Pura Vida

"Pura Vida" (pronounced "poo-rah vee-dah") literally means "pure life", but in Costa Rica it represents a philosophy of optimism, gratitude and living simply. It is this philosophy that the Voigts family practiced while on our Costa Rica Family Adventure during the last week of July & first week of August. It should be noted that "pura vida" is extremely versatile in Costa Rican daily life and can be used as an expression in many ways. Simply put: 

Beyond casual use, "pura vida" emphasizes gratitude for life's simply joys, optimism and positivity, community and connection, valuing relationships and social harmony. It is this mindset which contributes to Costa Rica's reputation as one of the happiest countries in the world and is deeply ingrained in the national identity. Why am I telling you all this? Because maybe then you will understand why our trip to Costa Rica has been one of the most meaningful and memorable experiences of my life. There is a piece of my heart that will forever be with Costa Rica. That said, down to the details, if you care to read on and re-live our adventures as I reminisce through descriptions and pictures of our daily activities (or if you want to plan your own Costa Rica adventures, then I've got you covered!). 

Day 0 (Fri)

Our family departed extremely early (2am) from home to catch our 6am flight to San José, the capital of Costa Rica. Upon arrival we were greeted by the experts with Exodus Adventure Travels for our transfer to our "base" hotel, Country Inn & Suites. We called this Day 0, as our official tour did not begin til Saturday. It was lovely to have an afternoon of hanging out by the pool relaxing and easing ourselves into the adventure.

Day 1 (Sat)-Adventure starts in San Jose

During the day on Saturday we decided to venture out to Hacienda La Chimba, based on a recommendation from our waiter at the hotel restaurant. Coffee is a staple crop for Costa Rica and there was a guided tour for us to learn about the history and impact of coffee on the region.

Later that evening as we hung by the pool, our tour leader (Andres) and fellow travelers were introduced. We had known that a family of 5 would be joining us on this adventure, but we could not have asked for better travel companions than the Gillespie Family.  As this blog goes on you will see our group was pretty inseparable; given free time, meals “on own”, or optional activities, we mostly chose to spend together. As I looked thru pictures for this blog, it was rare to find any group shots that did not include Andres or a member of The Gillespie Family.

Day2 (Sun)-La Paz Waterfall Gardens

After breakfast and a morning briefing from Andres (who refers to our backpacks as "daypacks" and would for the rest of the tour remind us daily of what to pack in them), we took a short drive to La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a private nature park and wildlife refuge. Along the trails, Andres explained how animals such as monkeys, sloths and toucans arrived at the refuge and the broader impact of human activity. It was an engaging first look at the country’s biodiversity, but also a useful reminder that protecting it takes work long after the photo has been taken. There was lunch at the restaurant on-site and then MANY stairs, with the payoff of the beautiful La Paz waterfalls.

Once back at the hotel we rested up for our "welcome dinner" at a local restaurant. This was our first full family dinner and it did not disappoint. Especially for Josh who accepted the rice pudding challenge!

Day 3 (Mon) -To Tortuguero National Park

We departed early this morning, travelling first via shared motorcoach bus to the Caribbean Lowlands of northeast Costa Rica, then into Tortuguero National Park. Accessible only by boat, this vast network of waterways, canals and swamps is remarkably tranquil and devoid of noise pollution. Our 1.5 hour boat journey to Evergreen Lodge (which is on a small strip of land between the Caribbean Sea and the main lagoon) was filled with wildlife and wonder. 
After getting checked in, we headed back via boat to Tortuguero village, where the kids were enchanted by our first encounter with leaf-cutter ants and a very LARGE cricket.  After visiting the Sea Turtle Museum we learned that Tortuguero is probably most famous as a nesting site for the endangered green turtle, which can be seen coming ashore to lay eggs from late July to October. Upon return to our lodge we booked the night excursion which allows visitors to walk to the nesting beach under the cover of darkness to witness the mothers coming ashore, digging their nest and laying eggs. No photos were allowed and this only added to the awesomeness of this experience.

