Costa Rica

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Before we embarked on our two month trip, we tested the waters to see how well we traveled together.

Costa Rica was our first soiree into Central America. Home to approximately 5 million people spread out over 19,00 sq. miles, this country is as rich in culture as it is in natural climates. From beautiful sandy beaches on either coast to lush rain forests, our vacation quickly centered on spending as much time outside as possible.

While this country may seem small in size, exploring the entire country can take weeks or even months. With infrastructure that leaves something to be desired (making it a bit difficult to travel from one region to another), we chose to spend half our time exploring the rain forested area in La Fortuna and then drive 3 hours out to beaches on the western coast.

And for us, trying to spend 100% of our trip outside, meant only one thing. Adventure activities (sorry mom!). In a week, we managed to pack in sky boarding, canyoning, zip lining, white water rafting and snorkeling (with a few naps thrown in here and there for good measure).

Favorite part of the trip:

Matt: Sky boarding near the Arenal volcano
Erin: Canyoning in the rainforest



Where we stayed:

  • Tabacon Thermal Resort

    • This resort was absolutely incredible. Recommended by Dad & Susan, they suggested that we stay in a resort that had access to thermal baths. 10/10 would recommend.

  • Los Suenos Ocean & Golf Resort

    • In the small town of Jaco, this resort was a great way to relax and spend some time at the beach. Located in a sleepy cove on the west coast, it had a good mix of restaurants and a range of activities that could be booked through the hotel.

What we did:

  • Sky boarding with Costa Rica Sky Adventures.

    • If it wasn’t clear prior to this activity who the more athletic sibling was in the family, it was quickly cleared up. Sky boarding was one of the most exhilarating activities we did on this trip. In a short 30 minutes, Matt managed to complete double dolphin dives and back flip through the air.

  • Canyoning with Volcano Lake Adventures

    • Repelling down waterfalls under canopies of the rain forest was a once in a life thrill. Thankfully we made it through all in one piece.

  • Zip lining with Volcano Lake Adventures

    • 14 zip lines, a Tarzan swing and a super man zip line later (pictured above), we can safely say we experienced flying through the clouds at top speeds.

  • White water rafting with Volcano Lake Adventures

    • Our rafting trip was a great way to see and learn more about the wildlife in the La Fortuna region.

  • Snorkeling

Where we ate:

  • Ave del Paraíso

  • 18 & Greene

  • Laterna