Diamante Adventure Park – Longest Zip Line in Costa Rica

We did the trek to Diamante and took advantage of the zip line and animal park. Included with our Adventure pass was a buffet lunch with a variety of foods to choose from such as pizza, chicken, rice, beans, salad, fries and sides – plenty of options for most any pallet or diet.

I’m not a huge zip line fan but I feel it my duty to know all the zip lines well so I can recommend the right one to our friends who come visit. So this was our second one after the one at Hacienda Guachapellin in Rincon de la Vieja. It’s quite a bit different than that one in that Diamante’s are all canopy and longer and Guachepellin’s were shorter but over a raging river in a canyon. Both are beautiful as the Diamante one has an ocean view back drop but for the money, the Adventure Pass at Guachepellin is a far better value.

Diamante’s zip line consists of 5 lines:

The first is a short line from the main lodge to get on a bus
The bus takes you up a steep and windy road to the longest zip line where you’ll ride superman style for a mile reaching speeds as high as 60-80 mph. Yes, it takes less than a minute to get across the mile-long canopy stretch.
Then you’ll ride normal style again on a zip line that takes you back to the lodge. You might stop on this one. If you do, keep yourself from going backwards by grabbing the cable behind you and holding yourself in place until they come get you. You’ll be right by the restaurant so you’ll have an audience.
After that line, you take another line to the controlled free fall. It’s a short fall but that first half second that you let go and jump backwards is definitely a rush.
Finally you take the last zip line to the Crocodile exhibit where you’ll take a hanging bridge over to get to the end. This is where you can tip the guides if you want (there’s a tip box).

From here you can go straight into the animals Plenty of snakes, frogs and iguanas as well as tucans and cats – ocelots, jaguars, etc. And no one can forget Lucy the sloth who is the highlight. Don’t get too excited about that. She’s usually asleep and looks like a furry next in a tree. Stay for her feeding at 12:30 and you’ll get to see a little movement.

The Butterfly exhibit is beautiful as there are hundreds

of Blue Morphos flying around at all times. Some will even land on you if you hold still. Into bugs? Go inside from the butterfly exhibit and there are lots of (mostly dead) bugs on display that are indigenous to Costa Rica.

They also offer horse back riding and some beach stuff but we didn’t partake in that so I have no advice to give there. Some friends did horseback riding the week before though and gave it a thumbs up.

How to get to Diamante

If you’re in Brasilito or the surrounding area, take the Monkey Trail (highway 911). It’s a short cut and you get to take part in the charm of Costa Rica by driving a steep, windy gravel road with shallow rivers.

This route takes about 45 minutes each way.

Drive north from Huacas or Brasilito, veer right in Flamingo to head toward Potrero. Drive through Surfside, taking a right at El Castillo and then a left at Perlas (basically follow the paved road). Soon you’ll come to a T intersection with a blue wall in front of you. Take a right there and you’ll be on the Monkey Trail. It’ll be gravel for 20 minutes and then you’ll come to a paved road where you’ll take a left. That road will take you to Diamante – as well as the Riu.

What to bring to Diamante

I always wonder when I go to one of these adventures what I can/should take with me from the car. Do they have lockers? Can I carry my backpack with me? Here’s my advice for Diamante if you’re doing the zip line.

First, take your backpack because they give you a locker at check in.

You have to wear close toed shoes for the zip line and horseback riding but I recommend taking flip flops to keep in your locker for after the zip line.

You could take your phone on the zip line for photos as long as you have a pocket that zips. I wouldn’t recommend having it out while you zip line but I’ve seen people do it.

The longest zip line won’t allow for photography because your arms are totally strapped in. Instead take a pic of the people in front of you with the view. Also, there are photographers there so if you want to buy pictures at the end you can for a fee.

Bring a hat to wear under your helmet for two reasons: (1) you’ll like having the shade coverage over your face and (2) you never know who wore it before. We had a lice breakout at school so it’s top of mind.

Bring money. Ideally you could bring it on your person so you can tip at the end but there’s also a snack bar down by the Butterfly exhibit, Lucy the sloth and the animal sanctuary. You’d be surprised how good a cold beverage sounds at 10:30 am after the zip line.