Day4 (Tue) -Boat tour of waterways in Tortuguero National Park

After breakfast, we explored Tortuguero on a boat trip, passing serenely along the waterways. With the help of our expert tour leader and boat captain we encountered sloths, monkeys, caiman, iguanas, basilisks, butterflies and many bird species. We returned to the lodge for lunch and joined a second boat trip, to soak up the beauty and tranquility of this area. One of my favorite moments of the trip was the peacefulness of being on the water with only the sound of nature to guide us. 

Andres also led us on a tour around the grounds of our lodge to share more about the wildlife (such as the agouti-a rodent native to Central America, the playful white-faced monkeys and the howler monkeys that woke us up each morning) in Tortuguero. 

Day5 (Wed)-To Cahuita on the Caribbean coast

We left Tortuguero the same way we arrived: taking a small boat. This time however, our official private tour bus and driver (shoutout William) was waiting at the pier to drive us south to the Cahuita region on the Caribbean coast. Upon arrival, we checked into our accommodations at Cuidad Perdida Ecolodge and off to a beach we went to discover our new surroundings. 

It’s no surprise that Andres (who has a degree in ecotourism and has been a travel leader for many years) was already impressing our group…we finished up with his treat to us of ICE-CREAM and....around the corner he spotted a MOTHER with her BABY SLOTH. What a winning combination.

Day 6 (Thurs)-Sloth Sanctuary & Cahuita National Park

After breakfast, we took a short drive to Aviarios del Caribe, now known as the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica. This rescue and rehabilitation center cares for injured, orphaned and abandoned sloths, with the aim of releasing them when possible and providing long-term care when it is not.  During our visit, we learned why sloths arrive here, the pressures they face in the wild, and how research and environmental education support their protection. 

We then packed our daypacks for a walk into Cahuita National Park, following a coastal rainforest trail beside one of Costa Rica’s most important reef systems. We spent the entire afternoon enjoying the ocean, before taking the walk back out of the park to our waiting bus, back to our accommodations to get ready for a dinner on our own in the town of Cahuita.

Day7 (Fri)-To Sarapiqui / Night walk in Tirimbina Biological Reserve

We made our way to Sarapiqui, one of the main banana producing regions in Costa Rica, although coffee, cardamon, cacao, corn and fruits are also grown here.  Andres shared a lot of info about banana farming, and pineapple selection including:

Banana plants only produce one crop and then must be cut down. The workers rely on a buddy system where one worker places the bunch over his shoulder and the other uses his machete to cut the bunch from the plant (talk about trust). 

Pineapples that are Green and have open “eyes” are the freshest/ripest (you cannot determine ripeness from feel or smell).

After we got settled in El Bambu Hotel we explored the town and did some shopping.  After dinner on our own, in the evening, there was a night walk through Tirimbina Biological Reserve for a different perspective on the many rainforest residents.

Day 8 (Sat) -Optional activities in Sarapiqui 

There were various optional excursions to try and ultimately our group of adventure seekers chose Zip lining in the morning and white-water rafting on the Sarapiqui River. Both of these ended up being more physical, and more amazing, than we could have ever expected.

Our evening dinner option was local fast food chicken sandwiches from Chisp-Chisp. Not quite Chik-fil-A but OH SO YUMMY.

Day 9 (Sun)-To La Fortuna near Arenal Volcano

Today after a short bus ride La Fortuna, but before heading to our accommodations at Eco Arenal, we were treated to a Chocolate Tour and lunch at Kenko. What a wonderful addition to our tour both of these stops were. By this point Andres knows our group and how to make the most of our time. 

After checking in we had time to explore the town, shop for souvenirs and enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants in the area.

Day 10 (Mon)-Guided nature walk in Arenal National Park & Visit thermal springs

 Following a massive eruption in 1968, Arenal was the most active volcano in Costa Rica until 2010 when it entered a resting phase. Andres led us up the trail to a viewing point that had us standing on old lava fields. Along the hike he shared information about native plants and used his keen eyes to spot an eyelash pitviper (very poisonous).

