Sunrise over the Pacific For me, there’s something magical about watching the sun make its upward arc, and I love to hear the world wake up. This morning, I grabbed my camera and ventured out to enjoy the dawn. To my surprise, the Pacific beach had a beautiful view of the rising sun. Its reflection [...]
Day 9: Sand Dollars and a Beachfront Dinner
Our beachfront suite They say that a beach full of life indicates a healthy marine environment. If that’s true, then Playa Palo Seco is one of the healthiest I’ve ever seen. This vast stretch of secluded beach teems with sand dollars, hermit crabs, tiny snails, and ghost crabs – in addition to polished stones and [...]
Day 8: Villa Vanilla and Kapi Kapi
Room service at Makanda Knock, knock. At 7:30 a.m., room service delivered a huge tray of goodies. The waiter unpacked our breakfasts – French toast for me and an omelet for Fabian – and garnished the table with homemade bread, a fruit plate, and fruit juice. The whole meal had a homespun taste, and reminded [...]
Day 7: Rainforest luxury in Manuel Antonio
Villa Alegre's breakfast spread Over a delectable breakfast, we said our goodbyes to Villa Alegre; our three days in Tamarindo had flown by. At 7:30 a.m., the Interbus shuttle rolled up to the bed and breakfast. (I was still appreciative of their punctuality.) We picked up more passengers in Liberia for our trip to the [...]
Day 6: Palo Verde Wildlife & Guaitil Pottery
Blue heron The alarm sounded at 5:45 a.m., and I launched out of bed like a child on Christmas morning. I was giddy with excitement. Today we planned to visit Palo Verde National Park and Guaitil, an indigenous village known for its pottery. Though it was still pitch black outside, Barry had risen early to [...]
Day 5: Snorkeling and a Tamarindo Sunset
Male howler monkey Our host, Barry, had prepared a special breakfast for us this morning: wheat tortillas piled high with eggs, seasoned rice, shredded cheese, and salsa. Fresh fruits, bread, and homemade spreads decorated the tabletop, and we dug in with gusto. Fabian and I had a snorkeling and sunset cruise that afternoon, so we [...]
Day 4: Journey to Playa Langosta
Beachfront Villa Alegre Today, we were headed for the Pacific coast – Tamarindo and Langosta, to be precise. We waited for Interbus, one of Costa Rica’s private transfer companies, at a restaurant near the international airport. I had never traveled with them before, but was looking forward to their door-to-door service. The shuttle would carry [...]
Day 3: Hiking and Tree Planting
Views from the lookout point I crawled out of bed, grabbed a fleece blanket, and cozied up by the fireplace. At El Silencio Lodge, each suite is equipped with a gas fireplace that keeps the room warm and the ambiance romantic. Fabian and I had left ours on overnight and the orange flames tempted me [...]
Day 2: Waterfalls and Spa Treatments
Healthy and decadent breakfast To call this morning’s breakfast hearty would be an understatement – it began with home-baked bread, muffins, turnovers, juicy fruit, and yogurt followed by fresh-squeezed orange juice, pineapple juice, and coffee. Fabian ordered a vegetarian omelet while I breakfasted on a traditional dish made of toasted corn tortillas, eggs, pureed black [...]
Costa Rica Honeymoon – Romance and Adventure
Just Married! After setting our wedding date, my future husband, Fabian, and I started thinking about our honeymoon. Costa Rica is so diverse – you can travel from fireplace weather to tropical beachfront in just a few hours – and we had only 10 days to explore. As we planned for our romantic vacation, we [...]
