Costa Rica, a flora and fauna lovers dream come true
Costa Rica has the highest density of biodiversity of any country in the entire world. This little country is a powerhouse when it comes to plants and wildlife. It’s home to 500,000 species or roughly 5% of all the earth’s species, and it’s smaller than West Virginia.
Mother and baby, White-Faced Capuchin Monkeys
Costa Rica is divided into 7 regions and this post is going to focus on the Central Pacific Region, because that’s where we were, and I would hands down recommend it to anyone. We flew into San Jose and then took a 3 hour cab ride from hell to the Pacific Coast. In hindsight I would’ve rented a car or hired a driver through the hotel, but it’s all part of the adventure right? The coast in the Central Pacific Region is known for surfing and the water for deep-sea fishing. Not the best beaches for laying out but they are still pretty to look at.
Strolling on the beach at sunset with nobody else around, is priceless. Ok I mean you can put a price on it and we obviously did but it was worth it. Less crowds is a perk of traveling in the off season.
We traveled to Costa Rica in July. July is during the rainy season but we didn’t let that deter us because the rainy season=off season, and off season=lower prices and less crowds. The added bonus to the rainy season in Costa Rica is everything is nice and lush and green. It rained a little each day but nothing that slowed us down. We started our trip on the coast and then spent 2 days in San Jose before heading back home.
So what all did we do while we were there, and what would we have done if there was more time…here’s a break down of my must do’s
Manual Antonio National Park. Manual Antonio has lots to see. We took a guided tour who had the patience of a saint, pointing out every animal he saw and letting everyone take pictures before he moved on. Sloths, monkeys, poisonous snakes, oh my!
Ziplining through the rainforest. If you are going to zipline do it in a place with insane scenery, not over a parking lot.
Horseback riding and hiking to a waterfall. This is a fun activity for all ages and abilities.
La Paz Waterfall Gardens. This little gem is home to the largest animal sanctuary in Costa Rica and is just north of San Jose. They allow you to get upclose to the animals they are rehabbing and also have animals that are very elusive in the wild. Lastly they have a butterfly house. If you love butterflies as much as I do, this is a can’t miss. They also have a massive waterfall, I guess that’s a can’t miss too.
Hacienda Alsacia, or the Starbucks Coffee Plantation. Hacienda Alsacia is Starbucks first and only coffee plantation. In case you didn’t know Costa Rica is known for coffee. You can even pick your own and bag it and take it home with you.
Carara National Park. This park is a bird watchers dream come true! It’s also close enough to Manual Antonio that you can split up your day.
Deep Sea Fishing. Costa Rica is known for its deep sea fishing. Sailfish in particular. Stay near a marina and you can probably find a restaurant that will cook what you catch. We watched people bring in ginormous tunas and then have it brought out to them to eat. I was jealous to say the least.
La Paz Waterfall Gardens
