Pura Vida in Costa Rica

Photos taken in Arenal and at the Manuel Antonio National Park

Costa Rica was in all aspects a great adventure from the beginning as our taxi driver curved around mountains on the slick road in extremely dense fog. My dresses barely came out of my suitcase because we were always either hiking, swimming, sunbathing, or exploring.  During our week stay my boyfriend and I stayed in three places while we were there: Arenal, Manuel Antonio, and San Jose.  We chose to stay in Arenal and Manuel Antonio because they both offered unique experiences.  Arenal is located in the north-west part of Costa Rica, and features the massive Arenal volcano and hot springs.  We stayed in a hotel with different hot springs, which was beyond relaxing. We went white water rafting in Arenal, and it was a blast, but not for the faint of heart (I have permanent scars on my knees to remember this day).  Manuel Antonio, on the other hand,  is in the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, and offers a national park full of beaches and animals.  Most of the animals we saw were in the national park, though we did discover three different types of monkey groups behind our hotel, and bats flew around at night by the pool area.  We also did what everyone says you must do if you are ever in Costa Rica, and that is zip-line!  We zipped on a thin cable through the forest of the national park, and it was a thrill, without the weary feeling of vertigo thanks to the dense trees .

The whole country is packed with wildlife and if you stay there for long enough you will see enough animals to feel as if you were living in a zoo.  The people were kind, and the food, such as their typical dish the casado (meaning married man), was delicious and very filling.  For anyone who is scared to go during their rainy season, which is from May to mid-November, don't be! We went towards the end of July, and though it rained on most days we were there, it was mostly in the night with some sporadic showers in the day.  It didn't rain on any of the days we did our excursions, and when we went to the Manuel Antonio National Park.  It was foggy in Arenal, and I thought we weren't going to be able to see the tip of the volcano in the three days we were there, but on our last morning, while having breakfast the fog cleared and the majestic volcano revealed itself with enough time for everyone to snap some photos. 

This trip is definitely on the top of my list of best vacations, and I would go back in a heartbeat.