Pura vida: mountain forest in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province Q: My friend and I are planning a trip to Costa Rica around January 2002. Is this a good time? Also, is it safe to hike and camp there? — Joe-Anne Brantford, Ontario Adventure Advisor: A: January…

And deliver us pronto to these 44 island Edens—if they were any more perfect we'd be in heaven

Back to school: Pescadero Surf Camp’s Playa Los Cerritos Q: I’m looking for high-quality surf camps in Central America or Mexico for next month and can’t find any. Any suggestions? — Andrew Brenner, New York, New York Adventure Advisor: A:…

A mountain-to-jungle-to-reef meander through Mexico and points south

The Costa Rica of legend still exists. But you have to crash through breakers and fight off pigs to find it.

Q: Any idea where I can take a vacation and at the same time do some environmental volunteer work? I remember an article in Outside a couple of years ago about a spot where you can act as a “guard” for sea turtles as they came ashore to lay…

Escape the monkey house and take your brood to where the wild things really are. Our kid-endorsed guide to sneezing lizards, daffy otters, and bellowing moose. (Sorry, no dinosaurs.) Koalas in Kangaroo Island Though the koala is right up there in the race for…

Outside's guide to the coolest trips and the world's top new adventure travel spots.