Pura Vida in Costa Rica

 We did a surprise (to the kids) family trip to Costa Rica in late 2019 just after Christmas and over New Year's. I celebrated my 38th birthday in the rainforest, which was incredible. 

We began the journey by flying into one of the two main airports in Costa Rica, Liberia. From there we got a rental car and drove (what felt like a never-ending 3-4 hours) to the area of La Fortuna which is an area in Costa Rica that is known for Arenal, an active volcano. Now mind you, active means the last time it actually erupted was 2010. You can still see it smoking though. 

The area is a tropical rainforest and is teeming with flora and fauna unlike we had ever seen before. There were coatimundi, red-eyed tree frogs, toucans, sloths, macaws, snakes, giant beetles, walking sticks, leaf-cutter ants, and yes scary Brazilian wandering spiders and orb-weavers (I am just SOOOOOOOOOOO glad I did not cross paths with a tarantula. I just can't.). The lodge in the rainforest was so much fun with suspension bridges connecting the lodge to the pool and to hikes taking us to waterfalls. There were rainbow rubber trees too, which were gorgeous. We did a night hike (which was a bit terrifying) in the jungle where we followed a guide with just flashlights. We got to see amplexus, which is apparently rare to stumble across, and essentially is frogs in the act of mating----hahaha! We also went to a sloth sanctuary and learned all about 2 as well as 3 toed sloths. 

A giant hots springs resort was a fun place to hang for awhile while we went from pools of varying temperatures and listened to the eerie calls of howler monkeys. We also went ziplining over the rainforest which was exhilarating and scary as heck (I don't love heights). 

After 3 days in the rain forest, we drove to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and stayed in Playas del Coco, one of the oldest beach communities in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. The home we stayed in was gorgeous with an infinity pool we spent many hours in, hammocks, and a great BBQ. Matt did happen across a scorpion, not once, but TWICE, while staying here, but the scorpions were bravely relocated outside into the bushes (not by me). 

In the coastal region, I am going to say something very spoiled....the beaches were not nearly as nice as some we had been to. That isn't a super fair statement though. We have been to Maui and Oahu, and to 2 of the top-rated beaches in the world, Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos and Eagle Beach in Aruba (both are AMAZING). So...yeah. But that being said, we were a bit underwhelmed by the murky, often muddy shores. One beach was made entirely of shells, Playa Conchal, and that one was beautiful, though packed. A day trip with a private snorkeling tour just for our family and fresh pineapple was our favorite day on the coast and had some amazing snorkeling and a beach where we were the only ones there.  

The food was good but not great. We liked the rice and tropical fruits and being able to buy coconuts from a roadside stand where a straw was poked into them to drink the sweet coconut milk. It was very hot there and due to some anti-malarial preventive medication, we sunburned badly very easily-not a good combo. My family all loved the snorkeling day best and the rainforest ziplining and hiking 2nd. I personally, was in awe of the tropical rainforest as it was like nothing we'd ever experienced. Should we ever go back, I would spend most of my time there, and then maybe see the Caribbean side of the country. 

Ratings: 20/25 for 80%

Natural Beauty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The tropical rainforest is breathtaking, while the Pacific coast was a bit mediocre.

Comfort: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I felt moderately safe as a woman in this country.

Sights: ⭐⭐⭐⭐The variety of rainforest with a volcano and then the coast delivered pretty well. The out-of-this-world animals and plants we saw lend to a higher rating here as they were so different from home. 

Relaxation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lodging was comfortable in the rainforest, and our Airbnb in Playas Del Coco was gated and on a hill with many great amenities. The breeze, the hammocks, the great kitchen. Food was easy to find and pretty good.

Affordability: ⭐⭐⭐ I remember this being a fairly expensive trip! We did pay extra for private snorkel excursion, hot springs, and ziplining though. The food was also pretty spendy.

Would I return: YES. There are other areas of this country that I would like to see.

Trip Cost: 10 days for a family of 4, we spent $8,500-9,000. I think it is our 2nd most expensive family trip, but it was also the longest and full of adventure and enough downtime.