Costa Rica: Tours

Adventures By Disney Got the kids in tow? Try Disney’s new 6-night Path to Pura Vida trip to San Jose, Arenal, and Quepos/Manuel Antonio. Family- and kid-friendly touches include Disney movie nights and arts-and-crafts sessions with local artisans. 877-728-7282; www.disney.go.com
family | adventure | editor pick

Avanti Destinations This Oregon-based operator peddles a pretty thorough catalog of Costa Rican adventures, from coffee plantation day trips to jungle kayaking in Tortuguero. 800-422-5053; www.avantidestinations.com
hiking | adventure | sports

Costa Rica Birding Journeys Although Costa Rica is small (around the size of West Virginia), it’s inhabited by nearly 900 bird species, more than the total number in the U.S. and Canada combined. Be on the lookout for the scarlet macaw and the endangered quetzal, revered by the ancient Mayans. 011-506-643-3311; www.costaricabirdingjourneys.org
wildlife | smart splurge

Costa Rica Expeditions Celebrating 30 years in 2008, this San Jose-based tour operator is the oldest and most experienced in the country. In addition to ecological, adventure, and sightseeing tours, the firm owns and operates three exceptional, well-run lodges in the Monteverde Reserve and Corcovado and Tortuguero National Parks. 011-506-254-0766; www.costaricaexpeditions.com
diving | adventure | sports | editor pick

Go to Isla Tortuga This one-day catamaran excursion to Isla Tortuga may be touristy and pricey, but the picture-perfect island destination just off the Pacific coast makes the indignity of going along with the crowd worth it. Choose a weekday trip to have more white-sand beach to yourself. Calypso Cruises; 800-887-1969; www.calypsocruises.com
beach | cruise | smart splurge | things to do | editor pick

Latin Destinations Extensive selection of special-interest Costa Rica vacations, from adventure, beach, and honeymoon trips to tours focused on turtle-nesting, spa stays, and volcanoes. 866-645-2846; www.latindestinations.com
hiking | spas | wildlife | biking

National Theater This opulent theater modeled on the Paris Opera was built in San Jose between 1891 and 1897 with proceeds from coffee taxes. Take a guided tour of its lavish salons, savor a coffee and pastry in the café, or catch a performance by Costa Rica’s national symphony or opera company. Plaza de la Cultura; 011-506-221-1329; www.teatronacional.go.cr
culture | theater | historic | things to do

Pan-American Highway Gutsy types might brave steep car-rental premiums and speed-demon Tico drivers to tour the country on their own via Highway #1, Costa Rica’s main cross-country route. You’ll traverse rain and cloud forests across valleys, mountains, and plains. A popular drive is the so-called Route of the Saints, a 15-mile, half-hour drive from Santa Maria de Dota to San Pablo de Leon. 011-506-436-2000; www.budget.co.cr
things to do | adventure

Rain Forest World This small ecotourism outfit based in the whitewater-rafting hub of Turrialba offers escorted multi-day tours, one-day excursions, and customized vacation itineraries. 011-506-556-0014; www.rforestw.com
hiking | sports

Volcanoes Hotfoot it to one of the country’s volcanoes, many of which – including Arenal, its youngest, and Irazu, its tallest – are still active. As many as eight such hot spots can be visited independently or on tours. If you have to pick just one, head to La Fortuna; nighttime displays of spewing lava are particularly spectacular. Ranger station; 2 miles east of Lake Arenal, La Fortuna; 011-506-695-5180; www.fortunawelcome.com
things to do | outdoors | adventure | editor pick

Zoom Vacations Company capitalizing on Costa Rica’s growing reputation as one of Latin America’s most gay-friendly destinations, it directs travelers to hotspots like the bars and clubs of San Jose and  La Playita Beach near Manuel Antonio, home to a number of gay and gay-friendly resorts. 866-966-6822; www.zoomvacations.com
gay | sports