Why is Costa Rica so popular?

I have moved to Costa Rica in 2006 after spending 6 months in Amsterdam and deciding to go where I don't have to worry about the European cold. From the minute I have landed or rather made it thru the immigration check, this weird sense of home settled in and to this day it has remained. How can it be that people come to a place so far and so different from their homeland and feel this comfort they cannot even feel where they are from?
On my upcoming Costa Rica Information Page I'm going to give you guys a taste of what it is like down here.
But until then I hope this Knol will provide you with a few glimpses into the Pure Life (or Pura Vida as the national slogan states) and tell you what to expect if you ever make it into this Central American country.

San Jose, Costa Rica

San Jose, Costa Rica is a place where you need to know where to go. You can easily get lost, robbed, or worse. When you know where to go, the city provides you with whatever you are into.
Theatres, concerts, places to hang out, anything you can expect from any major city, but there is also this element of prostitution and drugs which you can't seem to escape.
San Jose, Costa Rica and its surrounding areas such as San Pedro (home of the University de Costa Rica, countless nightclubs where the young people hang out and the nice size Mall of San Pedro) and Alajuela (where the international airport is located) has a lot of great things to offer. One of the big attractions there are casinos.
One thing you need to remember is that if you are stuck downtown at night, to NOT walk around. Theft and robberies are rampant and as a non Costa Rican you are an immediate target. Should you be in a location you are not familiar with, please jump in a taxi immediately and have them take you to your hotel.

The Peninsula de Nicoya

The Nicoya Peninsula is by far my favorite spot. You get there by taking the ferry for an hour and a half from Puntarenas to Paquera and then have a 1 hour drive to Cobano. You can also take the plane from San Jose to Tambor where the Barcelo, Las Delfinas and other high class resorts and casinos are located.
Cobano is the center of the peninsula and the place where you have the court house. From there you can easily access Playa Carmen, the only other location with a bank, a great surf spot and a beach town full of cheap cabinas and low budget, yet pretty quality hotels.
Malpais, where the jungle meets the beach. Borders on Playa Carmen and also very close to Cabuya which is right next to Montezuma on the other side of the peninsula. Malpais also borders on the Cabo Blanco National Park. Malpais is quiet. Nice properties on top of the hills overlooking the ocean. Great hotels, but higher in price than in Playa Carmen. Malpais is more of a family place. The locals want to keep it that way. There is one night club Mar Azul which has reggea nights on Fridays and then there is Marie's restaurant which is frequented by celebrities and a great place to have dinner. The problem about Malpais is the roads which are horrible and many people cannot handle the dust. If you go to Malpais, visit also the fishmarket at the end of the one and only long road leading all the way from Santa Teresa thru  Playa Carmen and Malpais to the Cabo Blanco National Park. Fresh fish daily and boat and fishing trips are available as well.
Santa Teresa

I have shot this and other pictures over there:

Santa Teresa is a place where young people surf, party and enjoy being away from it all. It has the same charm of Malpais, but a whole different athmosphere. You need to be able to handle the noise and partying, otherwise don't go there to stay. The surf is excellent and Santa Teresa is considered one of the best places to surf on earth. The waves are not that high, but they are constant. Just like Playa Carmen however, the city "dies" during the off season, which is also the rainy season from May to October. There is not much to do other than surfing, so when the rain comes in, many do not see any reason to visit.

Montezuma is a sleepy little hippie town. When you hit Cobano, you turn left and after 7 kilometers you will reach a little road turning left downhill and leading you into the small center of town. I sometimes cannot believe how such a small place can handle that many tourists. There is no surf there. Absolutely none. But regardless, there is a lot more to do. You have music and movie festivals, many nights you have street performers doing their fire shows and you can just hang out and talk to people. It's a mixed crowd age wise and income wise and other than a few thieves it's pretty safe. Camping grounds are available for those with a lower budget and youth hostels on top of the hills. You can take many tours from there. Daily boats to Jaco, tours to Tortuga Island where the turtles are, fishing trips, canopy tours (way fun) and the famous waterfalls.

Jaco, Manuel Antonio and Quepos are across from the Nicoya Peninsula and Jaco and Quepos may not be the best places to take your kids. Way too much partying going on and Jaco is full of prostitutes and drugs. Manuel Antonio however is excellent. The national park is gorgeous. The surf is great and the crowd is relaxed and happy.

I highly recommend visiting Manuel Antonio and staying far away from the other 2 places.

Guanacaste has Tamarindo and Playa Coco and I do not think of Tamarindo as a great place to go. If you go, stay at the Diria if you have the budget. Don't stay at any of the cheap cabinas or you will run the risk of having it broken into while you're out surfing. Keep a constant eye on your belongings when going in the water. The place is full of young kids who have fallen into the trap of cocaine trafficking and usage and you may encounter some major headaches trying to get thru to your bank to cancel your credit card and your family to send you money. Even in the nicer hotels, place whatever you don't need into their safe and keep it there until you need it or are ready to move on.

Puerto Viejo is so different than the rest of Costa Rica, you feel like you're in Jamaica. Unlike in most parts of Costa Rica, almost everyone speaks English over there. Not only that, it's being used amongst the locals almost as much as Spanish. I absolutely LOVED is there and Kaya's Place was an excellent place to stay for $20.00 a night. I loved the open mic music nights and the overall relaxed athmosphere so much, I am planning to return soon and possibly live there. Unlike the close city of Limon, it's pretty safe there. Yes, you have some prostitutes and of course the element of cocaine is there as well, but it's not as in your face as in Tamarindo or Jaco.

Now let me tell you a little bit about a place I have been to in Panama which is called Bocas del Toro where I have gone for a few days right after visiting Puerto Viejo and just how much I loved it. Having never been to Panama, I was surprised how "American" it is. Panama uses the U.S. currency. Panama has great highways and roads. More people in Panama speak English than in Costa Rica, and Panama is a police state. Bocas del Toro is a 30 minute drive from the border and a 30 minute boatride away. Those boat rides are awesome and so are the beaches which can only be reached by yet another boat. I will never forget seeing a 7 foot stingray below me in the water.

This knol is a work in progress, I will be adding more and more cities and information.

Please leave me a comment and ask me anything about Costa Rica and Bocas del Toro, Panama and I will also let you know about new places I am about to explore. Those include the volcano cities of La Fortuna and Lake Arenal as well as information about parts of Costa Rica and Nicaragua which I have also been to but haven't had time to comment on yet.

Hope you have gotten something out of this knol, and if not, let me know why!