Half- and full-day excursions and sunset cruises are offered from dozens of beaches along the Pacific coast. By far the most popular trip is to Isla Tortuga, in the Gulf of Nicoya. Several companies offer daylong excursions from Puntarenas and Los Sueños, near Jacó (the cruises are also offered as excursions from San José).

Natural-history cruise touring is a splendid way to explore Costa Rica’s more remote wilderness sites. Normally you’ll cruise at night so that each morning when you awake, you’re already anchored in a new location. You spend a large part of each day ashore on guided natural-history hikes or recreational-cultural excursions. Most vessels cruise the Pacific coast.

Lindblad Expeditions (tel. 212/765-7740 or 800/397-3348, www.expeditions.com) and National Geographic Expeditions (tel. 888/966-8687, wwww.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com) offer 8-, 11-, and 15-day itineraries combining Costa Rica and Panamá aboard the 64-passenger National Geographic Sea Lion. I escort two trips each winter: Join me (www.christopherbaker.com)!

Windstar Cruises (tel. 206/281-3535 or 877/827-7245, www.windstarcruises.com) uses its luxurious 148-passenger Wind Song for nine-day itineraries, December–March, down the Pacific Coast and combining Panamá and Costa Rica.