Active Pursuits

Fun On & Under the Water

Most of the beaches up here are usually quite calm and good for swimming.

If you want to do some diving, check in with Diving Safaris de Costa Rica (tel. 2672-1259; www.costaricadiving.net), which is headquartered on the principal access road into Playa Hermosa, about 137m (450 ft.) before you hit the beach. This is a long-established and respected dive operation. It has a large shop and offers a wide range of trips to numerous dive spots, and it also offers night dives, multiday packages, certification classes, and Nitrox dives. These folks also offer multiday live-aboard and dive trips on their 14m (48 ft.) yacht.

Alternatively, you can check out Resort Divers (tel. 2672-0106; www.resortdivers-cr.com), which has set up shop at the Hilton Resort in Playa Panama.

Both of the above-mentioned companies will accept divers from any of the hotels in the area, and can arrange transport. A two-tank dive should run between $70 and $140 (£35-£70) per person, depending primarily on the distance traveled to the dive sites.

In the middle of Playa Hermosa, Aqua Sport (tel. 2672-0050) is where to go for watersports equipment rental in Playa Hermosa. Kayaks, sailboards, canoes, bicycles, beach umbrellas, snorkel gear, and parasails are available for rental at fairly reasonable rates. You'll also find here a small supermarket, public phones, and a restaurant.

Because the beaches in this area are relatively protected and generally flat, surfers should look into boat trips to nearby Witch's Rock and Ollie's Point. Diving Safaris de Costa Rica (tel. 2672-1259), Hotel Finisterra (tel. 2670-0293), and Aqua Sport (tel. 2672-0050) all offer trips for up to six surfers for around $250 to $350 (£125-£175), including lunch. All of these companies also offer fishing trips for between $250 and $1,500 (£125-£750) for groups of two to four anglers.

If you're interested in wind power, check in with the folks at the hotel El Velero Hotel , or Tahini Yacht Tours (tel. 2672-1037). Both offer a range of full- and half-day tours, with snorkel stops, as well as sunset cruises.

Other Options

Other activities in the area include horseback riding, all-terrain quad tours, canopy tours, and trips to other major attractions in the Guanacaste region. Swiss Travel Service (tel. 2668-1020) has operations in the area and offers a wide range of activities and tours, including trips to Santa Rosa or Rincón de la Vieja national parks, and rafting on the Corobicí River. These folks have desks at many of the hotels around here and will pick you up at any hotel in the area.

The best zip-line canopy tour in this area is the Witch's Rock Canopy Tour (tel. 2667-0661), just before the Allegro Papagayo Resort. The 2 1/2-hour tour covers 3km (1 3/4 miles) of cables touching down on 24 platforms and costs $65 (£33).

Finally, the Arnold Palmer-designed championship course at the Four Seasons Resort is hands down the most beautiful and challenging golf course in the country. However, it is open only to guests at the Four Seasons.