Costa Rica

Traveling to Costa Rica was a wonderful adventure and I’d like to share the places we stayed, attractions we went to, food we ate, and things to consider before booking your trip!

Car Rental:

We decided to rent a car since there are only a couple main roads in Costa Rica, and some of the attractions were a good distance from where we would be staying. Costa Rica does have buses that the locals use, but there is a lot of walking between stops and no sidewalks on the winding roads.

We booked our car through Avis- which caused some slight issues once we arrived. Keep in mind that the estimate that Avis provides on their site may not include the cost of insurance if that is something you pursue. Also, there is a holding fee until the car is returned as well. This was not noted on our online estimate when we booked the car. I recommend investigating several car service websites before booking and to ask about any hidden fees.

As far as the driving conditions are concerned, most of the roads are extremely curved and there are not a ton of railings to prevent you from free falling off the edge of a cliff.

There is a balance between paved roads and dirt roads, with no shortage of potholes.

Timing was key when planning our drives, since around 3-4pm every day the fog would roll in with blinding intensity. Be mindful of distance and time when planning any excursions. Costa Rica is scarce in street lights as well.

It’s important to have a map or navigation system, but not to solely rely on what the GPS says either. There were a couple times where our GPS in Google Maps instructed us to drive either into oncoming traffic, or on a route that did not exist at all.

Lodging:

The first place we stayed is called Tiquicia Lodge. It is family owned in Vara Blanca, and close to La Paz Waterfall Gardens and La Poas Volcano. The property itself was stunning. There were flowers and hummingbirds all over. There is a scenic walkway at the back of the property alongside a beautiful river. They have a volleyball net and miniature golf, as well as a restaurant and spa attached to the lodge as well. The family was super informative and helpful in booking our trip to La Paz and with any general questions we had.

The room itself was very spacious and covered in beautiful wood. Two of the four walls were almost completely window, with a wonderful jungle view. Included in the room were two beds, a bathroom, and small dining area.

One amenity that was missing was a thermostat. In Costa Rica it is common for their housing to be without A/C or heating units. Your clothes will likely feel damp unless you’re staying in a hotel with these amenities.

The second place we stayed at was a jungle tree house in Monteverde. Our host’s name was Edwin, and he was super attentive and even assisted in removing a spider on our ceiling. The treehouse was a bit smaller than our place in Vara Blanca, but had a kitchenette and TV. The walls consisted mainly of windows again, and the room had a bed and a bathroom as well. There were several gazebo-like structures around the property to hang in hammocks and watch the hummingbirds go by. There was a completely separate lodge for casual lounging as well, where we actually viewed seven small monkeys climbing in the trees. The front yard had a bonfire pit, banana trees, and hanging lights for ambiance.

Volcanos:

One of Nature’s Wonders that I wanted to check off my list was to see a volcano. Costa Rica has several sites where this is possible. The first place we went to was the Poás Volcanic Crater. The park itself is quite small, but the views and atmosphere were absolutely worth it. The crater was front and center in all its glory. The neon blue acidic pool was the focal point of the volcano. As the clouds came and went, it was awesome to see how the color would change.

After viewing the crater, there is a marked walking path through the jungle to get to the lagoon. The lagoon used to be another volcano that is no longer active and the water has lost many of its acidic properties. It is a quaint teak pool, surrounded by forest.

Continuing on the walkway towards the parking lot, the path becomes covered with greenery. There were many signs along the way, pointing out certain plants and their history or characteristics. It was great exercise and the air felt so clean.

2. The second volcano we went to was the Arenal Volcano in Monteverde. Just the drive to the hiking park was astonishing. Seeing the volcano in the distance, partially obscured by fog, gave it an eerie and looming presence. We had planned to go to the government park, but on the way, actually ended up at a privately owned park with two hiking trails.

The hiking paths consisted of lava rock, from the last eruption in the 1960’s. I highly recommend wearing hiking boots when trekking on such rocky ground. There were several viewpoints to stop at along the path, and a few designated rocks to rest on and take in the scenery.

There comes a point where you can decide whether to head back to the parking lot, or to continue on to the lake, which is a significantly longer hike. If you decide to head back, there is a wonderful café with even better views of the volcano and the landscape around us. We grabbed a couple popsicles and a beer, and were able to lounge for a while and cool off.

Hiking Trails at the private Arenal Volcano park

View of the Arenal Volcano from the café.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens:

My sister and I agree that La Paz Waterfall Gardens was our favorite attraction while we were in Costa Rica. The park consists of much wildlife, fern garden pathways, and many waterfalls. They have a café and lunch buffet available as well. It was only $53 per person and we spent all day there.

The zoo portion of the park consisted of sanctuaries for local birds, butterflies, monkeys, sloths, snakes, and jaguars. We arrived right as they opened and were able to see all of the creatures without interruption from other visitors. The butterfly gardens and jaguars were my personal favorites. Both were an up-close experience with two very different beings.

The fern garden pathway was an unexpected surprise and my favorite hike of our trip. Moss covers every aspect of the walking path, and you feel like you’re in the middle of the rainforest. There are small waterfalls within, and you are surrounded by trees and vines. The pathway consisted of steps, bridges, and bricks, all covered in luscious green. The only sound is the rushing water and bugs hidden in the brush.

The waterfall portion of the park is actually tucked away, past the jaguar exhibit. It takes several staircases to get to them, but it is so worth it. The first viewpoint starts you right in front of the largest waterfall in the park. The wooden walkway is mapped out perfectly so you can get up-close access, as well as views from a distance if you prefer to stay a bit drier. There are five falls in total, all leading to the same river below.

