Arenal Volcano and Hot Springs

Arenal was our first stop after flying into San Jose. We stayed at Hotel Nayara, which was a beautiful all-inclusive resort. We were there 3 days, but the Arenal volcano was in the clouds the entire time we were there, so we never did see the top.

Additionally, through the hotel we booked a tour of the hot springs, which included dinner. They included a large network of pools and waterfalls, which are fed from the hot springs. Also, there was a bar where you were able to get drinks.

Monteverde Cloud Forest

Monteverde is known as a “cloud forest”, which is a tropical rainforest in the mountains. Also, we stayed at the Rustic Lodge, which now goes by the name Sibu Lodge, which made for a good home base to get around.

In the area, we did a zipline tour with Selvatura. We had never been ziplining before, but it was amazing and beautiful. I have gone ziplining a few places since in the US, but it is a lot more fun in my opinion, when you are up in the canopy of the trees (as opposed to a metal structure).

We also hired a guide to tour the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. The guide brought a spotting scope to check out some of the native birds.

Lastly, we toured the Don Juan Coffee farm nearby. When we were there, they were in the process of becoming organic certified, which requires 7 years of organic farming practices. Additionally, all of Costa Rica grows Arabica beans as it is not permitted to grow Robusta (so that Costa Rica is recognized for the coffee quality). We even got to meet Don Juan himself.

Nicoya Penisula

We stayed in Santa Teresa Beach and went to Montezuma one day. Additionally, we took a ferry from Puntarenas over to the Nicoya peninsula.

 The beaches are nice, but so are all the beaches in Costa Rica. I think Nicoya would be a great destination for those looking to spend a week and get away from everything. However, it was just a bit too much time, even using the ferry, and effort to get there for only a few days.

Manuel Antonio National Park

We love Manuel Antonio! We stayed at a VRBO property while in the area.

The biggest hiccup was that we realized while driving in that the park was closed the next day when we planned to be there. So we made a quick detour to check it out for the last couple of hours that day before they closed. In just two hours walking up the main trail and back, we saw a sloth and numerous monkeys. I really wished we had more time in the park, so just check ahead of time as to which days they are open.

Manuel Antonio isn’t just the national park. They also have a nice beach (Espadilla Beach) and numerous dining options. A popular spot is “El Avion“, which is a restaurant built on an old airplane. Additionally, it has some nice ocean views.

Lastly, we did an ATV tour near Manuel Antonio. It included stops to view waterfalls, go swimming and see some local sights.

Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park

Corcovado National Park is located in the Osa peninsula. Additionally, it is a bit harder to get to so the most common way to arrive is by plane from San Jose. We stayed with Aguila de Osa, which is an Eco-Resort. Additionally, the price includes all meals and activities. We stayed 4 nights there.

The first day, we did a snorkeling tour. My wife had never been snorkeling, but we had a great time. We also were able to see whales as part of the tour. The second day, we did a hiking tour. Our guide led us back in the rainforest where we saw sloths and numerous species of monkeys.

On the third day, we spent some time using the hotels kayaks to paddle around the waterways. We also took the night tour offered by “the bug lady“. I’m guessing that it varies as to what you end up seeing. However, we were able to see the red-eyed green frog, a snake, bats, trap-door spiders and net-casting spiders. It was really an interesting tour and well worth doing even if you aren’t a fan of bugs.

Just hanging around the hotel and eating dinner with the other guests was fun. Most of the people staying there were also on their honeymoons. The monkeys were a frequent sight and you could often hear them running across your roof. Unfortunately, I did not bring my better camera so I didn’t get great pictures, but the monkeys would peer over the edge of the roof. It was like they were watching you.