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While Costa Rica's Central Pacific area is less of a geographical or cultural entity than other regions of the country, it does contain several of its most popular tourist spots, among them the number-one attraction, the Reserva Biologica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde (Monteverde Cloudforest Reserve), draped over the ridge of the Cordillera de Tilaran. Along with the nearby Reserva Santa Elena , Monteverde protects some of the last remaining pristine cloudforest in the Americas. The Central Pacific and Southern Nicoya are also home to some of the best-known beaches in the country, including some which are easily accessible from San Jose. Each offers a distinctly different experience. A former tiny fishing village near the southwest tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, Montezuma is surrounded by a series of lovely coves, perfect for sunbathing and hanging out. On the mainland coast, the rough water and huge waves at Jaco make it one of the best places to surf in the country. Further south, Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio has several extraordinary beaches, with white sands and azure waters. With the exception of the cool cloudforest of Monteverde, the vegetation is Pacific lowland. The climate is tropical, hot and rather drier than in the south - about 33°C is a dry-season average. It's not that much cooler in the wet months, when Quepos and Manuel Antonio, in particular, often receive torrential afternoon rains. Of the two routes from the capital to Puntarenas and points south, the main one is the Interamericana, which climbs over the Cordillera Central before dropping precipitously to the Pacific lowlands, levelling out at the town of Esparza, a few kilometres beyond which is the turn-off for Puntarenas. Buses to Jaco and Manuel Antonio take the slightly shorter old road via Atenas and Orotina. Visiting Monteverde is always a bit of an expedition. Although it is just 170km from San Jose, the roads along the final 35km or so are unpaved and in poor condition. In the dry season you can do it with a regular car, but in the wet you need 4WD. Most people cross over to the southern Nicoya Peninsula from Puntarenas on the ferries to Naranjo or Paquera. From Paquera there's public transport down to Tambor and Montezuma. From Naranjo you can continue south by car or north to Carmona and then up to Nicoya and Santa Cruz, but you'll need 4WD for either route.
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