Costa Rica is an outdoor adventurer’s paradise. Tucked between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, Costa Rica has long coastlines and some truly beautiful beaches for surfing, snorkeling, or windsurfing.
Yet, the country also has a diverse interior, filled with rainforests, volcanoes, lakes, and mountain ranges. These jungles are the natural home to two- and three-toed sloths and howler monkeys. And you might even see vibrantly colored tree frogs, toucans, or butterflies along the way.
So with all that diversity, where should you head first?
Beginning in La Fortuna
To make the most of our two-week tropical vacation, we decided to spend the first week in and around the city of La Fortuna. Located in the northern part of Costa Rica, it’s about 2.5-3 hours northwest of the capital city of San Jose.
La Fortuna rests in the shadow of Arenal Volcano, a dominant feature you can see from virtually everywhere in town. It also sits on the edge of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, with its waterfalls and lush tropical terrain.
While visiting this section of the country, you can hike volcanoes, rappel down waterfalls, take eco-tours through rainforests, soak in natural hot springs, etc. The list is endless.
So to start this vacation off on the right foot, we booked a full-day of adventure zip-lining in the rainforest followed by white water rafting on some class II and III rapids.
Getting up high
Our morning started bright and early at Arenal Mundo Aventura, a company dedicated to eco-tourism and conservation. They allow visitors to experience the natural beauty of Costa Rica with a zip line circuit through their 560-hectacre section of tropical rainforest.
After suiting up in our harnesses and receiving instructions from our bilingual guides, we were ready to head into the rainforest and get up close and personal with nature.
Our first stop was the top of a 54-foot tower. From here, we’d begin our zip line adventure by flying 350 feet above the jungle canopy. Then we’d gradually progress to stations further and further down – viewing waterfalls, walking over a hanging suspension bridge, and trekking through lush nature between our zip line stations.
I wasn’t nervous about this adventure at all. That is, until Keith started talking about his own jitters in climbing up the 5-story metal tower. Somehow, he kept falling further and further back in line, allowing other riders to move ahead. Eventually there was no one left behind us, and it was our turn to start the adventure.
The first zip line was extremely long and fast, with riders speeding up to 43 mph. I can’t say for certain whether my speed climbed quite that high. But I definitely experienced equal parts exhilaration, happiness, and fear as the scenery rushed past me.
Then I looked out into the trees and could see La Fortuna waterfall in the distance. With its 200-foot drop to marvel at, I eventually started to relax and enjoy the ride.
Walking through the rainforest
Our trip between each zip line station took us on trails through the rainforest. This gave us time time to stop and linger a bit. The lushness of the terrain, with flowers and singing birds… It pushed memories that little inkling of fear to the rear of my mind. This was a unique experience like nothing else.
As we progressed through the circuit, we rode lower and lower into the canopy. Because of all the the dense vegetation surrounding us, you can’t see your destination when the guides hooked you into the cable at the top. So each lengthy zip line ride is a thrilling experience to its terminus. I have to admit, I left this adventure exhilarated and with a huge smile on my face!
Let’s get wet
After wrapping up our morning on the zip lines, it was time to make our way to our next stop – white water rafting. Most tour operators in La Fortuna use the Balsa River – which is fed by the reservoir from Lake Arenal. But, we had to deviate from the plan.
Costa Rica generates more than 95% of its electricity needs from sustainable sources like water, wind, and geothermal plants. The country also possesses the largest hydroelectric plant in Central America, which allows it to maximize it’s tropical rainfall and convert it to electricity.
However, this reliance on hydroelectric power means the government must also control the water releases from the various reservoirs. We were nearing the end of the dry season, so the water levels in Lake Arenal were really low. So the resevoir’s daily release into the Balsa River didn’t occur. That meant we had to travel a little further out to the nearby Sarapiqui River instead.
Pura Vida in Costa Rica
Our detour to the Sarapiqui River didn’t take anything away from the experience though. Our guide, Mario, was truly enthusiastic about the adventure. During our trip downriver, he pointed out herons, egrets, toucans, a howler monkey, iguanas, and more tropical flowers than I can name.
Unlike our recent white water rafting trip in Maine, we spent a lot of time moving through class II and III rapids. This left only a few calm sections to rest our weary paddling arms.
Mario was an excellent guide and clearly loved his job. He showed off his expert rafting skills, deliberately taking us into a few rapids backwards or having us paddle the raft in a circle so we could spin down one of the rapids.
Our small group in the raft only consisted of five paddlers. But we were among a group of six rafts that day, and we playfully jockeyed for position on the river. Splashing our rivals as we passed them definitely helped build our team’s camaraderie!
After a few hours on the river, we stopped to enjoy a snack of fresh pineapple and watermelon that the guides brought along. Perhaps I was just tired from all the paddling, or maybe tropical fruit is just better in Costa Rica. Whatever the case, it was divine.
Another really great part of rafting down this Sarapiqui River was seeing all the locals out there enjoying it too. We booked our trip on the Saturday before Easter. As a result, many Costa Ricans were out enjoying their weekend with a trip to the river with their kids. So, I felt we got a glimpse of the authentic Costa Rica.
When we finally reached our “take out spot” at the end of our trip, I was truly beat. After changing to dry clothes and we treated to a late lunch of typical Costa Rican food (i.e., black beans, rice, chicken, plantains – and Costa Rican coffee, of course). All in all, it was a great adventure! And it’s one I’d highly recommend to anyone visiting La Fortuna in the future.
