Costa Rica

>>1281921
I went there once to study abroad. Manuel Antonio has a pretty nice public beach and a small little beach town, and some cool hotels nearby to stay at. A lot of my classmates went to Jaco beach and said it was great. Poas Volcano offers some pretty breathtaking views. Isla Tortuga was also fun; you ride out there on a ferry and basically spend the day on the beach, and they offer some activities like snorkeling.

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>>1281921
I've been to Costa Rica three times and I love it, so I might be a bit biased. But I think I can give some good advice!

First off, it is not exactly a cheap country but if you do your homework well and plan you should be able to get by on a lower budget.
Costa Rica hasn't got a very interesting culture or history like Guatemala or Mexico, but the nature is amazing and the nature is why you should visit.

When arriving consider booking your first night in the city of Alajuela. It is a lot closer to the airport than San José and San José is pretty ugly and not very interesting. However, it is a bit easier to get around from San José.
Costa Rica has a million great options for trekking. The absolute number 1 is a trip to the Corcovado National Park. You spend three days in total: 1 day hiking into a ranger station, 1 day in the park and 1 day hiking back out. Very few experiences will rival this trip imo. But it is pretty expensive since you have to get a local guide to go with you, on a low budget you probably won't be able to afford it. But consider it. You can also visit on a day trip from either Drake Bay (by boat) or Puerto Jimenez. It is a remote place and the wild life is amazing.

Other places I'd recommend for nature are:
- Monteverde. A cloud forest reserve. It is pretty easy to reach by bus but as far as I know the road to get there is currently being paved so check up on that. It is quite touristy.
- San Gerardo de Dota. A fantastic alternative to Monteverde. It is not very well known and one of the last hidden gems of Costa Rica. Probably the best place to see the quetzal. It hasn't got a lot of infrastructure and is hardly a town. It is just some houses along a dirt road in the mountains. You can reach it pretty easily from San José. Look up "Miriams Quetzals" if you consider staying there. They rent out small, cozy cabins and cook amazing food. And it is pretty cheap!

Will continue in next post.

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>>1282272
- The Arenal area. Arenal is probably the most impressive volcano in the country. The town of La Fortuna is the gateway to this area where you can go hiking by the volcano or visit hot springs. You can also spend a day hiking to a big waterfall and go for a swim. The area is also pretty touristy but filled with stuff to do. The volcano is super pretty and still active.
- Volcano Tenorio National Park. In this park you'll find (on a clear day) a completely turquoise river, which is super beautiful. You can visit on a daytrip from La Fortuna or find somewhere closer to stay. It is a bit off the beaten bath.
- Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí (not to be confused with Puerto Viejo de Talamanca). It is a pretty ugly and bland town but it is a gateway to the reserve La Selva and rafting. There's a cute litte B&B called Posada Andrea Cristina that I definitely recommend. The owner is a super nice guy with loads of knowledge about birds and other animals.
- Tortuguero. It's kinda like the Amazon of Costa Rica. It's pretty remote and it takes some time to get there, but it is amazing as well. Sailing around the canals and looking for wildlife is great. If you go at the right time you can go see baby sea turtles hatch.

And now the beaches:

Like the first poster said Manuel Antonio is pretty cool, albeit a bit overrun. Stay away from Jaco though. The Atlantic side has loads of great beaches that I don't really know, but I've heard good things about places like Santa Teresa, Ostional, Nosara, Sámara and Conchal.
Montezuma is a cool, laid back and remote beachside town.

If I were you, I'd focus on the Caribbean side and places like Manzanillo, Cahuita and Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. Puerto Viejo is biggest town, has a kinda Jamaican vibe and a lot of people go there to party. You can rent bikes and go down to Manzanillo, which I think is my favourite beach in the country. A bit north of Puerto Viejo is Cahuita which is a tiny village with a great national park.

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>>1282284
The Caribbean side is very cool and very different due to the mixed cultures and the Creole influence. The food is a bit more interesting too.

Now for some general advice:
Travel by bus. It is cheap and will get you to almost every corner of the country (although it can be a bit slow).
Try eat a the small places called "sodas". They normally serve a big plate of rice, veggies and some kind of meat for around 5 bucks. It is simple but really tasty and it fills you up. You will find them in most towns and even at the roadside too.
Eat as much fruit as possible and try different "batidos" (fruit shakes). The ones with guanabana and kas are especially delicious.

I think that's all I got. Feel free to ask if you have any questions!