Costa Rica’s highlands were magical but after a few days, the Pacific Ocean was Calling.
We headed south from Orosi along the Pan-American Highway. This section of the highway reaches over 10,000′ in elevation before winding its way down to San Isidro de el General as Jim & I dreamed of continuing south to complete our journey started several years ago. Instead, we took a hard right and headed towards the Pacific Ocean.
While I adore beach life, during our trip to Costa Rica my favorite spot may have been our quest to keep cool in the Orosi Valley.
When we were researching our trip to Costa Rica we knew we wanted to get deep into the mangrove jungle and see some wildlife while enjoying a few lazy days, and Tortuguero Village fit the bill.
After experiencing the taxi/bus/bus/boat route we eagerly arrived at the village, threw our backpacks on, and followed the host of other travelers into town from the dock. We didn’t have far to go as Tortuguero is a tiny, swampy town in the country’s Northeast. Sitting on a slender peninsula between the Caribbean Sea and the canal we traveled on, we took in the friendly scene while walking to our guesthouse, a host of local dogs trailing along.
Continue readingThe ONE wildlife species I really wanted to see in Costa Rica was a sloth. I thought, how hard can it be? They literally move slower than molasses so it seemed as though they’d be easy to spot. I was wrong.
If a stop in Tortuguero is on your Costa Rica itinerary, and it should be, one of the first questions will be where to stay. Our choice was the delightful Casa Pelican.
Although there are dozens of lodging options both in and around town, we think your best bet to truly immerse yourself in the culture is to choose one of the centrally located guest houses available. You can stay in a standard bland hotel anywhere…on a tropical holiday why not venture on the local side?
Continue readingWe adore the flowers of the tropics, and the floral beauty in Costa Rica is extraordinary. Although I love flowers and gardens, I admit to being mostly ignorant of the names and details but am more than happy to take endless photos.
Enjoy this display of some of the glories of the country.
Read more: Floral Beauty in Costa RicaEven in urban San Jose, it was possible to find brilliance around every corner.
The stunning displays only got better as we headed west to the Caribbean. As we slowly worked our way through the mangrove swamps teeming with life, the colorful tropical vegetation was on display.
In Tortuguero Village, my traveling crew became frustrated with my slow pace but I couldn’t resist stopping often in awe of the natural beauty surrounding me.
One photo even captured an unexpected, and I’m told, non-venomous friend.
After we left the coast and headed into the hills to Orisi Valley the floral display remained vibrant with different varietals and our stop at the Lankester Botanical Gardens was one of many highlights of our time in the country.
During our winding road towards the coast, this time the Pacific, the visual display continued.
Costa Rica is well worth a visit for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is nature on display around every bend.
Continue readingWe have to be honest, San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital, didn’t win our hearts but did lend itself to some intriguing photos. We did appreciate the pleasant climate combined with the color and vitality that is so evident in Latin American cultures. It’s easy enough to make a list of things to see and do in San Jose but we’re going to simply share our favorite moments in photos to inspire you to head to this stunning country and find your own magic.
Costa Rica was a country we, quite frankly, hadn’t been that excited to visit. Oh yes, we’d heard all about the lush jungles filled with exotic wildlife, but it seemed too clean, too touristy, too “ex-pat”. Well, having just returned, here is a quick photo Costa Rica preview depicting a snapshot of our two weeks roaming from the capital city to the jungles of the Caribbean coast, an untouristed small town high in the central hills, and finally the ultra-touristy Pacific.
Recently we’ve been feeling in a bit of a funk. With a long and busy high season behind us life had slowed down at work but we were finding ourselves spending every weekend with errands, doctor’s appointments, and the like and began to fully realize how errant we were in not planning a fall vacation. With Costa Rica still two months away…an eternity when in a funk, and fall weather turning to winter my mood was grim.
Although we’ve traveled to Puerto Vallarta dozens of times and called the city home for a bit in 2016 until the last trip we’d never taken advantage of one of the very popular walking food tours put on by Vallarta Food Tours. I wish we hadn’t taken so long! What a great few hours with new friends wandering and eating our way through several neighborhoods.
After a light breakfast of street tamales, we headed to nearby Lazaro Cardenas Park at 1030am to meet our group. Our fearless leader was Joana, a native of Puerto Vallarta. We all chatted as we headed to our first stop for breakfast tacos. Yes, for everyone not familiar with truly authentic Mexican cuisine, breakfast tacos are a thing!
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