This time I wanted a different trip. I’m an adrenaline
junkie so I knew I’d have to find some adventurous activities, but I was also
looking to relax since work has been quite stressful lately.
Tickets
I don’t like Twitter, but I do have an account to monitor
flight deals. I got a roundtrip ticket on Delta for $256 so it was a spontaneous,
yet easy decision to make the purchase. I found it by following @TheFlightDeal
What Cities to Visit (and why)
I’d always heard about the Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna and
I knew this was my chance to finally go. I decided to spend 2 days there for
adventurous activities and 3 days on the beach to relax. Initially, I booked a hotel
in the Jaco Beach area for the second part of the trip since it was close to
San Jose, but then I realized that the Caribbean side would be much better
during the rainy season. I ended switching to Puerto Viejo at the last minute.
Although the weather channel called for torrential downpours all over the
country, there was really just a shower each day that lasted for about an hour.
I loved La Fortuna. There is so much to do and the only
thing that would have made the trip better was a longer stay. The city is not
as touristy as one might imagine. You are definitely among the locals
everywhere you go.
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| Arenal Volcano |
I was pleasantly surprised by Puerto Viejo and its Caribbean
roots. Learning a bit of history along the way, this city provided a chance for
us enjoy the trip and not stand out so much as travelers of color. Another
bonus was the opportunity to learn a lot about Limon and Puerto Viejo’s
Afro-Latino culture. The food in this area was amazing and almost every dish
had a hint of island spice to it. It was more touristy than La Fortuna, but I guess you can expect that from a beach town.
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| Seaside in Puerto Viejo |
Transportation
We (by we I mean I sat in the passenger’s seat) drove! A few
people made me nervous, but after looking up a ton of blogs and Tripadvisor, I
realized it would be the most affordable and possibly the most fun option. Keep
in mind that driving in NYC was great preparation for this drive and it’s not
for the timid folks out there. It was definitely scary a couple of times
because there are often people, no make that entire families, just chillin' in
the middle of the road or walking with along the side with no flashlights or
reflectors. It was really nice to be on our own schedule and if we had it to do
over, we’d probably drive again. I would highly recommend driving only during
the day because the roads can get a little windy, especially from San Jose to
the La Fortuna area. I rented from Budget at the San Jose airport.
**BIG TIP**
Set the GPS when you have wifi before you hit the road and it will continue, even without wifi, for the duration of your trip. Just make sure you pay attention because it won't reroute.
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| We stopped a few times for fresh Lychee fruit on the way to Puerto Viejo |
Hotels
I always choose the pay later option on Booking.com because
life happens. I’m glad I did this because we didn’t lose money with the last
minute change we made. Both of the hotels were incredible. My favorite was Rancho Cerro Azul in La Fortuna. They have gorgeous little villas with modern
bathrooms, beds and way more than I expected for a stay in the jungle. I also really liked that it was family-owned
and operated…even breakfast is cooked by the wife across the street at the
family’s home!
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| Private Villa at Rancho Cerro Azul |
In Puerto Viejo I stayed at Hotel Banana Azul (I guess there
was a blue theme for the trip) and that was really nice as well. The room was
spacious, but make sure you book one with an A/C unit. It was one of the only
hotels in the area with beach access so the time spent by the water felt very
private and relaxing. The food was delicious and the staff was very helpful. We stayed in the Red Frog suite.
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| Perfection just a few steps away from the hotel at Banana Azul |
Both hotels were pretty cheap thanks to the rainy season prices!
What to Do
La Fortuna
I’ve been ziplining plenty of times, but I was not prepared
for the experience at Skyzone. There is a tram that takes you up, ABOVE the
jungle for about 15 minutes where you have a view of all of the scenery in the
area. Then, you arrive on this huge platform…and everybody freaks out! They
allow you to do a practice zip first and then you take on the big lines. The
first one was so exhilarating and we had an awesome view of the jungle and the
volcano. Each time was fast, scary and so much fun!
We ventured to Baldi Hot Springs after hearing so much about
it. I’d say it was ok. I’m not sure if there’s a better one in the area and it
was massive. There’s a water slide which was pretty fun as well. We went at
night which I enjoyed because it wasn’t too busy. Also, stop by the Red Frog Coffee Roaster for the best little coffee shop in town. He grinds the beans fresh and uses a cloth coffee filter!
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| Benefit of driving: Stopping for pics! |
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| View from the top of the tram |
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| Roy, owner of Red Frog Coffee |
Puerto Viejo
Eat at Bread and Chocolate. It’s closed on Sundays and
Mondays so go every other day for breakfast because it is DELICIOUS! The Jerk Potatoes were amazing as well as the pancakes and they even had almond lattes
which are my favorite. I’d also highly recommend Mopri for some of the best
dinner we had on the trip.
Other than an ATV ride gone wrong (long story, but the guy
is so nice so I won’t even go into and instead I’ll just pray for him and his
business) we straight chilled. The hotel had beachside service so we just drank
a lot of mojitos (so yummy) and relaxed. Our hotel also had bikes so we rented
them and did a bit of sightseeing around the city.
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| Bread and Chocolate Breakfast |
Well…that’s my trip! If you have any questions or thoughts feel
free to comment below.
XO,
Kaycee
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