There’s a gift shop near the locker area but it has all the same stuff as every resort gifts shop and grocery store and it costs more.

We got there early (like 8:45) at the advice of experienced Diamanters as if you get there late, I’m told you can wait a long time for the zip line.

February 2, 2018

20 things I do more since moving to Costa Rica

In the States I was obsessed with saving time, or multitasking, with every possible opportunity. I listened to audio books on the fastest speed I could understand them (but only while driving or doing something else “productive”), read email at every stop light, painted my nails while watching educational videos – always looking for ways to accomplish more or learn more in less time.

But since moving to Costa Rica, I have more time to slow down and do things the simple way. Keep in mind that “simple” doesn’t always mean “easy” – more likely it just means getting back to basics. You’ll see what I mean when you read on about the things I do more of since moving to Costa Rica:

Grate cheese. You can buy grated cheese but when regular cheese is $8 for 12 ounces, you realize paying for grated cheese is kind of stupid. And grating cheese can be cathartic – unless you grate your finger.
Peel and cut veggies. I haven’t peeled a carrot since pre-packaged baby carrots came out. Those don’t exist here. We get our carrots, along with all of our other produce, from our favorite fruit stand in Villa Real, Come Fruta, and nothing comes packaged, cleaned or peeled. That said, I’ve also come to cutting up veggies and fruit for after school snacks and the kids love it. That makes for a good moment.
Bake from scratch. You can buy mixes here – which is what I used to do in the States (again, to save time) but it’s cheaper to make things from scratch. And given the sticker shock of grocery shopping here, you make an effort to save money when you can. As I write this, I’m packing a 5 lb bag of chocolate chips and 42 oz of peanut butter from Panama because it saved us at least $15.
Wear bug spray. Every night at sunset, the most beautiful time to be out at night, and especially at the beach – the bugs come out in droves and gobble us up. And, make no mistake, we don’t screw around with the organic or natural options. The mosquitos laugh in the face of those sprays. If you want to be able to sleep tonight or shave your legs in the next week without bleeding out, you’ll embrace the Deet.
Use a key to start the car. Or hold the phone to your ear to make a call, turn
Honky Tanque and Friends

my head to look before backing up, pull over to check under the hood, add . When your car is older than your kid in college, you realize you’re not going to get the features you’ve become accustomed to in late model cars of the US. But honestly, it’s part of the adventure. We love our 1994 Land Cruiser with its snorkel, hand made shower and aftermarket tinted windows. It has almost 200k miles on it and still runs like a champ… for now. She’s a beast so we nicknamed her the Honky Tanque (tank in Spanish).
Read books for pleasure.
Watch the sunset. And take pictures – lots of them!
Drive over and under downed power lines. One night, a nice Tico held up a power line to clear out the bottleneck of traffic in Brasilito. We were one of the cars who drove under it while he held it up.
Drive through rivers. It’s actually pretty fun!
Zip line. Everyone wants to zip line when they come visit so we’ve done our due diligence to make proper recommendations about the best zip line experiences in Guanacaste.
Wait. For cows, dogs, people, cars, chickens, horses, trees – to move off the road so we can pass.
Grocery shop at multiple stores. In the states, I was not about to spend time hitting multiple grocery stores but here we get our produce from a fruit and veggie stand (13 KM from home), our general groceries from a neighborhood market, fish from either the Fish Market or a woman who sells her husband’s prior day’s catch outside the school and bread from a panaderia.
Travel. Every month we have a three day weekend so we load of the kids and either head out of the country or go explore more of Costa Rica.
Speak Spanish. I don’t know a lot but I do try to use it when I can and the family tries on occasion to converse in Spanish as well. While I’m not learning as much as of late, I took a Spanish course for a week at CPI. And to continue my learning I do Duo Lingo at night with my 9-year old, Mckenna, who already is much more fluent than me.
Make new friends. We’ve met a lot of new friends from all over the world: Canada, Peru, Norway, Mexico, Italy, France, Sweden, Australia, the states and of course Costa Rica. And we get together often!
Pick up hitch hikers. We don’t do it often, and we’re selective, but we never would have considered it in the states. Here, it’s just part of the territory – and a common form of transportation.
Surf. Or at least try.
Eat fruit. It’s abundant and tastes so refreshing.
Typical weekly fruit stand haul.
Sleep. The sun sets around 5:30 year round and since we’re up shortly after sunrise at 5:30 am, we’re usually ready for bed around 9. And when I do go to bed, I actually sleep.
Smile. People here are nice and laid back and it rubs off. And that whole pura vida thing – it’s real.

