Category Archives: Costa Rica

What the world has taught me…

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“Where you go becomes who you are” is a saying that has ignited my zest for life. I have a passion for traveling, seeking out new people, and learning about their culture. This curiosity is what has led me to traveling to over fifteen countries. Each trip had a significant impact on the person I am today. For example it was in Nicaragua that I learned the importance of family, in Iceland, that beauty is all around us, in Fiji, that doing nothing can be everything, in Thailand, the discovery of spirituality and in Costa Rica, adventure. I am who I am today because of where I have been in the world. I believe that traveling is the key to discovering who you are, and who you want to be.

Below is a video compilation of some lessons I have learned along the way…and certainly not the last.

Where to Eat in Costa Rica

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Cahuita

Coral Reef Restaurant- This restaurant is located right in the center of town (although the town/village is so small that everything is practically right in the center of town). It offers a good selection of Tex Mex, traditional Costa Rican food and “Western”food like fries and mozzarella sticks.  I had amazing fajitas with flour tortillas as well as mashed up and baked plantains for my chicken and veggie mix.

A good rule of thumb is to look for a place with a lot of people.

Puerto Viejo

De Paso- This place is a little out of the center of town but not by much (50 meters pass Salsa Brava). It is a little shack of a place with a tree growing right through the middle of it. I stopped there as a break from a walk through town and had the best guacamole that I have ever had.

Bread and Chocolate- I was recommended this place by a friend and am sure glad I tried it. They serve breakfast all day long as well as a variety of other things like fruit juices and sandwiches. The staff was very friendly and helpful when I asked for directions to my next destination. Try the bread with a chocolate spread…it is after all called bread and chocolate. Delicious!!

Flip Flop-This restaurant was well priced and had delicious food. I got a combo of fajitas that were very fresh and tasty. The two people I was eating with got seafood pasta that had I been better acquainted with them, I would have stolen a fork full (or several) when they weren’t looking.

Manzanillo

Maxi’s Restaurant- This restaurant is impossible to miss. When you enter into town the road forks and this place sits in the center. I stopped here for a beer after my bike ride into the town. The food other people were eating looked delicious and the seafood smells were even more delicious. I wish I was hungry when I was there!

Manuel Antonio

Anywhere along the public beach of Manuel Antonio seems like a good bet. The atmosphere is so fun and such a beachy that I bet any place would be great. There are also a lot of restaurants along the road that lead to the beach. They are very unique, one being made out of an old airplane and another few with old train cars. At night they look beautiful all lit up on the cliffs.

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Where to Stay in Costa Rica

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Cahuita

Shangrila Hostel- This hostel is located directly left and next to the bus station so it is incredibly easy to get to. It’s a cute little islandy establishment with basic rooms and amenities (think camping style). My favorite part about it was the common area, which is an open-aired covered porch with plenty of chairs and hammocks to hang out on. It’s a small place so everyone mingles with one another (at least that was my experience).

Puerto Viejo

Pagalu- Wow. The staff at this hostel were incredible. I stayed next door the night before at Cabinas Likas (do no recommend at all) because Pagalu was full. The next morning I showed up at 9 to see if they had any openings, which there were none. At 10 I went back to find out that 3 people just took the remaining spots after a group of 3 left. I ended up checking out of the place next door and they let me sit at Pagalu until something opened up. They even offered to hold my bags if I wanted to walk around and check out other places in case it didn’t work out there. A bed finally opened up but it would have worked out anyway since the owner’s cousin offered to give up his bed and sleep on the couch. Even before they knew they would be getting my money they helped me figure out activities to do on the rainy day. I can’t say enough good things about these people. It was also a very clean, safe and an overall fun atmosphere. If you wanted to party you could and if you wanted to hang out and read a book you could. It was a perfect environment for everything.

