Follow Along our Travels!

I mentioned it in my previous post about Costa Rica but I truly fell in love with the country the first time we went in 2021. When we looked at the trips we wanted to take in 2024, we decided to revisit some favorites which is how we ended up back in Costa Rica.

For this trip, first we wanted to explore something new and second we wanted to hang out somewhere comfortable. La Fortuna was our new experience (which is a perfect word for this area of the country) and Nosara was our comfortable hang out. I loved this trip for the balance it provided. In La Fortuna we got to adventure and do some excursions that were a little out of the norm and in Nosara we stayed in the most perfect resort for our needs — focused on yoga and surfing. I left this trip completely fulfilled and would change very little about this itinerary!

La Fortuna

La Fortuna sits at the base of the Arenal Volcano. On our last visit to Costa Rica, we could see Arenal in all its glory on one of our hikes. This planted the seed for Chuck that he wanted to stay near it and explore this region more. Explore we certainly did!

If I had to sum up this part of the trip and even compare it to another jungle area we visited (Monteverde), I would say this area lends itself to extreme excursions if you want that option. There were so many to choose from: ziplining (we did), tubing down the Rio Celeste (we didn’t), canyoneering (we did and it was amazing!), lake activities (we didn’t) and of coursing hiking of all kinds and in various terrains. There are a lot of companies that do these trips (you can book in town or before) but I liked both companies we went with.

As for the town itself, it is a cute square that surrounds a church and a park. We were there during December so they had some holiday decorations in the park. We had some great food in town and felt safe enough to walk around both during the day and at night.

One thing you cannot count on if you stay in Arenal is definitely seeing the top of the volcano. Much to the disappointment of my husband, even on a bluebird day the cone may not be visible since the mountain creates its own weather. And this being the jungle of Costa Rica, you can count on rain daily (even in the dry season). However even without seeing the volcano this area was a favorite and I loved all the activities that we were able to do out of here.

Highlights from La Fortuna:

• Tabacon Thermal Resort and Spa. So we stayed here and the resort itself is lovely, but that is not the highlight! You can visit the hot springs at this resort on a day pass without staying here and it is an absolute MUST if you are in the area. I will admit that I’m not actually a huge fan of hot springs and usually have to be convinced to go into them. However, this place is unlike anything I’ve ever been to. There are approximately 15 different spring fed pools that are offered to soak in. They are natural bottom and surrounded by nature (including iguanas!). The springs area is large but can still get crowded but even so you can always find a spot that you feel alone with nature. They have a locker room, restroom, bar and snacks at the springs area so you can literally stay there for hours. I cannot say enough how amazing this experience was.
• Ziplining and Canyoneering. I have to highlight both because I think they are both worth doing.
  • The zip lines on this tour (Arenal Mundo Aventura Ziplining) are the longest I’ve ever been on and you truly are gliding through the forest. You past a couple big and small waterfalls. You can always go with a guide. Sometimes they require it depending on your weight or the zipline’s length. I would recommend going with them as you go faster with them!
  • Canyoneering was my highlight of the trip. Partly because it was so out of my comfort zone and I was super proud of myself for doing it, but mostly because it takes you into the land in a way other tours do not. During this tour (La Roca Canyoneering), they combine rappelling down canyon walls, swimming/jumping into pools and even some small zip lines. It was challenging the best kind of way. Although in hindsight the most challenging part might have been the water temperature — spoiler alert: it’s cold! Definitely worth booking.

Back to Nosara / Playa Pelada

When booking the second half of this trip, my husband wanted to be close to the beach so he could surf each day. Now, I’m not a surfer at all – and barely a beach person (especially when we are so close to the equator that it takes minutes to burn!) — so picking a spot that offered more than beach was important. This is why Nosara was a great choice because it is also known as a yoga mecca. And I am definitely a yogi!

Upon a glowing recommendation from a friend, we booked the Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort for the 3 days we were there. I could go on and on about this place as I loved it so much. Basically, with your beautiful abode (and yes, it’s a mini abode), you get a token for a daily yoga (and you can also purchase more). There are multiple types of yoga classes offered daily (yin, vinyasa, power, etc.) and each are held in different shalas. These shalas are placed throughout the property. One makes you feel like you are doing yoga in the trees. Another one is the entire top of a three story building and has an ocean view. Just the most perfect setting for yoga you could imagine.

The resort is more than just yoga though as they have a full restaurant, alcohol bar, juice & coffee bar, and spa services. The pool is perfect for a dip after a work out or just hanging out by. The best part about all of this is that Chuck was free to be gone all day surfing and I felt safe enough to be at the property by myself. All in all, a great experience and one I plan to go back to!

As for Nosara/Playa Pelada itself, it has changed even from when we were there 3 years ago! More streets are paved (don’t worry, they still have dirt roads and potholes), more shops selling clothes and trinkets, and more restaurants. It still has a great laid back vibe but it is getting pricier. However, as much as its changed, the beautiful expansive sandy beaches here have not. It is still one of the most picturesque spots for a sunset photo!

Highlights from Nosara (besides the hotel!):

• The restaurant Coyol is a MUST if you are in this area. You drive about 20 minutes from Nosara up windy dirt roads and end at a “house” that is the restaurant. The views are phenomenal from up here. There is a tree on property that you can swing out on while you are waiting for your drinks or food. While the ambiance is incredible, the food held its own. They focus on smoked foods and the main, sides and drinks were great. You definitely need a reservation here though so make sure you make one!
• Secret Spot Gelato – They have the best gelato I’ve had in a long time. Get the Snickers flavor and thank me later!
• Tenorio Volcano National Park – If you choose to drive between La Fortuna and Nosara (you can actually fly if you want to save yourself 4ish hours in the car), make sure to stop at Tenorio Volcano National Park. This is a rainforest with some beautiful hiking to an unreal color river. It was dumping rain when we went which was quite the experience in itself but it was worth going to and checking out the river.

Tips/Changes for this Trip:

• Adventure clothes! If you are going to do any excursions (especially the ones we did), I highly recommend quick dry shorts/tops — even if you aren’t doing a water-based excursion, you will likely get wet from the weather/mist. And ladies, for shorts, the longer the better. Both canyoneering and ziplining use harnesses and they aren’t super comfortable with short shorts. Also, river shoes are a MUST. You can use tennis shoes in a pinch but they all require closed toe shoes and they will get very wet so river shoes were great!
• I said this in my previous post about Costa Rica but it bears repeating: make sure to use Waze if you are driving around Costa Rica. It is still more reliable than Google/Apple maps in going the safest option available. We noticed that Google Maps was better this go around (than in 2021) in not taking random side roads, but Waze was still always better.
• The weather in La Fortuna was all over the place! Again, we were in the “dry” season but caught quite a bit of rain. The tip here is to be flexible in your hiking plans since we did have to re-arrange some of the hiking (or just hike in the deluge like we did in Tenerio). Sometimes it was just waiting it out by an hour or two. One day it rained most of the day so we just dealt with it. Just be prepared for rain in the mountains of Costa Rica. This was true both times we went in the “dry” season.
• I honestly wouldn’t change much about this itinerary. It was a great balance of adventure/new experiences and relaxing and enjoying vacation time.