Pura Vida amigos! Oh, sorry, I’m not in Costa Rica anymore? Shoot….
“Pura Vida” is the Costa Rican greeting, expression, response, etc. to essentially anything and everything. It’s a global expression that just means “life is good.” That alone explains the quality of the place and the people.
My parents and I spent 9 nights in this paradise, and it was the epitome of everything a vacation should be: adventure, relaxation, and, a VERY important Roberts quality: N/A or, “No Agenda.” Since this was our second year in Costa Rica, we made plans for only two excursions, and spent the rest of the week lounging by the pool with unlimited sun, drinks and food (DISCLAIMER: there is absolutely nothing itsy bitsy about this vacation. Nothing. Nada.).
Now, Costa Rica is not a large country by any stretch of the imagination (approximately the size of a Virginia, in fact), but I still do not consider myself to be an expert at all. All I offer here is our own personal experiences, which have been nothing short of fantastic. And the challenging part of this tropical paradise is that there are SO many different options in terms of excursion, accommodations, etc. that you have to book based on your personal preference. Our family’s preference: Predominantly relaxation with a dose or two of [not extreme] adventure.
Accomodations: Riu Palace Gaunacaste. Costa Rica is divided into provinces. The province where we stayed was called Guanacaste, on the North Pacific side of the country. The beaches are [allegedly] prettier on the Caribbean side, but that side of the country is also less safe and less developed. This is an all-inclusive resort…and when I say all-inclusive, I mean ALL inclusive. The people are this resort are a HUGE part of the experience too. With daily pool parties (doesn’t get too wild though), pool boys who learn your drink of choice and star bringing it to you before you’re empty, and the nightly entertainment, this resort is one of the best for us. Also, there is ALWAYS someone cleaning every single nook and cranny. My mom and I looked at each other a few times throughout the trip and said, “they clean there!?” It definitely makes you feel good about the sanitation, that’s for sure!
The resort is about 30-45 minutes from Liberia International Airport. There’s really nothing at all in terms of city life, supermarkets, restaurants, etc. along the way either, so its pretty isolated, as are all resorts in Costa Rica due to land development laws. You can fly into San Jose, but San Jose is pretty much smack dab in the middle of the country, so it’s a solid 3-4 hour ride to and from the beaches. It’s shorter and cheaper for us Californians, but you certainly pay for it when you get there.
We happened to spend Valentine’s Day there, and they went all out!}
We took a private tour of some of Costa Rica’s best beaches on its Pacific Side. Last year we booked our tours through TAM Tours Costa Rica and had an amazing time Ziplining and checking out The Blue River Rainforest Walk. This year, however, we read up that those vendors on the beach (not obnoxious! If you say no, they back off immediately) and were SO pleased. Our guide, through Brothers Adventures Tours, was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and took us anywhere we wanted to go. On this trip, we went to Tamarindo and ate lunch at this beachfront restaurant (pictured). It’s a small, extremely touristy surf town (you can rent surfboards for the day for $5-10). However, at this beach, you will be constantly approached by local peddlers trying to sell souvenirs (which we learned are not even made in CR and thus, aren’t authentic).
Next we ventured on to Playa Conchal: Absolutely beautiful beach with clear water and no sand. All the sand you see is actually smashed shells (“conchal” = “smashed shells”) so it’s pretty coarse on your feet. This is also where I was stung by a jellyfish, so it wasn’t my fave.
Finally, we stopped at Flamingo beach, which we really enjoyed. It’s sand is the lightest and the softest, has great views, and had far less tourist action.
Our other excursion was the Palo Verde National Park. The river cruise was spectacular. The Tempisque River is 98 miles long, and its depth varies with the tide of the ocean. We saw about a dozen crocodiles (keep all limbs inside the boat!), tons of iguanas, lots of exotic birds, and of course, these little white faced-cappucino monkeys! They came right onto the boat and checked us funny-lookin humans out. One even hung down from the side of the boat, snuck his way into my mom’s bag, and stole the banana right out! It’s about an hour and 45 minutes on the river boat, about an hour out of the resort (on unpaved roads), and the guides know just about everything you need to know about the wildlife!We ended this day with a traditional Costa Rican meal at a local Costa Rican family restaurant. We indulged in amazing (seriously) rice, beans, chicken, sweet corn, fried plantaines and some sort of ridiculously delicious homemade cheese, and tamarind juice. My mouth is still watering. We also had the option to go coffee tasting (one of Costa Rica’s primary economic staples), but passed since it was so hot and we were dying for some pool action 🙂
Ended our excursions with a trip to Coco Beach. It’s about 20 minutes by car from our resort, and was a cute little tourist town where most of the ex-pats come to live. Check out how cheap our happy hour was….I know why the ex-pats love this place ($1 is equivalent to 522 colones [the local currency])! Also, if you go, don’t hold back on the local beer-Imperial…it’s is taaaasty!
We chose to do things a little differently this time, and we left still feeling there are things we would go back and do (i.e. any of the volcanoes in the country) but here’s the breakdown:
Accommodations: The Riu Palace Guanacaste. You’ll hear and see exotic birds and howler monkeys on the daily!
Excursions: Congo Trail Ziplining, Palo Verde National Forest, a tour of the pacific beaches
Tour Companies: TAM Costa Rica. If looking for a cheaper, reliable option, check out the street vendors. We LOVED Brother’s Adventues Tours (they don’t have a website but check out their TripAdvisor reviews)
Airport: Liberia International
What to bring: Beach wear (shorts, bathing suits, cover ups, etc.) Sunscreen, hats, pants (if doing a hike…those bugs will eat you up!), bug spray, a good camera, tennis shoes if doing excursions. I also brought a selfie stick and last year brought my LifeProof phone case. These were awesome accessories, especially ziplining and hiking last year!
Money: Pretty much everywhere you go will accept USD. They don’t tip over there, but it’s definitely appreciated. Plus your dollar is worth significantly more over there.
Culture: The people are unbelivable. They are a huge part of why we continue to return to Costa Rica. They are so eager to serve, and around the resorts, just about everyone speaks at least some level of English, and they’re very welcome to helping you learn Spanish if you try. Plus, when you get to know them, you learn their story and gain an understanding of exactly just how hardworking they are.
Weather: The rainy season (where is basically pours all day everyday) lasts from about May to the en of November. The closer you can go to the rainy season’s end, the more lush greenery and local wildlife you’ll see. Going in February, it was very dry, arid, and windy. This translated means that the wildlife had left and it was mostly brown and dry foliage. However, the wind did wonders to keep the heat at bay so we didn’t mind it one bit!
For more info on last year’s trip and details, check out last year’s post!
I hope this has encouraged you to venture down south to Costa Rica! It’s a fantastic place for all people, with an abundance of adventure, relaxation, and culture! Pura Vida amigos!
