Costa Rica has always drawn my attention because of its luring lush nature and adventurous activities. I also learned that it is one of the happiest places in the world. After visiting for the first time, I can certainly see how this fact reflects in their culture and way of life. This much anticipated destination met all of my expectations, except one. Keep reading to find out more about the trip and which part of it was an unexpected disappointment.

1. Time period

We traveled to Costa Rica for my birthday in February 2022, which is considered their dry season. 

2. Weather 

Although it was their dry season, CR is still expected to rain at least every few days. THANKFULLY, it did not rain while we were there. We had beautiful sunshine with temperatures ranging from the mid 80’s-90’s every day. It was never too hot, nor too cold. I attribute that balance to the bountiful green lush around us. 

We traveled to different cities and sometimes the weather differed a bit, but it was generally the same throughout. For example, San Jose is the main city and it can get cool at night, while Uvita is closer to the coast and therefore warmer overall. 

3. Most Memorable Moment

If you don’t know by now, I am a moment-girl. I like to be present and cognizant of myself and how I am feeling. On our first night in CR, it was around 12am and hubby was asleep so I had the whole place to myself. I slipped out to the jacuzzi and relaxed in the warm water as I listened to the wildlife in the jungle around me. It was me, my thoughts and God. I felt joyous, restful and fulfilled. In a world of unprecedented times, it was nice just to be still. (hey, thats rhymes!)

Then I grabbed my journal and began reflecting, especially as I was celebrating a milestone birthday. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but there’s something about being out of your element, in the stillness of the night, in a different country celebrating life in the midst of God’s beautiful creations. I will always cherish that peaceful moment.

4. Food & Dining

I hate to admit that something was wrong with this trip. Ok, it wasn’t “wrong” per say, but it was a let down. Costa Rican food won’t be on my list of favorites. It lacked flavor and creativity and was just bland. We gave different restaurants a try, but after many attempts, we were still left unsatisfied.

Well, their country is absolutely gorgeous. You can’t have it all, can you? Nevertheless, we still had a great time! Check out our fine dining experience here.

5. Favorite Activity 

There were tons of great moments, but getting a spa treatment near the Uvita river was unique and left a lasting impression on us. The spa was located on the property of Oxygen Jungle Villas, where we also stayed.

Hubby and I both love nature. I often give him back rubs with nature sounds playing in the background. Now, we had the real deal experience and nature within our reach. It was so relaxing and catered to our souls’ happiness. The massages actually put us to sleep, that’s how good they were!

The staff was so kind and inviting. They whispered the whole time to respect the tranquil atmosphere. We were secluded deep into the rainforest without any disturbance. Vacations are meant to be relaxing and we truly got all the TLC at this wonderful spa experience. 

6. Getting Around 

If you saw the distances of the cities we traveled to, you’d probably think we were crazy to do all of that in just a few days. We had our very flexible driver take us where we needed to go. Listed below, is our route throughout CR.

• San Jose to La Fortuna, 2.5 hours 
• La Fortuna back to San Jose, 2.5 hours
• San Jose to Uvita, 3.5 hours
• Uvita to San Jose, 3.5 hours

Our driver drove us to these different cities for 100$ roundtrip each destination, which was a steal. He had an electric car, so he said he didn’t mind the driving since all he had to do was charge up.

There are shuttles that can take you to different cities, but it’s a much longer commute that you can consider if you have the time. 

Uber is active, but allegedly illegal, so it may be discouraged by some. It is much cheaper than the regular taxis, so we took the risk. From that first trip, we decided to continue using our driver throughout CR (a decision I would later regret. Keep reading to find out more).

Some official tax drivers tried to even scare us into not using Uber drivers. They warned us that we could be stopped and fined. For precaution, our driver asked my husband to sit up front so that we wouldn’t draw too much attention to ourselves.

7. People & Culture 

Pura Vida is a familiar term to all Costa Ricans. It means pure life, but is applied in different phrases of speech such as “hello”, “thank you” “no problem” “all is well” and more!

Costa Ricans believe the key to living a pure life is to pursue happiness by being stress-free, laughing a lot and controlling your thoughts. We immediately saw these principles displayed amongst the people we met. Their spirit exuded joy, peace and contentment. They made it their duty to share their secrets of happiness to everyone who visited their beautiful country. 

Disclaimer: Everywhere you go in the country won’t be like this 100%, especially in the robust cities like San Jose. However, most of the folks you meet will generally have similar mindsets. 

8. Hotel/Accommodation

We visited three different cities-San Jose, Uvita and La Fortuna. Therefore, we stayed in three different accommodations. 

Hotel Cultura Plaza: We spent one night in San Jose. It was pretty basic because we only needed somewhere to lay as we headed to Uvita the next day. The room was functional and the hotel had free breakfast in the AM. 

Oxygen Jungle Villas: We stayed here during our visit in Uvita, CR. It was very nice and they even decorated our private villa for my birthday. They had a restaurant on site that provided all our meals. We couldn’t imagine going off of the property because the location was very rural. They even required a 4×4 vehicle in order to get through the rough landscape.

The overall villa was just okay. The staff was accommodating and made us feel welcomed. The pool view was stunning and the overall place had a pretty good vibe. Since getting off the resort is difficult, we generally saw the same travelers every day as there was only one pool, one bar, restaurant etc. We definitely got the boutique feel here. To be honest, if it weren’t for our special spa day, it may not have been worth it, but we enjoyed the experience nonetheless. 

At Last, Nayara Tented Camp-the resort that put all the places I’ve ever visited to shame! Check out my review of Nayara in this blog post. It was truly heaven on earth!

9. Airport/Travel Requirements

We only needed to fill out a health pass form to generate a QR code in order to enter Costa Rica. No negative covid tests or vaccination cards were required. You can find access to the form by googling “health pass entry into Costa Rica”. The process was quick and we had no trouble going through immigration. 

10. Most Unfavorable Moment

We were coming back from La Fortuna and were on our way to San Jose city. Our dear driver was driving like a maniac. I often found him texting, eating, checking the latest on IG and browsing through WhatsApp messages WHILE  driving FAST through the CURVY mountain roads at NIGHT. I usually don’t scare easily, but I was petrified. My life flashed before my eyes.

To make things worst, there was no car to stop him or make him want to be cautious. We would see one or two cars on the road, but it was mostly just us in the pitch black night jeopardizing our precious lives.

As I was whispering a few prayers, my husband eventually started talking to him to get him to slow down. Actually, I gave him the eye that translated into “If you don’t say something I will, and it’s not going to be nice”. Good thing hubby stepped in.

Any who, I vow to never drive in the dark in ANY country EVER again. Especially in the countryside. I thank God we arrived safely! 

Do you have dreams of traveling to Costa Rica? Have you visited already? Let me know your desires and experiences in the comments below! And remember, PURA VIDA!