San Jose

Pangea- This hostel is apart of the Costa Rica Backpackers network. STAY AT ONE OF THESE PLACES! They are top of the line and they really know what they are doing. Don’t be fooled when you pull up to this hostel in San Jose. My friend and I arrived rather late and our taxi driver pulled up in front of this gate that just had a simple sign that said “Pangea” on it. We felt like we were in a scene from the movie hostel. We rang the bell and out stepped security welcoming us in. We stepped into an urban style hostel with painted murals of drunk frogs, fairies and more psychedelic designs. It was a very interesting place to say the least. The rooms are very clean and comfortable, small but nice pool with lounge chairs, TV room, bar/internet area/restaurant and even a movie theater type room where movies are played throughout the day. They also have a very helpful staff that was there 24/7. While I have heard that San Jose is a dangerous city, I felt very safe staying here. Each day they issue new color wristbands at 11 AM. The only people allowed inside the hostel grounds have to have this color wrist band on. The 24/7 security does not admit anyone else. They also offer the cheapest airport transfer that I have come across. It is $10 USD if there are two people in the van (you don’t necessarily have to know this person either). Unfortunately, if it’s just you that has signed up for the time slot, you have to pay $20.

La Fortuna

Arenal Backpackers- This hostel is apart of the Costa Rica Backpackers network. They advertise as a 5 star hostel and they are absolutely right. The hostel offers a variety of accommodations from private rooms, dorms, to luxurious tents with walls and electricity. The place is exceptionally clean. The hostel has a pool with a swim up bar and restaurant/bar that make it the ultimate place to unwind after a days worth of adventure activities. The staff was incredible always offering pieces of advice and helping us book tours. The bartender even kept the beer we bought during happy hour (3 for $5) in the fridge for us over night since we only each drank one. I highly recommend staying here. If you do, make sure you book all of your tours through them and pay in USD as that is the cheapest option. We had a 2:30 bus transfer but with checkout being at 11:00 AM we thought we were going to run into a problem. To our delight, they held onto our bags while we were on a tour and when we got back we still had full use of all the amenities (short of having a bed of course).

Monteverde

Cabinas El Pueblo:-At the time that we stayed here, there were more families rather than backpackers staying here therefore the social scene was a bit lacking. However, this was still a great place to stay because of the following: very comfortable beds, breakfast included (choice of omelets, french toast, granola etc.), clean, the closest hostel we saw to town and a very friendly owner Marlenny who helps you with any reservations even getting you cheaper prices because she knows people.

Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio Backpackers- While this place wasn’t the cleanest place I have ever stayed (our door was constantly open because access to another dorm was through ours for some reason) it did not lack in fun activities. The hostel is very well laid out with plenty of land. There is a nice deck that overlooks some great scenery where people cook and hang out. Down the hill where sound is less likely to travel up to the rooms, is a 24/7 pool with a bar. It was the perfect location for us with a bus stop right outside the hostel. It was a 10 minute ride to Manuel Antonio beach/National Park and a 10 minute ride into Quepos if you want to enjoy a night out. (I would not recommend the beach in Quepos).

If you would prefer to stay directly on the beach in Manuel Antonio rather than a 10 minute bus ride away, I would suggest taking the bus to the National Park stop and wandering around. I noticed a few hostels but did not look in them nor did I find them on hostel world.

For more on Costa Rica click here.

What to do in Costa Rica: Pacific Edition

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Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio is a town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It reminded me of a drive my family did along the coast of California near San Francisco where I saw the cyprus tree. The town itself is set up on cliffs that drop off into the ocean. Therefore, if you want to go to the beach, you have to take the bus into either Quepos (which is a town slightly bigger and more “happening” than Manuel Antonio but also more touristy and dirty) or a bus in the opposite direction to the Manuel Antonio public beach and the Manuel Antonio National Park. If you are staying in the center of Manuel Antonio the bus is about 10 minutes in either direction and only 240 colones.

Things to do in Manuel Antonio:

