Feb 16
Well here we are in Costa Rica! We spent 7 hours at the Miami Airport in the lounge, and I got this amazing evening photo of the Florida Keys.
Now we are here for our first night at the Studio Boutique Hotel. We knew it was special when we saw intersting sculptures and this lovely lit tree outside!
This place is like an art gallery on every floor!
Feb 17
Today was mostly a travel day. We started off exploring a bit more at the hotel.
We drove from San Jose over to La Fortuna. The terrain turned more and more like a jungle.
We stopped for lunch at Mi Rancho, where we had some of our first Costa Rican cuisine. I went for the Chicharones!
We took a little rest stop at a pretty garden and butterfly sanctuary.
Along the way we also encountered an interesting outdoor toilet, and a bird sanctuary we peeked into.
Costa Rica – La Fortuna
Finally we arrived near the Arenal volcano and we knew we were close. No view of the top though. La Fortuna is such a tourist town, 100%!
We were welcomed at our hotel with some nice drinks! Baldi Hot Springs resort was way bigger and more impressive than we thought from the Expedia photos. It was huge, with people coming in on tour busses and getting day passes. Like some Las Vegas or Disney resort!!
We explored around the resort a bit, then went out for some dinner.
We were recommended Kenko’s for dinner. It had such a cool vibe! Upstairs, disco balls, downstairs, the main restaurant area. We has some nice (huge) sushi rolls.
Feb 18
Today was all about hanging around the resort and it was our spa day. But who takes their camera to the spa! We got the couples hot stone massage and facial. Afterward we relaxed in the excluive spa area where there’s a small private pool high up with views. They also gave as a tray of chocolate covered strawberries! Here are a few stock photos of this lovely place.
In the afternoon we tried out all of the different Hot Spring pools. The hot springs were fantastic. The hottest is at the top, and then they slightly cool as they cascade to the lower pools. So we’d start at the bottom, and then work our way to warmer and warmer! At the very top the water is so hot that they run it in a cave area and it creates a natural sauna.
We also tried the water slides. The last water slide was so fast the water went up my nose seemingly to the back of my brain. Youch! It took one of my earrings too!
And in the evening we went to Travesia restaurant, which we had to reserve the day before. They need a lot more tables for how good they are!
Feb 19
Today was our big tour day. This is all our bracelets – for our hotel and for today’s two tours.
The first tour was up to the La Fortuna Waterfall. Can you see a glimpse of the people down in the waterfall pool? So far down!
Well actually not up to the waterfall, but DOWN 400 steps to the waterfall. Then back up. LOL But just lovely!
We had a guide with us who pointed out lots of things to us along the way, including this Tucan. His knowledge was primarily around geological things, so he had tons of information on the region and especially the volcano later.
We were really feeling immersed in the rain forest as we continued the climb down to the base of the waterfall.
Finally, we got to the base. Many people swam in the pool. For me it was too rocky and also cold! We happily admired, enjoyed and listened to the water crashing down. Really cool caves with dripping vines off to the right.
There were some fishies in the pool off to the side, and I also happened to look up and see the impressive canopy way above us looking straight up!
We climbed around the rocks around the pool for a while before heading back up. On the way, I stepped between the wide roots of this huge tree. They grow like that because of the extra stability required to stay upright in the soft and shifting floor of the rainforest.
Our second tour was the Arenal Volcano.
It was a good bit of hiking to get to our closest lookout point.
Arenal was formed by the subduction of the Cocos Tectonic Plate beneath the Caribbean Plate. In subduction, magma is thick and rich in silica, making eruptions explosive, and leaving a lot of black volcanic rocks from the cooled lava. Its most famous eruption was in 1968, when it violently exploded, covering nearby towns in lava and ash.
After all the hiking, we all got lunch. There were about 10 of us on the tour. It was traditional Costa Rican Casado. Rice and beans, some salad, plantain, and choice of meat. Not fancy food, but it was soooo satisfying and tasty.
We also made a stop at a natural hot spring. However, we weren’t too fussed about it since we has the most amazing hot springs back at the hotel, and looked forward to getting back and relaxing in them! But we did dip our feet in.
