Some destinations bring you closer to the heavens, others make you feel more grounded. The fertile farmlands and thick rainforests of Central America’s “rich coast” represent the latter of the two, exuding an earthy richness. Beachside bungalows and mountain villas here are less a symbol of exclusivity than they are a demonstration of the people’s deep-seated connection to their surroundings.
In Costa Rica, Mother Nature’s embrace is inescapable.
Pura Vida: A Way of Life
Ask any person from Costa Rica, or “Tico,” and you’ll get a different definition of what pura vida means, from serving as a universal greeting or farewell, a thank you, or expression uttered in passing; it’s a reference to the simple life, “a way to be in harmony,” “an option to see everything in the positive,” locals said. For me, it represented seizing the moment and making the best of our circumstances.
Costa Rica had been on my bucket list for years, but it was a destination that I imagined would need at least 10 days to explore sufficiently. I’d keep putting the trip off to wait for “a good time.”
However, when my kids’ spring break rolled around and we still hadn’t landed on a vacation destination, we seized the low fares to San Jose on budget carriers, booking a short trip packed with activities. It was time to make my Costa Rican dream a reality.
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Logistics
Our trip was four days to the Alajuela region in the middle of April, considered the dry season in Costa Rica. Four days is not enough to take in all that the country has to offer, so I suggest finding one region to focus your activities if your stay is short. The Arenal volcano was the most picturesque to me, so I honed in there, booking tours through Viator with Canoa Aventura and Sloth Watching Trails.
Simplicity was our approach to all logistics. We flew Spirit Airlines roundtrip. It was my first time flying Spirit, and I prayed we wouldn’t miss our connection through Ft. Lauderdale. Luckily, the flight left on time, and given the aircraft’s minimalistic design, the skinnier seat cushions actually allowed for more legroom.
We stayed at a locally run guest house, the Aunty Arenal Lodge, which was extremely affordable, offered views of Arenal from the property, and had a beautifully landscaped pool with hammock seating and a waterfall into the kiddie pool. Our two-bedroom guest house came with a kitchenette, which was useful while traveling with kids. Although the lodge owners did not speak English and we didn’t get hot water on one day, we didn’t mind because the staff were friendly, switched our room immediately, and threw in a free breakfast. It was the local, frills-free experience I had expected from lodging in this region.
We spent the last night of our stay at the Hilton Garden Inn San Jose La Sabana, located in the country’s capital. It was much more comfortable, but lacked the provincial charm and family feel of the guest house.
In the end, I was completely satisfied with how the trip turned out and that we booked it when we did. It was the right time for us, and we managed to experience a lot during four days in Costa Rica without feeling shortchanged.
How to Spend Four Days in Costa Rica Without Feeling Shortchanged
Weave Through Haciendas Along the Hillsides
Descent into San Jose reveals mountainous terrain carpeted in coffee farms.
Rows upon rows of these trees file the rolling hills along the road to La Fortuna, a small town at the base of Arenal. The journey is scenic, reminiscent of the drive to Ooty in India’s Nilgiri Hills.
A number of points of interest line this route, including the La Paz waterfall, Poas Volcano Park, and the Starbucks Hacienda Alsacia. The Starbucks hacienda is the first and only Starbucks coffee farm in Costa Rica and focuses on sustainable practices and innovation. From here, Starbucks cultivates research by educating small-scale coffee farmers on best practices to nourish disease resistant, premium quality coffee.
To date, Starbucks has already cultivated a half-dozen climate change-resistant tree varieties that produce Arabica, the primary bean that Costa Rica harvests and which has become threatened by global warming, according to Starbucks. Two days later, we would learn that Costa Rica exclusively harvests Arabica beans to position itself as a premium coffee producer. The more bitter Robusta bean, which is cheaper to produce but of lower quality, was banned from harvest and production in Costa Rica until 2018 when the country faced diseased Arabica crops. Robusta beans are generally produced in Vietnam, Brazil, India and Indonesia.
It was dark by the time we arrived at the Aunty Arenal Lodge, so it wasn’t until the next morning that we realized just how close we were to the volcano.
Trek across volcanic terrain and through rainforests
The squawking of macaws, whooping of motmots and howler monkeys announce the dawn’s arrival to the rest of the rainforest: Pura vida, and behold your first views of the country’s iconic volcano.
Costa Rica is home to more than 60 volcanoes, and one out of ten of them are active. The Arenal Volcano was the most active until roughly 15 years ago, last erupting in 1968, but experiencing activity in 2010.
A morning trek along the Lava Trail through the Silencio Estate offers some of the best views of the volcano. You sense the forces of nature as you step along overgrown trails in the jungle, nourished by the fertile soil that has been fed by ancient lava flows. The trail peaks at a vista where you can view the imposing Arenal towering over the verdant landscape.
After hiking to the viewpoint, we caught our breath along the flatter banks of the Green Lake, named as such for the thick film of algae that has bloomed across its surface.
