A girl in Costa Rica - White water rafting

Another item on our "must do" list in Costa Rica was river rafting. We signed up with Wave Expeditions for the tour and highly recommend it. The outfitter has an office conveniently located in La Fortuna.

There were roughly 12 of us in the group total, not including the tour guides so it still felt small and personal. We were picked up from our hotel in a nice, clean van and driven the short 1/2 hour or so to the Bolsa River. Apparently, the white water tour is dependent on when the dam flood gates are opened each day, which was a bit surprising to us, but nonetheless, made for good rafting.

Our group of 12 was split up into 2 and we were all provided with all the necessary safety gear - helmet, floatation vest, paddle - and were also given a thorough run-through of the various safety drills as well as rafting instructions.

It was such a thrill going down the river. We even saw a sloth (our first and only sighting in Costa Rica) while paddling. There are also lots of wild life and flora to gaze at when you're not battling the river and trying not to fall in, of course!

Wave Expeditions was a standout outfitter for several reasons, including:

• Provided us with a tasty, mid-rafting fruit break - fresh pineapple and watermelon taste great after an hour or so of rafting.

• After we finished rafting, we were taken to Casona el Rancho, a preserved farmhouse where husband and wife owners, Milton and Elieth were committing to running the farmhouse the way it had always been run - without electricity and with minimal environmental impact. It was such a great experience to not only learn about their work in safeguarding a piece of Costa Rican tradition but to also enjoy their beautiful property, flush with beautiful birds, plants and trees. We were treated to a very tasty lunch and invited to sample their special homemade wine and molasses. 

They even demonstrated how they use the traditional ox/bull method for squeezing sugar cane, which they then convert into brown sugar/molasses.

This cheeky little goat seemed to really want its picture taken, so I had to oblige.

A girl in Costa Rica - ziplining adventure

After our one-night stay in the Arenal Observatory Lodge, we drove a few miles away to where we'd be spending the next few nights: the Los Lagos resort. What the Los Lagos lacked in terms of seclusion and a sense of being cocooned in nature, which the Arenal Lodge had in spades, it made up for in terms of its convenient proximity to the La Fortuna city, and its own unique appeal.

The property is known for its hot springs, with water corralled from underground into a variety of man-made pools with ranging temperatures to suit your preference. Our room was in a standalone bungalow that houses two separate guest rooms and which backs up to the forest. The room was also halfway up a steep hill which made for a great calf and butt work out after a few days!

Zip lining was a convenient stroll from our room to the on-site zip lining outfitter. While the various zip lining/canopy outfitters claim theirs is the fastest, tallest, etc., it's hard to tell. All I know is the Los Canones zip lining tour was great. There are 8 different platforms with sweeping views of the forest from the top of the canopy. We loved it. Here's a view from the treetops with the zip line extending through the center:

Other highlights of staying at Los Lagos:

• You're surrounded by wildlife. On the property alone, we saw (and heard) howler monkeys in the trees outside our room, were joined for meals by large, skittish lizards and iguanas.

• The property also has a butterfly garden, crocodile farm, ant farm and frog farm. The word "farm" is used loosely to describe the single crocodile pen, small frog enclosure and somewhat sparse ant farm. However, we loved the butterfly garden; it was quite magical to be surrounded by so many butterflies and hummingbirds.

 

• Complimentary breakfast buffet was good; we ate at the restaurant several times during our stay as well and the food was tasty.
• Whether you're traveling with kids or are simply a kid at heart, you should go down the pool slide. There are three, and while the larger one looks tame, it does catch you by surprise. First you're thinking, "eh, no big deal." The next thing you know, you're slipping and sliding around curves and twists through tunnels only to emerge - suddenly - straight into the pool. Remember to hold your breath!

A girl in Costa Rica - volcanoes & waterfalls

Our long awaited trip to Costa Rica finally arrived and I was so excited! Our itinerary was pretty jammed packed with: zip lining, canyoneering, hiking, white water rafting, surfing, beach bumming, shopping and more!

We split our time between the Arenal Volcano/La Fortuna area and the Papagayo (Guanacaste region) on the Pacific Coast. If we had the opportunity to stay longer, I would have loved to visit both the Caribbean coast and the Manuel Antonio area.

We picked up our trusty rental 4x4 Daihatsu "BeGo" - we laughed at first too, but it served us well to the end - from the San Jose airport area and made the trek to La Fortuna. We took the opportunity to stop in Sarchi, known as a little handicraft sort of town.

 Picture of a large painted ox cart - quintessentially Costa Rica. You can easily pick up (smaller) ox cart souvenirs to bring home.

The drive from the airport with a stop in Sarchi to La Fortuna took about 4 hours. We had some difficulty with getting out of the San Jose area, which was partially due to a GPS unit that wasn't providing clear directions and somewhat confusing turnabouts and the chaotic traffic. Once out of the city limits, however, driving around Costa Rica was much simpler. Take note that many of the roads are one-lane highways or small, dirt or unpaved roads. A 4-wheel drive car is definitely recommended.

Driving up to La Fortuna, Arenal volcano looms large on the horizon.

The volcano is dormant and in speaking to those who lived there, hasn't had any lava flow in a number of years. It's still great to gaze at however, especially when it's top is slightly fog covered.

We spent our first night at the Arenal Observatory Lodge, the closest accommodations to the volcano. Note: it's a little bit of a trek on an unpaved (read: teeth chattering in our little 4WD vehicle) road on the turn-off to get to the Arenal Observatory Lodge. However, it was well worth it. We were treated to a great view of the volcano from our balcony. Other highlights of the property:

• Tasty, complimentary breakfast every morning
• Great hiking trails on the property itself -- we explored the old volcano trail, which leads you through verdant forests to a little lazy river. There's also a waterfall trail and a trail to a hanging bridge. Additionally, the staff lead free, early morning hiking trips most days.
• Wonderful pool area, with infinity pool surrounded by the forest. You can swim to the sounds of beautiful song birds.

Can you ask for a more relaxing spot? On the opposite side of the forests is a view of, you guessed it, Arenal Volcano.

Spied a turkey during our explorations around the Observatory Lodge.

Beautiful tropical plants on the property

Waterfall at the end of the waterfall trail