Much later at the end of the day, we tried a lovely local craft beer with dinner.
Feb 20
Today we did two tours again. In the morning, we did the Mystico Hanging Bridges. I bought a poncho because it was raining right from the morning, and I had left my rain jacket at the last hotel! But our guide was super positive, so that helped, and off we went!
It was really high up in the canopy of the rainforest and boy did it rain the whole time. But the views were fantastic.
We saw a few small snakes, a bat, and more toucans! Our guide was amazing at spotting these small creatures. At the end of the tour, we even got to see howler monkeys—they were just sitting there in their tree.
We had lunch at another recommended place – Nene’s. It was extremely good! The fish ceviche here is made with fresh herbs and lemon. I will try to duplicate it at home—it was really delicious, especially with the homemade tortilla chips.
During lunch, the clouds actually cleared up for a little while, and we got to see the top of the volcano! The only other time we saw it was once from the tour bus. I thought, “Cool, I’ll take a picture when we stop,” but it was gone by then! So this was literally our only other opportunity. Even the locals came out of the restaurant to take photos.
Later, we went on a night tour. Our tour guide was amazing – we asked the same guide who gave us the tour at the Hanging Bridges earlier. We all had such a great time!
And wow, did we ever see a lot of animals! We saw frogs, a snake, two sloths, an opossum, various beetles and spiders, a centipede, lizards, bats, and so many amazing exotic flowers and plants. I have the flowers and plants in a separate story.
And not to forget the termite nest—you really need to zoom in to see them all scurrying over it—and the amazing night sky beneath the rainforest canopy. Aaaah, what a day.
Costa Rica – Rio Celeste
Feb 21
Travel day! We traveled from La Fortuna to the Celeste Mountain Lodge hotel. I can’t decide what’s more scenic—driving through tall snow-capped mountains, cliff-lined coastlines, or these ancient, towering rainforest trees here in Costa Rica. Just stunning!
The hotel is super scenic, but it’s also very open-air—and we didn’t realize that extended to the rooms. So we were basically sleeping outside, LOL. And of course, this is where my hair wash day landed. Here’s to washing long hair with shower gel… yay!
At the hotel, we saw a coati and later a little green venomous snake called the eyelash snake. I’d never heard of coatis before—they’re cousins of raccoons, pronounced co-ah-tee. They’re actually a bit of a nuisance because they try to get into the garbage. Young males get kicked out of the group by the females once they mature, since they start trying to attack the babies! Then they have to survive on their own—and that’s how we ended up crossing paths.
We were actually lucky with the snake. Lothar was walking ahead of me and stepped probably just four inches away from it. I came right after and only saw it once he had passed. It could’ve easily felt threatened and gone for a bite, so we were really lucky it didn’t—and just as lucky to see one so close up! Don’t worry, I used a lot of zoom. 😊 The owner came along with a snake catcher (like tongs on the end of a long pole), picked it up, and released it into the bushes.
The owner built a private hiking trail about 2 km long on the estate, and the entire path was lined with some kind of carpeting. It made walking really pleasant—and not slippery at all! On our way back, we heard a huge animal barking in a strange way—deep and guttural. At first, I thought it was coming from near the road, but as we moved around, we realized it was actually coming from down in the forest! We started guessing it might be some kind of wild boar, because whatever it was, it sounded really big—and honestly, it was a little scary. When we got back to the hotel, we asked about it and found out that’s what howler monkeys sound like! And they’re not even that big. Amazing!
In the evening, we enjoyed a local craft beer and some tacos while watching the sunset. They even had Moosehead beer—all the way here in Costa Rica from Canada! 😊
Feb 22
Today we hiked into Tenorio National Park to see the Rio Celeste waterfall and river. We thought yesterday was rainy on the Hanging Bridges—ha! This was a solid 3-hour hike, and it rained the entire way. Luckily, I had my excellent poncho from La Fortuna, which actually made it quite enjoyable. It was a rainforest hike in the rain—how many people can say they’ve done that?!
We went down a lot of steps to get to the base.
