Costa Rica on the road

“Pura Vida!” – Typical Costa Rican expression

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Itinerary (15 days on the road)
• Day 0: Arrival in San Josè
• Day 1: Tortuguero National Park
• Day 2: Tortuguero National Park
• Day 3: Arenal Volcano National Park
• Day 4: Arenal Volcano National Park
• Day 5: Tenorio Volcano National Park
• Day 6: Rincon de la Vieja National Park
• Day 7: Nicoya Peninsula- Playa El Coco and Playa Flamingo
• Day 8: Nicoya Peninsula – Playa Conchal and Playa Tamarindo
• Day 9: Carara National Park
• Day 10: Manuel Antonio National Park
• Days 11-12: Nauyaca Falls and Marino Ballena National Park
• Day 13: Los Quetzales National Park
• Days 14-15: Irazu Volcano National Park and flight back
• Conclusions

Introduction

Two words that represent a way of life, more than just a wish. “Pura vida!” You hear it constantly repeated by every person who comes to you. Do you thank someone because they gave you information? “Pura vida!” Do they bring you food? “Pura vida!” Do you ask if you can park your car in front of the nearby store? “Pura vida!” They might answer you that way even if you address them a random insult in Venetian dialect, but thinking about it there is no real reason why they shouldn’t. Someone referred to Costa Rica as the happiest nation in the world, and honestly from what I’ve seen I’ve had that feeling too, although the people don’t exactly live in total luxury and ease. Or perhaps, going deeper, that is exactly why.

On my trip to Costa Rica, I was accompanied by a couple of dear friends, with whom I built an on-the-road itinerary that allowed us to overlook first the Caribbean Sea and then the Pacific Ocean in few days, while visiting 6 of the 23 volcanoes of the country, which is the size of Piedmont and Lombardy aggregated, and feeling on our skin all the degrees of humidity resulting from the 15 different microclimates generated by the variety of ecosystems. The best time to visit Costa Rica corresponds to our winter, until late April, the month we chose. However, as a kind lady told me when I asked her what the weather was like at that time, in Costa Rica “nunca se sabe” (you never know).

To visit Costa Rica you only need a passport with residual validity of at least 6 months, a visa is obtained free of charge locally.

Itinerary (15 days on the road)

For our on-the-road trip, we made use of an old 4×4 car rented locally, which allowed us to cope best with the various roads, all of which were well rutted. Below is a recap of the various stops:

Day	Itinerary	Notes
0	arrival in San Josè in the evening	Flight MAD-SJC, night in San Josè
1	transfer Tortuguero, Tortuguero NP	Night in Tortuguero Park
2	Tortuguero NP	Night in Tortuguero Park
3	transfer volcano Arenal, Arenal NP	Night in Arenal
4	Arenal NP	Night in Arenal
5	Tenorio NP	Night in Tenorio
6	Rincon de la Vieja NP	Night in Rincon de La Vieja
7	Playa El Coco	Night in Playa Conchal
8	Playa Conchal, Playa Flamingo	Night in Tamarindo
9	Carara NP	Night in Jacò
10	Manuel Antonio NP	Night in Manuel Antonio
11	Marino Ballena NP	Night in Marino Ballena
12	Marino Ballena NP	Night in Los Quetzales
13	Los Quetzales NP	Night in Los Quetzales
14	Irazu NP	Flight SJC-MAD
15	arrival in Italy	–

Day 0: Arrival in San Josè

My trip starts from Stuttgart airport (it’s my Germanic period) without any particular anxiety, as the flight includes a very convenient stopover in Madrid of about 23 hours, which allows me to get out of the airport and visit the Spanish capital, killing two birds with one stone, as they say. But that is another story. From Madrid I leave on a long flight to Panama, where there is another stopover for a couple of hours before the final flight to San Jose. During the flight to Panama I delight in observing the little islands as we fly over the Caribbean, which I find very picturesque.

I meet my friends directly in San Jose, it is already late midnight (which for my physique corresponds to 7 a.m., given the 7-hour time difference with Germany), so we head without thinking too much to our hotel in San Jose, to rest and prepare for the beginning of our adventure.

