Throughout Costa Rica, Imperial is the king of beer. (AP Photo/Derrik J. Lang)

Now playing at the El Sano Banano Village Hotel. (AP Photo/Derrik J. Lang)

One too many pina coladas. (AP Photo/Derrik J. Lang)

During the day, Costa Rica is one of mother nature's greatest works of art. Mottled with lush greens, yellows, blues and earth tones, this Central American paradise is a mix of wind-swept coastlines, roly-poly hills and cloud-covered rain forests.

At night, it all disappears into blackness.

Beaches turn from gorgeous to ghastly. The winding pothole-filled roads that connect Costa Rica's villages become dangerous drags for visitors accustomed to amenities such as two-way bridges and street lights. And the jungles fade into forbidden zones filled with the bleak sounds of howler monkeys and other things that go bump -- or wakaka or eiiiee -- in the night.

This doesn't mean you should retreat to your bungalow at the end of the day. Although it may be difficult to see beyond what's in front of you, Costa Rica has a way of enhancing the senses of taste, touch and sound after dusk. All you have to do is bring your flashlight and sense of adventure.

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WHERE TO GO: If you have one night in Costa Rica, your best bet is to stay in San Jose, the cosmopolitan capital city (nickname: The Big Pineapple) and home of the country's largest international airport. There are several behemoth discotheques, such as La Plaza and El Tobogán, where locals (nickname: Ticos) dance side-by-side with touristas to a mix of pop and Latin music.

But you probably won't travel to this sunny Central American paradise to shake your thermometer to Sean Paul's "Temperature." If you're spending your day snorkeling off the coast or zooming down a zip line, you will be nowhere near San Jose. Instead, you'll find yourself close to one of Costa Rica's five active volcanos, inside a rain forest or somewhere along the Nicoya Peninsula.

Here's some hot places to visit outside of San Jose when the sun goes down:

--Tabacon Hot Springs: Even if you're not staying at the mucho expensive Tabacon Hot Springs Resort and Spa near La Fortuna, you can buy admission to its famed thermal pools at the base of the Arenal Volcano. After 7 p.m., the price drops $10 and the stodgy elder touristas go back to their rooms so the youngsters can get steamy in multiple natural pools that vary in temperature and depth.

There are three bars, including one you can swim-up to and order a double-shot pina colada served in a pineapple. Be prepared to drop some clams though. Those pineapple drinks aren't cheap, and it'll take a $30 deposit to borrow a towel and locker. For less expensive alternatives, check out the not-as-exotic Baldi Hot Springs or Ecotermales down the road.

--Tortuguero National Park: Located off the Caribbean coast, Tortuguero is a small beach village largely covered by tropical rain forest. Translated, it means "region of turtles" because from July to September the endangered green turtle comes ashore to lay its eggs. At night, guides offer glimpses of the turtle power along the park's 22 miles of coastline. Don't forget that flashlight.

--Hotel Amor de Mar: It's one of the most expensive places to stay in the sleepy beachside town of Montezuma, located on the Pacific side of Costa Rica at the bottom of the Nicoya Peninsula. It's also one of the most magnificent. The majority of the 11 rooms, which usually go for $55 to $90 depending on the season, feature ocean views.

At night, guests lounge in rocking chairs on the second-floor porch or hammocks on the large lush lawn between the hotel and the rocky coast. The restaurant only serves breakfast and lunch. And there's no bar. But the hotel's quiet tranquility just might be intoxicating enough.

--El Sano Banano Village Hotel: Down the dirt road in the bank-less, hospital-less Montezuma, the restaurant in this hotel shows a different movie every night -- usually something recently released on DVD -- on a large projection screen following dinner. Recent showings included "The Constant Gardener" and "Unleashed." If you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, the El Sano Banano has the best desserts in Montezuma: tres leche, cake soaked with milk, and the mocha chiller, a frozen concoction made with frozen yogurt.

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WHAT TO EAT: Flip for the fresh fish and fruit. Although Costa Rican cuisine offers something for everyone, most people nosh on cheap comidas, or typical meals, full plates of rice, beans, salad, plantains and meat. For a culinary delight, try ordering fish at the beachside Mediterranean restaurant Playa De Los Artistas in Montezuma. It'll be served whole -- head, eyes, bones and all -- and will be difficult to appreciate with anything other than your tastebuds. The restaurant is lit only by candle.

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WHAT TO DRINK: Cervezas. Although there are several brands of local beer, Imperial and Pilsen are the two most omnipresent, usually available on draft or in a bottle for under 1,000 colones (under $2). Large signs for Imperial -- a light-bodied brew that'll remind you of a Corona -- dot the landscape. Want something more tropical, less alcoholic? Fresco de Frutas is available almost everywhere. The fruit drink is made with either agua or milk from fruits such as melon, papaya and mango.

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THE ONE THING YOU MUST DO AT NIGHT: Look up. You might be too tired or sunburned from surfing, hiking and rafting to do any of this stuff once the sun goes down. However, you must muster up enough energy to watch an all-natural fireworks show at the Arenal Volcano. If it's clear enough, you can see specks of red lava dripping out of Arenal's side. Check out the map here to see where the lava is currently flowin'. Besides the planitarium-like array of stars, it's the only attraction mother nature decided to illuminate in this country.

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Derrik J. Lang is an asap reporter based in New York.

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