Welcome to our blog! Our first post is about Costa Rica, which was a family trip taken back in late May/early June 2024.
Our journey begins in the San Jose airport, where we rented a car since it was the easiest way for us to see everything we wanted in our one week of travel – I highly recommend this for anyone visiting. We only spent the night in the city before heading off to our first destination: San Ramon. Our Airbnb was located in a rather remote area, with a rainforest view in the backyard. This was an experience in itself – we saw so many beautiful birds just sitting drinking our morning coffee, including toucans, marmots, parrots, hummingbirds, and so many other colorful creatures!
Our backyard – great for rainy days like this
The main attraction near San Ramon was the Arenal Volcano. We chose the longest hike in the national park, which boasted a diversity of wildlife, plants, and of course the volcano itself and ancient lava spills. There was an entrance fee to the park ($15 for adults and $5 for children), but it was well worth it. I highly recommend getting there early, because the park can get crowded pretty quickly, and the heat/humidity can make walking a bit tough in the summer. That being said, it was an incredible loop trail, taking you through different terrains around a lake and through rainforest canopies, gardens, and ancient volcanic rocks. Unfortunately, the peak of the volcano was covered by fog that day, so we were unable to see the top, but it was still gorgeous. Pro tip: keep your eyes peeled towards the trees and be alert for any sounds at all – we were able to spot a family of howler monkeys way above our heads! We also saw many different birds, a colony of leaf-cutter ants, and a white-nosed coati searching for its next meal. There is also a section of trail between flower bushes near the end, creating an ideal habitat for hummingbirds that dart right past your own head!
The stunning Arenal Volcano, covered by a cloud
The white-nosed coati
The next day, we went ziplining to enjoy the rainforest canopies from a different angle. We booked the Go Adventure Park Canopy Tour & Rappel Arenal, which had 7 cables that were of decent length (with one really long zipline), and it was a super great value experience. Once again, the wildlife here was incredible, and the views were breathtaking. There were also a good number of ziplines, of decent length too, for the price paid. Then, we drove to La Fortuna to see the big waterfall. Unfortunately, the area right below the waterfall was closed, but we were able to dip our feet into the stream near the waterfall and still take some photos from the path overlooking the falls.
Our ziplining experience was also coupled with access to hot springs, which were a nice, relaxing way to end the day. Because lunch could wait, we decided to stop by Arenal again – we had free entrance from the day before – and hiked a shorter trail to really embrace the scenery.
Next, we were off to Monteverde for some hanging bridges. It was a few-hour drive from the La Fortuna area, so we woke up early and headed out to get to the park at around 10 am. The trail takes you above the rainforest canopies via some really cool bridges, and with a pleasant hiking trail overall. Here, we saw more birds (bring your binoculars!), experienced life above the trees, and stunning views of the rainforest from so high above.
For the evening, a couple of us decided to go on a guided night walk, which was relatively inexpensive and so worth the experience. Our guide was amazing, spotting animals that we would have never noticed on our own, including a sleeping toucanet, tarantulas, a green vine snake (luckily well above the trees), a scorpion, different frogs, and so much more. I was a bit upset not to have seen any sloths, and the tour guide was also surprised because he had seen some the day before, but that’s just the luck we had. The guide had a fantastic scope that allowed us to see the creatures very clearly, and his photography skills were top-notch. We recommend bringing your own high-quality flashlight such as this one https://amzn.to/3SOQKzD.
A glass frog
Toucan spotted!
On our last day of the rainforest, we explored Monteverde Cloud Forest. The fog made for a surreal experience amidst the forest. Here, I was on the hunt to see the beautiful resplendent quetzal. Unfortunately, although I heard it a few times throughout the park (just your amateur birder here), I was unable to spot it with the dense canopy. However, the park was still incredible, and we chose to do a long loop from the many trails to choose from, we had quite the hike that day as well. Among the many animals we saw, perhaps the most exciting was the white-headed capuchin, which made a brief appearance before quickly disappearing again.
A fun little section of trail at the Monteverde Cloud Forest
Finally, it was off to the beach for our last few days of the trip. We journeyed to Playa Langosta, where we rented an Airbnb right next to the beach. It was a short drive or about a 20-minute walk to the busier area of Tamarindo from there, but staying outside of the main area made for a quieter stay which was ideal. The Airbnb was also part of a larger living complex, with a large pool and direct beach access. During our stay, we did a lot of sunbathing, swimming in the ocean, walking on the beach, and enjoying the local food and drinks. We made sure to stop by the many shops in Tamarindo as well to purchase a little something to bring back home with us.
Beach sunsets (taken right outside our Airbnb) – forever gorgeous
Some tips for your own trip to Costa Rica: apply and reapply sunscreen! https://amzn.to/3SRDtGB Some of us were better with this than others, and those that were not got some bad sunburns. Secondly, embrace the terrain! Whether it’s the rainforest, the beach, or the city, there is so much to do. Guided tours are fantastic for both seeing and learning about the local flora and fauna. And finally, make sure to enjoy the local food. The fruit is fresh and tastes incredible, so if you can make it to a local market, be sure to do so.
The one major thing we missed is visiting the southeast region of the country where Manuel Antonio National Park is located, but perhaps that just means we’ll have to go back!
Live Laugh Traveling 