February 2, 2018

Turtles Everywhere!

And not just turtles, but turtle eggs – literally millions of turtle eggs

“Over the course of a five-day arribada nesting turtles will leave up to 10 million eggs on the beach of Ostional.”

Turtles during arribada at Ostional — Playa Ostional – Turtles lay millions of eggs during the arribada

One of the best parts about Costa Rica is the eco adventure. If you’re into that kind of thing, you will want to try and time your visit with a new moon as that’s when the arribada occurs and literally hundred of turtles come to shore in Playa Ostional to lay their eggs. While there are a variety of sea turtles that might come to shore, the most common are olive ridley but you’ll occasionally find leatherback sea turtles there I hear. Other species you might run into include:

Here’s an interesting fact too: even after traveling thousands of miles, the baby females come back to their birth beach to lay their own eggs when they become adults.

The rainy or green season is known to bring the most turtles as once. Time your stay with the new moon and you’ll likely have a few days’ window to witness the miracle of turtle egg laying.

If You go to Ostional

Unless you’re already close by, it’s worth checking with the refuge to see if the turtles are coming first. The website doesn’t really offer much info, nor does social media but if you message them on Facebook, they’ll usually get back to you pretty quickly. If they don’t, you can also ask one of the many hotels, lodges and inns in the area – also vie Facebook or you can try them by email – as they know it brings in tourists.

Speaking of hotels nearby, we have experience with two and would recommend them both but for different types of stay.

Places to Stay in Playa Ostional

Hotel Luna Azul

The first is the Hotel Luna Azul – this place is more of a quaint, smaller place and probably the closest to the turtle refuge. This matters because you have to be up before the sun to get there at sunrise to see the turtles in the best light. You can’t use flash photography and the turtles leave in the morning so at sunrise you get to see them finish nesting and laying and waddling back out to the ocean. It’s pretty magical. But I digress… back to Hotel Azul for a moment. The dining area overlooks the pool and is set in a beautiful treed area. The tables are made of beautifully finished local wood and it’s a serene and quiet setting. Rudy at Hotel Azul is so warm and kind. We showed up and he was ready to welcome us. Shortly after arriving, we realized we didn’t have a reservation there, but rather 20 minutes drive before we arrived here. We called Ocean Azul and they wouldn’t let us out of a reservation we made literally an hour before. Kind of BS frankly, and almost enough to make me not ever recommend them to anyone. But the property is nice for multi-day stays – more on that in the next paragraph. Anyway, now it’s after sunset, I’m in LOVE with this place and we have to drive 20 minutes back in pouring rain to go to a hotel I’m not interested in but is holding me hostage. I’m not happy but Pura ida right? Rudy was really nice and the other place turned out to be fie but don’t make this same mistake if you go.

Azul Ocean Club

The other “I’m-so-not-interested-in” hotel is Azul Ocean Club – this wasn’t the place we intended to say but it’s really nice. It’s a larger resort style place on the beach with individual building spread across the property. If you have a family and plan to stay more than overnight, it’s probably more convenient. We rented a villa that had two floors, a small kitchen and dining area. There was a bed and bedroom upstairs with a nook for an office and a couple of chaise type loungers that someone could sleep on. Be warned that you’d all be in the same room technically. There’s a nice balcony off the bedroom with a hammock. I’m sure the sunsets there would be amazing but we got there too late. The main floor has the kitchen, dining and living area. The sofa pulls out into a futon style double bed. So basically, this is great for a family staying a couple of days or more. It’s right on the beach and they have a pool area and a couple of restaurants. All this said, if you go in the rainy season – when the arribada is best – you might be the only people there like we were. We ate at the restaurant and the food was good but the service was so slow and random – a couple of kids meals came, then an appetizer, then the bootle of wine, then another couple of kids meals and then some adult meals and finally the last adult meal. They did give the adults a shot at the end that was a coconut cream kind of dessert shot that included the local liquor, guaro. Can’t say it will be faster in the high season either – it seems to be the Tico way.

