Janice Yu had just completed her MBA at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business. Before setting out to find a job in her field, she was looking for a good way to unwind from the hectic 16 months of academics.

As is her nature, Yu took charge and went about finding the perfect adventure-holiday spot. A self-described active person who loves jogging and swimming, she eventually decided on doing a surfing holiday. Yu recruited two of her girlfriends from the Sprott MBA program and they began looking at where they could go.

“I have a bucket list of things that I need to do… Going to see the pyramids is one thing and becoming a decent surfer is another,” explains Yu. “I had taken some surfing lessons on the beaches near Tofino, B.C.; however, this time around I wanted to spend some time in a warm water location. I also needed to get out of the Ottawa winter for awhile.

“In general, I look to go on trips that bring me into close contact with the people and culture of the places I visit. After a bit of research, Costa Rica seemed to fit the bill. I had heard that the country was a wonderful place and wanted to see for myself.”

Widely regarded as the jewel of Central America, Costa Rica is also known for being a safe country for travellers, a thought that comforted Yu and her girlfriends. In keeping with the idea that a foreign trip should expose oneself to new people and culture, Costa Rica was very accessible — so much so that the women decided to create their own itinerary instead of going through a travel agent or selecting a tour package.

“I had also looked at going to Panama, but most every option centred around staying at a resort far outside the towns and cities. While several travel companies offer all-inclusive packages to stay at resorts throughout Costa Rica, we decided to look for a hotel in a town where we could have a more authentic experience of the country. We made our own itinerary with the help of Google. There are so many online resources for Costa Rica so there was no shortage of information,” says Yu.

Less than two weeks after deciding to go to Costa Rica, Yu and her friends were on the beach in the surf town of Jaco. About a two-hour drive from the Juan Santamaria International Airport just outside the capital city of San Jose, Jaco sits on the country’s Pacific Ocean side and features a three-kilometre-long beach.

Make no mistake — the town is no best-kept secret. Tour companies and charter airlines from around the world have been bringing tourists to Jaco in droves since the 1990s. Tourists have transformed the city from a shabby beach town with little going on into a place with luxury hotels, condominium complexes and a booming nightlife.

Yu says, “Jaco is tourist-y but not too much. That being said, I would recommend going in January, which is not considered the peak season. Perhaps that is why we didn’t feel overrun by tourists.”

Yu and her friends were not interested in fancy hotels or the nightlife. They were there for the breaking waves. Costa Rica is a well-known surfing paradise, hosting top-flight surfing competitions and providing refuge to surf bums from around the globe. Jaco’s beach and the nearby Playa Hermosa have some of the most consistent surf breaks of any beach in the world, almost guaranteeing a good day’s surfing whenever one wants.

Pro surfers and enthusiasts may travel with their own boards and surf gear, but you need not come prepared. The town of Jaco has plenty of surf shops and schools where beginners can rent equipment and learn from experts.

“The surfing was great. I love the sport and can’t wait until I get back out there. The instructors helped us all get much better in the short time we were there. I won’t be entering a surfing competition any time soon, but I did improve my surf skills,” says Yu.

While none of the women spoke Spanish, getting around and communicating with the locals was not much of a problem.

“Once we arrived in the country, all we needed was a phrase book and we were good to go,” says Yu, “not to mention the fact that most people we met spoke English. Interestingly enough, we also met several Canadians who have made Costa Rica a home base for a significant portion of the year. The country is clearly popular with Canadians.”

Like so many tropical places, Costa Rica has a delicious array of culinary options. If you like seafood and fresh fruits, you will not be disappointed.

“The food was incredible. My favourite meal was a grilled red snapper dish while my girlfriends both thought the lobster was indescribably good. In fact, when we went out for meals, I found that our conversations stopped as soon as the food arrived,” recalls Yu. “The food was too good to spend time talking over it. And meals were so cheap that it really didn’t make sense to not eat out at restaurants. We may have spent $7 US a meal.”

When they were not surfing or dining on delicious seafood, they were going out to do all kinds of outdoor activities. “One afternoon we rented some all-terrain vehicles and toured the countryside. We spent another day at a beautiful watering hole and swam under a nearby waterfall. It was spectacular,” says Yu.

“We also did the eco-tourism thing, visiting Manuel Antonio National Park, which was about an hour’s drive from Jaco. We hired a guide in Jaco who drove us there and took us around the park. I highly recommend getting a guide, which cost us $80 US. The price included the park entrance fees for the three of us as well as the return trip and a big lunch. We would have only seen a quarter of what we saw had we been on our own.”

Perhaps the ultimate indicator of whether a place is worth visiting is if the person would consider going back again.

“I would return to Costa Rica in a heartbeat,” says Yu. “It was the best trip I have ever been on and I have traveled to many places around the world. It satisfied everything I want in a trip: freedom, great food, beautiful beaches, hot weather and plenty of interesting activities. I find myself telling everyone that they have to go!” •