Rain Forest to the Cloud Forest

I can say with absolutely certainty that La Fortuna needs to be seen if you ever venture to CR.  Our day in La Fortuna was a mix of hiking to the Arenal Volcano, hiking and swimming in rainforest waterfalls, soaking in hot springs, and spotting animals in the trees. We found a great tour on Viator that got us to all the hot spots in one day and included lunch, snacks and beverages. On the tour we met some great people from Switzerland, Netherlands and England. I would have to say that the waterfall for me was the best part of the day. I loved the hike and climbing over the rocks to get as close as I could to the waterfall. This time we remembered to bring our water shoes which were definitely a must!

Sloth Sighting

La Fortuna Rain Forest Waterfall

White Nose Coati

Hot Springs

Hanging Bridge

Volcano Arenal

We spent 2 nights and one full day in La Fortuna. For us it was enough to hit all the things on our list but as many of you know we go at a pace that would freak most people out! After La Fortuna we drove another treacherous 3 hours to Monteverde, the Cloud Forest area of Costa Rica. Our host Ernesto was amazing, his place outstanding and his recommendations hit all the hotspots. We only had one night here so once again we packed everything we could into 10 hours. We hiked the famous Cloud Forest during the early afternoon, stopped for empanadas on our way back to La Guayaba (our B&B), walked around the town and then went for a night tour of the forest (saw the most beautiful sunset from the summit of the forest before beginning the tour….bonus). Many of the animals are nocturnal so we wanted to check out the local fauna. Being in the forest with only the stars and hearing all the sounds was one of the most amazing experiences. We even spotted a tarantula!

Hike in Cloud Forest

Drive to Monteverde 

Night Forest Tour

Empanadas 

Tarantula Found
Sunset in Monteverde 

As I write this blog today we’ve moved again, travelling another 3 hours (the first on hour on gravel switchback roads… just a little scary)to Playa Junquillal (less touristy and super rural) just south of Tamarindo.  On the way we were stopped by a horse who obviously had the right of way and scenic pit stops to appreciate the beautiful landscape. 

Horse Hazard While Driving

Views on our way to Guancaste 

Picture Pitstop on our Drive

The host here in Playa Junquillal is an older gentleman who was born in Alaska and always dreamed of living in Maui but couldn’t afford it so he made his dream of beach and warm weather come true with Plumita Pacifica. Our place is literally on the beach, with the view of the ocean and palm trees. Truly paradise and simply perfect. 

Our View From the Apartment 

Our Plumita Pacifica Apartment

Heading out to dinner now with our cousins Matt, Katie and Abby who are staying in Junquillal too!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Time For Another Adventure

Image
It’s been awhile but we have decided to checkout another destination on our list. We are also celebrating 25 years of marriage in May and wanted a trip that would embrace all the different things we love to do together.   We were on the hunt for a location that would allow us to enjoy people watching, time on the beach, hiking, dancing, a little bit of history and of course tasting some great cuisine.  Now that we are back to the reality and time constraints of working, it meant we were also limited on where we could go on March Break.  In the end, Cartagena, Columbia was the winner. It ticks most of the boxes, we've heard raving reviews and it will place us in South America for the first time.  Looking forward to sharing our week of adventures,  Just landed in Cartagena yesterday evening it was a direct flight from Montreal. We headed out Friday night after I finished school, it was a great way to save on flights since Montreal has their March Break a week ahead of ours!
Read more

The Magic of Cartagena

Image
  Wow! What a week we experienced. We were not sure what to expect but Cartagena exceeded our expectations for sure. Known for its energy, street art, cuisine, hot sunny weather and history, Cartagena is one of the most visited cities in South America... and now I can understand why. One question people kept asking me before I left was, "Is it safe?". I never felt unsafe and people were very welcoming but like anywhere you go you have to be aware of your surroundings. " No des papaya" is something you will hear over and over again in Columbia, and it means do not give someone the opportunity to take advantage of you. So, be smart and be aware, and you will be safe. We decided to stay just outside the walled city in New Cartagena, also known as Bocagrande. Since we prefer to stay further away from the touristy areas this was the perfect location.  It was a 45 mins walk (so we mostly walked in extreme heat) to the city or a $5 cab ride (negotiate prices before gettin
Read more

Madeira is More Than Just My Last Name

Image
We’ve made it to the last leg of our year of adventure! This one is a family affair with some time to explore and learn a little more about where I come from. What better place to start than Madeira Island just off the coast of Portugal and nestled in the Canary Islands. Madeira being my last name, I’ve always been curious to see what this island is all about.   Natural Pools The first thing I noticed after landing is that this island has one of the most dangerous runways in the world. It also felt odd to see Madeira written everywhere. I’ll admit that it took a little time to get used to it being used everywhere and plastered on every souvenir.  The Runway in Madeira  Madeira is the perfect holiday destination all year around, they often refer to it as the Hawaii of Europe. It’s a tropical island offering amazing scenery, wonderful beaches and quaint villages. The driving is not for the faint of heart. The switchback roads and super steep hills were a little scary but Rob amazed us wi
Read more