My girlfriend Jenny and I recently visited Costa Rica. Sort of a late winter/early spring escape from the frigid, snow packed earth in Wisconsin. This would be our first trip outside of the United States and it had us both wondering what it would be like to be so far from home.
Our first stop, Minneapolis International Airport. We print our boarding passes, our bags are checked and we are rushed through TSA security like cattle on thier way to the slaughter house. (They should allow people to video this process so it can be watched on youtube) As we wait for our flight to board we stop to get a bite to eat and quickly realize the food court employees working here at MSP are not the most helpful folks around but we eventually walk away with pizza and a hot dog. We can only hope that the further south we get the nicer the people will be.
A quick layover in ATL and yep, the people here seem happier and friendlier already. Around three hours later we touch down at Liberia International. It is a small but very nice airport and we make it through customs with no issues. Our driver, Lenny takes us down some very narrow bumpy roads to our destination, Riu Guanacaste. The hotel is an all inclusive resort located on the Pacific ocean in northwest Costa Rica. We check in and head to our room on a beautiful full moon evening in Central America.
Day 1
Waking up to the sound of the Pacific Ocean and a warm coastal breeze is a great feeling coming from Wisconsin. Jenny and I take a walk along the beach and are now in full vacation mode. We meet with an excursion agent from Amstar to plan out our journey over the next few days, trying to find a balance between relaxation and adrenaline filled adventure.
After dinner we head back to the beach to witness our first Costa Rican sunset. The intense rays of the afternoon sun are now soft and have transformed into a glow of color that is impossible to look away from. The light in the sky is absorbed by the ocean and the sand on the beach. The roar of the rising tide has drowned out all other sounds around us. This is a feeling that we will never forget!
Day 2
Our second day here starts with another great breakfast and meeting our ride in the lobby. We are heading to Buena Vista adventure park near Rincón de la Vieja Volcano. About an hour drive from the hotel goes by quickly as our tour guide explains the activities of the day and educates us on the local culture.
We start with the canopy tour which includes seven zip lines high over the tree tops with some spectacular views of the volcano and rain-forest. Next is a 1275 foot jungle waterslide that leaves you wondering if you will survive on the way down!
A change of clothes and we visit the Gourmet Coffee Shop. Some of the best fresh coffee in the world is yours to try here. A very nice meal is served for lunch at a restaurant within the park.
After dinner we saddle up for a horseback ride down to the hot springs where we finish off a long day by covering ourselves in volcanic mud and relaxing in the natural hot spring pools.
Day 3
Saturday is our third day and we are able to sleep in! We decide to take advantage of the pool and enjoy a few cocktails at the swim up bar. Our excursion for the day is a sunset catamaran tour that leaves from Playa del Coco.
We are transported in a small boat to the Marlin del Ray, a sixty six foot sailboat. A cruise up the coast on the Pacific ocean with a great staff on deck to keep us refreshed on this warm sunny afternoon. The ride takes us to a small cove with a private beach and some rocky shoreline for those who wish to snorkel. Jen and I briefly try but are mostly choking on the salty water we are sucking in our snorkel tubes! We join the others who decided swimming to the beach was a better option.
After our swim it’s time for dinner. A barbecue chicken feast along with an ice cold Imperial beer. I wish it were available back home as it is an excellent tasting lager. The crew raises the sail and starts the journey back to Coco Beach. We get to experience yet another beautiful sunset here in Costa Rica and make it back in time for the evening entertainment, a Michael Jackson show.
Day 4
It’s Sunday, we are up early and board a bus headed to the Arenal Volcano area. It is a three hour trip one way so we’re happy to be in a comfortable coach bus from Swiss travel agency. Once again we are accompanied by a great tour guide that talks us through our day filled with activities.
We travel up and over some mountains and reach the edge of Lake Arenal. Our first stop is for coffee and a bathroom break at Cafe y Macadamia. A nice little cafe/gift shop with a great view of the lake. Next we have a scenic drive around the 32.8 square mile lake and stop for lunch at Restaurante Lajas by the Lake. Another great dining experience with spectacular views of Lake Arenal along with beautiful, exotic flowers and plants everywhere!
Another short drive brings us to a landing where a boat awaits. They take us on a relaxing ferry across the lake to to our first views of Arenal Volcano. After our boat ride we head to Mistico hanging bridges park. Here our guide gives us a tour across the walking bridges and through the lush rain forest. We see a variety of jungle wildlife from a toucan to a pit viper snake.
It’s now late afternoon and we still have more to see. Down the road we stop and are welcomed at the Titoku Hot Springs. A cold beer while soaking in a volcanic pool is the perfect way to wind down this busy day filled with fun! A change out of our swim suits and we head to dinner at Restaurante Heliconias. They serve us an awesome buffet and we enjoy the sunset with a view of Arenal Volcano right from our table. The ride back to our hotel is long but we are so glad we made the decision to make this trip a part of our Costa Rican adventure!
Day 5
Its our fifth full day in Costa Rica and it has been an amazing five days! Today we are going to Diamante Eco Adventure Park. It’s literally right next to our hotel so no long bus ride today.
First on our list of fun is the zip-lining course. We get all geared up and start off by going over a medium length line. Next it’s time to take a truck ride to the peak of the tallest mountain in the area. All of us know what awaits us at the top, “The Howler” or the superman ride. A nearly mile long, eighty story high ride! We get strapped into a special harness and lay flat on a table, hands and feet behind our backs. We are given a push and…. away we go! Our hearts are racing as we reach speeds up to 55mph! The views of the hotel and the ocean from high above are incredible!
After this thrill ride we continue onto a few more fun lines, finishing with a 30 foot controlled free-fall off the side of a platform. A hanging bridge over the crocodile pond leads us to the animal sanctuary portion of our tour. Here we get to view many of the native animals that call Costa Rica home. From jaguars and frogs to snakes and monkeys, there is a lot to see. The most popular animals of course, are the sloths. They are lazy and slow but so unique that everyone enjoys watching them do just about nothing!
A shuttle takes us back up to the main building where we have a lunch buffet which was also included in our pass. Afterwards, we walk to the beach. The surf was high so we were unable to kayak and paddle board. Instead, we opted to just relax in a hammock and enjoy the view.
We are so close to our resort that we don’t even need a ride back so we just walk up the beach right to our hotel. We end our day with dinner where our favorite waiter Lira has prepared us a special table with flowers and heart shaped napkins. He has been so great to us and is a such a nice person! We hope to come back someday and see him again.
Day 6
Our final day in Costa Rica has arrived. Today we will just enjoy the amenities that the Riu Guanacaste has to offer. We head down to the beach and take some photos and I fly my drone around a little. We visit the local iguana hangout tree and feed them fruit. They love the bananas so much that just peeling one open will have a dozen or more lizards surrounding you in seconds. Jenny makes some more gift purchases from the local vendors and we make our way to the pool.
The pool here at Riu Guanacaste is really nice with a swim up bar and plenty of chairs for soaking up some sun or taking a short nap. The meals have also been excellent. There are four restaurants within the hotel that require a reservation or waiting in line. We chose the open buffet meals all week and never ran out of great food options.
Lastly the people of Costa Rica have been awesome! From the airport to the hotel staff, drivers, tour guides and the local people. I have never felt more welcomed in my life! All of our anxieties about traveling outside of the United States and not knowing what to expect in a foreign country disappeared quickly thanks to the wonderful people here. I would highly recommend visiting for yourself to see the beauty and get a taste of the pure life or as the locals say Pura Vida!
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