Day 1: Tortuguero National Park

We wake up quietly but not too quietly; we have already cunningly disposed of the time difference by arriving exhausted the night before, so we are fresh and combative. After refreshing with a good breakfast of egg omelet and fresh local fruit, we pick up our rental car, stop by to buy food and a local SIM card, and make our way to La Pavona, where the port from which boats leave for Tortuguero National Park is located. “Port” is actually a big word, but I don’t know how to properly translate the term ”embarcadero.” We arrive there after about 3 hours, park the car (which will stay there for free for the next two days) and board one of the small boats heading to the park, which we reach in about half an hour.

The first impact with the park is devastating because of the humidity, which probably has a rate of 150 percent, something I have never seen. I remember seriously thinking that if the weather was the same at the destinations planned for the next few days, I would not survive. Fortunately there is a beach near our lodging, and we are on the Caribbean Sea! It is unfortunate, however, that we cannot swim, due to the very strong current and the massive presence of sharks, which tend to come right up to the shore. A fantastic combination that suddenly increases my ability to withstand the heat. The beach, however, is nice, with dense vegetation, although the colors of the Caribbean are not visible in the slightest.

We use our remaining time to book the next day’s two excursions and decide to return to the beach towards evening to take advantage of the refreshing breeze, however we are called back by a local guy who warns us that around the approaching time the beach is often occupied by jaguars, as they need to cool off as well. We then end our day with some typical food and a walk around the island.

Day 2: Tortuguero National Park

We get up (little rested because of the oppressive humidity) early in the morning, as the excursion starts at 6 a.m. It is a guided excursion on a small boat, with which we reach the highlights of the park. It is quite hot, but we have to be careful not to get caught up in putting our hand in the water to cool off, since we risk it becoming a meal for the crocodiles. Otherwise, all is absolutely safe. Speaking of crocodiles, shortly after getting on the boat, we spot a beautiful caiman a few meters away from us with her young cubs, a very cute scene.

We continue the tour, which will last about 3-4 hours in total, immersed in the park’s lush vegetation and diverse wildlife.

A second hike awaits us in the afternoon, consisting of a strictly guided walk inside the forest. The hike is not particularly exciting; we see a giant tortoise in the distance, but little else. And I don’t know if that is good or bad, since that is the place where the aforementioned jaguars usually spend the day. We then retreat to the base, to spend our second and final night soaking in the humidity.

Day 3: Arenal Volcano National Park

We get up very early to say goodbye to Tortuguero, where we saw everything but turtles, to catch the first boat to La Pavona. Once on the mainland, we head to Arenal Volcano National Park, after taking our car back. We arrive at the park in about 3 1/2 hours by road and immediately start exploring the various trails, after dropping our luggage at the hotel. We start with the easiest ones, since we only have the afternoon left.

The trails are not particularly compelling, but we do manage to see a small pond nearby, as well as an excellent glimpse of the volcano, while we take the opportunity to sip our first excellent batidos of fresh fruit. We end the day with some relaxation at an easily accessible natural hot springs of sorts.

We leave the flab for the next day, in which we decide to go first to the lake formed in the crater of a small volcano next to Arenal, and then to La Fortuna Falls.

Day 4: Arenal Volcano National Park

The path to the crater, besides being difficult and strenuous, is also illegal, due to some sections that are considered particularly dangerous. Nonetheless, we decide to venture out, with a promise to ourselves that we would turn back in case we detected any kind of risk on the way. In the end it took us most of the day between outward and return, actually encountering only one risky section, to cross which one had to essentially roll over a tree trunk, being careful not to slip to avoid falling into a small cliff, but helping each other it was nothing complicated, nor was it too compelling. What made it more complicated, however, was the rain, which began to fall heavily as soon as we reached the lake, so we began the descent without having a chance to rest. The crater however is a nice place, the path nothing special, but we see some beautiful plants.

Once back, we close our visit to Arenal Park with the La Fortuna waterfall, which we reach via a short path. The waterfall has a drop of about 30 meters and the water is abundant.

Finally, we end the day with an excellent ceviche.

Day 5: Tenorio Volcano National Park

We depart unhurriedly after a good breakfast and reach Tenorio Volcano National Park after an hour and a half drive. The main attraction of the park is the Rio Celeste Falls, so called because of the bluish color the river takes on, thanks to the reflection of light on the metals deposited on the bottom. The path to get there is not unmissable, in our case partly because the rain makes the path a slush. However, the falls are really beautiful, and the deep blue color can be glimpsed despite the fact that it is not a sunny day.