It was really beautiful there. The waterfall cascaded down the river, and the view of the canopy from down below, through the waterfall mist, was stunning!
Then it was back up, followed by even more climbing to reach the top! The poncho was truly great. I wore it over my small backpack, so my stuff stayed dry, yet I still had easy access to my phone in my shorts pocket. I could quickly pull it out through the armholes, take a pic, and then make a quick retreat back inside.
The trail went all the way to the source of the Rio Celeste, where two rivers merge to become one. One is brown, and the other is clear. But when they combine and mix the specific minerals at the intersection, the color changes to a bluish hue! How cool is that?
You can imagine, by the end of that, our shoes, socks, and ankles were completely soaked and muddy. We actually took advantage of the shoe wash station (just a water hose!) and the shoe drying service provided at the hotel. I guess they know how it goes around here!
We had an early dinner in the little town nearby. The hotel advertised its French chef and gourmet food, but after having unseasoned, overcooked, dry beef (with salsa that tasted just like jarred, called ‘beef fajita’) along with unseasoned white rice on the first day for lunch, followed by ice cream (complete with ice crystals) and cooked-to-death, unseasoned scrambled eggs at breakfast the next day, I declared we’d be eating elsewhere! Their homemade jam and passion fruit juice were really nice, though, and so was some of the bread.
The rest of the day, we took it easy and hung out at the hotel, as well as taking a walk through the hotel’s gardens. We met a really nice couple from Germany and had some great chats with them.
Costa Rica – Monteverde
Feb 23
Today was a travel day. We drove pretty fast for the first hour, but the second hour got very hilly and eventually turned into a dirt road, so things slowed down a lot. It ended up being quite an adventure.
We saw a lookout sign and stopped to take in the amazing views. For the first time, we could see all the way to the Pacific Ocean! This spot was also an old (and only) gold mine. I was feeling sluggish from all the sitting and wasn’t up for actually touring the mine—I just wanted to get to our destination.
We arrived at our El Establo Mountain hotel in Monteverde and were greeted with an amazing view from our room. We even had a coati walk right past our door! The resort was huge, and you pretty much had to drive between places like the restaurant and the pool.
We did some exploring around the resort. The upper restaurant overlooks a small lake, and of course, we saw the obligatory coati!
This is where I actually did my second run. The first one was in La Fortuna, and the road there was fairly flat and cool in the morning. This one, on the other hand, is pure slopes! So, I ended up using the gym and running on the treadmill since I was aiming for a steady 30-minute run. It was actually warmer inside the gym than outside! Whew!
Later, we went on a night walk starting at the highest point of our resort! The guide was once again very knowledgeable and managed to spot these tiny animals in the dark—it’s amazing how they can do that. Before we started, I saw this huge moth. The guide also sent us his pictures afterward, and he had captured a kinkajou earlier. It’s a rare sight, so it was really cool that he shared it with us! The kinkajou is another member of the raccoon family, nicknamed the honey bear, and it always stays up in the trees.
I guess I should say it was mostly an insect tour. Here are the few creatures that weren’t insects, along with a lovely peek at the late sunset through the canopy. We saw a couple of tree frogs and even a glow-in-the-dark scorpion!
Well not all insects. There were also the arachnids! We saw two spiders, one of which was an adult female tarantula. It’s so cool that they live in holes in the trail ‘walls,’ almost like they have their own little cave. I think the other one was venomous too.
The rest were all insects. They’re so varied and almost alien! With our guide’s telescope tripod thing, he was able to help us get some really close-up shots. That poor wasp with mushrooms growing out of it is alive, and get this—it’s being mind-controlled by the fungus. It will remain paralyzed for 2-3 months while the fungus grows, implants spores, and eventually forces it to climb up high and release them. Grizzly!
The stick bugs and praying mantises were definitely the most alien-looking, I think.
Especially this one—it literally looks like the moss it’s sitting on!
Feb 24
Today we did the Canopy Tour at Selvatura Adventure Park, which means lots of zip lines! It was recommended by our private guide from La Fortuna, and he definitely didn’t steer us wrong!