There are several other hotels in the area of Ostional and many are really nice so check Trip Advisor if neither of these seemed interesting to you. Keep in mind that some don’t offer AC because they are uber eco-friendly. But they are also quite a bit cheaper.

Back to the Turtles…

We departed Reserva Conchal, where we live, at about 4:00 and got to Hotel Azul by 6:00. The road is not too bad. It’s gravel and rutted for a ling stretch but we never had to drive through a river. Given this was the rainiest season in 20 some years, that’s a good sign that you won’t either. We did however, cross many a sketchy bridge. They’re all fine to cross but some lack railings and some have big ruts at the entrance and exit and then some are so narrow you would lose an arm if you put it out the window. My advice: enjoy the bridges – they’re part of the adventure! And please keep your arms in the vehicle at all times.

So we drove to Ostional on a Thursday night and wanted to get home so our daughter in 4^th grade could take part in the Halloween festivities at school the next day. Friday morning we got up at 4:15. Got dressed and ready and made the 20-minute drive back to Ostional (reminder: it would have been a 3 minute drive had we stayed at Hotel Azul – did I mention that’s where I wanted to stay?). We were of the first to arrive and others quickly line up behind us. You know you’re there because you get to a river that you probably don’t want to cross. It’s not shallow and it’s moving pretty quickly – at least it was when we were there. That said, I think the Honkey Tanque could have made it. We didn’t chance it though because there’s a walking – slash ride your motorcycle across – bridge you can take to get to the other side. As soon as you’re over, someone seemingly pretty unofficial will tell you you have to pay them to see the turtles. You probably do but it’s ok to walk to the beach and not enter waiting for someone at least dressed in an official shirt to show up. It’s $10 a person so take some US dollars – exact change if you want to save yourself a headache.

You’ll walk down a road, not very far, and then the back is on the right. You can see the turtles from the road but if you want to walk out on the beach, and you do, you’ll have to go with the guide. That’s what the $10/person is for. They’re pretty cool. If you know Spanish you can ask questions but I don’t think many of them know English. They’ll take pics for you with your phone if you want them to.

You’ll see pretty quickly how many eggs don’t make it. The Beach is hovered by turkey vultures and dogs just having a hay day snatching up the exposed eggs and turtle babies. And if you aren’t careful, you might step on an egg that didn’t quite get buried. Although chances are that one wasn’t going to make it anyway.

After the mamas come to shore, walk out of the water a ways they dig a pretty big hole about the size of themselves. Then they lay their nest of 80ish eggs – which is apparently a fairly painful and arduous process. Once they’re egged out and exhausted, they then have to completely bury the nest and get back to the ocean at which point they often get tossed and rolled onto their backs just to wait for another wave to hopefully turn them back over. It’s amazingly intense watching all of this as the cards are really stacked against them from day one.

So far we have seen the mating (stumbled upon tis unexpectedly while kayaking at Playa Conchal one day) <add picture/vid of mating turtles> and the laying of the eggs. We look forward to going back and seeing the hatchlings attempt to make their way to the shoreline to flee the dangers of land (dogs, heat, vultures, people) only to get into a sea of all new dangers. It’s a risky life for turtles but they sure are amazing and beautiful creatures that are impossible not to love.

November 5, 2017

20 things I’ve done, seen or heard less of since moving to Costa Rica – the secret to Pura Vida?

After you’ve been in Costa Rica for a few months you start to have moments of “wow, I forgot about that”. It’s kind of cool when it happens because day in and day out, you don’t feel that different after a while. The routine – at least for us – has a lot of similarities to home. Weekdays the kids have school and after school activities, we work (albeit a lot less) and everyone is on a schedule. Then we do family-friend-fun things on weekends that often revolve around an event or dinner with another family – usually with kids the same age as our own.

