Costa Rica : Coast-to-Coast
With so many wonderful places to explore in this big, wide world, it’s not very often that I choose to make a return trip so soon. But, when my auntie asked me to travel to Costa Rica with her - one of my favorite places with one of my favorite people! - how could I say no?
In 2022, my husband and I visited Costa Rica for the first time and explored the areas of La Fortuna, Papagayo and San José. This time, I let my auntie plan our itinerary with the help of Namu Travel and we got to wander from coast to coast. They arranged beautiful hotel accommodations for us, plus transportation throughout our stay and even our excursions. Of course, there are pros and cons of working with a travel agency.
PRO - Everything is arranged for you which takes all the thinking and worry away, especially if you’re visiting somewhere new and like to have a plan.
CON - There’s not much room for improvising. We did alter our plans a bit, but more on that later…
☞ Special note: While this was a girls’ trip for my auntie and me, we did have a little stowaway… Tiny Todd couldn’t resist an opportunity to visit Costa Rica! His presence was a silly conversation starter at each stop we made and a fun way to share the experience virtually with my husband who stayed home to work.
Our first stop was a quick overnight stay at the Bougainvillea Hotel just outside the capital city of San José. Having already sprung forward into daylight savings time at home, I was surprised when we landed in Costa Rica at 7:30 p.m. to find it was already dark, but was quickly reminded that being so close to the equator, days and nights are each roughly 12 hours long and sunset occurred around 6 p.m.
We arrived at our hotel just in time to get settled into our room and grab a light cosada dinner at the onsite restaurant. It was a typical Costa Rican meal consisting of chicken, beans, rice and salad.
Caribbean Side (East Coast) | Limón Province, Tortuguero
After an early-morning wake-up call, we took a bus ride to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, then a boat ride through the Tortuguero Canals. We got settled at the Manatus Hotel, then took the boat back to the village of Tortuguero - a protected area at the edge of the Tortuguero National Park and the nesting place for turtles along the Caribbean Sea.
The village of Tortuguero was little more than a main street lined with souvenir shops, restaurants, grocery stores and places to sit and enjoy a cold drink. To make the most of our limited time, I grabbed a fresh coconut to go! It is possible here to walk along the beach bordering the Caribbean See during daylight hours, but walking on the beach is prohibited at night (even for locals). This is the nesting place for turtles at different times throughout the year and is very special to the region. We learned from our guide about Tortuguero’s history of settlement, originally to hunt the turtles, though its transformation into a national park and turtle sanctuary. The people native to Tortuguero have much to be proud of.
Walking in the national park is prohibited - and often dangerous - everyplace but on the hotel property or through the village, so getting from place-to-place requires a boat ride on the canals. For this reason, meals were included with our stay at Manatus Hotel in their onsite, open-air restaurant. Back at the hotel, we enjoyed a delicious meal , then a quiet night listening to the waves, wind and rain.
Our only full day in Tortuguero, we saw the rain forest from a boat on the canal and from deep in its heart at night. The wildlife in Tortuguero is plentiful and so very representative of Costa Rica. As we meandered the canals through the National Park, our eagle-eyed guide and boat captain shared so many wildlife spottings and education with us. Among the things we saw were:
A family of green macaws having a party in an almond tree
A spider monkey climbing a tree and another family of monkeys swinging from branch-to-branch
A mama two-toed sloth and her baby lounging in a tree
Multiple caiman alligators and all ages of Jesus Christ lizards and iguanas
Pelicans, egrets and SO many herons
Before heading back to the hotel for an afternoon swim, Junior sped to the end of the river where it meets the Caribbean Sea. The power and majesty of that transition was incredible to see!
At twilight and into the dark, we took a nature hike into the rain forest. SO… MANY… MOSQUITOES! Definitely don’t forget your insect repellent!
The rain forest at night is something altogether different and spectacular. It was incredible how dark it got so quickly, and the volume of the forest sounds. We saw tiny poison dart frogs and giant bullfrogs… We saw land crabs, golden webs, owl butterflies and a two-toed sloth (how our guide, Ricardo, spotted the sloth so high up and far away will always be a mystery to me)… We saw the flickering glow of the click beetles (much like fireflies)… And at times we saw nothing.
I cannot say enough about the kindness of the staff at Manatus Hotel. The grounds are beautiful, the rooms inviting, the food delicious and the tour guides kind and knowledgeable.
Central Costa Rica | Alajuela Province, La Fortuna
Day 4 was a travel day, from the canals of Tortuguero bordering the Caribbean Sea to the rain forest at the base of the Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna.
At the Hotel Lomas del Volcan, we were welcomed with lovely chocolate covered strawberries and enjoyed a relaxing dinner outside with new friends (and a caipirinha). Even though our trip itinerary was unique to us, it was clear from the start that Namu Travel and other agencies frequently sent travelers to the same areas. Early in the trip we met a couple from the U.K. who we enjoyed sharing experiences with. That is one of my favorite parts of traveling actually… Meeting people from around the world who share my love of wandering new places.