  • Manuel Antonio National Park- It costs $10 to enter this park. If you have a student ID you can get a cheaper price but since I forgot mine, I am not sure of this price. Inside the park you have several options: 1) You can take a guided tour which will run you about another $10 per person (or slightly cheaper if you have a larger group). The tour guide brings a very powerful monocular and they are so knowledgable about the wildlife and vegetation there that you are guaranteed to see sloths, monkeys, certain plaints and all sorts of insects. If you are traveling on a budget and don’t care too much about spending 2 hours on this type of tour, you can very easily do the trek alone and even peek into groups monocular when they find something interesting. I got to see sloths and monkeys this way for free. 2) You can also walk to the beaches that are protected in this park and spend a slightly more relaxing day at the beach. The public beach is right next store to the park so you can go there for free and have the option of a number of restaurants for a meal or drink. Inside the park it is quieter and less crowded but no public areas to buy food or refreshments so go prepared. The public beach can get very crowded especially at high tide when the sand basically completely disappears as the water creeps up higher and higher.
  • Surfing- There are plenty of places to go surfing in Quepos or Manuel Antonio. Check with your hostel or hotel if you want to take lessons. If you want to rent a board you can just go to the public beach and rent a board by the hour (about $10 for an hour or two…depending on the deal you work out).
For more on Costa Rica, click here.

What to do in Costa Rica: Central Edition

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La Fortuna

I wish I was able to spend more time in La Fortuna as it seemed to be a very happening place. The town was a decent size with lots of restaurants, bars, shops, what looked like a mini water park and a mini golf course (being built during the summer of 2011). It very much caters to the tourist and offers many activities. If you find yourself here, I would suggest staying for a few days. You will be able to find accommodation style that fits every need. There are budget hostels, cheap hotels, mid range hotels and even luxurious spa and resorts that have the famous hot springs. It looked like food options were just as diverse. Another reason why I say stay here for a few days is because of the amount of activities offered. While I found myself wishing there was more to do on the Caribbean coast, in La Fortuna I found myself wishing I had enough time to do everything offered.

Things to do in La Fortuna:

  • Canyoning- Canyoning is a combination of repelling down waterfalls, jumping off cliffs into water, and hiking through river steams. I did not do this particular tour because it cost $75 and I did not have water shoes. I met a few people that did it and they loved it but said it’s not for the non-adventurous type.
  • Horseback riding- My friend and I did one of these tours. Our tour was about 45 minutes on horseback, hike down to the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen (and back), a visit to a replication of an indigenous village, and ride back to the farm. It was $35 and a great value for our money. There are other tours that might combine different aspects like more time on horseback through the countryside versus the indigenous visit.
  • Caves- There are caves in La Fortuna that you can tour. I am unsure of the price and the experience…I just know that is an option.
  • ATVíng- I met a family that did this and they said it was a lot of fun. You do get rather dirty they said so dress accordingly.
  • Ziplining/Canopy Tours- While on our hike down to the waterfall we saw a zip line that sends you across the canopy and waterfall the other side. It looked incredible but after zip lining in Monteverde, I would highly suggest passing on this activity in La Fortuna and doing it in Monteverde instead. If however you are pressed for time and cannot make it to Monteverde, I would do it in La Fortuna to get the experience.
  • Hot Springs- One of the things La Fortuna is known for is their hot springs. You might be able to find some in the rainforest I don’t know…but several resorts have been built in the area catering to people’s interest in them. The cheapest one is Baldi. You can buy an all day pass with the option of a buffet lunch or dinner. The buffet will only cost you about $8 more and I highly recommend it as the food was pretty good. Baldi has 28 pools of all different temperatures of the hot spring water. There are several cold pools offered to cool you down, which is great. They have several swim up bars as well. My friend and I went here as soon as we got into La Fortuna and had an amazing and very relaxing night. The benefit of going at night is that it is cooler and therefore the warm water is more welcoming. It was also nice because not as many people are there. During the day however you can see Arenal volcano in the background.
  • Volcano Hike- These can be done during the day or at night. We didn’t do this only because Arenal is not producing lava like it used to. This was the main attraction for people but after reading several reviews online we realized that no lava meant it was not worth it. You will however see a great deal of wildlife.

There are more activities offered in La Fortuna hence my desire to stay there. If you are an adrenaline junkie like me this will be a haven for you.

Monteverde

Monteverde is a much smaller place than La Fortuna. It is set up in the mountains and is a somewhat difficult place to get to. If you want to go the cheaper route and take public transportation or you have a car and are driving, allot about 8 hours as you have to drive all the way around the lake. A quicker way is to do a jeep-boat-jeep option for $20. This is essentially a tour and can be booked through many hostels or travel companies in town. You get picked up at your hostel/hotel and taken to the lake where you board a boat. The boat ride is a very scenic one offering a great view of Arenal as well as the hills surrounding it. About an hour later you arrive on land again where another van picks you up and takes you to your final destination in Monteverde. The entire trip is about 3 hours and worth the money. Monteverde as I said is very small and it’s not uncommon to find dirt roads. There are a number of restaurants and souvenir shops with even fewer bars. It gets very quiet there around 10 PM.