We then re-packed our daypacks with swim attire and headed to Eco Termales where thermal waters soothed our bodies and souls.

The evening was shaping up for another large family dinner, but alas our restaurant plans fell through (the restaurant we chose could not accommodate our large group b/c of other reservations) but no need to worry, we turned our evening into a pizza party at the hotel pool. While Liz (my SIL) and I tried VERY hard to order online, we ended up having to ask Andres to help us order via phone. For the record, "meatlovers" and "ranch" are apparently universal words when it comes to pizza-ordering. We had some giggles over that, and also had a new hero: Andres saves the day by playing along with our crazy pizza party plan. By the way, pizzas delivered via 2 motorcycles!

Day11 (Tues)-To the Pacific coast

By far our longest travel day, we headed southeast along the coast, following the Pan-Am Highway, passing African oil palm plantations, surfing towns AND stopping for Burger King, (or KFC or Subway) for lunch along the way

Our hotel, Villas Rio Mar, was on the coast near Dominical. The hotel is set in lush gardens overlooking the river and we spent the next three nights here. The kids had time to splash in the awesome hotel pool and we had a lovely dinner with yummy drinks in their "Crocodile" restaurant. My favorite was called the Costa Rica painkiller...kinda feel like I could use one right about now...

Day12 (Wed)-Free day? No way.

Originally intended as a "free day" to relax, our leader Andres recognized the families were keen for more adventure and time together. In his usual fashion, he told us what to pack in our daypacks and surprised us with a unique lunch and beach spot that with the tide out was almost other-worldly.

He also arranged for a trip to the Domincal beach for sunset. 

The kids spent a lot of time in the pool and also...at the pool table with Andres:

I want to mention here, and many of you already know, that I am an early-riser. Dominical was by far my favorite location for my mornings, which to this point I had mostly spent finding space on hotel pool decks for a little morning yoga. But in Domincal I was able to walk the 20 minutes into/past the quiet sleepy town, where I was usually joined by a dog (there are so many stray dogs in Costa Rica), to the beach. I found such peacefulness in those mornings. 

Day13 (Thurs)-Explore Manuel Antonio National Park

Today we drove to Manuel Antonio National Park, home to a vast marine reserve plus 1,700 acres of mangrove swamp, primary and secondary rainforest. The forest vegetation stretches as far as the high-tide line and provides a stunning backdrop to the expansive sandy beaches.
As usual, Andres expertly led our group through the park, past many other tour groups, to the perfect beach sanctuary. Here we encountered white-faced capuchin monkeys playing, iguanas and other creatures. The Manuel Antonio beaches are among the most beautiful in the country and we were very happy to spend most of the day there. In the afternoon, we had a wonderful late lunch and more time saying good bye to the beach before heading back to the Villas. 

Day 14 (Fri)-Back to San Jose

This morning we traveled back to our "base" hotel in San Jose. Along the way we stopped at the Tercoles River Crocodile Bridge. Upon arriving to our familiar accommodations, more time was spent at the pool before agreeing to celebrate our final night in Costa Rica by gathering for one last dinner. By now the kids were calling Andres "Tio" (Uncle) and I'm pretty sure he was getting used to my texts (help us with?, what is?, where/when do we? come meet us at?). We toasted to "family" and shared pizzas, and cocktails, and memories. I cherish the conversations from that evening, whether it was polling favorite activities from the trip, or musings about gratefulness for opportunities we are given, and appreciation for what we have. 

Day15 (Sat)-Farewell to Costa Rica

It was really hard to say goodbye to the beautiful culture, breathtaking scenery, fascinating wildlife, and the warmness of our fellow travelers and hosts in Costa Rica. I'm including a few more pictures of our accommodations, some of the wonderful food and of our tour group; including our Exodus leader Andres, who enhanced our adventure with his knowledge, patience and kindness. We went on a family vacation, but we experienced Pura Vida.