After a nice breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant, we made our way to Sky Adventures for another nature hike - this one including some hanging bridges. Our guide was local to the region and, like many before him, was AMAZING at spotting the wildlife.
We saw a tarantula in her nest in a tree, several snakes and lizards of all sizes and colors (some venomous), and of course MANY birds and butterflies. And - lucky us - we saw a howler monkey lounging on a nearby branch and crossed paths with a couple of curious coati.
Tiny Todd got in on the adventure and made some new friends from Tennessee and South Africa. One even invited him to take a turn on the zipline later in the day! Auntie and I opted to stick with the gondola ride - slow and steady up to the observation deck for an amazing view of Lake Arenal and the volcano.
Back at the hotel, we enjoyed dinner al fresco with our travel friends and a quick dip in the hot tub before bed.
☞ Special note: Most resorts will tell you the water is purified and safe to drink. I believe that is true in most cases, but this trip I learned the hard way that it’s not ALWAYS true. In Tortuguero I picked up a stomach bug that made my days in La Fortuna challenging. Thankfully, my auntie was a champ and insisted we visit the pharmacy and nip things in the bud. Moral of this story… Be careful when you travel. Sealed, bottled water probably is the best.
Pacific Side (West Coast) | Puntarenas Province, Quepos
We left the rainforest and Arenal Volcano, and headed southwest to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific Ocean. Along the way, we stopped at Crocodile Bridge (no swimming in that river !) and at one of the many fruit stands along the way. The fresh produce has to be one of the best parts of visiting Costa Rica. My advice is don’t miss an opportunity to sample the fruit any chance you get!
Hotel Costa Verde - where there are “still more monkeys than people” - overlooks the Pacific Ocean, sitting on the edge of the Manuel Antonio National Park. While the views are amazing, it’s a bit of a walk to get to the ocean. We opted to simply enjoy the pool while here. The hotel features clean, spacious rooms with private balconies, as well as a fun, quirky option to stay in one of the refurbished airplanes onsite, including the Cockpit Cottage or the 727 Fuselage Home.
Throughout our stay, we were entertained by the mischievous monkeys and our first up-close view of a sloth sleeping in the tree just outside our balcony. So quintessentially Costa Rican!
One of the excursions Namu Travel planned for us was a sea kayaking adventure starting from Quepos pier. This was my aunt’s first time kayaking, so I was thankful for the smooth water as we headed out toward the ocean. The water was clean and warm, inviting us to take a swim when we came to the halfway point of our trip - a pretty reef in Biesanz Bay. Getting out of the kayak was easy, getting back in was tricky! We didn’t have the privilege of seeing any sea turtles, but we loved all the colorful fish swimming all around us.
Back in Quepos, we had another typical lunch, then asked our guides to drop us off in the town of Quepos so we could spend the afternoon exploring. We wandered through the shops, doing a little souvenir shopping, then found our way to the Quepos Centro Sign - a colorful photo opportunity. Later, we took the bus through Manuel Antonio, back to our hotel.
This was probably my favorite day of the trip. We got to get out on the water (one of my favorite passtimes!) and wander among the locals (the best way to experience a new place).
Our last full day in Costa Rica, we were treated to horseback ride in the rainforest. We took a 40-minute ride to the town of Londres. On the way, we stopped to gaze at a red macaw perched atop a tree stump. At the ranch, we met our horses - Beautiful Eyes and Crystal - and a host of other friendly, curious animals (including a 2-day-old kid!).
The trail meandered up and down, loosely paralleling Río Naranjo (the Orange River). We stopped halfway at a place where two weeks ago the water was calm and low - perfect for swimming - but this day it was rushing. It changes so fast in the rainforest, especially as Costa Rica transitions from their dry to rainy season. Both horses were gentle and responsive - perfect for a novice rider like myself. I even trusted Crystal to take me on a little trot.
Back at our hotel, we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon sitting on the patio, gazing at the ocean and playing dominoes - a family favorite pasttime. Not only did it give us time to reflect on the last nine days, but also to reminisce about my Grandpa Pete and Nana and all the days we spent playing (and mostly getting beaten) dominoes with them.
Pura Vida!
Excursions we took:
Nature Spotting in Tortuguero National Park
Sky Adventures Nature Hike and Gondola Ride
Ocean Kayaking from Quepos Pier and Snorkeling in Biesanz Bay
Horseback Ride through the rainforest in Londres
Hotels we stayed at:
Hotel Bouganvillea
(San José)
Manatus Hotel
(Tortuguero)
Hotel Lomas del Volcan
(La Fortuna)
Hotel Costa Verde
(Manuel Antonio)
Services we used:
Must haves: