Living la Pura Vida in Costa Rica

San Jose

Like most people visiting Costa Rica, my trip began in San Jose, the country's capital and the gateway to wider Costa Rica. While many people don't spend long here, it's a great place to ease yourself into Costa Rican life before heading off to explore the rainforests, volcanoes or beaches. If you have a free day, it's worth visiting the impressive National Theatre, wandering through the city's museums or simply soaking up the atmosphere around Plaza de la Cultura.

On my first day, I joined Llama Travel’s optional excursion to Poas Volcano National Park and Doka Coffee Estate, and I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to Costa Rica. Poas is one of the country's most iconic volcanoes, with a huge crater filled by a striking blue-green lake. Like many people, though, I quickly discovered that seeing the crater is a matter of luck. I managed about 10 seconds before it vanished behind the clouds. Even without the view, the walk through the surrounding forest was beautiful. I also took the short trail to Laguna Botos, an extinct volcanic crater filled with a blue-green (ish) lagoon, which gave me my first real taste of Costa Rica's incredible landscapes.

From there, we headed to Doka Coffee Estate, a family-run plantation that's been producing coffee for more than 70 years. The tour takes you through the entire coffee-making process, from bean to cup, and, as a coffee lover, it was fascinating to learn why Costa Rican coffee is considered some of the best in the world. After the tour, I spent some time wandering around the grounds, which are full of colourful tropical flowers and butterflies. One of the highlights was spotting the beautiful blue morpho butterflies, which seemed to be everywhere.

Poas Volcano, Doka Coffee State and Laguna Botos - photos by Nathalia taken on a Llama Travel trip

Tortuguero

Our next stop was Tortuguero. Sitting on the Caribbean coast, it's home to Tortuguero National Park, a network of canals and rainforest that's full of wildlife.

I stayed at Aninga Lodge, right in the heart of the rainforest, beside the canals. The lodge is surrounded by nature, so whether I was walking around the grounds or relaxing by the pool, there was always wildlife to spot, from howler and spider monkeys to colourful tropical birds. Waking up to the sound of howler monkeys on the roof of my lodge every morning was one of my favourite parts of the trip.

The early morning boat trip through Tortuguero National Park was another highlight. Cruising quietly through the canals, surrounded by thick jungle, honestly felt like I was travelling through Jurassic Park (minus the dinosaurs!). There seemed to be more wildlife to spot around every corner, making it one of the best wildlife experiences of the whole trip. Tortuguero National Park is definitely a place that will stay with me for a long time.

We also visited the small village of Tortuguero. Although I wasn't there during turtle nesting season, it was still really interesting to see the beaches where thousands of sea turtles come to lay their eggs each year. The village itself is small and colourful, with a few local shops, restaurants and a little chapel that sits at the heart of the community. It was a lovely way to learn a bit more about life in this remote part of Costa Rica.

Tortuguero National Park - photos by Nathalia taken on a Llama Travel trip

Arenal

From Tortuguero, we took a 1.5-hour boat ride through the canals before continuing by road, passing small rural towns and fields of pineapples, oranges, sugar cane and yucca along the way. By the time we reached Arenal, I could already see why it's one of Costa Rica's most popular destinations. Arenal was probably my favourite place in Costa Rica. It has a bit of everything: rainforest, wildlife, adventure and, of course, the impressive Arenal Volcano looming over it all.

I stayed at Hotel Lomas del Volcan, and I absolutely loved it! The breakfast setting overlooking the volcano and rainforest was a great way to start the day; the hotel facilities were also excellent, and the whole place felt completely immersed in nature. Stepping out of my room each morning and seeing Arenal Volcano right in front of me never got old (I lucked out on the weather!)  – it honestly felt quite surreal. One morning, after breakfast, I explored the hotel's forest trail, which was another great opportunity to spot wildlife.

One of my favourite experiences was ziplining through the rainforest. Flying through the treetops was so much fun and gave me a completely different view of the forest. I have to admit, it took me a couple of ziplines before I was brave enough to keep my eyes open, but once I did, the views were incredible.

We also visited the Hanging Bridges Park, where a network of 16 bridges (6 of which are 'hanging' bridges) take you through the rainforest canopy. Walking high above the forest floor gave a completely different perspective of the rainforest and was a great chance to spot wildlife, including birds, snakes and insects, from above. Another highlight was La Fortuna Waterfall. After making the walk down the long staircase, I went for a swim beneath the waterfall before tackling the climb back up. It was definitely worth the effort. To end the day, we relaxed in the natural hot springs.

By the time I left Arenal, I'd been lucky enough to see at least two sloths every day. I spotted my very first one as we were arriving in Arenal, then saw more at La Fortuna Waterfall and at the chocolate plantation; this one was so close that we just stood and watched it for ages.

Arenal - photos taken by Nathalia on a Llama Travel trip

Villa Blanca Cloud Forest

Our final stop was Villa Blanca, and it was the perfect place to end the trip. The hotel is made up of traditional casitas, giving it the feel of a small Costa Rican village, complete with its own little chapel. What stood out most about Villa Blanca was how remote it is. Surrounded by cloud forest and away from everything else, it was incredibly peaceful and a great place to slow down.

Villa Blanca had my favourite sunrise and sunset of the whole trip. Starting the day with those views and ending it watching the sun disappear behind the trees is something I'll always remember. The guided morning and evening walks around the grounds were a great way to spot even more wildlife, as every walk was different depending on the time of day. The frog sanctuary was another surprise; I never thought I'd come home saying I was a frog fan, but here we are! Seeing so many different species up close was fascinating.

Villa Blanca is quite different from the other places we visited. There are plenty of things to do around the hotel, from yoga and painting to the frog sanctuary and forest trails, but there isn't much beyond the hotel grounds. I actually really liked that. It gave me the chance to slow down, switch off and simply enjoy being surrounded by nature – it was here that Pura Vida really clicked for me.

Villa Blanca Cloud Forest - photos taken by Nathalia on a Llama Travel trip

Looking back, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Costa Rica, and it's a country I'd recommend to anyone. If you love wildlife, beautiful scenery and spending time in nature, it's hard to think of a better destination. From waking up to howler monkeys and spotting sloths in the wild to relaxing in hot springs and watching the sunset over the cloud forest, every day brought something different. Costa Rica is a place I'll remember for a long time, and I already know I'll be back one day.

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