But when you really compare the hours of the days, it’s quite a bit different. And it’s kind of fun to have those moments of “look there’s an airplane. I haven’t seen an airplane since we landed in Liberia three months ago.” This actually happened to us. Clearly we’re not in a flight path.

Anyway, I thought it might be interesting to call out the ways in which things are subtly different in our lives here in Costa Rica and perhaps the key to Pura VIda (read: Gringos, don’t eff it up trying to “fix” things around here).

Things I haven’t done, seen, heard (or at least a lot less!) since moving to Costa Rica…

Drank soda – I was on a Diet Pepsi a day habit – pretty religiously. I kind of forgot about soda when we got here because it’s not everywhere. And it doesn’t taste the same. And while I’ll drink Diet Coke, I prefer Diet Pepsi but typically there’s only Pepsi – if any Pepsi products at all. It was easier than I thought to shake the habit.
Eaten a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup – seems like something you might not notice but I was on a bender before we left and would often make a special trip to the store to get Reese’s Minis. I’m loading up at Christmas.
Sat at a stop light – actually I sat at one today because I went to Liberia to drop off my hubby at the airport. But it’s been a couple of months since I’ve been to Liberia so that was probably the last time. In fact I remember it – Mckenna (our 8-year old) said “I forgot about traffic lights!”.
Seen a cross walk – Outside of the one in the parking lot at the kids’ school, I’m certain that one doesn’t exist in a 30 km radius of where we live.
Worn high heels, or really any heels – This is a big deal. I wore heels every day at home. Even most of my sandals had heels. I once took a challenge from a co-worker to go a week wearing flats. It was brutal. Now I live in flip flops – or barefoot. I did bring two pair of wedge sandals. I have worn the lower 2″ ones twice now.
Shaved – I know what you’re thinking – I’ve gone totally hippy and I’m braiding my armpit hair now. It’s not like that. I just shave less – like every ten days instead of weekly. I’m not very hairy and it’s (mostly) blonde and fine anyway so it’s cool. It took more getting used to by Shane than me. Sorry (not sorry) babe! I give new meaning to “Beach hair, don’t care”.
Used a back up camera – yep, haven’t even seen one in Costa Rica. Our car is 23 years old and most everyone else’s isn’t much newer.
Used lotion – I use lotion about once every couple of weeks if I want to smell pretty. I haven’t worn perfume in years so lotion is where I get a perfumey scent. But in Idaho, I needed it because it was so dry. Not here. 79% humidity keeps me moist. Let me guess, you hate the word “moist”. I’m bringing it back. Who doesn’t love a moist cake or a moist muffin or moist skin? Way better than dry I say.
Drank alcohol – Ha ha ha ha – I’m totally kidding. I drink the same as I did at home and I won’t apologize for it. Just seeing if you were paying attention.
Taken anything to sleep – I really haven’t taken anything but very occasional Tylenol or dramamine. And the interesting thing is, you can get just about anything here – and cheap. But I like not relying on drugs but rather my own will to get over shit. I still sometimes wake up in night but I decided not to give a damn and just watch Netflix, listen to a book or do Duo Lingo until I fall back asleep. Sometimes it’s 10 minutes and sometimes it’s two hours. Either way, I don’t let the night stresses take me over anymore.
Shopped online or receive mail – There aren’t addresses here so having anything sent to you is one hurdle. The other is the import tax situation. I’ve heard you could be imposed significant import taxes (defeating your Amazon purchase) but haven’t really tested it. I want to keep believing that buying from Amazon in Costa Rica is impossible. It’s saved me a lot of money and even more clutter.
Thrown food away – it used to make me crazy how much food we’d waste because left overs wouldn’t get eaten or we wouldn’t use produce we’d bought because we went out to dinner instead of eating at home. We made a conscious choice when we moved here that we’d need less, use less and waste less and we’ve been really good about it. Sure the occasional lime will dry up before we eat it but for the most part, we consume more than 95% of what we buy.
Been to a movie – I didn’t go to movies much anyway, but the closest theatre is an hour away and driving at night here sucks. And that’s a good segue to…
Driven at night – two months in I realized I hadn’t driven at night at all when I got in the car to head home and had no idea how to turn the headlights on (turns out 23-year-old cars don’t really have automatic headlights). We’ve been out at night – not a lot though – but Shane has driven.
Stayed up late – I made it to midnight one night when several of us went to Tamarindo for a girls’ night out. Most nights I’m in bed by 9 and asleep by 9:30. Shane and I have both been to bed at 8 more than once. Here’s why…
Slept past 6:00 AM – a few times I’ve successfully gone back to sleep but the sun comes up at 5:30 and as a result I’m usually up by 6:00. Mckenna is up by 5:45 every day – no matter what time she went to bed. So given that and the sun sets around 5:30 year ’round, you’re ready for bed by 8 or 9.
Worn makeup – I put on a little eyeliner and mascara a couple of times a month for events or a night out but most days, most of the women here are pretty bare faced and unstyled hair. It’s pretty awesome.
Had a latte, cappuccino or other fancy coffee – I’ve had a few in the three months I’ve been here but compared to a few a week, that’s a pretty big shift. There isn’t a Starbucks or Dutch Bros at all, let alone on every corner with a drive through, so you just go without and don’t really miss it. That said, I’m hitting the first Starbucks I see.
Heard a siren – I had completely forgotten about sirens but when I was telling my neighbor about this blog post tonight, she mentioned it. I haven’t heard one since we’ve been here.
Witnessed road rage – people drive crazy here. You’d swear they are super impatient. People literally stop on the road for however long they want and no one lays on the horn. And no one really pulls over to the side – they just stop in the lane and throw on their hazards. People behind them just wait for the oncoming traffic to pass and then go by – no birds flipped, no horns laid on and no hands thrown in the air (except by our friend Jon but he’s from D.C. so he’s still adjusting).

