the land of volcanoes and jungle

ou are requested to park ready for quick getaway. We spent the afternoon of the ame day on horseback with the olcano as a backdrop. The Ticos, as the locals are nown, like to tell you that you can wim in the Pacific Ocean in the morning, cross the country and be n the Atlantic before sunset. Not eing in such a hurry, we headed west to the Nicoya Peninsula reaming of deserted beaches and iant rolling waves. Self-styled as the ‘black hole of appiness’, the area around Samara as the laid-back aura of a 1960s ippy community. We did find many beaches, some nameless with rockpools, some with

rocodiles and diving gannets, others with surfers seeking giant walls of water. My favourite was the palm-fringed Barrigona, with its romantic, lingering sunset. Reluctantly escaping the vortex of Samara we headed back to San Jose, handing in the car and our freedom. We spent the night at the boutique Hotel Presidente before joining a tour group heading to Tortuguero National Park, a Caribbean water world of lagoons and canals on the Atlantic coast. Although our independence was over, it was good to be looked after and to socialise with fellow travellers.

Our charming accommodation at Aninga Lodge was reachable only by boat. As the river was low, it required some of us to get out midjourney and push. Our cabin was set among a maze of paths surrounded by greenery. The organised walks further into the rainforest were a joy with sightings of howler monkeys, colourful toucans, sloths and humming birds.

The best way to get even closer to nature is to take another boat ride down the narrow canals where guides point out creatures tourist eyes would never spot.

Our next lodgings were on the banks of the Rio Pacuare. Upmarket Pacuare Lodge may be, but there were some good deals to be had for one of the best eco-lodges in the world. Candlelit and spacious, it was deeply romantic.

The staff run the ziplines, very exciting even for a daredevil like me, cook the delicious food and, at the end of your stay, take you on a white-water rafting experience back to civilisation.

Fantastic.

GETTING THERE

Evaneos (evaneos-travel.com) offers a range of tailor-made holidays. A three-day break, including accommodation at Hotel Presidente, with visits to Tortuguero National Park, a rainforest hike and canal boat tour, costs from £250pp. British

Airways (britishairways.com) flights from Heathrow to San Jose from £616pp. For further details, go to visitcostarica.com.