Turquoise rivers, jungle and cloud forests: is this Central American country the ultimate winter adventure?
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Heavy fog blankets Costa Rica's San José International Airport as our plane lands. I’m one of many latitudinally challenged Brits eager for a tropical adventure in one of the world’s most climate-friendly nations. With an 11-hour direct flight from Gatwick and the gloom of a British winter behind us, we are ready to explore an increasingly popular corner of this tiny nation.
Before heading northwest, we pause in San José, the capital city which is just a short distance from Juan Santamaría International Airport. Costa Rica boasts two international airports, with Liberia’s Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport offering easy access to the highlands we’re bound for.
San José, like many Latin American capitals, sprawls across a high-altitude grid. It has a charming colonial buildings, a national museum, and hotels such as the Grano de Oro, a converted hacienda showcasing traditional architecture with an open courtyard.
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But to most Costa Rican's and travellers alike, the capital is a place of work, traffic and concrete. Good for a quick stop off but by no means the star attraction of the country. Another similarity to other Latin American nations is the manifold variations of rice and beans that make up the traditional diet here. Arroz con todo,’ is a popular refrain here, meaning rice with everything. They are not lying. Top of the list to try is the Gallo Pinto, a breakfast dish based around a mound of fried rice and beans, plantain, eggs, tortilla and fresh cheese.
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