Our friends at Luxury Latin America wrote, “In just a few short decades, Costa Rica has gone from some little backwater that nobody visited to being the most popular destination in Central America by far. Costa Rica has some decent beaches, but the main draws here are activities in the great outdoors.

“Costa Rica has long been a beacon of stability in the region, with a democracy that’s over 100 years old, a literacy rate of 95 percent, and the highest standard of living in Central America. There are a lot of natural superlatives in this country as well. Arenal Volcano is Central America’s most active volcano. Some five percent of the world’s species are found on this small plot of land, including more species of birds than the U.S. and Canada combined. A quarter of the country is devoted to protected lands and parks and the government here has been far more enlightened about environmentally friendly tourism than most other countries anywhere.

“Don’t plan on having the whole place to yourself though. The secret has been out for ages and this is one of the most popular destinations for North Americans, drawing over 1.5 million total visitors per year. A fair number of those visitors never made it back home: this is a popular place to retire to and buy or build a dream home.

“The good side of all this traffic is that upscale facilities are quite good, the better guides speak English well, and staffers aren’t just figuring all this out as they go along. Some of the eco-tourism pioneers are based here, so eco-friendly lodges and hotels that “think green” are more prevalent than those that are not–a welcome change in the luxury market.

“Don’t plan a Costa Rica trip around colonial history and sightseeing. Instead come here to find jungle adventures, white-water rafting, hiking, mountain biking, and then a bit of beach living” in a luxurious vacation rental villa, private home or condominium on Jaco Beach, at Los Suenos Golf Resort and Marina on Playa Herradura, or Manuel Antonio.

Best Sunscreens: A Consumer Reports Ranking

May 25, 2010 — A major consumers’ group has rated the sunscreens it says work best at blocking harmful ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B radiation that cause sunburns, wrinkles, and certain skin cancers.

Consumer Reports Health tested 12 products and found four it says protect a touch better than the others.

The top four are:

• Up & Up Sport Continuous SPF 30, by Target. It is administered by spray and costs $0.88 per ounce.
• Walgreens Sport Continuous SPF 50. Also a spray. Cost, $1.33 per ounce.
• Banana Boat Sport Performance Continuous SPF 30. Spray. Cost, $1.60 per ounce.
• Aveeno Continuous Protection SPF 50. Spray. Cost, $2 an ounce.

The products were tested in an outside laboratory, which checked product claims of how well their sun protection factor, or SPF, lasted on volunteers who soaked in water for 80 minutes. SPF rates the level of UVB protection.

The FDA has proposed a UVA star rating system for sunscreen labels of one to four stars to indicate the level of UVA protection. Currently there is no protection factor for UVA radiation on any labels.

The top four sunscreens provided “very good” UVA protection and “excellent” UVB protection, and met their SPF claims even after treated skin was in water for 80 minutes.

Each of the sunscreens had a moderately intense floral or citrus scent and left little residue on the skin.

Up & Up also received a “best buy” ranking from Consumer Reports Health. All four of the top brands cost a lot less than La Roche-Posay, which costs $18.82 per ounce.

Ranking below the top four were:

• Coppertone Water Babies, with an SPF of 50 and a cost per ounce of $1.38. It is a lotion.
• Coppertone UltraGuard Continuous rated a 70+ in SPF, costing $1.62 per ounce. Spray.
• No-Ad with Aloe and Vitamin rated 45 on the SPF scale, costing $0.59 per ounce. Lotion.
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist with Helioplex had a 45 SPF, costing $1.90 per ounce. Spray.
• Badger scored a PDF of 30, costing $4.83 per ounce. Lotion.
• La Roche-Posay Anthelios 40 with Mexoryl SX, scored a 40 SPF, costing $18.82 per ounce. Cream.
• Avon Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard Plus IR3535 Expedition scores a SPF of 30, costing $3.50 per ounce. Pump spray.
• Burt’s Bees Chemical-Free with Hemp Seed Oil got a 30 SPF, costing $4 per ounce. Lotion.

Consumer Reports Health says the active ingredient in Burt’s Bees, titanium dioxide, does not absorb the entire UVA spectrum as effectively as alternatives like avobenzone.

Avon, Consumer Reports Health says, makes no claim about protection from UVA rays, but the product doubles as a bug repellent.

Tips for Avoiding Sunburn

The report says sunbathers should buy sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, which it says is enough for most people, and that sunscreens also should be water resistant.

Adults looking for full-body protection should apply 2 to 3 tablespoons of lotion 15 to 30 minutes before going out into the sun. The screen should be reapplied every two hours or after swimming or sweating. It says putting on sunscreen spray when it’s windy can be a tricky proposition.

• Don’t spray or rub sunscreen on clothes, because the products can stain.
• People should wear tightly woven clothing and a hat, limit exposure in the sun, and seek shade during the hottest parts of the day.
• If the sunscreen you buy has no expiration date, write down when you buy it with a permanent marker. Discard at the expiration date, or when you’ve had the product for more than two years, when potency is often lost.

 “A top-performing sunscreen isn’t going to give you any protection if its smell or the way it feels on your skin is so offensive to you that you won’t use it,” Gayle Williams, deputy editor of Consumer Reports Health, says in a news release. “The Aveeno Continuous protection spray is one of the mildest in terms of scent and leaves a bit of a greasy residue that is mild compared to some others. But if you prefer that beach scent, you might try the Up & Up by Target or the Walgreens Sport Continuous.”

The article is published in the May 25, 2010 issue of Consumer Reports.  Tip:  Purchase sunscreen prior to traveling to Costa Rica.  Sunscreen in Costa Rica is really expensve!