Back to Costa Rica 2012

Guanacaste

This August, my parents, 2 friends and I went to the Guanacaste region on Costa Rica, which is farther North on the Pacific Coast than Manuel Antonio, where we stayed in 2009. The Guanacaste region of Costa Rica is the most visited, yet one of the least populated areas. The North Pacific Coast also has an abundance of marine life, especially around the Isla Santa Catalina area, Playas del Coco and Playa Ocotal. We ended up staying in the Playa Flamingo area, more specifically, Playa Potrero. This time, instead of staying at a hotel, we opted to rent a house. We stayed at this townhouse, which was gorgeous, but had it’s downfalls.

As you may know, Costa Rica is FILLED with bugs and other small creatures roaming around. It is hard to avoid in the jungle but there was an abundance of fire ants and lizards in the house. OK, so we only saw about 3 lizards. There was also a scorpion situation. Fire Ants are hard to avoid. All food has to be put away because they WILL find it. Fire ants look like regular ants except bigger and when they bite you, they burn your skin. The best thing you can do to prevent bug bites is use a strong spray that has DEET in it. I made the mistake of using a spray without DEET on my first visit to Costa Rica and got bitten up. Also, I don’t know if this is typical in the area, but we could not blast the AC, have all the lights on, TV on, etc. at the same time, or everything would shut off and we would have to go switch the breaker. Obviously we were not happy with this, considering the amount paid for the townhouse, but after a couple nights the problem was amended.

View from the lower balcony

View from the pool

View from the upper balcony

Infinity pool

We rented a Hyundai Tuscon SUV with a GPS which helped us to get around town and find local destinations easily. Even though we felt like we were in the middle of nature, there was an abundance of things nearby. Specifically, a few small restaurants and little bodegas. The first night we ate at a little place up the road called Sol Y Mar, not to be confused with the Sol Y Mar in Playa Flamingo. It was a tiny little place with maybe 5 tables. Like most other small restaurants in the area it was open air with a stray animal or two roaming around. I ordered the sea bass and it was delicious. It is very rare to have bad seafood in Costa Rica. My parents and friends enjoyed their meals as well.

Sol Y Mar

On the plan for the first day was surfing lessons. After searching for a good surfing school, I chose Toes to the Nose. Harlan, our surf instructor, picked us up at our house and took us out to Playa Grande, which is a very popular surfing spot. Learning to surf was something I’ve always wanted to do. I didn’t get nervous until the last second, when I realized what we were about to do. The beach was relatively quiet since it was August (the rainy season). The surfboards we used were HUGE and very heavy to carry. We practiced on the sand how to paddle and stand on the board and the proper footing. Then it was time to hit the water. Harlan held on to our boards and told us when to start paddling and ride the wave in. The hardest part of riding a wave is standing up on the board. I was surprised that I was actually able to stand up a few times while riding the wave in. I loved surfing but it is extremely exhausting. My friend and I were wiped out after being in the water for 2 hours. I would only recommend this for people in good or decent shape. Also expect to be left with some bruising on your knees, but that is customary.

Destination of the Week: Costa Rica

The destination of the week is Costa Rica. Partly because I am going there in June and partly because it is just awesome. Costa Rica is located in Central America, and although it covers just 0.1% of the planet’s land mass, it is home to around  of the world’s biodiversity. Basically, if you love nature, Costa Rica is the place to go. The country consists of twenty six national parks spread across the country. Costa Rica is home to many rain forests and tropical dry forests that contain an assortment of birds, monkeys, lizards, snakes, sloths, butterflies, and frogs. Tourists travel here to see some of the rarest wildlife on the planet including Scarlet Macaws, Morpho butterflies, Leatherback turtles, and the tiny Central American squirrel monkey. Many people take canopy tours where they zipline across the forest for incredible views of the jungle beneath them.

Manuel Antonio National Park

Things to see and do in Costa Rica

• Witness active volcanoes such as the Volcan Arenal and Irazu erupt daily. The Northern Lowlands and the Volcan Arenal are considered to be one of the most spectacular regions in the country and one of Costa Rica’s hottest tourist destinations. The Arenal Volcano is one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world and spews molten rocks and ash from its summit on a daily basis. The Irazu Volcano National Park is one of the most frequented parks in Costa Rica. It is home to the Irazu volcano, which is the largest and highest active volcano in Costa Rica and stands at around 11,260 feet. A major attraction of the Irazu Volcano National Park is the Diego de la Haya crater that has a 300 meter green-colored lake in the center of it.
• Go surfing. Costa Rica is known as a top surfing destination. The beaches are clean and rarely crowded. Over the years, Costa Rica has become a favorite surfer hangout, especially for those who want to take on some of the most challenging waves in the world. Costa Rica has warm water year round and over 50 famous surf breaks along its shoreline.
• See Manuel Antonio National Park. Manuel Antonio Park is the most popular national park in Costa Rica as well as the most visited park in the country. The park is home to a large variety of birds and wildlife and has some of the best beaches in the entire country. These beaches offer many water sport activities and are lined with lush green forestation. Swimming conditions on some of the beaches in the park are fantastic, which makes them perfect for snorkeling. Manuel Antonio National Park consists of four beaches; The Espadilla Sur, the Playita, the Manuel Antonio, and the Escondido. Manuel Antonio is the prettiest of all the beaches with white sand and an amazing offshore coral reef. In the park you can see sloths, iguanas, peccaries, armadillos, coatimundis, and scarlet macaws. However, the most popular animals here are the monkeys. The park is also the home of about 350 species of birds as well as a number of lizards and other insects.

The Irazu Volcano

Surfer in Tamarindo