We’re back and better than ever! Today I’m taking you guys to one of my favorite places ever… Costa Rica!
When you think of Costa Rica, the first thing that may come to your head may be their beaches. You’re not wrong — their beaches are amazing. I’m more of a tropical beach person myself, however, my favorite place in Costa Rica is their rainforest.
That being said, we’re starting off in La Fortuna. La Fortuna is a small town, but it is located at the center of geological wonders. This includes the Arenal Volcano.
The Arenal Volcano is an active (but resting stage) volcano, surrounded by hot springs at its base. Most resorts in the area are close enough to the volcano to have the hot springs in their resort — usually connected to their pools. Although Costa Rica is warm enough without pool heaters, these natural hot springs were amazing to experience. It was quite surprising to feel how hot these springs could actually make the pool water… there were times when I had to take a break because I was sweating in the pool!
Aside from the breathtaking views, La Fortuna hosts a plethora of
hiking opportunities. Along the hiking trails, there are even opportunities to
walk the hanging bridges and zip-line across peaks. My family decided to take on an adventurous challenge and took a day to rappel down waterfalls, cliff jump, and white water raft. To this day, I greatly cherish these memories as it is something I’ve never
experienced before. Rappelling down the side of a cliff with a mere rope tied around my waist brought on a weird thrill. These experiences were magnified due to the wildlife that flourishes here. From tropical flowers to sloths and iguanas, I guarantee there is much to see.
If you’re still missing the water while in the rainforest, you can journeydown to the Catarata Fortuna (La Fortuna Waterfall). This beautiful waterfall requires a hike down 500 steps, but it is all worth it! Make sure you bring your camera and a swim suit — after the short hike you’re gonna want to go swimming in this cool water.
I’m not sure if the hot springs had spoiled me, but the water at this waterfall was quite chilly compared to everything else! Nevertheless, it was beautiful and definitely a must… just watch your knees as you navigate through the slippery stairs to get there!
Now that we’ve got the activities in La Fortuna covered, lets tackle the food aspect! Personally, I loved the unique cuisine they served — especially the Gallo Pinto.
Costa Rica is known for their coffee. With numerous plantations throughout La Fortuna, coffee beans are one of their major exports. Capitalizing on their world-famous coffee, it is very easy to find a coffee shop to regroup in. My favorite coffee shop was located right near there plantation. Sitting by the window, you had the view of a beautiful plantation with the Arenal Volcano in the background… it sounds surreal.
Along with their coffee, you can’t miss their chocolate-covered coffee beans! They’re a real treat — and even make for a thoughtful souvenir for friends:)
You’ve now spent ~a day in the life~ in La Fortuna, Costa Rica. Hope you enjoyed!
Ooo, the forests look like such fun between the hiking, climbing, zip-lining, etc. I think I would stay away from the beach. I enjoy swimming, but sand has this way of getting where it shouldn’t be. The chocolate sounds great though. Costa Rica sounds like a place for relaxing. I think I just realized that most of the trips I’ve taken haven’t been the rest and relaxation sort. After Covid calms down, I think I need to give it a shot, haha!
I almost ended up visiting Costa Rica before COVID cancelled all travel plans 🙁 – it looks amazing! I’m super jealous :D. Between the lush jungle and animal life it seems totally awesome. Did you know Costa Rica has the greatest concentration of biodiversity in the world! I really hope I get to visit sometime, your post has made it even more appealing than it already was.
I always thought of Costa Rica as a nice place with beaches. I had no idea that there was so much! As someone who doesn’t prefer beaches, this sounds like the ideal vacation with so many options. I can imagine myself relaxing near the waterfall. The coffee sounds great too! As an addict, I’m very tempted to hop on a plane right now and get some!
Taking a trip to Costa Rica sounds amazing! My favorite part of your trip is the Arenal Volcano. I think that visiting a volcano up close and personal would be a thrilling experience. The hot springs at the Arenal Volcano seem like luxurious jacuzzies that are worth some exploration too! I would also love to try Costa Rican coffee freshly harvested from the plantations. I wonder how the taste would compare to the usual coffee drinks I splurge on… I guess I should plan a trip to Costa Rica to find out! I’m glad you had a great time at Costa Rica and I hope to one day visit the island myself!