The once quiet fishing village of DOMINICAL , 44km south of Quepos, was until quite recently largely undiscovered, though since the paving of the road here it has seen increasing numbers of foreign visitors, lured by the beauty of the surroundings, the romantic sunsets and the get-away-from-it-all atmosphere. Wide and long, the palm-fringed, dark-sand beach is postcard-pretty, though often deserted except when surfers flock to chase the big waves. Snorkelling is good here, too, and there are a couple of pretty waterfalls nearby. Though it seems poised to become the country's next Manuel Antonio, development remains - for the time being at least - relatively low-key.

From San José the fastest route to Dominical is via the sleepy town of San Isidro de el General, on the Carretera Interamericana, from where there are reasonable bus connections; from Guanacaste and the Central Pacific, you'll do best to take the road south from Quepos. Buses from Quepos arrive at around 6.30am and 3pm daily, and continue to San Isidro (2hr).