Sweat gleaming off of our faces and necks, we quenched our thirst with freshly cut fruit offered by our guides, knowing that we would have a better chance to cool off at our next stop, La Fortuna Waterfall.
The falls plunge 200 feet into a teal pool below. Tourists gather at its base for a midday respite. The brief hike down to the waterfall is steep but short, rewarding visitors with the sight and sound of rushing water and the chance for a refreshing swim.
Continue rainforest adventures by swaying through the treetops like the spider monkeys at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, a nature preserve with a network of interpretive trails. The park includes six bridges suspended by steel cables, offering a unique vantage point over the rainforest canopy. If I hadn’t been carrying my napping son over each bridge, this trail would have been a breeze.
We were impressed by the sheer volume and variety of plant and animal species thriving in the preserve. We spotted a toucan, a coati, several spider monkeys, and a sloth lounging among the branches many yards above us.
Though my neck and back were aching from carrying my son, the visit was worth experiencing the Costa Rican jungle and encountering so much wildlife.
Scope for sloths in the treetops
Vibrant toucans glide swiftly overhead as you keep your eyes peeled for Costa Rica’s national animal curled up high in the moss-laden trees.
Scoping for sloths is one of the most popular attractions in the country, and the easily accessible Bogarin Trail in La Fortuna almost guarantees you a sighting. These torpid critters, which are related more closely to anteaters than they are to monkeys, remain perched in the rainforest canopy, descending to the floor only about once a week to relieve themselves. They are so well camouflaged and so high in the trees that the best way to view them is with a guide equipped with a telescope, lest you mistake them for nests in the branches.
Our Sloth Watching Trail guide pointed out several two-toed and three-toed sloths wound lazily around tree branches or wrapped up cuddling their babies.
Beyond searching for sloths, you’ll want to keep an eye out for other wildlife as well. Unlike the sloths, the toucans that coasted above us and the basilisk that crossed our path moved so quickly we couldn’t snap a proper photo.
Sip Costa Rican coffee– straight from the source
Adjacent to the Bogarin Trail is a coffee and cocoa plantation, where our guides provided fascinating insights into the coffee-making process, from bean to cup. We learned the difference between the Robusta and Arabica beans, how local farmers deal with diseased crops, and roasting techniques that infuse the coffee with a stronger flavor v. more caffeine. Following our coffee tasting, we were shown how cocoa and sugar cane are harvested and mixed to produce chocolate. My kids particularly enjoyed that demonstration, which including sipping raw sugar cane juice.
Despite all of the caffeine and sugar, the humidity of the rainforest wore us out. In the evening, we returned to Aunty Arenal Lodge for a relaxing swim. The lodge’s pool, surrounded by tropical flora, was the perfect spot to unwind after a day exploring. Dinner that night was at Saffron, where we enjoyed a welcome dose of spicy Indian cuisine.
Glimpse into history, gaze over San Jose
As if a symbol of the history and culture it preserves, the National History Museum in San Jose is housed in an old fortress, what used to be the former Bellavista Military Barracks. Its design and architecture reflect the country’s rich history and the artifacts which it holds.
In fact, many of San Jose’s main museum buildings are unique in their own right, though I was surprised to learn that the science center and children’s museum are located inside the site of an old prison.
At the National History Museum, the delicate entryway first takes visitors through an airy butterfly garden; It is a sharp contrast to the bullet-ridden walls of the fort.
Inside, chiseled gold artifacts are reminders of the conquest of Costa Rica, which started in the 1500s from the North Pacific side of the land. We learned of how Spanish conquerors enslaved the natives and sent them to work in Peru and Panama. The Spanish described the land as “the roughest mountains they had seen, but conquerors Juan de Cavallon and Juan Vasquez de Coronado managed to level the central region to make the terrain more apt for settlement and agriculture.
Armed with the Requerimiento, the Spanish justified their enslavement of the natives by converting them to Catholicism, and the Church became the social and economic engine for communities. Another wave of Spanish conquest and exploration of Costa Rica took place in the second half of the century, once gold deposits and native labor force were exhausted in other parts of Central America. However during this colonial period, cultivation and export of cocoa and tobacco to its primary recipient, England, did little to successfully position Costa Rica in the global economy. It wasn’t until 1821 when Costa Rica gained its independence, that it was able to modernize, use its coffee production and newfound agrarian capitalism to join the world market and shift its capital city from Cartago to San Jose, where coffee production was thriving.
Having rounded out our visit with a trip through Costa Rica’s historical archives, we returned to our hotel to spend the late afternoon unwinding on the terrace of the Hilton Garden Inn San Jose La Sabana, savoring panoramic views of the city as the sun dipped below the horizon.
Bottom Line
I’m usually guilty of putting off a pursuit or experience because I want to plan it out just right, or I don’t feel completely ready. But perfection can’t get in the way of the pursuit of happiness. It’s never going to be the right time, and you’ll never feel entirely ready. Booking and experiencing Costa Rica reminded me not to overthink situations. Take the plunge, do it now. Pura vida.
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