Costa Rica, a Paradise for Eco-Tourism

Costa Rica, a Paradise for Eco-Tourism
Word Count:
721
Summary:
Description of Costa Rica, a great place for eco-tourism with lots to see and do.

Keywords:
costa, rica, eco, tourism, travel, central, america, latin, jungle, rain, forest, scuba, diving, san, jose, volcano, arenal

Article Body:
For those who would like a destination for eco-tourism, Costa Rica is hard to beat.  For a little country in Central America that’s only 19,730 square miles, there’s definitely a lot to see and do there.  Costa Rica means ‘rich coast’ in Spanish, which is the country’s official language.  Located between Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south, Costa Rica is one of the most stable and prosperous of all Latin American countries.  There are tropical beach resorts on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the country for sun vacationers but the main attraction of Costa Rica is the eco-tourism.  For example, there is a wider variety of bird species in Costa Rica alone than in all of Europe and North America.
Surprisingly, there are diverse eco-systems and microclimates within Costa Rica.  In addition to the coastal beaches, there are dense jungles and rain forests with a wide variety of fauna.  Some of these forests are referred to as cloud forests because of the moisture of the mists that linger among the trees in some parts.  One forest has a cable car set up so that tourists can observe the plant and animal life at the treetop levels.  For the more adventurous types, there is a place where one can swing from tree to tree using a network of rope attachments.  There are also dry forests as well as colder barren volcanic tundras.  Quite extreme changes in microclimate can be observed even within 30 minutes of travel.  Some parts of the country have canal systems similar to those found in the Amazon and a few rivers offer excellent white water rafting. 
There are several volcanoes within the country and the extinct ones are easily accessible since they are tourist attractions.  A few have beautiful turquoise color lakes that have formed in the craters at the top of such volcanoes.  One of the more famous active volcanoes is Arenal where visitors can safely watch the eruptions from a nearby facility that has outdoor hot springs naturally heated by the mountain.
In addition to the many different birds that can be sighted, there is a wide number of other exotic wildlife including monkeys, sloths, jaguars, bats and reptiles that can be seen during one of the many available nature tours.  Every year, there are sea turtles that come to certain beaches to nest and this event attracts many nature lovers.  The wildlife in Costa Rica is not only rich on land or the air but also in the surrounding oceans.  For scuba divers, Costa Rica offers excellent diving opportunities and they are quite different from the waters in the Caribbean.  The higher amounts of plankton in the local seas attract more numbers of large marine animals than can be found in the Caribbean.
Coffee and bananas are some of the main exports for Costa Rica.  For coffee lovers, this is the place to sample some of the best in the world although it should be warned that the locals like their coffee quite strong.  Tours in the valleys will often go past numerous coffee plantations. 
Most tourists will fly into the capital city of San Jose.  Although there is some nice colonial architecture to see in San Jose, it’s not one of the nicer places to stay in Costa Rica.  The city is noisy and polluted but relatively safe.  One can use San Jose as a base for many day trips to the various rain forests, volcanoes and beaches.  Travelers can also fly into Liberia which is a town in the north part of the country.  This is a much quieter region and close to many of the northern resorts.  One option that many travelers take is to rent a vehicle and tour the country on their own.  However, the roads of Costa Rica are not the best with lots of potholes and mudslides are common during the wet season from June to November.  If renting a vehicle, a 4x4 is definitely recommended.
There is so much to see and do in Costa Rica that many visitors return to see parts of the country that they missed before.  The country is easily the most popular destination to visit in Central America.  Costa Rica now has tourist offices set up in North America for those who want further information.

A Stay at Old San Juan in Puerto Rico

A Stay at Old San Juan in Puerto Rico
Word Count:
657
Summary:
Overview of a stay at old San Juan in Puerto Rico, one of the most popular cruise ship ports in the Caribbean.

Keywords:
san, juan, puerto, rico, caribbean, travel, cruise, ship

Article Body:
One of the most used departure ports for cruise ships in the Caribbean is San Juan in Puerto Rico.  We decided to arrive a day early to San Juan in order to see some sights before our cruise ship departure.  San Juan, known as 'La Ciudad Amurallada' (the walled city), was founded in 1521 and is the oldest city under the US flag.  During the 16th century, the Spanish used it as a point of departure for expeditions to the New World.  Fortifications in the Old San Juan section of the city repulsed numerous attacks from the English and the Dutch during those years.  Today, Old San Juan is a charming seven square block commercial and residential area with cobblestone streets.
The cruise ship terminal is actually located near the south side of Old San Juan so instead of booking a hotel in the beach resort area of San Juan, we decided to book one right in the old section for close proximity to the terminal as well as the local sights.  The $17 US taxi ride from San Juan's airport to Old San Juan was about half an hour. During the ride, I was impressed by how developed the city was compared to many other cities I've visited in the Caribbean.  The beach high-rise hotels along the north side of San Juan were visible from the highway.  Our stay for the night was at the Hotel Milano which is right on Calle Fortaleza, which is one of the major commercial streets in Old San Juan.  The hotel was clean and comfortable but not luxurious which was okay with us as the price was very affordable.  Its quality was probably comparable to a Travelodge or Days Inn.  A very pleasant surprise was the free continental breakfast at the hotel's rooftop restaurant.  It gave a nice view of the neighborhood from the top.
We spent the day and evening walking the many cobblestone streets and alleys in the area.  There are over 400 restored colonial buildings from the 16th and 17th century here.  There were also several plaza squares and parks.  One of the nicest services offered in Old San Juan is a free shuttle bus which covers two different routes through the district.  There was a bus stop about 1/2 block away from our hotel which was very convenient.  Riding on the shuttle buses through both routes gave us a good overview of Old San Juan.  We were able to stop off at several points of interest including the huge El Morro fort.  After our visits to each attraction, we just had to
wait for the next bus to come by to continue our tour.  In the evening, we did get lost while walking since many of the streets look very similar.  But with our map, we eventually found our way back to the street where the Hotel Milano was.  We decided to dine at one of the nearby restaurants for authentic Puerto Rican cuisine and were not disappointed.  My lady especially adored the two different plantains we ordered.
When it was time to go to the cruise ship terminal, we just took a short five minute ride from our hotel.  Our short stay in Old San Juan was definitely worthwhile and hassle free.  A stay in Old San Juan is highly recommended for those who will be taking a Caribbean cruise with San Juan as the departure point.  The only disappointment I had with San Juan was that I was hoping to do some scuba diving in the area but from the reports I read, the waters off the city are quite murky with limited marine life to see.  This is likely the result of San Juan being such a busy port.  The decent scuba diving sites are about 2 hours east of San Juan.  So perhaps in a return trip to Puerto Rico, I will plan to make a trip to the east part of the island.