Costa Rica is a very beautiful (small) country, here it is all about the amazing nature of central america. There is something for everyone, whether you are into surfing or relaxing over the sands, whether you are into the adventure or gazing in the skies. You will always have something to enjoy.
The people here are kind and always smiling, may be it has to do with the relaxing atmosphere of the country "Pura Vida".
The main language of course is the spanish and all "ticos" speak it but you can find that the younger generation are learning and practicing english now better than before.
The people here are kind and always smiling, may be it has to do with the relaxing atmosphere of the country "Pura Vida".
The main language of course is the spanish and all "ticos" speak it but you can find that the younger generation are learning and practicing english now better than before.
The country has two coasts, one on the Caribbean sea and the other is on the Pacific ocean, we have been to the Pacific side twice and enjoyed every bit of it.
Pacific Coast
Our first time there we stayed at a small hotel which was just OK it was on Flamingo beach, the view was amazing, and of course if you are lucky and the weather is sunny, you can bet you will have a very nice tan :)
The sunset on the ocean is just AMAZING, no word can describe it, you can just spend a lot of time watching without looking anywhere else till the sun dives down the ocean.
The next time we visited this place, we came back after 2 years with our little angel and we decided to go to the Westin resort at playa Conchal; it is a great place with a huge pool. The beach is a bit different and the color of the water is so beautiful (again you will be lucky to enjoy it without clouds).
I totally recommend this resort for families, kids will enjoy the pool and the beach, they also offer a lot of activities inside and outside the hotel; you can go surfing, cycling, jet skiing or you can join them in their indoor activities like the water aerobics, volleyball, yoga classes, coffee tasting, cooking classes ...... etc.
It is an all inclusive resort with amazing restaurants, whatever restaurant you choose be sure it will be perfect.
P.S. the drive to the volcano could get a bit rough as you go up the mountain, and it could get very foggy so better be careful and start your trip early in the day light.
My favorite hotel in Costa Rica is the one we stayed at when we went to see the volcano; Nayara hotel
It is a luxury hotel, it is very big; has a beautiful lake full of fish, the rooms have the best Arenal volcano views, the service is amazing and last but not least; you can treat yourself to a relaxing massage or "volcanic mud" body wrap at the spa ;)
Activities:
You can plan your activities ahead or you can ask the hotel to arrange them for you; there are a lot of things to do and see over there, among which are:
1- La Fortuna waterfall
2- The Volcano hike
3-The longest Zip-line
4- Horse riding
5- Enjoy the afternoon in a hot spring
It is better to hire a guide to take you through the park as they come with their telescopes to show you all sorts of birds and animals even if they are hiding up in the trees.
When you are on the beach, try to be cautious as the monkeys there would jump around you and try to grab whatever you have in your bags, they specially go for the food :)
The sunset on the ocean is just AMAZING, no word can describe it, you can just spend a lot of time watching without looking anywhere else till the sun dives down the ocean.
The next time we visited this place, we came back after 2 years with our little angel and we decided to go to the Westin resort at playa Conchal; it is a great place with a huge pool. The beach is a bit different and the color of the water is so beautiful (again you will be lucky to enjoy it without clouds).
I totally recommend this resort for families, kids will enjoy the pool and the beach, they also offer a lot of activities inside and outside the hotel; you can go surfing, cycling, jet skiing or you can join them in their indoor activities like the water aerobics, volleyball, yoga classes, coffee tasting, cooking classes ...... etc.
It is an all inclusive resort with amazing restaurants, whatever restaurant you choose be sure it will be perfect.
Arenal Volcano
No trip to Costa Rica will be complete without a trip to the Arenal volcano, this was the country's most active volcano for the last 43 years, now (thankfully) in a resting phase. |
| View of the Volcano from our room |
My favorite hotel in Costa Rica is the one we stayed at when we went to see the volcano; Nayara hotel
It is a luxury hotel, it is very big; has a beautiful lake full of fish, the rooms have the best Arenal volcano views, the service is amazing and last but not least; you can treat yourself to a relaxing massage or "volcanic mud" body wrap at the spa ;)
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| Fish pond in the resort garden |
Activities:
You can plan your activities ahead or you can ask the hotel to arrange them for you; there are a lot of things to do and see over there, among which are:
1- La Fortuna waterfall
2- The Volcano hike
3-The longest Zip-line
4- Horse riding
5- Enjoy the afternoon in a hot spring
Manuel Antonio National Park
The most beautiful national park, it is located on the pacific coast of Costa Rica. Try to visit early in the morning as it always starts raining around 11 am.It is better to hire a guide to take you through the park as they come with their telescopes to show you all sorts of birds and animals even if they are hiding up in the trees.
When you are on the beach, try to be cautious as the monkeys there would jump around you and try to grab whatever you have in your bags, they specially go for the food :)
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| View from our hotel main restaurant |
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| Manual Antonio beach |
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| Monkey running after steeling crackers |
San Jose
If you are going to stay in San Jose for a while, you can spend some time sightseeing here as well, don't expect too much though :)
Poas Volcano
This is an active stratovolcano, if you have some time in San Jose, you can drive for about an hour and a half to see this volcano and to enjoy the national park, the only thing is; you have to go early in the morning (about 9:30-10 am) to be able to see anything as it gets very cloudy there and chances are you won't be able to see anything....
That's actually one thing I hate about Costa Rica, the weather is so unpredictable that no matter how you plan and plan you can still be surprised how the weather would change and dramatically affects your visit or tour. It all depends on luck I guess :)
Downtown and around San Jose
There are few things worth seeing here in downtown, I will list some of which here:
- La Sabana Park
- The National Museum
- Avenida Escazu (perfect for dinner or lunch)
- Children museum
Shopping Areas:
There are 2 major shopping malls here in San Jose:-
- Multiplaza mall
- Paseo de las flores
- Walmart
- Auto Mercado
- Price Smart
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