Things to do in Monteverde:

  • Zip lining/Canopy Tours- My friend and I did a canopy tour (a.k.a. zip lining) with Extremo. I highly recommend this company because they offer free transportation, safe equipment as well as detailed safety instructions, well trained and entertaining guides, incredible views, 15 cables (5 are very long reaching up to 3,280 feet), 24 platforms, tarzan swing, rappel (90 ft), superman and insurance. It was overall an incredible experience. If this sounds too intense for you, there are other ways to view the canopy. Just inquire at your hostel/hotel. Some sort of canopy tour is a must when visiting Monteverde.
  • Coffee Tour- On this tour you can learn about the authentic cultivation and processes of coffee that Costa Rica has traditionally and still uses today.
  • Canyoning- Monteverde is yet another place to do this activity. This one mainly focusing on repelling down waterfalls.
  • Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve- The park is run by the local high school and a portion of the money goes to supporting local education. Guided tours are available at an additional cost at 7:30 or 11:30 AM and last about 3 hours.
  • The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve- This cloud forest is one of the most famous cloud forest reserves in the world. It boasts an incredible biodiversity with hundreds of species of mammals, birds, butterflies, amphibians, reptiles, insects and spiders. (For more information on what exactly a cloud forest is, visit MonteverdeInfo).
  • Horseback riding
  • Children’s Eternal Rainforest Night Hike- Due to rain we unfortunately missed out on this activity. Since I heard great things I was slightly disappointed. This tour gives you the opportunity to observe nocturnal wildlife. Tours are from 5:30-7:30 PM.
  • Bungee Jumping- Coming soon. Extremo is creating a bungee jumping platform that is held up by cables across the canopy. I do not know when it will be open so you can visit their site for more information.
For more on Costa Rica, click here.

What to do in Costa Rica: Caribbean Edition

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Cahuita

Cahuita is a small little village on the Caribbean coast. If you are the type of person that needs a lot of hustle and bustle and activities this place is not for you. It is extremely laid back and operates at a slow pace. There are a handful of “ya mans” floating around town, which give it that Caribbean feel. Other than that, it’s small and there is not much to do. It’s a great place to go after a hectic week or so of intense activities as it’s a perfect place to sit on the beach or take a stroll through the national park. Other than that, move on to Puerto Viejo where there is more to do.

Things to do in Cahuita:

  • Sloth Preservation- I had never seen a sloth before so this was a pretty neat experience. The family owned company has a pretty nice set up for the duration of your time there. You take an hour boat ride through the rainforest to try and spot sloths in the wild (not guaranteed) but you do see howler monkeys, bats, tons of birds and all kind of plants and trees. Our guide was great and had pocket guides to pass around to us so we could all take a look at what we were seeing. Then you take a tour of the facility where you see sloths of all ages (the babies are the cutest and you might even get to see them have a bath). Our guide was the founder’s grandson and he knew a lot about sloths and now so do I. The thing I liked the best about these creatures is that they sometimes bond socially with one another (in small groups) and will cuddle with one another in their cage. One didn’t bond with other sloths but did with his stuffed animal bunny. The facility also has a restaurant with basic meals like sandwiches and fruits and a nature path to walk into the jungle a bit. How to get there: Take the bus towards Crujeviaxa and get off after about 10 minutes. You will see a large sloth sign so as long as you pay attention you can’t miss it. On your way back into Cahuita (you can also visit this sanctuary from Puerto Viejo), the bus comes every hour on the hour so plan accordingly so you don’t end up waiting for an entire hour like me.
  • Cahuita National Park- This national park includes the beach and the rainforest behind it with one main trail snaking it’s way along the water. Along this path you can see tons of monkeys, some birds, and a lot of plant life. The path has little breakaway points where you can find your own secluded part of the beach. The park operates on a donation system so pay what you like at the gate.

