In Costa Rica there are about a million things to do in this beautiful country: hiking through national parks, canopy tours, rafting, horseback riding, paragliding and kayaking. My wife, Karen and I wanted to pack in as many adventures as possible during our one week visit to this natural paradise. We love staying in villas, however, we knew that we would be too exhausted each day to cook dinner. Fortunately another choice exists, similar to those in the Caribbean and Mexico , the ever popular all-inclusive resort.

At the Fiesta Resort in Puntarenas, along the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, we found the perfect escape that allowed us to explore the country each day and then return to a low-stress, luxurious “home away from home.” The resort has three swimming pools (one for adults only), three restaurants, snack bars, two bars plus a swimming pool bar, a fitness center, tennis and volleyball courts, internet café, gift shop and a convention center with four meeting rooms and a ballroom. They also have a fruit drink bar that serves fresh fruit smoothies. The complex includes over 300 rooms, including suites and junior suites, most with ocean view.

We were upgraded to a spacious honeymoon suite with a two person Jacuzzi tub. Each morning we’d hit the enormous buffet breakfast and go for a plate of fresh fruit (mango, papaya, pineapple and more) and then top it off with an omelet that is made to order. The Costa Rican coffee is the out of this world. Then it was off to paragliding or hiking in the jungle or zipping above the treetops. The coastal resort, only about 90 minutes from San Jose , was conveniently located such that we could return for lunch most days. Or better yet, hop into the pool to cool off mid-day and have a gin and tonic. Costa Rica is HOT!!!!

One of our favorite spots at the resort was the pier that extended out over the Pacific, high above the beach. Each evening we would walk out to the pier, which also had a bar, and watch the sunset as the waves crashed against the pilings. After a pre-dinner cocktail on the pier, we’d dine at one of the restaurants. The main restaurant offered a buffet menu that changed each night according to various themes— Caribbean Night, Western Night, etc. We, however, preferred eating in the air-conditioned Italian restaurant. Not so much because of the a/c, but rather because the dishes were as good as any we had when on a trip to Tuscany and Rome several years ago. The third restaurant specializes in seafood. I wanted to try it. Karen, however, is a vegetarian. We talked to the maitre’d and he said it would be no problem to make Karen a vegetable stir fry. The staff couldn’t be more accommodating. And we just loved the towel origami done by the maids. Each day the towels would be fashioned as swans or elephants or hearts.

Nightly entertainment is included. We tried to watch a show one night that included comedians and magicians. Our Spanish, however, isn’t that good. Thus we missed the jokes that delighted the crowd. Most of the guests at Fiesta were Costa Rican. One of the ways you can tell if a resort is good is that it is used by the local population. Still there were plenty of Americans and Europeans. The staff at the Fiesta is therefore multi-lingual. Our nightly entertainment was usually a walk on the black sand beach under the stars.

Fiesta accommodates singles, couple and families. The kid’s center includes baby sitting and day-care with numerous activities, plus video games and computers. They even have a pre-show each evening designed for and features the children as the stars of the show. The children also spent a lot of time surfing and boogie boarding. As with many all-inclusive resorts, Fiesta offers free non-motorized water sports. On our final afternoon in Costa Rica , I tried a boogie board and had one good run for about every three of four had by the younger crowd out in the ocean. After being eaten by the waves one too many times, I joined Karen on the beach, pulled up a lounge chair and lazed under the hot sun. The week had gone by much too quickly.