"Costa Rica - a place to kick back and relax" Costa Rica by Robin922

Forget the hustle and bustle of life. Everything here goes at its own pace and that is slow and easy.

You can sip fancy little drinks by the water, hike in the rain and cloud forests, take a boat ride and see wild life, tour historical building, soak in a natural hot spring, see a volcano crater or even what one erupt.

While if you are adventurous you can rent a car and travel the country, if not the buses and tour lines can get you where you want to go.

Some rookie travelers arrive thinking since it’s a Spanish speaking county that it will be similar to Mexico. Trust me I’ve been to both and there are very few similarities.

While some people head directly for the beaches, I did the reverse and enjoyed the middle section of the country on this trip.

When you arrive at the airport, you can already see Poás. From this angle it may only look like a mountain (elevation of 2,704 feet), but later when you visit the top it’s a breath taking view.

From there you can go to San José, and check out the city life, or start seeing the country side which can hold some rather nice surprises like a garden of carved hedges.

While the beach and volcanoes are most talked about coffee comes in at a close third. You can see coffee growing, and even tour the Britt processing plant.

If you like flowers and gardens, there is no shortage. The garden shown is just one small part of the one that is located at one of the hotels.

• Pros:Fun and lots to do
• Cons:Bad roads
• In a nutshell:If you need a break from life, do it Tica style