Puerto Viejo

Puerto Viejo is bigger than Cahuita with more bars, restaurants, hotels, hostels and shops. It also has a much more afro-caribbean feel with raegge influence surrounding you in the bars, the music, the shops and the lifestyle. It is very laid back here like Cahuita but with more outlets for adventure since it is a more developed area. There are a few tour companies in the town to help you book a day trip or a short term trip to a nearby area. Just keep in mind that if you are a single traveler some of these tours require a minimum of two people so you might be out of luck.

Things to do in Puerto Viejo:

  • White Water Rafting- There are two options for white water rafting that leave from the Caribbean beaches (Puerto Viejo), San Jose and the Arenal Volcano area. I booked my tour through Exploradores Outdoors for $99, which included transportation to and from the river and use of their private exploration center (lockers, showers, changing rooms, bar, gift shop, safe parking and tropical gardens). The best part about this trip is that you can get picked up from one location and then dropped off at another (great deal since a shuttle transfer is around $45 one way). So I left Puerto Viejo and got taken to San Jose. You can raft class 3 and 4 rapids on the Rio Pacuare (very picturesque) or class 4 and above on Rio Reventiazon.
  • Jaguar Preservation Center- I didn’t actually get to go on the tour here since I missed the two morning ones. They only offer tours at 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM for $15 (Mon-Sat closed Sundays). On the tour you get to see all sorts of creatures like howler monkeys, possums, sloths, jaguars (of course), snakes, spiders and a few more. You even get to hold the monkeys and possibly some other creatures. The staff is incredibly friendly and even though I was too late for the tour, a volunteer told me a bit about the facility, showed me some of the snakes and even let me hold the possum that was climbing all over him. They  are a really great company and truly want to help the animals rehabilitate rather than keep them there. They even let the howler monkeys out into the wile the afternoon (hence no afternoon tours). Sometimes they come back and sometimes they don’t. They say on their website that their inhabitants are constantly changing because of this.
  • Bike ride to Manzanillo- This bike ride will take you about an hour and a half at astraight leisurely pace. It takes you past Playa Cocles, Playa Chiquita, Playa Punta Uva, Playa Grande and the last stop is Playa Monzanillo. The path is on the road (apparently there is another path closer along the actual beaches but I didn’t find this). Be careful because there are a lot of pot holes in some areas. But as long as you are aware you will be fine. There are only a few hills as you get close to Manzanillo. Outside on Puerto Viejo you still pass hostels, hotels and some cafes here and there. These fade away for about a half hour as you near Monzanillo and it’s just you, the rainforest and the other occasional bike rider. I felt perfectly safe despite the lack of civilization around me for a short while.

Manzanillo

I only spent a short while here as this was my destination for my bike ride. The town is extremely small (even smaller than Cahuita). As soon as I rode up there was a fork in the road with what looks like the only major restaurant in town in the center. I followed the road around to discover a residential area and then a camping ground. There is also a pizza place and an ice cream place right near by. There are a few hostels in the area (and I mean a few) and it looks like the only thing to do is hang out on the beach or walk through the national park that is next to the camping site. Camping with a few friends on the beach if you can manage to get yourself a camper looked like fun (campers were all that I saw…not to say you can’t just show up with a tent. I would look into it more.)

Tortuguero

I did not visit Tortuguero but some people that I met have. Tortuguero is not accessible by road because of the marshlands surrounding it. You can access it by boat from Moin. A lot of hostels and travel companies in Puerto Viejo offer combo trips for a three day (or so) trip with transportation and lodging included.

Things to do in Tortuguero:

  • Take a night walk along the beach and watch sea turtle lay their eggs/hatch and head off to sea.
  • Kayaking through the canals to spot some crocodiles.
  • Hang out on the beach.
  • Walk through the national park to spot birds, monkeys etc.
Boca del Tores in Panama
This is something I really wish I knew to do. Boca del Tores in actually in Panama but right on the border of Costa Rica. Tour companies and hostels offer combo trips for a weekend getaway to Boca del Tores.
Things to do in Boca del Tores:
  • Snorkeling and scuba.
  • Water boat day trips.
  • Surfing
  • Dolphin spotting.
For more on Costa Rica, click here.