And this is why Costa Ricans are happier and live longer. Pura Vida.

A lot of these probably aren’t too surprising – or interesting for that matter – but to me they are remarkable because, in aggregate, they make a big difference in my day to day. It’s the little things after all. And there are also a lot of things I have done – or more of – since moving to Costa Rica. That’s my next post… stay tuned!

October 6, 2017October 6, 2017

In Costa Rica: When it rains it pours … and other things to know before you visit

Is this the rainy season or a tropical storm?

I was inspired to write this blog about the seasons in Costa Rica by Tropical Depression 16 turned Tropical Storm Nate turned Hurricane Nate (but not before leaving Costa Rica to Nicaragua, Honduras and who knows where next?). It’s been raining here for almost three days straight but it’s subsiding. While we have power now in Brasilito, most of our friends in Potrero, Mar Vista, Playa Grande and Tamarindo still are without – and have been for more than 48 hours.

As it down poured the morning of Wednesday October 4, 2017, we figured it was just more of the typical rain we saw throughout August and September but that it would subside in time for our beach adventure we planned for that afternoon with several other families. But we quickly learned by about 10:00 am when we got the email to come get the kids from school because they were evacuating early. This was an early release day already so to tell parents to come at 10:00 versus waiting for 11:30 when they’d have been released anyway, it was pretty clear this wasn’t your typical Costa Rica rain storm. Later we were told the country was on Red Alert for the tropical storm that was ensuing.

We now know that this level of storm hasn’t hit Costa Rica in what many estimate to be 20 years. One Tico told us that there was more rainfall reported in the first day of the October storm than all of September. This is particularly problematic because September had already 25-50% heavier rainfall than average.

Three days later and the aftermath (see pics below) is still pretty intense but at least many of the homes and businesses are out of the ground water now.

Outside of Tropical Storm Nate, though, there are still questions.

Since we’ve moved here several friends have asked if our seasons are reversed similar to Australia or other countries in the Southern hemisphere. It’s a common question but it isn’t a simple yes or no answer so it requires a little clarification. First things first:

Costa Rica is in the Northern Hemisphere

Costa Rica Map showing equator — Costa Rica is north of the equator

Because Costa Rica is actually in the Northern Hemisphere, it would not have opposite seasons as the US. And don’t expect the water in the toilet to swirl any differently either. To help you get your bearings, I’ve embedded this handy map showing where we are (balloon with A) and where the equator is (dotted line).