Between the round trip it takes us a short time, so we take the opportunity to refresh and drink some coconut milk, kindly offered by a guy outside the park. We finally return to the hotel in no hurry as early as late afternoon.

Day 6: Rincon de la Vieja National Park

We depart fairly early from Tenorio Volcano, arriving at Rincon de la Vieja Park after a couple of hours on the road. We thus begin to approach on the Pacific side of the country and finally leave the rain behind. We immediately begin to explore the park with the trail leading to a beautiful waterfall, not very high but with very clear colors. The trail is very picturesque, with very special vegetation and several monkeys keeping us company along the way.

We relax sitting by the waterfall for an hour or so and resume our tour of the park by heading to the fumarole area, which we reach via another short trail. The fumaroles are not very large, but they give off a strong heat and the bubbles are absolutely eye-catching. The surrounding landscape is also very special, both in terms of vegetation, with completely different colors from those on the previous trail, and in terms of fauna, given the concentration of iguanas and lizards of various species.

We finish our visit in a few hours, at that point all we have to do is head to our bnb.

Day 7: Nicoya Peninsula- Playa El Coco and Playa Flamingo

Finally some sea, we are looking forward to two relaxing days immersed in the beaches of the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific side. This is my first time seeing the Pacific Ocean, my expectations are high. We start with one of the most famous beaches, namely Playa El Coco, you can imagine why it is called that. It is a fairly wide expanse of sand with lush vegetation. The water is crystal clear, however the colors of the sea are definitely below expectations. We stay there for the first part of the day anyway.

After our lunch break, we visit Playa Flamingo, a beach not far from Playa El Coco, which we sneak in through a resort. There is no one on the beach, if you don’t count the different species of iguanas motionless in the sun. Again, the colors are not special, but the beach has the charm of an isolated place in the middle of nowhere. We stay here until sunset and then head to our bnb.

Day 8: Nicoya Peninsula – Playa Conchal and Playa Tamarindo

The day is devoted to Playa Conchal, where we stay most of the day, and Playa Tamarindo, which we visit in the afternoon. Playa Conchal is very distinctive, with lots of shells blending in among the fine sand. We also catch a glimpse of some postcard colors, but still without excitement. Also on this beach there are definitely more iguanas than people.

In the afternoon, as mentioned, we visit Playa Tamarindo, another beach that I would describe as unremarkable. The vegetation is not particularly eye-catching and the colors do not provide excitement. The beach is supposed to be frequented by surfers, but we see not even a shadow of them. We wonder if we are actually in the wrong place, but the answer is no, which is witnessed by the natives to whom we address our doubts.

We return to the hotel after dark, and as we read a sign according to which traveling is a matter of courage and not vile money, we also realize that we have been targeted by ticks. This is the first time this has happened to us, so we don’t know what to do about it, therefore we ask if there was some kind of medical attention from a lady at the hotel. Nevertheless, she gives us a nasty look and tells us that we can handle it ourselves by pulling them out with our hands, because it’s not like a snake bite. All in safety, we finally followed her suggestion and are still alive.

Day 9: Carara National Park

Today’s tour involves a total drive of about 4 hours, from the Nicoya Peninsula we move in fact to Jacó, still staying on the Pacific coast of the country. Before arriving in Jacó we decide to visit Carara Park, so named because of the presence of scarlet macaws. A few kilometers before arriving at the park we stop at the Crocodile bridge, a bridge overlooking a river populated by countless numbers of crocodiles. The view is really wow!

The visit to Carara is short, partly because there is only one marked trail that can be walked in less than an hour, and partly because the grueling humidity does not entice us to stay too long inside the park. Of scarlet macaws we actually only manage to catch a glimpse of one in passing, in return we see a few poisonous amphibians, but otherwise the park did not seem so unmissable.

We arrive in the late afternoon in Jacó, a town that I would certainly not include among the places to visit at least once before you die, which we tour without trying too hard before returning to the hotel.

Day 10: Manuel Antonio National Park

We dedeicate the entire day to visiting Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the most popular and touristy in the country, which we reach in a little over an hour’s drive from Jacó. The park is quite small, there are few easily passable trails, but some of the views are truly remarkable. One of the many (likely unreliable) rankings found on the web mentions one of the beaches in the park as the most beautiful in the world. The beaches are indeed beautiful, probably the ones I have enjoyed most in Costa Rica, but honestly I have seen more exciting ones around Italy as well as the rest of the world. On the beach it is easy to run into families of raccoons trying to steal food from tourists, as well as monkeys that eat mostly rotten fruit because it helps them get drunk (no joke!). The rest of the park in general is noteworthy, we also see a few sloths and cute helpless snakes resting on small twigs.

