Costa Rica was another one of my most adventurous trips, from figuring out the public transportation to taking the most strenuous hike yet! I went to Costa Rica on a girls getaway with my childhood friend, Asha and my sister, Jasmin. We were there for 6 days and started off by touring the capital city streets in San Jose. Later, we went for some adventures in La Fortuna and were taken away by the beauty of Monteverde! We airbnb’d the whole trip and took buses in between cities, communicating in the little Spanish we knew. Here is a list of adventures we had in Costa Rica, what to know and how to be prepared for it!
Alejuela & San Jose
We stayed in Alejuela and San Jose for the first two nights and figured out some of how the city works. We got to visit some beautiful churches and learn a little about the history of Costa Rica through tours. One thing that we loved about Costa Rica is how friendly the people are and how they are willing to help the tourists. A taxi driver helped us find the right bus to get on, even after we refused his taxi service. We later learned that tourism is a big income in this country and everyone works together to keep up the reputation of their country.
La Fortuna, Costa Rica
While in La Fortuna, we stayed at a great Airbnb called Home Vacations that had a variety of tours and trips available, with decent prices and transportation included. We chose to do a coffee plantation trip the day we got there and it was great. It was a very detailed and thorough tour from the time a cocoa plant sprouts to how it is made into chocolate. We tasted several fruits and drinks before the tour and some natural bitter chocolate and a hot chocolate drink after the tour. The following day was one of the most adventurous, as we hiked through the rain forest and lava formations to the base of the Arenal Volano. And let me tell you, this was no walk at the park. It was the most strenuous hikes I have done and the end result was well worth it. After hiking back down, we had a typical Costa Rican lunch and a relaxing stop at a natural hot spring.
Cocoa trees 
Volcano Arenal 
Hot springs after Volcano hike
If you are in La Fortuna, CR and need a great place to stay, a variety of adventures and hassle free travel accommodations, check out Eder & Allen at:
Home Vacations in La Fortuna, San Carlos, Costa Rica
Email; info@arenalhomes.com
Phone: +506 8558-7530
www.homevacationscr.com
La Fortuna has a touristy yet local downtown area, consisting of a few blocks. It was filled with restaurants, a small park and lots of activities going on late into the evening. A few of the restaurants we ate at were Restaurante La Parada, Cafeteria MyCoffee and Lava Lounge. Though most had Americanized tourist appealing food, their service, culture and atmosphere made it feel unique.
Monteverde, Costa Rica
Our last stop was the evergreen, most beautiful Monteverde!! I wish I had planned for more time there, but the time we had there was very precious. We had a great Airbnb location with an amazing view (see picture above) and an awesome host! It had a very home away from home feel to it, with a wonderful host and a friendly four legged friend. We sat on the grass with some hot black coffee and a home made snack and watched as the sun plunged into the mountains.. it was breathtaking!
What to know before going to Costa Rica?
There are a few things to keep in mind before heading out to Costa Rica, a few things I wish we had did and looked more into prior to getting there.
Numero Uno: Currency.
It’s fairly easy to get currency transferred as the airport (high exchange rates) or at banks if you show your passport or ID. However, the currency change itself is what is confusing. The currency in Costa Rica is called colones and the conversion is every 1 USD equals around 580 colones. If you pay in dollars, that gets rounded down to 500 colones for each dollar to “make it easier on the tourist’. The best way to work around this is to see what the CR bill looks like and know the conversion prior to going.
Here is the breakdown again.
~5800 “mil colones”= $10 USD . But if you pay in USD, $10 USD= 5000 mil colones.
CR bills available; 1000 mil, 2000 mil, 4000 mil, 5000 mil, 10000 mil, 20000 mil and 50000 mil.
Numero Dos: Credit Card
Wherever you can, pay with your no-fee credit card. Most of CR only takes VISA; no master card or discover. Most places that do take credit card don’t take returns, even if it’s just a few minutes later (true story). So plan accordingly!
Numero tres: Walking/Hiking shoes
All this hiking forests is no joke, so make sure you have a sturdy pair of shoes on you. Because there are water activities in between, it’s hard to find a good pair that will work for both. On the whole Volcano tour, I wore my all famous black Crocs…which may be out of style but definitely comfortable throughout the hike and for any water activities. I ended up wearing this for majority of the trip afterwards and hoped no one noticed 🙂
For a detailed list of things to pack along your trip, check out my Must Have Traveling items post!
Would I go to Costa Rica again?
Definitely! Costa Rica really has so much to offer. It’s a great destination for couples, families, friends and even if you’re traveling solo! I felt there is so much more to do in Costa Rica that I did not get to do this time around. If I have another chance to go to Costa Rica, I will definitely go once more!
Pura Vida!
~Travelmania360~
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