What to do in Costa Rica

Rainforest and Volcanoes! I was so ready to head off to explore this new terrain and experience this incredible country! Costa Rica greeted us with rain, fog, and more rain but it was beautiful nonetheless! You never know what type of weather you’ll get in the rainforest, even during Costa Rica’s dry season. Due to flying with Spirit Airlines, we decided to pack light since we only took a personal item. I had just packed summer attire and one pair of walking shoes.

We arrived in San Jose on a Thursday morning, where we rented a car near the airport. We decided to stay away from the coast since it was a short weekend trip. We had our sights on La Fortuna area. The drive was roughly two hours from San Jose to La Fortuna region, with winding roads and little visibility due to the fog and rain. Prepare for a bumpy ride!

TI-FAKARA BOUTIQUE HOTEL

We decided to stay at the Ti-fkara Boutique Hotel & Birding Oasis in La Fortuna. What a location! We were near numerous restaurants and shops, plus just a 10 minute walk from La Fortuna waterfall. We arrived at the resort to check in and they greeted us right away. So friendly and polite, they aided us in retrieving our bags from the car. They also assisted in finding local attractions, and they even text their guests so you can reach their staff easily and quickly.

Ti-fakara included complimentary breakfast and an all you can use coffee machine where we had unlimited amounts of cappuccinos (my favorite). The room we stayed in was all glass windows, so you had a complete view of the rainforest. You were sleeping within the trees! There was also an outdoor shower which was unreal; you could shower under the stars. We fell asleep to the sound of rain that night as it poured until the early morning.

The next morning the rain did not give out, but we were excited for our Sky Adventure tour! We enjoyed a typical Costa Rican breakfast with a cup of coffee, and we were on our way. Before heading off to meet the Sky Adventure team, we stopped by a local souvenir shop where we bought a raincoat to keep handy. 

SKY ADVENTURES TOUr

We were ready for the activities ahead! Once at Sky Adventures, we grabbed our gear and began our ascend to the top of the rainforest for some Sky Limit zip-lining and climbing fun. We did all sorts of activities, including climbing various obstacles, zip-lining in different locations, and a Tarzan swing, just to name a few. Our tour also included canyoning, where you descend down a waterfall. Due to all the rainfall and the intensity of the waterfall, we opted out of that one.

After a long day of doing all sorts of wild activities, we ate some yummy tacos at the local restaurant at Sky Adventures. We changed our (soaked) clothes and were off to head back to our resort. Next stop, La Fortuna waterfall! On our way to La Fortuna waterfall, we met some local pups from a near by dog sanctuary. They were so friendly! We made it to the ticket booth where we then decided to save this excursion for the following day, since you can jump in the water if it’s not too murky. We headed back to our resort for a dip in the pool and happy hour drinks. We dreamt of clearer skies that night.

LA FORTUNA WATERFALL

We returned to La Fortuna waterfall, just to find that swimming was still off limits due the high levels of rain. We bought our tickets and decided to check it out either way, since we would only be near the waterfall for a few more hours before checking out of our resort. Many many steps later, we finally made it to the waterfall. It was mesmerizing, but there was so much rain! I felt like I was in Jurassic Park just waiting for a dinosaur to appear from within the fog. I’m glad we still experienced this beautiful spot.

We rested and freshened up a bit, while also air drying (and blow drying) our clothing and shoes. Mind you, we only had one pair of sneakers; everything was soaked because of the constant rain. So, it was tough repacking our items before checking out that day. We had met a Canadian couple the previous night who actually lost their luggage on the flight to Costa Rica. They were reusing the same clothing they arrived in, sooo, I tried not to complain much about our wet clothing issues. We checked out of our resort and said goodbye to the cappuccino machine. Until next time! We were ready for our next Airbnb destination.

NORTH FIELDS CAFE

We drove just 5 minutes from Ti-fakara to North Fields Cafe, where we had booked a Coffee and Chocolate tour. This two hour tour taught us all about coffee and chocolate. They explained how to distinguish between good and bad qualify coffee beans. They also shared with us chocolate making tips and the history of chocolate. We even made our own chocolate that we were able to take back with us! Even had a taste of their locally made moonshine. It was a unique and delicious experience!

ARENAL VOLCANO

Next stop was our Arenal Cabaña! This was our second Airbnb during our time in Costa Rica. We wanted to experience two different views, so we decided to try two different locations! (Rainforst and Rural volcano views). After a quick 15-20 minute drive and winding roads (we saw a car fall off the road and into a ditch, so drive cautiously in Costa Rica!), we made it to our Arenal Cabaña near the The Spring Resort and Spa. Unfortunately, due to all the fog, the volcano’s top was not visible but we were surrounded by nature and livestock. Our hosts even offer to cook a delicious local breakfast for their guests when you stay at their cabaña.

That evening, we were off to our Night Hike Tour. It was a pretty long hike, where we spotted all sorts of wildlife, including various native frogs, insects, a bat eating its dinner, and even a snake! We found a Fer-de-lance towards the end of our hike that gave us all quite the scare!

RIO CELESTE

We ate dinner that night in Downtown La Fortuna before driving back to our home for the night. The next morning, we had to be up bright and early to meet our tour guide at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown La Fortuna. We were ready for our Rio Celeste Tour. Rio Celeste is located within the Tenorio Volcano National Park, which is about an hour and a half drive from Downtown La Fortuna. We had booked this tour through Airbnb.

Our tour guide was also the driver of our tour bus, and he was so knowledgeable! Even stopped on the road when he spotted some critters (we saw Howler Monkeys and sloths). Once we made it to the national park, we hiked up to see the bright blue river, Rio Celeste. It was pouring though, so the river and waterfall were not blue this time around. The rain was intense that day, but the beauty of nature never ceases to amaze me.

HOT SPRINGS

We didn’t have enough time to dip our feet into the natural hot springs in Costa Rica, but we did stop by. It’s a local free attraction for most where the locals hangout with friends and family after a long day, just to unwind and enjoy. For those who prefer a more spa like experience, you can buy a day pass for the various hot spring resorts in the area, like The Springs Hotel and Spa Resort. It’s a huge resort with so many things to do. I’ll be checking them out next time! The next morning, it was time to check out and head back 2 hours toward San Jose to catch our flight to Miami.

It was a weekend filled with adventure plus lots of rain, but Costa Rica is filled with life and excitement. The folks are the kindest people you’ll meet. Welcoming and so relaxed, they live the Pura Vida lifestyle. Can’t wait to return soon!