My Visit To Costa Rica

Guest Blogger Edition!
Post by: Puurringheart
Additional edits & information: Susi G
Costa Rica was never one of my top 5 places to visit. But boy was I wrong! I loved it! I saw the most beautiful sunsets that I’ve ever seen. If you are on the fence about visiting Costa Rica, i hope my experience helps convince you to plan that trip! Below i share my journey as i traveled around Costa Rica!

Lodging Options
Before i get into details about my stay in Costa Rica, it’s good to know that i started my trip in the Alajuela Province and traveled across to the Guanacaste Province. I recommend doing this if you are looking to experience different angles of Costa Rica as it has so much to offer! Below you can see a screenshot of my journey:

Arenal Kioro

I started my trip at the hotel Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa. We drove there from the Liberia Airport in our rented car. It was a 2.5 hour drive there but the views were beautiful so it didn’t feel as long. Make sure you put those windows down and inhale the awesomeness of nature!

Kioro has everything you need to just relax and enjoy. It’s not an all inclusive, but it can be just as pricey as one. However, their service is on point and it’s an adults only property. They also include their breakfast buffet in your reservation, which is really good!

Tip: eat at their outdoor restaurant for comida tipica options!
The property has approximately 6 hot baths outdoors. Every room in the property also has a breathtaking view of the volcano from the balcony! Speaking of volcanoes, don’t get me started on the awesome jacuzzi in the bedroom that faces the volcano! I suggest spending 2 nights max here so you can explore more of Costa Rica without exhausting all of your budget. I think this would be a good spot to start or end to your trip.

Ti-Fakara Premium Lodge

I also stayed Ti-Fakara Premium lodge which is less fancy and far more affordable. I booked it because it is a very close walk to the Fortuna Waterfall which i planned to visit early in the morning. The hotel also has delicious breakfast included in your rate along with laundry service. Trust me, laundry service will come in handy with all the hiking and zip-lining you will be doing.

Pura Vista Hotel

For the next leg of my trip, i stayed at the Pura Vista Hotel and I loved it. The price, views and service were great. The staff was very detailed in everything they did. The rooms, pool and jacuzzi all face the ocean. It is also a short car ride to so many beaches, which was very important for me. You will find some night life options about a 10 minute car drive away at the Coco Beach strip. It is a great place to stay at for more than 2 days because of it’s location and price.

My Experience/Places I Visited
If you are looking to do as i did, renting a car is a must! There is nothing like having your own vehicle to move around. There are multiple websites available to find low cost options such as Expedia and Autoslash.

In one day, I was able to visit 7 beaches! Very ambitious but you can move at your own pace and spend more time at each one. Some of the beaches you can checkout are:
-Playa Coco
-Ocotal Beach
-Tamarindo
-Brasilito
-Playa Penca
-Puerto Viejo

-Conchal

• If you visit Flamingo beach, check out Coco Loco Restaurant for tasty food and drink options

• Fortuna Waterfall

• One of my highlights was laying out with my boyfriend to watch the sunset at Playa Penca. It was amazing!

• In the Coco Beach area: if you love sweets and you see this lady from afar, stop her! Her shaved ice/ granizados/ “copos” are on point. She takes her time decorating and loading it with sugar. She charges tourist prices, but her effort was appreciated, so I didn’t mind.
  
• In the Guanacaste Providence, the Papagayo Seafood
  restaurant is great for dinner. We had Lobster stuffed with seafood or the steak, shrimp & lobster dish. I don’t recommend it if you are on a tight budget, but definitely recommend it if you want to splurge and eat well!
  
• To workout the food you will eat, you can walk down the block to Zi lounge which is a great place for some dancing.

Pura Vida! I hope you get to experience Costa Rica and all of it’s beauty!

If you are looking for a guide to Playas Del Coco, you can find one here.

We also have a post about Tamarindo Costa Rica right here.