Costa Rica Vacations and Info

La Cruz in Costa Rica is the tenth canton of the Province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica and was founded in the year 1969. At present, approximately 70% of its economically active population works in activities related to animal husbandry, agriculture and fisheries. The development that has experienced in recent years is partly due to the opening of the Inter-American Highway and the boom of tourism. The limit southeast of this canton, is made up of the dividing line of the Cordillera de Guanacaste, where there are located the volcanoes Orosi, Rincon de La Viejaa and Miravalles, widely recognized tourist sites in Costa Rica. La Cruz has a supply of public and private services of all kinds, especially in the area of health and education so that tourists do not lack any kind of comfort.

This border canton of Guanacaste province is located on the shores of what is known as Mirador La Cruz, from where there are beautiful and stunning sunsets, with the sun hiding in the Pacific Ocean, under the breadth of the horizon, one of the finest spectacles of Costa Rica. This viewpoint along Santa Rosa National Park are two of the biggest attractions of the area, where the Casona de Santa Rosa, preserved since the mid-nineteenth century, is a monument to the history of Costa Rica where took places one of the biggest battles against William Walker, the leader of the filibusters that tried to conquer the Central American region. The beaches at La Cruz are wonderful as many other attractions in Costa Rica. The best known are: Cuajiniquil, Bahia Salinas, Playa Papaturro, Playa Nabos, Playa Jobo, Playa Rajada, Playa Copal, Puerto Solely Beach, Playa Pochote and Manzanillo. In this canton is located also the biological reserve Isla Bolaños, a major tourist site with lots of marine life. Between these beaches we should note the following:

Pochote beach: Is a beach for a tan-colored sand and crystal clear water with gentle waves. It is ideal for swimmers, for fishing, diving and other water sports, with caution by strong sea currents. For its part Puerto Solely Beach is a beach of white sand and deep blue water of more than 3 kilometers long, with moderate to strong waves, it shares the exotic charms of Bahia Salinas. It lies near the border with Nicaragua, and relatively close to the Santa Rosa National Park. Playa Papaturro has an area of 2 km in length between Punta Morro and Punta Copal. Presents strong tides and waves, its sands are brown clear and the slope is moderate. For its location, is excellent for the practice of kitesurfing, but please keep in mind that there are rocks and shells in some areas. Playa Rajada is a beach virgin, unknown to most people of Costa Rica with a great wealth of flora and fauna, land and sea. Its natural beauty complements its beautiful mangrove and estuary. It is a clear sand beach, gentle slope and low waves, with a length of 600 meters. Is a site designed to: sun, sand, sea, sports fishing, scuba diving and camping. At the front of the beach, is an island of great beauty.

The development of tourism with the rest of this Costa Rica region has helped generously to the population of La Cruz, as many are working in occupations related to tourism and others have turned their homes into small hotels and restaurants. The arrival of tourists (domestic and foreign) to the beaches of this region in Costa Ricahas been growing steadily, generating demand for luxury hotels and houses that have been developed across the coastal zone. This has caused a significant increase in the prices of real estate but this tendency has lowered by the current world economic crisis.

Diving enthusiasts come to Costa Rica for the incredible variety of marine life and the thrill of swimming with schools of tropical fish. Therefore, Costa Rica is becoming an increasingly popular place for people who enjoy the sport of diving. In the central Pacific there is the possibility of practicing diving at several sites in the area. We have several options for diving, from Diving with 1 Tank, Diving with 2 tanks and dives at night to admire enviroments completely different from those seen during the day. The tours are usually guided by a Dive Master or diving instructor who also knows the best places in the area.

While the central Pacific of Costa Rica has less diving sports than the South it has places worth visiting for submarine tours. The visibility in these warm waters stretching from 6 to 24 meters. The Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica offers a spectacular submarine landscape with all kind of animal species such as sea stars, lobsters and shrimp. The Pacific is known for the abundance of bigger sea life as giant manta rays, green sea turtles, angel fish, catfish, snapper, Lora fish, sharks, dolphins and blue whales.

You have to experience an unforgettable sensation 20 meters under water. In this meeting with marine life you can swim alongside a shark, an octopus and many kinds of colorful fish. The waters of Manuel Antonio and Quepos towns in Costa Rica are blessed with a high content of nutrients that enable the development of a large number of marine species.

Isla Tortuga and its surrenders are famous around the world because it is one of the best areas in Costa Rica and Central America to enjoy the most incredible diving adventures. Average visibility ranges from 30 feet. to 50 feet. with possibilities of up to 80 feet. You can dive volcanic rock formations. Turtle Island is located on the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the Nicoya Peninsula, which is surrounded by an abundance of dive sites, most of which are accessible within a thirty minute boat ride. These dive sites offer white tip sharks, giant schools of grunt, yellowtails, spotted eagle rays, turtles, stingrays, angel fish, octopus, whether horses, Starfish, frog fish and many species of eels. It is possible to see whale sharks up to 35 feet long on numerous occasions, as well as, spinner dolphin, Humpback whales, pilot whales, killer whales, false killer whales and schools containing hundreds of thousands of cow-nosed rays can be seen there.

There are two options offered to the certified divers with the full use of the boats and tanks so they can explore the different islands and coral reefs where whale sharks and manta rays are frequently identified. In one option there is the possibility of unlimited diving which allows the diver to perform the desired number of dives during the 5 or 8 hours of the tour. The boats are equipped with compressors on board. It includes the use of tanks, weights, belts, food (snacks and sandwiches) and beverages (soft drinks, water and beer) (Alcoholic beverages are served once they finish the tour diving).

The second possibility is the night diving. This tour includes 1 tank, which can be added to the normal tour of diving and is exclusively for certified divers. Non-certified divers cannot do this tour without exception. Besides people who want to participate in this activity must be advanced, however, is not mandatory. All divers must abide by safety regulations for the trainer before starting the tour, and is at the discretion of the instructor whether or not to allow any person to conduct the tour. These provisions are for safety of the participants themselves.