At the end of the pathway, you will come to a cute gift shop. The clerk gave us candy samples and we were able to pick up a couple souvenirs- guava, passionfruit, and orange flavored chocolate! At the back of the shop, a shuttle will collect you and take you back to the entrance of the park.

Even just sitting at the café in the La Paz Waterfall Gardens Park was incredibly peaceful. We spent about an hour just watching the fog roll in and out in waves. At times it was a complete white-out, while at others the fog loomed in the background, slowly making its approach. Time-lapse videos are recommended!

Waterfalls

Fern Garden Trail at La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Monteverde Cloud Forest:

I ended up enjoying the cloud forest more for the exercise than for the actual scenery and wildlife. There is an option for a guided tour, which may have been more beneficial than us touring on our own. The guides knew what to look out for, and carried around equipment to view wildlife high up in the trees.

There are several route options, but many are connected so if you miss one, don’t worry. I recommend wearing a rain jacket and hiking boots for this park as well, since the ground was slightly softer and the one pathway was mostly small brick steps that wound up and down many times. It can be quite misty as well, and the fog has a way of obscuring viewpoints at times.

The peace of the jungle was my favorite quality. Being able to listen to the rain between the trees was a nice change. It’s a vision to see so many varying species of plants all growing in the same space, and surviving the jungle ecosystem.

Overall, I did enjoy the hike and workout I got while at this park, but it was not the most memorable part of my trip.

Rescate Wildlife Rescue:

My sister and I were lucky to be able to squeeze in a visit to Rescate Wildlife Rescue on our way to the airport. The rescue is focused on wildlife protection and rehabilitation. Rescate takes in injured or sick animals and rehabilitates them in hopes of releasing them back into the wild. While we were checking in, a man was actually dropping off an injured owl to be taken care of at the facility. The center promotes education and teaches ways to respect native Costa Rican wildlife. One being to leave the animals be, instead of trying to feed them or take photos with them.

Unfortunately, we did get rained out while we were here and only saw half of the park. The half that we did see consisted of toucans, owls, crocodiles, turtles, and sloths…. The individual habitats mimicked what the animals would experience in the wild. Each exhibit had plaques of information about each species, with a picture so you knew what to look for.

Exploring Locally:

In Vara Blanca it was a little more difficult to be able to walk around and explore the local neighborhoods simply due to the location of our lodge. Monteverde was a different story because it is a well known tourist town and where a lot of guided tours and excursions are booked.

Monteverde has a lot to offer in terms of restaurants, shopping, and attractions. There are several cafes and locally owned places to eat at and enjoy different types of cuisine. Tourist shops line the downtown area to purchase souvenirs and clothing items as well. Monteverde also has butterfly and orchid gardens to visit in your down time, as well as horseback riding.

To do the orchid gardens, you must do a 45-minute tour with a guide- so if you’re looking to venture on your own and just take some pictures, this is not the place. We actually did not make it to the butterfly gardens, but heard wonderful things about it. You just have to arrive early since they close at 3pm.

The city consisted of centers to book other tours outside of Monteverde as well, including boat tours to other towns, and sky tram tickets. One of the cafés also provided coffee plantation tours to see how their beans are harvested and roasted.

Eating:

Due to all of the hiking and outdoor exploring, I highly recommend finding a local grocery store and stocking up on bottled water and snacks. We ended up eating out only a few times because we were always on the go.

While staying in Vara Blanca, we drove about an hour south to a town called Heridia for dinner. My sister had looked up this place called El Tigre Vestido online and saw it had great reviews. The restaurant was all open and had beautiful views while we sat on the deck. There is a separate parking lot across the street for convenience as well.

The food was delicious and I tried a dish that was completely new to me. It consisted of Yuca mash, fried plantain chips, and croquettes. It was comforting and the gravy added a wonderful warmth and flavor. I wish we had ordered a few small plates to try more of the local cuisine, given this was the only place we ate out at while staying in Vara Blanca.

In Monteverde the food options were endless. We ended up eating at the same local restaurant two nights in a row called Gustico’s. My first meal was a grilled veggie wrap with seasoned potato fries and sweet plantains. It definitely hit the spot and was the healthy kick I needed. The second night I got a bean and rice bowl with plantain chips and fried cheese. It was filling and had a hint of spice.

We also ended up eating at a place called Choco Café, which again was healthy and reasonable. We both ordered salads with sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, cheese, and fresh green lettuce. The food was fresh and flavorful.

Café Orquideas was the last place we went to eat in Monteverde for breakfast. Their acai bowl and fresh fruit with granola were refreshing and filling for the day. My sister also ordered a fresh pour over coffee, which was the perfect balance between bitter and sweet.

I highly recommending grabbing a cup of the local coffee while in Costa Rica. My sister and I enjoyed several cups from local and chain coffee shops. We actually stopped at Starbucks on our drive a few times near Vara Blanca. They offer a coffee tour on site, as well as spectacular waterfall views. It is the first coffee farm Starbucks has had, and the pour over did not disappoint. There was also a little stand in Monteverde that offered frappes and frozen coffee beverages, as well as cloud coffee. This consisted of ice cream, milk, caramel or chocolate, and espresso. Quite the dessert beverage!

Things I did not expect:

1. There is no A/C or heating in most lodges unless you are staying at a hotel or inclusive resort

2. Every day around 3-4pm in August it gets super foggy and will most likely rain

3. The roads are super curvy, have no railings, and there are a ton of potholes- MAKE SURE YOU GET CAR INSURANCE

4. Spiders

Hope this helps you prepare for your journey, or with your consideration to visit Costa Rica!