Before he passed away, my father-in-law, an ex-Navy man, had persistently tried to lure me to a land that he believed was paradise on Earth. He lived just outside San Jose, Costa Rica, among his many mango trees and surrounded by nature, A simple existence to be sure but one that brought him a sense of peace, tranquility and being one with the environment.

I recently decided to take him up on his offer, albeit a little late, to see for myself why he loved this country so much. Nestled between Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south, Costa Rica has six different regions to explore, each with its own unique mix of biodiversity, friendly people and stunning natural beauty.

This is a relatively small country (32,000 square miles) but is home to over 4 million Costa Ricans, known as “Ticos.” You can drive from the Pacific Ocean on the west to the Caribbean on the east in just under four hours, but this is a patient land beckoning you to linger over a cup of their famous home grown coffee and stay awhile.

For comfort and convenience, I stayed at the MinOtel Villa Tournon in the capital city of San Jose. MinOtels are locally owned and operated and offer comfortable accommodations at affordable prices. There are 700 MinOtels worldwide and 5 of these have just opened in Costa Rica. One thing that I especially like about these properties is that the price includes a full buffet breakfast, and many serve dinner as well.

Venturing out of my hotel, I wanted to get a feel for San Jose. Like the cream swirling in my coffee, this city exhibits the best of a burgeoning modern infrastructure blended with the simple, traditional feel of a Latin American town.

A contemporary airport, shopping malls, art museums, and many of the chain restaurants are here but I wanted to experience more of the local flavor that I had heard about so many times from my father-in-law, Charlie. In the downtown area I found what I had been looking for. Elegant fountains graced city squares with locals conversing, playing music and even a mime or two delighting the crowd. Every street had vendors selling leather goods, music CD’s, clothing, sausages, and fresh fish.

Colorful carts laden with fresh produce were the most visible. Owners proudly displayed mangoes, pineapples, lemons, oranges, coconuts, and guavas. I sank my teeth into a huge yellow and orange grafted mango. Unlike the ones usually bought back home, these didn’t have the typical stringy fibers that get stuck in your teeth. Yes, I found out that the texture was like eating soft citrus butter right down to the bone. Too bad I couldn’t take a bunch back through customs.

Rice is a stable of many local dishes, and I enjoyed a tasty typical lunch consisting of gallo pinto (black beans and rice flavored with coriander), chicken and some fried plantains. Other picadillos commonly used as side dishes include diced potatoes, string beans cooked in combination with tomatoes and peppers or onions.

While I could have stayed in San Jose for days, I was yearning to see the rain forest just a short bus ride away. There are several attractions in the Baraulio Carrillo National Park, including the popular aerial tram tour and various nature walks. The tram affords a treetop view of the canopy, approximately 90 feet over the jungle floor.

I opted for a down to earth inspection and took a walk along the La Tierra de Las Ranas nature trail. Incredible amounts of green foliage extend upward from the valley floor in search of light. Still, an amazing variety of colorful plants manage to carve out their niche among their giant neighbors. Ferns, orchids and bromeliads can be found along with any number of not so benign reptiles. Snakes, bullet ants and red and blue dart frogs are all part of the eco-system. I saw one deadly viper no bigger than the palm of my hand sleeping innocuously on a large leaf right next to the trail—“deadly” our guide said—if you don’t get to a doctor pronto!

My jungle excursion also gave me the opportunity to try a new line of insect repellant clothing appropriately named Buzz-Off Insect Shield, manufactured by the Ex Officio Company. They claim that their apparel protects against mosquitoes (that usually eat me alive) and ticks that can carry many nasty little diseases.

Wearing only a lightweight shirt and pants--odorless by the way-- that could be unzipped to become shorts, I was totally comfortable in the tropical heat and, even better, I remained totally bite free. This is a great alternative for anyone who doesn’t relish the thought of slapping chemicals all over his or her body.

My next stop was the small town of Puerto Viejo de Limon on the Caribbean coast and only a two-hour boat ride from Panama. Many eco-tourists and backpackers come here and stay in cabanas or in little tents or hammocks for $20 per day in any number of spots that cater to the foreign crowd. This town was bustling with young people eager for a true cultural experience and even some newlyweds in search of an adventurous honeymoon. Several local beaches like El Chino and Salsa Brava offer good swimming, surfing or just soaking up the Central American sun.

Only about seven blocks long, this community has boutiques, many restaurants, a nightclub, bike rentals, an Internet café, and even a pizzeria. There are also several tour operators in town who offer treetop zip-line tours and day trips for whitewater rafting, diving, kayaking, and bird watching.

A fellow journalist took the zip-line trip that hooks you into a harness and “zips” you across the canopy forest from one platform to another. This is a pure adrenaline rush and great fun for anyone with a slightly thrill-seeking spirit.

There are 112 volcanic formations in Costa Rica but one of the best known is Arenal, situated in the Northern Plains in the town of La Fortuna. Rising 503 feet above sea level, this is an active volcano usually covered in clouds 90 percent of the time.

On this day, however, fortune smiled upon me, and I was treated to a totally unobstructed view of this impressive sight. Every so often this geologic wonder belched out a loud, thunderous crack and a new steam vent would appear high up on the mountaintop. Boulders the size of VW’s were dislodged by these minor eruptions and sent careening down the hillside, leaving erratic puffs of smoke in their wake. Nighttime is one of the best times to watch Arenal. Lava can be seen spewing out of its cone as smoke and ash rise in the air, creating a glowing red spectacle.

One of the best places to view all of this activity is from the Hotel Los Lagos located a short distance away in the town of La Fortuna. This would be a great place to stay while exploring this area. The property features lush, tropical landscaping, individual villas, a hot spring, a pool with two waterslides, horseback riding, and even a crocodile farm.

Using La Fortuna as a staging area, you can visit the nearby Hanging Bridges of Arenal. There are 15 of these platforms in the air suspended as high as 197 feet above the neo-tropical rain forest. Here you can see waterfalls and many different species of birds including the white hawk, great curassow, rufous-tailed jacamar, and the black-throated trogon. In fact, over 250 species of birds can be found in this forest alone.

Other sightseeing and recreation possibilities include the 26 square mile Arenal Lake-- great for fishing, boating and windsurfing; the Cuevas de Venado, a 1.5 mile underground cavern system complete with stalactites, stalagmites and coral; the Tabocon River Hot Springs; or a floating safari along the slower section of the Peñas Blancas River.

Making my way back to San Jose after a week’s trip took me high into the mountains where we saw the flora change as we approached higher elevations. Large green ferns grew alongside the roads and neat rows of coffee could be seen growing on the hillsides. Every turn seemed to have something new to see.

Now I understood why Charlie was so fascinated by this place. It is a country still coming into its own but proud of its traditions, heritage and rich devotion to the land and the fragile eco-system it shares with its many natural inhabitants. So come without preconceptions and feel the sunshine, the warmth of the people and the amazing natural diversity that is Costa Rica.

Ron Stern is a travel photojournalist living in Colorado. You can contact him at immunezone@juno.com.