Tired of the old cliché gay vacation spots?
For the Off-the-beaten-Pathfinder, Costa Rica is filled with excitement, thrills and adventure! Swing from treetop to treetop in the canopy of a rain forest zipline high above the ground on your next Central America gay getaway. Experience an awesome adrenaline rush white water rafting. Explore volcanoes, jungles, beaches and the all best that Costa Rica has to offer. You don’t have to be experienced, travel guides can match your activities with your interests and skill levels. Kick back, relax and enjoy the peace and beauty of this Central American paradise; stay out all night at the fabulous gay bars and clubs, or do nothing it all! You decide!
Grab your hiking shoes and your dancing shoes and come to beautiful Costa Rica! There are so many choices of travel tours out there that offer standard, better and best accommodation levels and many packages start any day of the week, unlike some cruises that only leave/arrive to their destinations on specific days.
Costa Rica travel deals available for a unique gay vacation. Keep in mind that there are a lot of gay owned or very gay friendly hotels and tour guides.
One of the best guidebooks out there on Costa Rica is “Moon Handbooks Costa Rica”, by Christopher Baker, which you can get on Amazon or at any big bookstore. The book is quite useful and well-written, and he discusses areas in the country of gay interest.
The parts of the country with the most significant gay scenes are Quepos and San Jose - in terms of bars (such as La Avispa in San Jose) and restaurants. It’s a very comfortable place for gay travelers, and most of the foreigners who have moved there to open inns and accommodations (i.e., Americans, Canadians, Europeans, etc.) tend to be on the left-leaning, eco-conscious, and gay-friendly side. So in that sense, it’s hard to go wrong.
Around Arenal, there is one gay-owned (two men) and “everybody-friendly” B&B that has gotten very high praise from guests – Villa Decary, in Nuevo Arenal. Another that’s very reputable is Palo Verde Resort, which is known for its regular gay parties.
If you want to go high-end and stay at a rather fancy mainstream resort with beautiful spa facilities, go with Tabacon Grand Spa. It’s a nice place, and the staff was perfectly gay-friendly and helpful. But just keep in mind that most of the guests there are straight – it would be like staying at an upscale Marriott or Sheraton resort in any other gay-friendly destination. The advantage is the location right beneath Arenal Peak, the fabulous spa and natural hot springs, and the pretty grounds (and in summer, you can score some great deals there).
One thing that might be helpful is planning a night, when you first arrive, at Colours gay resort in San Jose – it’s a very nice place, gay-male-owned but gets a mix of gay men and lesbians as guests. The staff is extremely kind and helpful, and it’s not far from the airport. It can be a good choice just because the staff can give you advice about other parts of Costa Rica you might be traveling to. There are also some very fun gay disco in San Jose’s city center, including La Avispa and Puchos Nightclub.
Travellers have said good things about Casa 69 in San Jose, an mixed gay/straight inn that’s quite close to San Jose’s many attractions and restaurants, as well as the gay bathhouse, Sauna Hispalis. This is a good place to stay if you wish to be centrally located, and the staff is very helpful about suggesting where to go and what to see.
When referring to Villaroca, meaning the gay resort in Quepos, that’s a long (but pretty, in places) drive to Arenal – four to six hours on bumpy roads (that can be a messy during the summer rainy season). A recommendation would be to overnight in Arenal if you go up there.
A pretty drive is up the coast from Quepos to the national highway, then west to Canas, and up to Tilaran, and then around the lake to Neuvo Arena or La Fortuna (wherever you end up staying). If you can. . . budget two days in Lake Arenal while on your gay vacatn.
Some further ideas on Costa Rica gay travel:
On the country’s lush and tropical Caribbean Coast, in the Puerto Viejo section of Limon, there’s one very well-established gay-owned accommodation, Banana Azul that consistently receives rave reviews from guests. Knowledgeable owners Colin (from Vancouver, BC) and Roberto (from San Jose) built this elegant yet rustic 12-room property overlooking the sea, with a mixed clientele. Rooms all have free Wi-Fi, and there’s a restaurant and bar right on-site. Rates are extremely reasonable, and the vibe tranquil. The owners also part-own a gay-friendly tour company, Gecko Trail Adventures, that can help plan Costa Rica vacations.
Gay Hotel Accommodations:
Colours Oasis Resort – San Jose
Rohrmoser neighborhood
(506) 2296-1880 1.866.517.4390
info@coloursoasis.com
www.ColoursOasis.com
Las Aguas Jungle Lodge
Southern Pacific Zone
1.305.677.9807
info@lasaguas.com
www.LasAguas.com
Hotel Casa Blanca
Manuel Antonio
(506) 2777-0253
Hotel Del Mar
Manuel Antonio
Gay-Friendly Hotels, Inns and Lodges:
Banana Azul
Puerto Viejo de Limon
Calathea Lodge
Golfito, Osa. Southern Pacifiic Zone
Palo Verde Resort, Arenal
La Fortuna de San Carlos
Hotel Mandarina,
Maneul Antonio
Casa Tranquila
Manuel Antonio
Casitas Eclipse
Manuel Antonio
Makanda by the Sea
Manuel Antonio
Hotel Bula Bula
Playa Grande, Guanecaste
Cuna Del Angel
Domincalito, Southern Pacific Zone
Casa 69
San Jose, Barrio Otoya
Kekoldi, Barrio Amon
San Jose
Caña Dulce, Bed and Breakfast
Sarchi, Alajuela
Monte Azul
San Gerardo de Rivas,
Southern Pacific Zone
Joluva Guest House
San Jose, Barrio Amon
The Fountains Guest House
Escazu
Coyote Mountain Inn
Alajuela
Abercam Hotel
La Fortuna / Arenal