Costa Rica has Just Two Seasons

Even though we’re still in the Northern Hemisphere, we don’t have the same four seasons in Costa Rica as the United States and other countries north of the equator. In fact, Costa Rica has just two seasons: First is the rainy season from May – November that is also called the green season. Second is the dry season that spans December to April. This season is also called the high season given the dramatic increase in tourism. Even that isn’t as simple as it gets. Much like the US where the weather and climate change depending on the location, there are variances in Costa Rica weather across the country as well. We live in the Guanacaste Province on the North Pacific Coast where the country is known for beautiful beaches, amazing surfing and tropical dry forests.

So when is the best time to visit Costa Rica?

We get asked this, along with many other common questions, about visiting Costa Rica. We have several friends coming to visit us throughout our year in Costa Rica and all plan to come in the high season. This is likely less about the weather here than the weather in Idaho where we are from. Most people enjoy the fall leading into winter there because it’s mild and the colors are beautiful. After the holidays though, residents tend to want to want a glimpse of summer and head south for some therapeutic fun in the sun.

But if you’re planning a visit to Costa Rica – or thinking you want to live here for a few months – I would highly recommend the green season – for that reason. It is green! Sure it rains on a daily basis but rarely does it last all day and when the rain does come each day it often comes in the afternoon when you’re ready for a break from the heat and the sunsets and thunder storms the rains bring are an attraction in themselves. Guanacaste in particular is a great place during the rainy season because of the tendency to be dry most of the day with afternoon dumps.

Also, did I mention the dramatic increase in tourist from December to April? Aside from the sheer number of people and lines, the cost of everything goes way up. So, if it’s an option, I recommend a “fall” visit to the rainy season and save yourself the headache and cost and truly enjoy what pura vida has to offer!

Regardless of season, while you’re here, check out some of our favorite restaurants and adventures in Costa Rica.

Tropical Storm Nate Images in Tamarindo — Tropical Storm Nate Images

October 6, 2017

Limonada Restaurant at Las Catalinas

Limonada view of Playa Danta Las Catalinas — View of Playa Danta at Limonada Restaurant in Las Catalinas

We’ve spent a lot of time at Limonada on the beach at Las Catolinas because our daughter, Mckenna, is in a junior lifeguard program and it runs every Saturday from 8-11:30.

So, Shane and I typically sit at

Junior Lifeguards at work in Playa Danta

Limonada and order coffee and eventually breakfast – and then sometimes lunch – while we work or write in this blog. Needless to say, we’ve had a few things on both the breakfast and lunch menu. Everything we’ve had has been really good. And the portions are a decent size as well so you can share if you’re in the sharing mood.

Las Catalinas is an awesome venue in itself because it’s secluded, shaded by trees, has nice seating with umbrellas and misters and also a swing, corn hole and kids’ table with chalkboard top. Also, the backdrop to the scene is the beautiful beach of Playa Danta.

While you can sit on the beach at larger picnic style tables or at pub-like tables on a raised platform nearer the bar, you can also opt to head upstairs to a loft where there is another bar (seemingly not open during the rainy or “green” season). Even when the bar upstairs isn’t open, they will likely serve you upstairs. And, in addition to more picnic style seating, there are also sofas and coffee tables as well as a foosball table for more entertainment if you’re completely beached out.

Near Limonada is a great beach and mountain biking store where you can buy any gear you need or want for either sport and they also offer gelato and other desserts and breakfast-type foods and coffee.

It took us a few weeks but we finally decided to venture out on the many hiking trails of Las Catalinas. Several of these trails are shared wth mountain bikers. We only saw one group of mountain bikers and one hiker on our two-hour hike – but again, it’s the green season and we timed our return about 10 minutes into a very heavy rain that drenched us so they might have known something we didn’t. Still we saw one of the most beautiful views at the top. Stay tuned for more on the Las Catalinas hiking and mountain biking trails in our favorite Costa Rican Adventures category.

In the mean time, check out some of our other favorite restaurants in Costa Rica.

To get to Las Catalinas from Huacas, head north through Brasilito, then through Portrero (take a left when you reach the T-intersection with the blue wall) and up the winding road for about 10 minutes. You’ll eventually peak and be presented with a gorgeous view of the ocean that will take your breath away. You have arrived.

