Costa Rica

Concierge.com's insider take:

Of all the Central American capitals, San José is the most appealing (if you've been to places like Managua and San Salvador, you know this isn't the biggest compliment). The city has some interesting attractions, such as the Museo del Oro Precolombino, which exhibits gold dating back to 500 A.D. (Plaza de la Cultura; 506-2243-4202; www.museosdelbancocentral.org); the Museo del Jade, with its impressive, ornate jade collection (INS building, Avenida 7, between calles 9 and 11; 506-2287-6000; portal.ins-cr.com/Social/MuseoJade; closed Sundays); and the pretty, late-19th-century Teatro Nacional (Plaza de la Cultura; 506-2221-1329; www.teatronacional.go.cr; closed Sundays). You can go on some interesting day trips from the capital, such as to coffee plantations or Volcán Poás.

The northeastern coast is sparsely populated, with many miles of rain forest between villages. There's also Tortuguero National Park and its endangered green sea turtles, which are the main draws in the region (506-2710-2929; www.costarica-nationalparks.com/tortugueronationalpark.html). Even if you're not here between June and October, when the turtles return to the beach where they were born to lay eggs, there's plenty to do. Explore the rain forest by boat through a system of canals that bring you close to spider monkeys and three-toed sloths.

There are no roads to the small town of Tortuguero, which sits on a narrow piece of land with the Caribbean on one side and a lagoon on the other. Most visitors catch a boat from the port of Moín, near the town of Limón, which takes approximately one hour, or a flight from Limón (around 20 minutes). A guided tour of the park is recommended; otherwise, you're likely to miss most of the wildlife. The best gudes are employed by the local lodges, such as Mawamba Lodge, a 54-room hotel on the beach that also offers tours of the canals, hikes into the park, and bird and turtle watching (506-2293-8181; www.grupomawamba.com). Alternatively, you can book guided tours through Agencia Mitur (506-2255-2262; www.mitour.com). Costa Rica Expeditions provides tours as part of a package to Tortuga Lodge (Calle Central and Avenida 3; 506-2257-0766; www.costaricaexpeditions.com).