Costa Rica: The Caribbean Coast!

I spent most of December in Costa Rica, on the Caribbean coast with my younger brother. It was the end of the rainy season and it poured about half the time, but the sun shone the other half and it was absolutely beautiful!

We arrived in San Jose just in time for Festival de la Luz, a huge parade/street party. Apparently, the hit thing to do was throw fake snow (like the the dots you get from emptying a hole puncher). I was a huge target with my twisted hair. Took me days to get it all out. Wish I had a pic, lol.

We stayed a few nights at Gran Hotel Costa Rica, a beautiful historical hotel in central downtown San Jose.

While in San Jose we took a day trip to Volcan Poas, it was super cloudy, super humid, and we couldn't see the crater...or much of anything else. The trip up to the volcano was beautiful though, funny how quickly the weather turned.

Volcan Poas

Our next stop was on the Caribbean Coast. I fell in love with Cahuita, a small Afro-Caribbean town. Home to two amazing beaches--one white sand and one black sand, the Cahuita National Park, and some of the cheapest, most delicious food. Seriously, the rice and beans were amazing, coconut curry, fresh seafood, cafe con leche, fresh fruit juice...Mmmm. My biggest complaint: french toast = regular american toast :)

We stayed two nights in Bungalows Ache and I loved it. The place was spotless and had a hammock. It skirts the edge of the National Park and you wake up and go to sleep listening to wildlife. My fave?...the howler monkeys!

The locals are super nice, the reggae was great, the food was awesome, beaches, nature, super chill atmosphere, safe...I could've stayed there the entire time.

Mayela's...Best Cafe con Leche EVER!

But, we left for Puerto Viejo, the renowned party town. It was a bit shady and apparently people don't party hard in the middle of the work week (surprise!).

Funny story: The lil bro and I get into town, chill on the beach for a bit, then decide to grab dinner. We eat and leave for the hotel, Banana Azul, a 20-minute walk. It's about 5:30 and dusk is approaching, but we decline the (very suspect) cabby who offers us a ride. By 5:40, we're in pitch black dark...walking on a black sand beach...in the rain. Thank goodness I had my trusty umbrella with a flashlight to guide us!

Moral of the story: Night falls so much quicker when you're kissing the equator, so be careful!

After two days, we left Puerto Viejo for a day tour at the Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Gandoca-Manzanillo, a national park in Manzanillo. It rained so hard we didn't even get to start the tour. After a couple of hours of non-stop torrential rain, we hopped on a bus for Puerto Limon.

Wet and Rainy

The Park Hotel, where we stayed, was spacious and clean, with great views, and a restaurant on the ground floor (more delish food!). We bused to Moin for a canoe tour of the canals with Caribbean Tropical Tours, AMAZING!

We wrapped up our trip with a return to San Jose, planning for a aerial tram tour and zip lining with Rainforest Adventures. We were in for a few surprises:

1.) We opted to stay in a hostel for one night, Hostel Toruma...I wasn't impressed and probably won't do it again.

2.) An ATM ate my debit card...after giving me cash, thank goodness, and on the last day of the trip. Inconvenient, but not awful.

3.) It poured for our entire Aerial Tram tour, we didn't see one animal, and the zip line tour was cancelled. Hugely disappointing.

4.) About 10 minutes into the return trip, our shuttle full of disappointed tourists was blocked by a mudslide. A 40-minute trip turned into a 5-hour one as we took an alternative route. WHYYY?

Anyway, we left the next day and I was happy to return home. I had an awesome time! :)

My Tips for Traveling Costa Rica:

1.) Get a guide book, I love the Lonely Planet series.

2.) Limit your luggage to a backpack and a small suitcase. If you can get away with just a pack, even better. Buses are a major form of travel, and may or may not have luggage racks.

3.) Bring sunscreen and insect repellent.

4.) Hire a guide to help you navigate through the national parks. A 3-4 hour tour typically cost about $20/pp and is worth it. They point out interesting plants and animals, give history lessons, and offer the inside scoop on local happenings.

5.) September is the best time to visit CR. I loved the Caribbean Coast because the tourist population is a little less dense, but its still accommodating to English speakers. I think I'll return :)

6.) Expect lots of unleashed, unattended dogs. It seems to be a part of the culture. The ones I saw didn't bother me.

7.) The fee for leaving Costa Rica is $25.

8.) 500 colones = 1 US dollar

9.) Cahuita...worth a visit!

10.) Black American tourists seem to be a rarity. Expect an element of surprise if you fit into that category :)

11.) Eat at local spots! We made the mistake of ordering a pizza from Pizza Hut our first night that cost $35. The local food is really good, the ingredients are fresh (you can taste it), and every Soda we ate at was spotless.

More pics below (via my brother's Droid phone and a borrowed Nikon) :