Pura Vida – Have you heard this term? It means “Pure life” and is most often associated with Costa Rica.

It’s their greeting and used frequently there – like when you say “Muchas Gracias” the response will be “Pura-Vida”! Love it. We recently got to visit this AAAA-mazing country, and we fell in love here.  Where else can you be on a beach IN the rainforest – I mean …….

There’s so much to offer with several regions each one unique – there are the Caribbean side and the Pacific side (We primarily were on the Pacific Coast, in the Cloud Forest, and in the Arenal Volcano region too)   ITINERARY HERE

We started our journey on the coast in Papagayo – Guanacaste region, which was beautiful. The climate in Costa Rica is the same year-round with two seasons – Wet Season & Dry Season. Temps here were mostly in the mid ’80s with sun and a gorgeous ocean breeze. There were lots of water activities including paddle boarding, fishing, snorkeling, and more. We relaxed for the first few days and enjoyed the surroundings.

Next, we traveled to El Silencio Lodge tucked among the valleys and waterfalls of picturesque Bajos del Toro in the Mountains. This Eco Lodge is the perfect escape from the hustle & bustle of life. Perhaps a torch-lit forest dinner featuring farm-to-table ingredients from our organic farm and curated wine list. Scenic hikes and horseback riding tours in the Hummingbird Garden and cloud forest trails. Zip-lining through the forest canopy or rappelling down the face of one of three roaring waterfalls on our property. Tours of Espíritu Santo Coffee Hacienda or sampling local goods and cuisine at a nearby country market. Those are just a few of the amazing experiences on offer.

 

For me, the most exciting part of the trip was at the Arenal Volcano region at La Fortuna.  The views were incredible, way up high in the forest, and this is where we did the most thrilling tours.  From Suspension bridges above the tree line to zip-lining the daring course, Sky Tram, hiking in nature, and all the rest. We also went on a night hike and saw so many exotic animals native to Costa Rica.

In La Fortuna we stayed at Nayara Springs & Nayara Tented Camp .  Wow – this property is just out of this World. This ticked off so many boxes for us. The property is nestled in the rain forest close to Arenal Volcano, and sustainability is its main vision! There are only 16 Adult Only Bungalows in the Springs.  Walking through this property you encounter many animals including sloths hanging out up high in the Guarumo trees in the sloth sanctuary, tropical birds of all species, nighttime frog hikes. You can walk, catch the shuttle, or Uber into La Fortuna town to taste regional dishes and mix with the locals.

The menu at Nayara Springs is farm to fork with a variety of options. They serve breakfast on your very own sanctuary patio, if you wish. There are hot springs right on the property, and bridges and paths to explore the surroundings. The sounds of nature surround you and photos really don’t do it justice. The staff is amazing with lots of local knowledge. Some parts of the resort are away from the main reception area and you just need to call for a golf cart and it’s there in a jiffy.

 

Last year Nayara completed an expansion to add on the Nayara Tented Camp section –

21 luxury tents; 12 of them will be mirror image tents linked to create a spectacular two-bedroom unit that can accommodate two couples or a couple and four children. The most exciting part of the camp are the private tents; set high on the hill and with spectacular views of the Arenal Volcano, the luxury air-conditioned tents feature a signature plunge pool.  If you’re going to go big – Go HERE !!

Our last stop was in Manuel Antonio back at the beach – we so enjoyed this at the end of our journey which had been quite active, especially at the last stop. This is truly the beach in the Rain Forest! On our way, we visited one of the national park areas and went on a Crocodile safari boat tour – this was phenomenal and we saw so much wildlife there.

We stayed at Arenas Del Mar at the beach. They set the property in its natural environment and you can see iguana’s, monkeys, exotic birds, and crabs everywhere. In fact, the monkeys were hilarious 🙂 they are so used to people; they like to jump onto your balcony and help themselves to sugar packets and any other stuff that piques their interest.

Next time, we’ll highlight the delicious Costa Rican food and drinks as it will take up a whole blog post of its own!  Our exclusive Costa Rica partner Costa Rican Trails put this trip together for us at the last minute and graciously hosted our group.  We can’t thank them enough and we can’t wait to send our clients their way as we know they will be in the very best hands. Muchas Gracias Costa Rican Trails.