TRAVEL - EL CAMINO DE COSTA RICA - TRACKS

A coast-to-coast trek with cloud forests, local chocolates and more : With new signage, the Camino de Costa Rica, a 174-mile cross -country hiking trail that connects the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, became easier to navigate last year.

Organized into 16 sections, the trail knots together 25 rural communities and terrain that ranges from beaches to cloud forests.

The full hike can take from 11 to 16 days, and along the way, travelers passing through Indigenous areas can hore members of the Cabecar community as guides.

The trail also traverses national parks and sanctuaries that host dazzling birds like the resplendent quetzal. Trekkers can camp, book hotels or stay overnight with families, sampling homegrown coffee and chocolate. [Nora Walsh]