We walked a short distance and waited in the prep area for a while before getting started.
They took pictures of us on the first two easier zip lines. It always takes a bit of practice to get comfortable and learn how to control which way you’re facing.
One of the zip lines was a full kilometer long, and on another long one, we got to go together. We also did an extra Tarzan swing and even used a Superman harness on the longest zip line! That’s us in our Superman gear. What a terrific experience—a definite trip highlight!
After that, we visited the butterfly gardens and saw many different species. The place was really hot, as they have to keep the habitat very warm for the butterflies.
And we saw the requisite coati. LOL
In the parking lot, someone had scratched our rental car. So we ended up waiting for hours while both insurance companies arrived and completed all the paperwork for the accident report, even though it wasn’t our fault.
So we hung around the park, had a bit of lunch, and took a walk through their gardens.
Spoiler alert: when we returned the rental car at the end of the trip, they basically just said, ‘Meh, don’t worry about it—it just rubs off.
We found a lovely spot for dinner that served dry-aged steak and great wines. It was truly a fine dining experience to end the day on a high note.
Feb 25
We really liked this breakfast place at the mini-mall—it had something for both of us.
Today, we did the Hanging Bridges walk. I love these enormous, tall trees. It feels like every tree has about a thousand other things growing and hanging off it.
The views from the bridges were absolutely stunning.
As we made our way back to the main area, I spotted an interesting beetle—and of course, there was a coati!
Next, we visited the Sloth Sanctuary, all part of the same adventure park. We’d been here for days and were dying to actually see a sloth—this was our chance! They love tucking into all sorts of places to relax.
I even got one yawning!
They also really love to hang. One was even hanging upside down while eating!
And yes, they move really slowly—like, incredibly slowly. It’s truly amazing.
I made sure to find some nice sloth earrings now that we’ve finally seen them! I checked out quite a few souvenir shops to find the perfect pair.
Back at the hotel, I went for a run in the gym—way too hilly to get a steady run around the resort! On my way back to the room, I passed the peacocks. The male had his tail fanned out and was strutting around, but the females completely ignored him. Poor guy!
We finished the day with dinner at our hotel, overlooking that lovely little lake. I had the Peruvian fish soup—it was unexpectedly amazing!
Feb 26
Today, we made our way southwest to the coast and Manuel Antonio National Park.
On the way, we passed a bridge where you could look down and see a whole lot of crocodiles! It was a surprise—we had no idea what all the parked cars and fuss were about. We made a split-second decision to turn and park instead of driving over the bridge, and there they were!
As we continued, I realized we’d be passing right by Jaco, near where I stayed during my previous visit to Costa Rica. I remember it as a small beach town with a few surf shops and restaurants. Now, it’s a huge vacation and residential destination, with many hotels, businesses, buildings, and, of course, everything tourism-related.
We also stopped at a really excellent lunch spot right on the beach, further along the way to our hotel. Along the route, there were beautiful ocean vistas. I can definitely say it’s a lot hotter here by the ocean! LOL.
Arriving at our hotel, Gaia, we were once again super impressed by how expansive and beautiful it was! They had golf carts to pick you up, take you to reception, and drive you around the resort in general. On top of that, they had their own hiking trail, and Ma…
Towards evening, we did the nature hike and visited the Macaw sanctuary, followed by a lovely sunset view. From there, we could look back and see our white resort buildings, as well as another beautifully lit-up resort in the distance.
This beautiful Gaia Hotel and Reserve is more than we expected, and now we’re wishing we had more days to spend here! We’ll definitely be returning.
Feb 27
View from our hotel restaurant.
Today, we visited Manuel Antonio National Park with a busload of folks from our hotel. Even before reaching the official entrance, we spotted a squirrel monkey!
We went with our guide and finally saw a lot of little white-faced monkeys! Many of them were hanging around the entrance, walking on the wires and fences, and one even had a little baby on her back!
The trails were lovely, as always. It really felt like a tropical rainforest.
There were tons of other animals too, and as always, our guide was great at choosing paths and areas where we could spot them.
