ROAD TRIPPING COSTA RICA: SURF, SLOTHS AND YOGA
amazing !!!
We emerged from the plane onto the tarmac at Juan Santamaria International Airport bleary eyed after travelling since 6am that morning. The warming Costa Rican sun was a welcome arrival as we headed toward the terminal to have our official entry stamped onto the pages of our passports and then embark on 3 weeks of road tripping Costa Rica.
The Pacific Coast
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Our first week was going to be spent exploring the Pacific Coast with stop number one being a town called Quepos, right by the famous Manuel Antonio National Park. We set off from the airport at around 4pm and arrived just after sunset to the little room we'd rented on AirBnB and promptly crashed out. In the morning we rose early and sat on the balcony amidst the rainforest as the sun rose and the birds started tweeting, very, very loudly. Our host had told us that apparently there was a sloth living in the trees opposite our room which naturally increased my eagerness to get out of bed to begin the hunt which was met with a somewhat less enthusiastic grunt from my better half. All in all a pretty great start to our first day.
Tamarindo - Tamarindo is great place to learn to surf where waves aren't too big but still fun. Rent a board for 24 hours for $10 from Banana Surf School (average price for the area) and teach yourself or ask for a class and they'll teach you all the basics! Eat at Green Papaya for delicious Mexican-style food, La Bodega for very good value sandwiches, juices and incredible brownies or pay a visit to Cafe Tico for an afternoon iced latte and a homemade cake!
Adventure Activities
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If you're slightly more adventurous at heart to be satisfied by surfing and sunbathing then the central region of Costa Rica, just north of San Jose, is where you'll find a breadth of acitivities for you to take part in. Monteverde, La Fortuna, the Arenal Volcano and Lake, Volcano Poas and Rio Celeste are five of the main destinations for adventure seekers.
The Caribbean Coast
Tortuguero is translated to mean ‘Land of the Turtles' so I'm sure you can guess exactly what the attraction to this area is! It's only worth a trip if it's turtle season because it's infamous for the turtles coming onto the beach to lay eggs, so if it's not the right time (you can check online) then it's potentially not worth the trip to get there as the area is only accessible via plane or boat. The area is stunningly beautiful however the unique attraction is the turtles so double check before making a booking!