east to San Pedro, to La Posada de la Pizza in the Calle Real commercial center.

La Posada de la Pizza, which translates Pizza Inn, not to be confused with Pizza Hut, serves up all your traditional Italian and pizza restaurant favorites: pastas, calzones, salads, and of course, specialty coffees and homemade desserts.

If you are looking for real delicious pizza, then I suggest coming to this place. Toppings include your traditional pepperoni, ham, bacon, mushrooms, pineapple, and olives, but also extend to coconut, fresh tomato, ground beef and salami. There are a number of vegetarin options, including a vegetarian Read more

Review of Hotel Crowne Plaza in San Jose

One major hotel located in downtown San Jose is the Crowne Plaza. This is one of the nicer hotels in San Jose. The staff is very kind and helpful and most speak English. When you arrive at the hotel if you have a car they have a very large parking lot, though the lot is not gated there is twenty four hour security. The security staff is very friendly and love helping gringos with learning Spanish. Taxis are available right in front of the hotel and there are also tons of bus stops close by. When you go to the front desk you will notice that currency exchange is offered right in the Read more

The Gringo Shares His Little Black Book…

There are a ton of different ways to go about getting information regarding traveling to and living in Costa Rica. But how do you know the information is reliable? Plenty of you have e-mailed asking for information, but as you know… I don’t always find the time to answer, and sometimes I just don’t have the answers! I can, however, connect you with the people who do have the answers!

I, together with all the other Gringo writers (see my blogroll for affiliate sites) have worked to create a database that puts you in contact with the people you need to reach in Panama (and Guatemala, Costa Rica, Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and more!)

If you are looking for legal services, real Read more

A Visit to Tabacon Grand

One big reason people love to visit Costa Rica is to go to hot springs. You can find a wide variety of locations for hot springs and pricing. Entries to enjoy hot springs can run anywhere from six dollars to sixty dollars depending on what kind of experience you are looking for. In my opinion Tabacon Grand Spa offers some of the best hot springs in all of Costa Rica. People from all over the country come to Tabacon to enjoy the lush beauty of their gardens and relaxing affects of the natural hot springs.

When you first arrive to Tabacon you will have a decision to make. You can purchase just an entry to the hot Read more

Aparotel La Sabina in San Jose

“I love apartotels” is what I said after I had my first experience staying in one. I had never heard of anything like it before I arrived in Costa Rica. Basically they are little apartments inside a small hotel. These are a great way to live it up in Costa Rica or travel on a budget. Some apartotels offer free wifi , breakfast, kitchenets and much more. The price range for a room can range from $40 a night to $375 a night.

The first apartotel I stayed in (the name I can’t remember) had a nice king size bed and hot shower. It didn’t have any air-conditioning or Wifi in the rooms which was a big Read more

Nice, Family Hotel in San Jose, Costa Rica

For a nice place to stay near the San Jose Costa Rica international airport, try the Adventure Inn Hotel. They are less than 10 minutes from the airport, and they offer free transfers to and from the airport. The hotel is on the small side, with only 34 rooms, and feels a bit more like a motel.

The staff is pleasant and the whole place is very clean and well put together. Most of the staff members speak English, so there is no problem communicating if you don’t speak Spanish.

The Adventure Inn is a great place to take tours from; 25 tours are available right from the lobby. The hotel also has Read more

Luxury Boutique Hotel in San Jose

What started as a small bed and breakfast has transformed into one of the top luxury boutique hotels in San Jose. Hotel Casa Roland is a labor of love that has built up a reputation of quality service to locals and foreigners alike. The hotel is exquisitely decorated; Hotel Casa Roland has actually earned national recognition for its extensive collection of art.

The Hotel is located in the embassy district, just 5 minutes from the from the Tobias Bolanos domestic airport and 30 minutes from San Jose’s international airport.

A Deluxe room has a queen size bed, a ceiling fan, AC, a security box, and a mini fridge. The executive suite includes all the same, but Read more

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