Costa Rica Travel Stories:
Jungle, Surf & Pura Vida
4 Weeks of beaches, waterfalls, volcanos, and sloths
Landing in San Jose
Sanaz, moments after landing in San José, Costa Rica. From there, we found a bus and made our way to Playa Hermosa on the Pacific coast — still not quite sure where we’d sleep that night.
Playa Hermosa
Learning about the local flora & fauna
Near Playa Hermosa, we visited Carara National Park, where a guide helped us spot the rainforest’s hidden life — from iguanas and sloths to the strange, unforgettable roar of howler monkeys echoing through the trees.
La Fortuna & Mount Arenal
We stayed in town and explored the lush landscape around the old volcano, where jungle, hot springs, and misty mountain views made the whole area feel alive.
Río Tabacón
Near La Fortuna, we slipped into a hot river after dark — not a pool, not a small spring, but an entire river warmed by the earth beneath it.
In places, the water was wide, steaming, and surreal, with volcanic mud along the banks that people used as a natural face treatment.
A little wild, a little strange, and completely unforgettable.
A Rainforest Swim Below the Volcano
Near the base of Arenal, we hiked through the rainforest to a small waterfall — likely Catarata Danta — where the trail ended in a quiet pool cool enough to swim in.
After the heat and humidity of the jungle, slipping into that water felt like finding a hidden reward.
Tortuguero - A Carribbean Gem
Tortuguero felt like the edge of the world — a car-free Caribbean village reached by narrow river boat, surrounded by rain, jungle, caimans, monkeys, and mystery. We left before sunrise for the Pacific, only to have Costa Rica give us one final wake-up call: a hand-sized spider on the back of my neck.
Montezuma - Nicoya Peninsula, Pacific side
After 16 hours crossing Costa Rica from the Caribbean to the Pacific — by golf cart, water taxi, buses, ferry, and foot — we finally reached Montezuma, a small beach town on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. We stayed for a few days, rested, slowed down, and celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary in the place where the trip finally exhaled.
Santa Teresa - Surf & Sunsets
Santa Teresa became one of our favourite places of all time. We spent Christmas, New Year’s, and a couple of slow weeks there — eating at beachside restaurants, watching the town drift to the sand each evening, and joining hundreds of people clapping as the sun disappeared into the Pacific. It felt laid-back, peaceful, safe, and alive in the best way — the kind of place that quietly makes you think that you could easily call it home.