Traveling Safe to Explore Costa Rica’s Jungle-y Paradise
“But, did you feel safe?”
It’s a question we fielded multiple times after our return from our recent unforgettable family trip to Costa Rica.
And our unequivocal response?
“Very safe.”
Costa Rica continues to be one of the world’s most popular adventure-travel destinations, and for good reason. There aren’t many places where you can gaze into an active volcano while soaking in hot springs one day, hike deep into a lush rain forest the next, white-water raft on a fast-rushing river, and finally head to its picturesque Pacific coast to catch a wave, tour a national park, or bask on its beautiful beaches. It’s an outdoor lover’s nirvana.
Add in the welcoming warmth of the Costa Ricans and their magnificently fresh and creative local cuisine, and you’ll have the prime recipe for an incredible pura vida experience you’ll long remember.
Where to Stay
For a small country, Costa Rica has a lot to be explored. A lot. Both first-time and repeat visitors will tell you it’s virtually impossible to see and do everything on your wish list on one trip alone.
To be sure, it’s not a large country, but it’s certainly big on its many natural wonders and amazing biodiversity.
This is why choosing a home base in the closest proximity to your planned activities is vitally important. You don’t want to be spending hours on the road during your vacation in paradise, no matter how good the view.
We decided to rent a car versus relying on local transportation. Again, a safety consideration, but also because driving in Costa Rica is very easy and GPS works surprisingly well. And oh, the sights we would have otherwise missed had we not had the flexibility and freedom.
As this was our family’s first trip to Costa Rica and we’re still in the midst of COVID protocols, we chose to stay at Marriott Vacation Club Los Sueños which also sports a hotel on site. Set along scenic Herradura Bay in the Central Pacific Region of Costa Rica, the resort is absolutely breathtaking.
Our two-bedroom ocean-view villa was truly a “home away from home” experience with every possible amenity at our disposal. In addition, we loved waking up each morning, coffee in hand, to the sounds of a waterfall-filled stream and a pair of toucans who seemed to feel right at home on our balcony. The resort’s pool areas were stunning, and having the beach close by was an added treat.
Safety protocols here were impressive and the resort did a great job communicating expectations before we arrived. Masks were required in the lobby and other indoor public places, and every employee and visitor happily complied.
Where to Play- National Parks
Prioritizing what to see and experience in this Central American paradise is of utmost importance. For us, this trip was all about the national parks, waterfalls, and exotic plants and animals of Costa Rica.
An absolute must-do is a visit to Manuel Antonio National Park. You should have a licensed naturalist guide like photographer Daniel Bolaños from Tucanes Tours. This eagle-eyed guide enabled us to take advantage of everything Costa Rica’s impressively stunning parks have to offer. Booking an individual tour for our family also provided an additional safety factor.
Encompassing three long strands of magnificent white sandy Pacific Ocean beaches, and miles of lush jungle and forest, this stunning preserve is home to a vast diversity of plants and wildlife. The Park is home to four monkey species–the white-faced capuchins, howler, squirrel, and spider monkey. We saw plenty of colorful lizards and iguanas, sloths, toucans, and so much more. It was an experience we’ll never forget.
Though Carara National Park is one of the country’s smallest reserves, it is the richest in wildlife, including numerous bird species. Because Carara lies in a transitional zone between the humid and dry forest, it sustains botanicals and wildlife from many different Costa Rican terrains from the marshlands to the mountains.
I’m not sure we’ve ever seen so many types of wild mushrooms, numerous poisonous dart frogs, huge centipedes, rare indigenous plants and oh my…the birds. Colorful scarlet macaws and multi-hued toucans were our favorites.
As an added treat, our guide stopped off at the Tárcoles River overlook, home to one of the planet’s largest populations of crocodiles. At one point, we counted 15 massive and intimidating crocs sunbathing on the riverbanks, not to mention others slowly sliding beneath the water’s surface. Though they are the stars of the show here, this unique and rich ecosystem region boasts more than 58 species of birds living along its shores, including the endangered roseate spoonbill.
Where to Play- Costa Rica Waterfalls
Once again, having a guide is so important when entering the jungles of Costa Rica to experience its awe-inspiring waterfalls. Most of these are accessible only by foot. Guides know these areas like the backs of their hands and can ensure hiker’s safety along the way until reaching these impressive cascades.
At 600-feet, the towering Bijagual Waterfall is one of Costa Rica’s tallest. Located near Jaco on the Central Pacific Coast in the mountainous region of Bijagual, the waterfall is accessible partly by horseback through a lush verdant forest. Riders then hike a relatively short distance to the base of the roaring falls. At the base of the falls, three natural pools about six feet deep make for a relaxing swim to cool off after the hike down.
If you’re a waterfall lover and you get the chance to hike through a tropical jungle and get not one but ten waterfalls in a single trip, that’s really living. Thanks to Mango’s Adventures, a family-owned adventure company, we donned swimsuits, water shoes, sunscreen, hats, and bug spray and headed out for an escapade in nearby Puntarenas.
We crossed fast-moving streams, rugged cliffs, climbed rock walls to discover waterfall after waterfall. We crawled underneath watery plumes, rappelled to higher falls, and enjoyed refreshing cooldowns in pristine natural pools.
Jet Ski to Beautiful Beaches
The Costa Rican Central Coast is all about the water and the beaches. And to experience more of its natural beauty and explore some of its more secluded seductive white sands, we headed out on two-man jet skis.
Leaving from Herradura Bay, we got to enjoy beaches, cliffs, and coves from a completely different perspective. We zipped past Herradura Island, the protected nature reserves of Punta Leona, and the surfer’s dream beach of Punta Canejo.
Playa Escondida, located in a secluded jungle cove, is renowned as one of Costa Rica’s most secretive beaches and exotic hideaways. To our surprise, we encountered yet another waterfall just steps from the beach, created by a stream flowing down from the mountains above. Due to a rainy spell just before our trip, the waterfalls were moving at full volume, making it the perfect place for back massage from its forceful barrage of water.
Ready for a beach break, a local called us over to see a family of spider monkeys (the one monkey that had eluded us until now). Not to be outdone as we headed back to our jet skis, a pair of sea turtles were swimming in the crystal-clear tourmaline waters right next to us.
Playa Fantasia, Jaco’s Garden of Eden, was our last beach stop before our trip back to Los Sueños. This piece of paradise accessible only by boat is rich in tropical wildlife. It’s also extremely private and isolated. Our thoughts were “if we were ever stranded on an island, this would be the place.”
The Playa is surrounded by two large volcanic reef formations where underwater coves and groves are rich with marine life. The snorkeling here is superb. And the powerful surf outside the reefs made for a thrilling ride home.
When all was said and done and while always keeping safety in mind, nothing deterred us from soaking in all the gifts Mother Nature has bestowed upon this tropical paradise. Costa Rica was ten times better than we ever expected, and we can’t wait to come back again. Next time, we’ll explore its volcanoes, cloud forests, and other natural wonders.
“Cree en la magica de pura vida” said one of the locals during our visit. Yes, we believe in the magic of the “good life.” Costa Rica embodies it, and it was incredible!