While in Costa Rica on vacation, I had an awesome time filled with relaxation and excitement. Check out some of the things that my husband and I experienced and recommend for you.
1. Hot Springs
In Costa Rica there’s an actual naturally hot water (98-100 degrees F ) flowing from a river in tranquil, tropical setting. You can go to a resort like we did, or hop in from a public site.
2. ATV
Take an excitement filled journey while riding up and down the hills, beaches, and dirt roads. Nice way to view the town and see the locals, especially if you aren’t the one driving.
3. Beaches
Who doesn’t love a beach? You can choose brown sand or white sand. There are several beaches to choose from: Tamarindo Beach, Flamingo Beach, Coco Beach, and Penca Beach to name a few. See my other blog post about the beaches here.
4. See the Monkeys
Within walking distance from our resort were cute monkeys in their natural habitat. They’re called white-faced monkeys. Their names match their faces. I’m told if you have food, they will approach. To avoid a monkey scuffle, I purposely didn’t bring food. After playing in the trees, two of them came down so we could have a better view. They stayed on one side of the road, while we were on the other.
5. Explore the City/Town
Preferably with a local driver, go see the countryside or the city. In the country, there are cows and horses grazing. Keep in mind they aren’t huge like the ones in the US. Most of the homes are small and one story. Most people live near family. Guanacaste is mostly rural. In the city, there’s familiar shopping like Walmart, and fast food like KFC and Burger King. Most cars driven by the locals are from the 1990s. San Jose is the capital and about a 6 hour drive away from Guanacaste. I’m told the traffic is really bad and it’s just not the best place to go.
6. Lake Arenal
This is a huge man-made lake with lots of wildlife. While on the canopy boat we saw multiple birds. On the way to the lake our bus driver pointed out a Tucan. Yes, the bird on the cover of Froot Loops cereal. Although it was hot in Guanacaste, it was slightly cold on the lake.
7. Arenal Volcano
Silly me was expecting to see lava coming from the cone. Our guide assured us that’s not what you want to see. That would mean danger. This in an inactive volcano, with well-defined cone. Due to unpredictable weather, we didn’t get to see the cone because of the clouds. Talk about disappointed. I can say I saw a volcano, just not clearly. Not only that, but rain came out of nowhere! Okay, we were in the rainforest. Guess who didn’t have a raincoat? Me! Bring your raincoat if you plan to go!
8. Indulge in Culture
“Pura Vida” is a local phrase. It means simple life. When you look around, that’s exactly how most people live. Someone may ask, “How are you?” and then you’d respond, “Pura vida”. The main language is Spanish. I wished I’d brushed up my verbal skills. I said a few things like: agua, leche, huevos, si, gracias, bueno, buenos dias, and buenos tardes. We walked a few blocks from the beach to an annual bull festival that we heard about. The weather was blazing hot and folks were either dressed in shorts and sneakers or denim jeans and boots. Women, men, and children. Since there was an extremely long line, we didn’t get in to watch the bulls. The festival reminded me of the county fair back home. Both are located in a large field, there’s food vendors, and most times people like to wear their best attire.
9. Local Food
Authentic food is the way to go. I can be a picky eater, but I was pleased with the food. I consumed black beans and rice regularly. At the resort rice was served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I ate a pumpkin dish that was very tasty. I ate it because it looked like sweet potatoes. There was another dish that looked like flan, but it was some type of bread pudding. It was delicious. The beef was too tough. I primarily stuck with chicken and seafood.
10. Wind Turbines
On the way to Lake Arenal we saw several wind turbines, also known as wind mills. They provide energy to the country. Costa Rica has a goal to become 100% green (eco friendly) by 2020. I’m a huge fan of conserving energy.