The visit takes up as mentioned the whole day, so there is not much time left to do anything else once you leave the park.

Days 11-12: Nauyaca Falls and Marino Ballena National Park

The next two days are dedicated to relaxing on the beach, choosing Punta Uva beach in Marino Ballena National Park, so named because its most distinctive spot (which includes the mentioned beach) is shaped like a whale tail, which is also visible from Google Maps. Before arriving at the park, which can be reached in just over an hour’s drive from Manuel Antonio Park, we stop to visit the Nauyaca Falls, which can be easily reached by taking a short trail (one hour a/r). The falls are very impressive and definitely worth the visit.

We then reach Punta Uva beach, also listed in various rankings as one of the most beautiful in the world, with a few minutes drive from the falls. It is a beach with typically tropical lush vegetation, very long and with lots of palm trees. The special feature of the beach is the whale tail tongue of sand that disappears and reappears according to the tide, which suggests to me some funny shots in the guise of Moses parting the waters. On the beach you can see the scarlet macaws well, unlike at Carara Park. The water is very clear, the colors are not amazing, but on the other hand the landscape provides a great backdrop for the sunset.

The surroundings of the park are also quite remarkable. Very particular are the crabs, there are lots of them and they have very unusual colors. We also see quite a few near our bungalow, which moreover has a spectacular view of the sea.

We repeat more or less the same experience the next day as well, unlike in our original plan. In fact, we were supposed to reach Corcovado National Park, but due to a small problem that I will not mention, we ended up realizing that we were too tight on time, so it all came to nothing. Not too bad, also because the weather conditions were not too favorable. We then arrived in the evening at the gates of Los Quetzales National Park.

Day 13: Los Quetzales National Park

The park’s name comes from the Quetzal, a type of colorful bird characteristic of the area. During our visit we don’t actually see any, but on the other hand we do manage to catch a glimpse of a toucan in the distance. In general the park does not have much to add to what we have already seen, but since we are passing through it is worth a tour, not least because the visit does not last very long. In fact, there are no particularly intense trails; let’s say it is more of a nature walk. We then devote the afternoon to writing and mailing a few postcards, as well as doing a minimum of shopping of various kinds.

Days 14-15: Irazu Volcano National Park and flight back

Our last day in Costa Rica has arrived. Before boarding the first of our return flights, we close our itinerary with a visit to the craters of the Irazu volcano, located at an altitude of almost 3500 meters, which we reach comfortably by car. Visiting the craters is rather quick, just walking the short path that allows us to see them quite closely, as close as possible. A very large first crater can be seen from a close distance, another, which houses a beautiful pond, a little further away. Here, too, we find many tender raccoons trying to grab our food.

We try to stall for a while by taking a path escorted by our watchful eyes, but we give up fairly quickly because of the fatigue we were undergoing, probably due to the altitude reached abruptly from sea level. We then reach the San Jose airport directly for our return flight after an hour’s drive.

Conclusions

It was quite an intense trip, in which I had the opportunity to visit a variety of attractions, from volcanoes to Pacific beaches, passing through waterfalls and forests, and accompanied by colorful wildlife, as well as always helpful and smiling people. In terms of scenery, it is not the most beautiful country I have ever visited, but it is certainly among the most distinctive in terms of variety of attractions. The parks in general are very atmospheric and not very touristy (at least at the time of my trip). With regard to the beaches, on the other hand, I must say that I did not find the postcard colors I expected. If I had to choose the podium of attractions, I would say:

1. Rincon de la Vieja National Park
2. Manuel Antonio National Park
3. Rio Celeste Falls

They say that in recent years Costa Rica has become a rather expensive destination, for us the overall cost was significantly less than other trips we have taken, although not at the levels of poorer countries. We slept in moderately spartan but decent places, sometimes spending even less than 10€ a night for a triple room, and even for food we had good meals with little budget.

As a good traveler, what I certainly think one should treasure is that “Pura Vida!” that one hears echoing from everywhere, because perhaps, after all, Gibran was right when he said that the happiest people are not necessarily those who have the best of everything, but those who make the best of what they have.