Windstar Cruises, which operates a three-ship fleet of luxury yachts that explore hidden harbors and secluded coves of the world's most treasured destinations, begins a one-week sale today on 2010 Winter Costa Rica and Caribbean sailings.

With tight budgets on everyone's minds and the cold, winter months just around the corner, Costa Rica is the ideal place where families can warm up, relax, and interact with the world around them, all while giving back to local communities and the environment and still not breaking the bank.

If you like surfing you will truly love and I mean L.O.V.E. Mal Pais, Costa Rica. Perched on the southwestern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, this idyllic surf spot pulls wave seekers from across the globe.

Often when planning a trip, you can do a little too much of well – planning. Ruining your vacation like pulp ruins a glass of OJ. Its not juice. Researching where to stay and what beaches to visit, you strip your travels of any spontaneity and uncertainty.

Wondering what your next vacation destination should be? Look no farther than Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.

There are times when all you want from your vacation is to move slower than a narcoleptic construction worker. If embracing the Kenny Chesney motto,
"no shoes, no shirt, no problem" sounds awfully good, look no farther than Samara Beach, Costa Rica, a perfect beach town where the clocks don’t work.

Think Costa Rica only boasts fun and excitement on her coasts?
Think again.

Finding the right beach in Costa Rica is like naming your favorite Halle Berry body part, with so many choices you can’t quite make up your mind.

Often hailed as the (Paris of South America), Buenos Aires is becoming a new expat favorite thanks to the low-cost peso.

The intoxicating lava pumps the life of this hidden oasis, exciting the locals and tourists a like. Who knew volcanoes could be this much fun?

 happy place, it may just have to be poolside at the Hilton Papagayo Costa Rica Resort & Spa, in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Or should it be on the sailboat, cruising the shore of the private bay on the Gulf of Papagayo? Or maybe on a massage table at Spa Vida or dining on freshly caught seafood under the stars? Any of these will do as this lovely resort induces a peaceful tranquility no matter where you are on the 82-acre property.

Well, I have returned from my week long winter vacation in the wonderful Costa Rica. And after nine days in the Central American country, after seeing numerous wildlife, including seven foot iguanas, poisonous frogs, I have made the following discovery: They don’t play hockey in Costa Rica.

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Trade a little luxury for adventure and low prices in Puerto Viejo
Rain-forest zip-lining. White-water rafting. Sea kayaking. Surfing, hiking, snorkeling.
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The first group of hammerhead sharks came straight toward us. They're almost four metres long and their self-confident approach made us take cover behind some rocks.

Spring break travelers finally had their prayers answered and the perfect spring break destination has been discovered. This week long vacation is the highlight of and college students world wide and up until now no destination was quite complete. But the wait is over, the perfect spring break destination has been found, and it goes by the name of Costa Rica.

Panama Canal Cruise Reveals History, Future
- Spain founded its first settlement in the New World in Panama and made this tiny country its shipping center for all the riches it acquired in South America.



Escape To A Tropical Alcatraz In Costa Rica
By Erin Van Rheenen, Special to The Los Angeles Times



Holidays in Costa Rica: Leisure and Luxury
Warm sand beaches and starry, ocean-side evenings rarely come to mind as a holiday landscape. This year, however, Small Distinctive Hotels of Costa Rica urges travelers to eschew the snow and celebrate the season in a warmer climate.



No Shoes Required
As I was hanging hundreds of feet above firm ground, dangling by two pieces of steel and preparing to plunge myself into the treetops of a Costa Rican rainforest, I thought of a former co-worker. During a company retreat, I had been stunned to discover that this New York City bred guy had never walked in the woods, or even stepped outdoors without
 shoes.



Costa Rica: Mud, Monkeys And Macho Men
It was one of those things I was glad to have done, even if I did watch most of it through my fingers. It was fiesta season in Santa Cruz, Costa Rica, and the whole town was out in force to celebrate its culture and its cowboys. An angry looking bull bucked its way round the bullring while a sexy sabanero clung to its back. When the beast at last prevailed and the rider fell, half the town’s youth ran into the ring and taunted the poor animal into charging them.



New Costa Rica Guide Offers Insight On Responsible Tourism
Costa Rica is the world's most popular destination for rainforest tourism thanks to its spectacular biodiversity, relative ease-of-access and safety, and many natural attractions.



When in Costa Rica, take the bus
On a bus traveling through the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico, I sat next to a young, Los Angeles MBA. He told me, "If you think this is beautiful, you should check out Costa Rica."



Turtle power in Costa Rica
Ostional is a four-mile stretch of black-sand beach in northwest Costa Rica. You probably haven’t heard of it – not many people have – but every year it plays host to one of the most dramatic, enormous, mind-blowing, jaw-dropping spectacles in nature.



Couple Escapes To An Exotic Life
Four years ago, just as the city's economic boom gained steam and sent house prices skyward, Dave Dolezsar and his wife Monica quit their lucrative oilpatch jobs, sold everything and left Calgary in search of paradise.