As soon as I shared that I’d be visiting Costa Rica for the first time, family, friends and my instagram DMs boasted about how amazing it was. Right now as I sit on the plane back to Los Angeles, I can assure you the reactions were accurate and lived up to the hype. Costa Rica is a vibe.
What is required to enter the country?
Entering Costa Rica was extremely easy and simple. There’s only one form needed to fill out within 48 hours of your trip and travel insurance for a minimum of $2000. Prior to going through security, you will have to provide both of these to your travel agent at the airport. To leave Costa Rica and fly back into the USA, make sure you grab a covid test since it is now required!
Where to stay? Pura Vida House ofc.
Our week was hosted by the cutest couple, Mani and Sindy who own the modern but extremely cozy villa “Pura Vida House” nestled in a very safe, double gated community called Hacienda Panilla in Tamarino. Connected to the JW Mariott next door, this community offers a very unique experience with access to a VIP beach club containing a gym, bar, pool and restaurant along with the local activities of surfing and shell collecting. There are multiple bike paths to adventure through the 1400 acres and potential opportunity to meet the friendly locals who live in the community too.
Pura Vida House offers convenient accommodations for us first timers in Costa Rica, making it a breeze to book activities and get referrals to the best places to visit since it’s a hybrid between a hotel and AirBnb. What this means is similar to a hotel, Mani and Sindy will set up any sort of adventures like a concierge and provide a very personal experience while also acting as an AirBnb- the villa is all yours, the pool, cozy rooms with outdoor showers, yoga classes, kitchen and more. The villa itself sleeps 14 with a stunning pool surrounded by lounge chairs, two kitchens, outdoor couches to find yourself reading a good book during the day or watching the peppered stars above you in the evening. Pura Vida House has a private chef who cooked the local cuisine beautifully, golf carts to come and go as you please and Mani and Sindy ready to set you up on your next excursion. They recommended a variety of fun activities and had so many ideas for our personal style of traveling like horseback riding, beach front restaurants, picturesque white sand beaches, zip-lining, mud bath spas and relaxing massages. To put it simply, this is your one stop shop.
Best things to do
Only visiting for five days, our group wanted to pack in every activity possible. My personal favorite excursion was sunset horseback riding hosted by Guti Tours or day drinking at the stunning Lolas beachside restaurant who embrace the Pura Vida energy by setting up an array of seating like hammocks, beachfront lounge chairs, tables made from beautifully crafted wood and a rooftop to overlook the lush trees. There’s a little something for everyone and the owner, Cassie, might even let you see their two pigs, their donkey, or their horse. I got lucky enough to see them all and cannot wait to come back to enjoy a Lolita (mojito with Cassie’s personal twist- a blended mint mojito to avoid getting anything stuck in your teeth, with no sugar, pineapple and vodka instead of rum). Here’s an outline of all the things we experienced while exploring Costa Rica:
Beach Club at Hacienda Panilla
This was a perfect first day because it allowed us to meet some of the locals and owners of the homes in Hacienda Panilla. We were introduced to people who have lived here their entire lives, people who own 3 homes in Costa Rica just for fun and other’s who are visiting for the tenth time because they love it so much. Hearing personal stories from each of them really excited me for the week knowing that not only Costa Rica was known for being very safe, but everyone knows everyone, the activities are endless and the weather stays on average 90 degrees. The beach club had delicious food, poolside hangs and access to the beach for a mid-day swim that felt mandatory in the blistering heat. It’s a great relaxing day option to spend enjoying the rays.
Catarata de Cortez Waterfall
With quick access, this waterfall will not disappoint. Only a short hike down some steps into the jungle and through the trees will expose this stunning destination. The key to getting good photos here is coming early in the morning before other people start arriving, and definitely go for a swim. If you’re lucky, you’ll hear or maybe even see monkeys up in the trees too.
Ziplining
With 8 different zip-lines, we spent about an hour zig-zagging our way over the river. The guides were very personable and helped us have a safe and fun tour through the jungle. This was probably my slowest ziplining experience, making it safe for really anyone who wants to go. Funny enough, I even stopped mid-zipline on one of the lines and had to crawl my way to the end. This experience, for me, was less thrilling and more of a scenic experience, which was still a blast.
Mud-Bath
At the same destination as the zip-lining, we were offered the instagram worthy experience of mud baths. I’ve seen this cool spa all over the internet and couldn’t wait to get down and dirty. The mud is supposed to be very good for your skin and is made up of volcanic ash, sulfur and natural river water. The correct way to indulge is sitting in the sauna to open up your pores, but we chose to simply sit in the sun since it was 90 degrees and already a sauna outside. Then, you will be painted head to toe in the mud (without warning that it smells purely of rotten eggs). Dipping my hands into the well filled with the stinking mud, I rubbed it on my face truly thinking “anything for pretty skin right?” Luckily, you get semi used to the stench and lay out in the sun once more to allow the mud to try into a powdery clay. And once we were dry, a cold dip into the river to wash it off was extremely refreshing. To finalize the spa day, there are natural occurring hot pools to relax and listen to the birds, wind and river. I adored the location of this spa and would love to come back for another girls day or a romantic getaway.
Sunset Horseback Riding
One of my main concerns always surrounds the care of the animals I am doing an experience with. Wherever we travel, it is our responsibility to do research and support organizations, activities and places that take care of the animals while providing a safe experience for the consumer. In most countries, horses are kept in very disappointing conditions, especially riding midday in 90 degrees where they are very hot, overworked and malnourished. I encourage you to always make sure you are enjoying an experience that is aware of the animal’s health first and foremost, before any sort of “fun” we can immurse ourselves in.
I felt that Guti Tours were amazing with their animals and provided an unforgettable sunset ride. They were extremely kind and aware, keeping the horses best interest in mind. We had so much fun doing a photoshoot with them and then at sunset, we led them for a short ride along the water. It was stunning. Lucky us, a one month old baby was also in tow since the mom was a part of the group. I loved seeing how happy go lucky he was and that the trainers didn’t separate the mom from him. The riding experience was from beginner to expert, and all of the trainers were very good about helping where it was needed, and letting the more experienced riders have fun ;). I was ecstatic that they were well trained and cared for, making my riding experience one of my favorite activities in Costa Rica.
Top restaurants
Since we had Mita, our private chef at Pura Vida House, spoiling us endlessly, we only felt the need to go out for cuisine a couple times. Of the couple of times we did leave though, we weren’t disappointed. The food in Costa Rica was flavorful, healthy, pure and cooked with love.
Coco Loco
Sitting right in the white sand beach called Flamingo, Coco Loco had the best view of sunset. A local singer, Costa Man, serenaded us while we watched the sun fall behind the ocean and John Luke, the owner, provided us with some delicious entrees like lobster tail, seabass, vegan pizza and of course their signature drink the Coco Loco served in a coconut. One thing about this spot: do not miss dessert. Their homemade desserts like lava cake, vegan chocolate ice cream and churros really polished off an already amazing experience. Meeting John Luke and seeing the heart and soul he put into this adorable outdoor restaurant made the experience even more amazing.
Lolas
