Snowing? Raining? Sleeting?Time For That Special Costa Rica Vacation Getaway

The leaves have fallen, the days are getting shorter. The Boys of Summer are freezing their bats off and nearly ready to put them away until Spring.

For over a year now, there has been this nasty global economic downturn.

Everybody seems to be hunkered down in a funk.

It is all very depressing, isn't it?

Has the world got you down, Bucko?

Are your better days behind you? World passed you by?

We hear that in another 10 years global warming may melt the Arctic but you're soon going to be stuck at home holed up like a woodchuck for the winter.

A Costa Rica vacation may be just the ticket.

Trade in that gloomy outlook for Pura Vida! Consider:

1. Airfares are unbelievable right now. They have not been this cheap for years. And, with Costa Rica tourism off by about 15% this year, a frugal, informed traveler can really take advantage of the plight of hotels and resorts. Luxury resorts like the Hilton Papagayo are offering accomodations as low as $160.00 a night (less for seniors) and more budget-conscious folks who travel Costa Rica can experience very nice Costa Rica hostels (some with private rooms) for about $12.00. For the best bargains, visit between May and mid-November. Tip: ask if there is a discount for cash ("effectivo" in Spanish). Do not be shy: ask and ye shall receive!

2. Visit one or more of hundreds of pristine Costa Rica beaches. Tropical, uncrowded beaches on two oceans. Black sand beaches, brown sand beaches, sea shell beaches, rugged rock-strewn beaches. Walk the same Caribbean beach where Columbus named Costa Rica six centuries ago. Hike off of Drake Bay, named after Sir Francis Drake, who visited the Costa Rica Pacific coast a decade before sinking the Spanish Armada and saving England.

3. Frolic on the same Costa Rica beaches as Britney Spears or Mel Gibson (you need to bring your own Russian model). Or, bring your surfboard because some of the best surfing in the world is found here. Most beaches are completely free but if you prefer to visit a very popular national beach park called Manuel Antonio, there will be a small entry fee.

4. Visit Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean coast, the biggest green sea turtle nesting preserve on earth. Or, check out Ostional National Preserve on the fabulous Gold Coast, where thousands of olive ridley sea turtles come ashore in massive nestings, called "arribadas", perhaps the largest spectacle of its kind in the world. Arribadas happen every month but the biggest (sometimes involving hundreds of thousands of turtles) typically are when the moon is in its last quarter during the months of July to November. And, keep in mind that Costa Rica ecotourism is helping to conserve turtles, exotic macaws, and many other species.

5. Think Green. Imagine a tiny little country with nearly as many different species of birds as in the entire continental U.S., nearly 1000 in all. It is a place with more species of butterflies than Africa---the entire continent. One of every 10 species of butterflies on earth live in a place comprising just 1/10,000 of the earth's surface.

6. Hike the tallest mountain in Latin America. It is called Mount Chirrippo. Your hike will take from its tropical forest base and, if you have the stamina, end at its frigid summit. This is not a day-walk in the hills. You will need a backpack with warm clothes as you climb this beauty to a little night time shelter that looks over remnant glacial lakes carved from ancient glaciers. Climbing requires a permit and reservation but the cost is very modest and when you reach the top you may be reminded of the mighty Andes.

7. If you are adventurous and fit, visit magnificent Corcovado National Park on the southern Pacific Coast, a place National Geographic describes as "the most biologically intense place on earth." Though small, it is true wilderness that hosts the largest remaining population of scarlet macaws in all of Central America, including crocodiles, monkeys, and six kinds of wild cat, including the spectacular jaguar, not to mention some of the tallest primary forest remaining in this part of the world. Bring your camera, bug repellant, and band-aids for blisters.

8. And don't forget to take in Arenal Volcano. Arenal is Costa Rica's most active volcano with its frequent rumblings, light shows at night, and red lava flows. Many Costa Rica vacations include a few days in the surrounding area where you will find lots of things to do, from horseback riding to swimming below waterfalls, sailing in a hot air balloon to bungee jumping towards crocodile infested waters, canoeing or rafting to birdwatching, and great fresh water fishing to world-class windsurfing (lessons available).

Be sure to visit one of the many thermal springs, from the world famous, very beautiful, but pricey, Tabacon Hot Springs (budget for $100/day) to the much cheaper but less luxurious, Baldi (about $28) or The Springs Resort ($40). Bring your bathing suit and enjoy your favorite margarita in the thermal waters as you watch Arenal's spectacular light display.

Welcome to the land of Pura Vida!

So, leave those "gloomsayers" back home with their snow shovels and take a Costa Rica vacation. You deserve a break today!

The writer lives in sunny Costa Rica and has a popular website about Costa Rica Vacations. For many sportsfolk, Costa Rica Fishing is the highlight of their Costa Rica trip