Sarah WallockHola Céntrale America: Costa Rica
For my honeymoon, my husband and I spent 9 days in Costa Rica. From our home base in Colorado, we headed to Denver International and flew to San Jose, Costa Rica. After massive delays, we were finally on our way. We booked an airport hotel to meet our travel group before we’d travel onwards to La Fortuna and Lake Arenal. After a quick 2-hour sleep, we traveled north by bus and saw the grey cityscapes get replaced by lush green hills. Throughout the trip, we biked stunning rides through the countryside supported by my employer, Backroads and spotted incredible wildlife along the way.
Nayara Gardens & Lake Arenal
After our first ride, we checked into Nayara Gardens, a stunning property with views of the volcano and private casitas. The food was excellent. The design was inspiring. And the nature was amazing. I will 100% try to make it back to this world-class property. Also, the team went above and beyond to acknowledge our honeymoon. The staff were super friendly and warm and very patient with my Spanish. As someone with dietary restrictions, it is always a big green flag for me when food is clearly labeled. The breakfast buffet was out of this world.
Biking in Costa Rica
We spent 4 days on our bikes, out of 9 days in Costa Rica total, and 2 of the other days were our travel days. We signed up for a biking trip with my employer, a partially-sponsored trip from my work benefits, to finally celebrate our honeymoon! Now that I got the privilege to travel slower through this beautiful country, I can’t imagine not seeing it by bike! I loved pedaling for around 20 miles a day and seeing a place at a slow pace. The routes were impressive, filled with lush canopies of trees and spontaneous visits from toucans and sloths. And of course, mid-ride stops for coconut water, piña and patacones. Yum yum!
We biked along smooth roads to Lake Arenal and to daily lunches. We rode in a loop around pastoral lands and green plots, through small towns of smiling neighbors and farmers. Watch out for that bird!
When we weren’t riding, we attended a cooking class at a woman’s house and her family’s cooking was delicious. This was a major highlight of the trip! Check it out here and be sure to go meet her if you make it to Costa Rica. She even offered me to move in with her for a month to practice my Spanish! “Vive conmigo durante un mes y tu español será mucho mejor.” Walking around her farm was so much fun.
The following day, after our morning bike ride, we rested at a hot springs for a soak, Ecotheramles, and nibbled at the restaurant onsite. In the evening, Nick and I went to Luna, the Asian restaurant at Nayara and loved the experience.
Botanika & the Osa Peninsula
We flew down to Puerto Jimenez in a small plane with Sansa Air and checked into Botanika, before riding up the coast to a fantastic property on the beach. From this beautiful cove of volcanic sands, we finally dunked in the Pacific and enjoyed the warm waters of Costa Rica. We sailed across the Golfo Dulce, an internationally famed sport fishing locale, back to our hotel for the night. Some of the highlights of Botanika included the pool that rested below all wild fauna and the eco-inspired chic design of their main restaurant. The following day, we joined up with BioSur to hike in a stunning rainforest nature reserve.
After the rest of our travel group left, Nick and I spent a day of honeymoon relaxation at Botanika, got massages and wandered to the mangrove beach. We saw adorable squirrel monkeys going about their daily lives on this walk. Out of our 9 days, this day seeing monkeys in Costa Rica was super special!
For both lunch and dinner, to keep things simple, we walked out to the pool bar. I snacked on ceviche both days, made with tuna caught each morning. We ascended above the bar to a more private area for dinner, overlooking the green canopy of trees and allowing the noise of the chanting NFL fans below to fade into the distance. I ordered a falafel bowl with plantains and Nick had the quesadilla, both of which were very tasty and hit the spot.
Mangrove Kayaking
On our final full day in Costa Rica, we were visited by a white-faced capuchin monkey at breakfast, while sipping our coffees con leche de almendras, nibbling on bistec y huevos and washing it all down with mango smoothies. Around midday, we headed down to the beach to kayak through the mangroves. It was very tranquil to see the area by water. It was interesting to hear a brief history of tourism in the area, Puerto Jimenez, from our kayak guide and how locals always give a warm welcome to expats and the expansion of ecotourism in the region.
Tourism brings jobs to our community.
Pura Vida Costa Rica
Finally, we took another hopper flight from Puerto back to San Jose, and onwards home. All in all, I would highly recommended Costa Rica for nature lovers, outdoorsy travelers and photographers. And if I do say so myself, it is the PERFECT honeymoon or wedding anniversary destination for adventurers! Each sight is filled with new delights and the nature filled me with awe and wonder. The people are as warm as can be and the magic is indescribable.
Un poquito español goes a long way.
