Where exactly is Costa Rica?

Costa Rica is located in Central America, north of Panama and south of Nicaragua, flanked by the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. It is a small country, with 250 km (155 miles) between coasts and about 400 km (250 miles) length.

What kind of country is Costa Rica?

Costa Rica is a democratic country and according to the Travel Channel and the Happy Planet Index,  the happiest country on Earth. Its citizens have a life expectancy of 79.3, and they’re surrounded by a beautiful setting that’s sure to improve any mood. As one of the world’s leading ecotourism destinations, Costa Rica was also ranked as the “greenest country in the world” by the NEF in 2009.  Costa Rica – which translates to “rich coast” – is an utterly peaceful country, so diplomatic in its ways that they indelibly abolished their army in 1949.  The government announced its plans to become the first carbon-neutral country by 2021 and it ranks #1 in the Americas and #5 worldwide in the 2012 Environmental Performance Index.  Costa Rica is well known for its bio-diversity; it is a paradise of natural beauty. Its tropical rainforest and dry forest contain 6% of the world’s species although the area of the country is as less as 0.1% of the territory of the earth. The locals, kindly referred to as “Ticos”, are very warm and friendly.  You’ll often hear them saying “Pura vida”, which loosely translates to “life is good.”

Into which airport do we fly?

You’ll fly into the San Jose, Costa Rica airport (SJO).  Plan to arrive by Friday, February 12th and stay at a hotel near the airport.  The shuttle bus to take you down to Cahuita will pick you up in the morning on Saturday, February 13th, so be sure to notify us of your location.

If we fly in on Friday, where do we stay?

We have negotiated discounted group rates at the Wyndham Herradura Hotel.  This hotel provides a shuttle directly to and from the airport, and is fully equipped with all the amenities you may expect from a 4-5 star hotel in the US.  If you’d prefer to stay at a more authentic Costa Rican hotel at similar cost, please let us know and we can send recommendations. Wyndham includes an extensive buffet breakfast, complimentary shuttle, free internet and free phone calls back to the US.

Costa Rica is located in the tropics and has a pleasant and warm climate year round.  Temperatures remain fairly consistent during the year and for the month of February average between 71° – 80°F (22° – 27° C).  Sunrise and sunset change very little during the year (about 5:30 AM and 6:00 PM, respectively).  The Caribbean Coast is covered by a tropical rainforest and remains green during the whole year. The driest months on the Caribbean are February, March, September, and October.

Are the rooms at the Goddess Garden air conditioned?

Due to the ideal average temperature, the rooms at the Goddess Garden are not air conditioned.   The mild temperatures, shade from the rainforest trees, and breeze from the ocean create an atmosphere where air conditioning is unnecessary.  Each room is equipped with a fan, and the windows are screened so may be left open for you to enjoy a full immersion in the rainforest.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the intimacy with nature this provides with the fresh smells of surrounding tropical flowers and sounds of the rainforest permeating your room.  You wouldn’t want it any other way.

Is there internet access at the Goddess Garden?

Yes, though we hope you’ll forget all about it while you’re here!  The connection may be slower than that to which most of us are accustomed, but you will have on-line access from the comfort of your room.  Outlets are the same as those in the US.

How does the Goddess Garden rate?

The Goddess Garden has an exceptional rating among travelers who have visited the resort.  For more information, read the reviews on Trip Advisor.