It’s truly amazing how the guides are always able to spot critters that are completely hidden from view!
We watched these ants carrying chunks of earth to the top of a post, then dropping their pieces onto the growing pile. The dropping was continuous, so it’s definitely purposeful, not just clumsiness. 😊 Fascinating!
And this colourful Toucan!
Sloth and the Howler monkey looking for snacks.
Even the little monkeys need to take a nap!
At the end of the walk, we dipped into the Pacific Ocean! The park has these two lovely, back-to-back beaches.
We spent some time at the second beach, where you could ride the waves. The water was actually really warm. The sand was a bit darker than in Bermuda, and wow, was it ever hot!
We finished the day at our hotel, overlooking a beautiful sunset on the ocean and chatting with new friends.
Oh, and let’s not forget the stranded cicada in the elevator. I grabbed my sweater, managed to pick it up, and set it free! 😊
Costa Rica – Alejuela, San Jose
Feb 28
This morning, we left the ocean—bye-bye, parrots—and headed back up into the mountains overlooking San Jose. It’s the last leg of the trip!
We’re staying at another really cute mountain cottage called Quinta Essencia, which has panoramic views all around. It’s cold again, but so clear and beautiful! And wouldn’t you know it—my hair wash day ended up being in this lovely but cold and open shower! LOL. But sweetie made it better by running the little heater in there beforehand and sharing the shampoo and conditioner he picked up at the last resort!
For our activity that first day, we visited the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. It’s hilarious that we both took a picture of the unique bathroom when we walked in—LOL!
Our first stop was the butterfly building, but since we had already seen a lot of butterflies and were running a bit late—getting close to park closing time—we went through it pretty quickly.
It started to sprinkle, so we took refuge in the small hummingbird garden area for a bit.
Then it really started to rain, but we pushed on because—well, jungle cats! How could we miss that? They’re all rescues, and the park serves as a shelter. They were also all pacing because it was close to dinnertime for them. 😊
Then it was on to the waterfall and catching the return shuttle at the end. As with all the waterfalls, I should be used to this by now: first you hike down, down, down… then you see the waterfall. This one had several cascades—this is the first one.
Then we went further down, following the rapids to the next cascade. Along the way, we got to peek behind the waterfall! They provided lots of nice lookouts.
And finally, we made it down to the last cascades and took some fun photos with them! The great thing about this tour is that the shuttle at the end takes you back up to the start—so what goes down doesn’t necessarily have to hike back up!
We stopped at El Fogón de Meche for a lovely dinner. I had the tongue stew—it was really, really good!
Mar 1
We enjoyed breakfast at a recommended restaurant called Lo Que Tú Quieras. We regularly ask guides and locals for recommendations, and it’s always a wonderful experience. This one had a spectacular view!
We paid a toll along one of our drives, and I snapped some pictures of the Colones bills. They’re as beautiful as Bermuda’s bills!
Today, we went to the Poás Volcano. It wasn’t much of a hike, but it was amazing to see inside the volcano crater. Lothar even saw some gases come out in real time.
The volcano last erupted in 2017, and on the steps and platforms, they marked the places where flying rocks landed and made divots!
We then hiked over to a second nearby crater, which had a lake in it. It was mostly uphill, and then the last quarter of the hike was just really steep downhill. LOL.
Driving back down, we had amazing views of San Jose and the surrounding area.
We ended the day at another recommended restaurant, Chubacos, and had some of the best food we’ve encountered so far. Not to mention, a really nice atmosphere.
And finally, we ended the day back at the cottage, watching the sunset!
Mar 2, Heading home
As we set out toward San Jose and home, we stopped one more time at Chubacos for breakfast. I wasn’t hungry, but I did try the cheesecake since we were told it’s the best! It certainly was very, very good, but I still think Port o’ Call’s cheesecake tops it.
At the hotel we stayed at, near the airport, while walking outside in the evening, we were greeted by a cacophony of squawks. There were huge numbers of these guys in all the trees!
Lothar got these amazing volcano photos as we flew out of San Jose. The rest of the trip home was smooth, and as always, we were happy to be back home!
