Alternative Travel: The door to the Real Costa Rica! Discover Costa Rica through her people, sharing traditions and customs far from the conventional tourist routes. Whether you are looking for relaxation or alternative vacations, or travel alone or with friends – ACTUAR will help you travel in a different way: in contact with nature, local people, and the beauty of rural life.   Travel at a healthy and relaxed pace, so you can savor the true essence of cultural discovery --learning about other cultures and sharing a bit of their day to day lives.   Just imagine: falling asleep to the sound of crickets, walking in the forest with your senses open to the life surrounding you, waking up with the roosters to take part in the morning chores, or adventuring with guides who really know their territory are all rural tourism experiences.   In addition, you will contribute in creating more opportunities for rural communities. Many campesino families, fishing families, and indigenous communities are achieving their dream of sharing their knowledge and their joie de vivre with the new friends that come to visit them through tourism.   You will also have the chance to become part of their conservation efforts. The lodges and tours featured in this book are owned by grassroots organizations that are working to protect thousands of acres of forest and valuable water resources. With organized voluntary labor, and often unheralded, they -and you! are helping to safeguard a precious treasure for future generations.   Enjoy the authentic experience of an alternative vacation in Costa Rica's community-based destinations. You’ll come back with your suitcase filled with new experiences, and with the satisfaction of having been part of a dream to make this a better world.