Everyone says this place is all about "Pura Vida" but if I'm being honest I didn't hear anyone actually use that phrase the whole time I was there. I guess I didn't get the full experience. That didn't stop me from having a great time though!
San Jose
Avienda Central- This is a really nice walking street in downtown San Jose
National Theater with Plaza de la Cultura right in front- This is arguably the most beautiful section of Avienda Central
La Sabana Park- This HUGE park used to be the airport so you will notice all the trees are very young and small.
Museum of Costa Rican Art- The old terminal building for the airport now houses the Museum of Costa Rican Art. It's well worth visiting if you're interested in art. While I was there, they had an Exhibition on Erotic art- This came as a surprise to me, as I'm the type that does NO research before visiting museums. I like finding exhibitions like this at reputable museums though, and I think it speaks volumes about the open-mindedness of the people that live in the region.
My favorite work from the permanent collection (By Roberto Cabrera- Sin Titulo/Untitled [Reina/Queen]) followed by works from the Exotic Art Exhibition I saw
Parque de Francia- A small park in a nice part of town. It's the Most Vegan hipster park ever, especially nice in the evenings when everyone comes out to relax and hangout on the grass.
Street Art San Jose
San Jose had a fairly decent street art scene! These three elephants wound up being my favorite mural, cute and simple!! However, there were a LOT of other contenders!
Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio National Park- This is a place with rich biodiversity. Flora and fauna! The forest is just adjacent to the beach, allowing you to experience the best of both worlds in the same day.
All these are taken inside of Manuel Antonio National Park
Canopy
Viewpoint
Beach Inside the park
The small waterfall at the end of a relatively long trail
Snorkeling Manuel Antonio- Playa Biesanz is where I heard was the best. Know that snorkeling opportunities exist, however I didn't bother because it had been raining hard the day before I arrived and the water was really murky. I heard that this is the norm after any rains due to the kind of soil here.
Playa Espladilla- This is the large beach just outside of the national park. Significantly fewer animals are here than just steps away inside the park.
Playa Espadilla
Animals of Manuel Antonio
Sloths- these you'll see in the evenings on power lines, just look for a group of tourists all looking up (as pictured below) The people here will definitely alert you to any sloth in the vicinity, so you won't miss them!
Howler Monkeys- There are a TON of monkeys in the area, especially Inside the National Park!
Deer- I saw deer but didn't get close enough to get a good photo
Racoons- These guys were on the beach stealing stuff. Watch out!
Iguanas- There's quite a few of these guys around
La Fortuna
La Fortuna is an adrenaline destination, with Ziplining, Canyoning, Rafting, rope swings and more on offer
Fortuna Park- This is a Nice Central Park in the town- a lot of people just hangout here, eat icecreams, and enjoy life. It's the center of town and where many events are hosted- when I was there they put on a fireworks show! On a clear day, the Arenal Volcano would be directly behind this church from this point of view.
Arenal Volcano- This Volcano is huge and very symmetrical. It can theoretically be seen from the town, but sadly during my visit it never came into view
Chollin Hot Springs (The free one) What I remember most was all the Fireflies here at night! - This hot springs is actually just in the river. Completely natural. I opted to take the free transportation to the SkyTrek Zipline and have them drop me off at Chollin Hot Springs. I wound up walking up to the hotel nearby and having them take me back into town, which wasn't exactly cheap (about $20) but worth it considering I got to combine the two things into one outing. I would recommend bringing water and snacks because it's a place you'll want to stay a while. As it got dark, a lot of groups of people drinking beer arrived.
Baldi Hot Springs- This is a proper resort hot springs with a huge hot waterfall (artificial) but it's still fun to lay under and let the hot water massage your body.
La Fortuna Waterfall- A little bit overdeveloped in my opinion, Swimming was unfortunately completely prohibited the day I visited due to strong currents from all the rain. It was raining heavy when I went so there was actually two waterfalls, which was a nice surprise. I liked the cafe in the park, it was a great respite in the rain!
SkyTrek Zipline- If you like Ziplining, then this is a beautiful place to do it, overlooking the lake and with views towards the Arenal Volcano. The Zip line zigs and zags across the valley below, with multiple platforms where you switch lines. It was my first time ever on a Zipline and while it was a good day, in all honestly, I just didn't like being on the zipline that much. If I went back, I would opt for one of the walks that they offer via bridges through the forest.
Foodie Tip: La Hormiga in La Fortuna
Completo in Soda La Hormiga- Typical Costa Rican food! Needless to say, I'll be back!
Somewhere between La Fortuna and San Jose
This little town with lumpy bushes and a pretty church caught my eye.......
Where I stayed
I stayed at the Selina Hostels throughout Costa Rica. They are a great value and really some of the nicest hostels in the world... if you like to stay at hostels that is!
I also had a great experience with someone that I met on Couchsurfing in San Jose. He took good care of me and made sure that I had an awesome night out on my birthday! Thank you forever!
Security Check
Departing from San Jose's International Airport, The check-in security at the airport asked me "What was your favorite part of Costa Rica?" to which I replied, "The people!"
What I'll be back for
Tortuguero National Park- I REALLY want to see the turtles laying eggs and hatching from them
Green turtles-Â July to mid-October (peaking from August to September)
Leatherback sea turtles- February to June (peaking from March to April)
Comments