Here's what's new in Costa Rica since we prepared Frommer's Costa Rica 2007.
Money
As of August 2006, the official exchange rate was 515 colones to the U.S. dollar.
Safety
Costa Rica has always had a reasonably high rate of robberies committed against tourists. However, recent statistics from the embassy point to one very troubling aspect of that problem: During 2005, over 1,550 U.S. passports were stolen in Costa Rica. While the embassy is excellent in aiding U.S. citizens beset by this problem, a couple of ounces of extra caution are probably in order for travelers.
Recommended Reading
A new book, The Painted Oxcart, by Michael Sims (BAC, 2006), is a wonderful, bilingual coffee-table book on the brightly painted traditional Costa Rican oxcart. A mix of photos, essays, poems and stories give a broad view of these distinctive Costa Rican tools of transport.
San Jose
Beyond Santa Ana, on the road to Ciudad Colón, Corteza Amarilla (tel. 203-7503; www.cortezaamarillalodge.com) is a new high-end boutique hotel and spa, with an excellent little restaurant serving fusion cuisine based on local and regional dishes and ingredients. All rooms have air conditioning and wireless internet. Single room rates start at $120.
The popular Peruvian restaurant Machu Picchu, which already has locations in downtown San José and the eastern suburb of San Pedro, has recently opened a new location on the west end of town, in the Centro Comercial Las Palomas, just off the highway to Santa Ana (tel. 203-7658). The restaurant is well situated on a hillside, with great views over the Santa Ana valley and beyond.
After a closure of nearly six months, the Museo de Jade Marco Fidel Tristán (Jade Museum) (Av. 7 between calles 9 and 9B, INS Building; tel. 287-6034) has re-opened now on the first floor of the INS Building. The exhibit is housed in five well-lit and attractively designed rooms, with bilingual display explanations. Hours are Monday through Friday 8am to 3:30pm, and Saturday 9am to1pm.
Guanacaste & the Nicoya Peninsula
The Marriott chain has apparently pulled out of plans to build a JW Marriott resort inside the Hacienda Pinilla project along the Guanacaste coast. However, sources tell me to still expect a very high-end resort hotel to go up to accompany the project's excellent and already existing golf course.
A little further north up the same coast, the Hyatt hotel chain (www.hyatt.com) has announced plans to build a large resort hotel along the beach at Brasilito. Construction is set to begin soon, but should take a couple years to complete.
In Tamarindo, the La Laguna del Cocodrilo Bistro has streamlined its name slightly and is now called simple El Cocdrilo Lounge (tel. 653-0255).
The Northern Zone
Monteverde has a new, clean budget option. Hotel El Viandante (tel. 645-6475; www.hotelelviandante.com), which is owned and operated by the same folks behind the popular Pension de la Cuesta in downtown San José. You can stay at this new budget hotel for $27-$50 per person, which includes tax and breakfast.
Monteverde also has a new tour and exhibit which focuses on bats. In Paseo de Stella you'll find The Bat Jungle (tel. 645-6566; www.monteverdetours.com/tours/monteverde/bat_jungle.htm), which features a large enclosure and flight space housing over 40 bats from 7 different species. The whole place is kept dark, so you can visit the bats during the day. Visits include a guided tour and a plethora of interesting information, in addition to the chance to see a variety of bats in flight and just hanging around. The Bat Jungle is open daily from 9:30am to 8:30pm. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for students and children under 12.
Central Pacific Coast
The Ramada hotel chain (www.ramada.com) has announced it will soon begin construction of a 72-room resort at the beach town of Jacó. The resort complex will also include 228 condominium units. Work is expected to begin in October of 2006 and will take four years to fully complete.
Over at the marina in the Los Sueños resort complex, the new The Hook Up (tel. 637-8284) serves up hearty international fare and a great view of the boats, bay and beach.
Down in Manuel Antonio, the opulent Gaia Hotel (tel. 777-9797; www.gaiahr.com) is a new hotel staking out the very high-end of the tourism market. Accommodations range from studios to villas, with prices running the gamut too: from $250 in the off-season for a studio, to $700 for a villa.
The Southern Zone
On a very positive note, the highly endangered Harpy Eagle, which was believed locally extinct since 1989, has been sighted several times on the Osa Peninsula.
Solid Car Rental (tel. 866/884-8949, 866/978-5557 or 735-5777; www.solidcarrental.com) has opened an office in Puerto Jimenez. This is a great boon for travelers who want to fly to the southern Osa Peninsula and then rent a small 4x4 to explore the region.
The Caribbean Coast
Sansa (tel. 221-9414; www.flysansa.com) has begun three weekly flights to Limon from San José. The flights leave San José's Juan Santamaria International Airport at 8am on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and return at 9am on those same days. The fare is $70 each way.
Head to our Costa Rica Message Boards to talk with fellow Frommer's Travelers.