Limonada of Las Catalinas Breakfast Menu

October 4, 2017October 4, 2017

Surf Box Restaurant & Coffee Shop | Flamingo, Costa Rica

Surf Box Playa Flamingo Costa Rica Street View — Surf Box Street View

Located on the left side of the highway just before the fork that either goes to Flamingo or Potrero, Surf Box offers an awesome venue with both indoor, air conditioned seating and covered outdoor seating for larger groups and more of a natural setting.

The small indoor portion of the restaurant has a book shelf that surrounds the few tables so you can swap a book. The selection is limited but there are several popular options if you’re looking for a hard copy book to read and don’t want to drop $20 at the gift shop at the resorts to buy something new.

Surf Box Hours

They are open daily from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm – yes, even in the green season! – and the menu offers some great breakfast and lunch options. They also have a nice selection of tea, coffee and fresh fruit and veggie smoothies. Their milk shakes are also awesome if you just need an afternoon pick me up!

The staff is very friendly, understands English and provide great service. We often see the owners (presumed American expats) in the restaurant and they are also quite attentive to the guests.

There is a single restroom shared by male and female but it is kept clean and is just behind the outdoor seating area.

Suf Box also offers wifi so if you’re working remotely from Costa Rica like we are, it’s a great place to hole up for a while to enjoy some coffee and a productive morning.

Check out our other favorite restaurants in Costa Rica!

October 4, 2017October 4, 2017

Serendipity – Boat Cruise, Lunch and Snorkel

Serendipty Charters - Half Day Adventure Sailing & Snorkeling Cruise

If you’re looking for a fun half-day adventure, you can’t go wrong with Serendipity Charters cruise.

We took the Private Morning Charter with 12 friends and had a great time even with the cloudy skies and high potential for rain! If you go in the green (rainy) season like we did, it’ll cost you less than the high season but you risk rain and bigger swells – which can wreak havoc on those who get sea sick. I recommend doing whatever it is you do to prevent sea sickness if you’re prone to it just in case you have a rougher day on the water.

If you’re lucky, you’ll see some sea life. We saw dolphins and turtles as well as jumping fish of some sort and a Manta Ray. Others we know who’ve taken this cruise recently saw whales as well.

You’ll depart from the marina in Flamingo in the morning around 8:30 and return around 12:30. You’ll have a nice cruise with beautiful backdrops and an opportunity to fish, snorkel and/or swim to a secluded beach and a great lunch of tacos – fish tacos if you’re lucky enough to catch a worthy fish on the way out.

Still not sure you’ll get your money’s worth? Add to all this a seemingly unlimited supply of adult beverages – beer, champagne, cocktails (including a great Bloody Mary!) and the specialty Serendipity Sangria – and it’s one of the best deals for adventure tours in the Guanacaste region.

They also offer full day and sunset charters. Check out our other favorite adventures in Costa Rica!

October 4, 2017October 4, 2017

Il Forno Pizzeria & Restaurant

This is a favorite for anyone craving good pizza. We went there tonight for Shane’s birthday and we were not disappointed! We had the Tica Pizza, Focaccia garlic bread and the Greek Salad. All were very good. The pizzas are 13″ and have a thin, crispy crust. One pizza will feed two people, especially if you get a salad or garlic bread to go with.

The service was also really great. It’s rare to have a server come back shortly after your food arrives to ask if “todos esta bien?” but ours did several times. I also felt she knew some English but sensed we wanted to speak Spanish so continued to speak it with us throughout our dining experience.

Price wise it was pretty reasonable. The pizzas were between 5,500 and 6,300 colones each and the Greek salad – their most expensive – was 4,500. Our total bill came to about 23,000 colones for 4 people and we took some pizza home.

On the south edge of Brasilito, it’s located dangerously close to where we live in Reserva Conchal. While we didn’t have the pasta, TripAdvisor has a lot of reviews for Il Forno (even though everyone insists on calling it El Forno) giving it high marks. We will be back here for sure!

Be sure to check out other restaurants and bars we like in Costa Rica!