A Day In The Lalz: #TBT

Part 2 of #ThrowBackTravel is an ode to Costa Rica!

My trip to Costa Rica occurred in March 2012 with my sister and two girlfriends. It was the most fun girls trip I have ever been on! Put a doctor, lawyer, SLP, and a grad student in Costa Rica for a week and you have nothing but silly adventures from horseback riding, zip lining, sun burn, jumping off cliffs, and complete Pura Vida!

The four of us planned our trip thanks to Anywhere Costa Rica and Trip Advisor. We stayed in two locations - first La Fortuna for 3 nights and second Santa Teresa for 3 nights. Upon arriving to CR we reserved a shuttle in advance to take us from the airport to La Fortuna - this was by far the best idea ever because our flight got in at around 1am and there was no chance that we were driving in CR - I don't recommend it! There are no street signs, lights, or perfectly paved paths and it is just dangerous. Hiring the shuttle driver was the smartest option. He was waiting for us upon arrival and drove us straight to our hotel, checked us in, and took care of everything!

Los Lagos Resort in La Fortuna

Horseback Riding at Los Lagos Resort in La Fortuna

Crocodile Farm at Los Lagos Resort in La Fortuna

Arenal Observatory at Los Lagos Resort in La Fortuna

Fangus Spa at Los Lagos Resort in La Fortuna

Zip Lining Map

The view while zip lining

La Fortuna Itinerary & Details
-Hotel: Los Lagos
-Restaurants: Don Rufino, Las Ventanas at The Springs Resort & Spa
-Activities: At Los Lagos Resort [Horseback Riding, Butterfly Garden, Crocodile Farm, Fangus Spa, Arenal Volcano Observatory] and Zip Lining

Los Lagos Resort was incredible! A friend of mine who studied abroad in CR recommended it and I couldn't have been happier with the resort! They have a ton of amenities and the staff is beyond friendly! We only left the resort three times - twice for dinner and once to go zip lining. Otherwise we spend majority of our time at the resort! Through concierge we booked a horseback riding session, massages at the spa, and a zip lining experience. The zip lining experience was booked through the hotel however it was not at the hotel. A shuttle picked us up and took us to the location and brought us back afterwards. Also the restaurants we dined at were incredible! Our breakfast was included with our stay at the resort - which was divine! However for dinner we ventured out of the resort. Also the hot springs at the resort are incredible! Literally best part of the stay!

En route to Santa Teresa

Hotel Buenisimo in Santa Teresa

Sunset view from out balcony at Hotel Buenisimo in Santa Teresa

Night time fun at Play del Carmen

Playa Carmen

Sunset at Playa Carmen

Montezuma Falls

Dinner at Brisas del Mar in Santa Teresa

Santa Teresa Mal Pais Itinerary & Details
-Hotel: Hotel Buenisimo
-Restaurants: Pasta Basta, The Bakery, Brisas del Mar
-Activities: Montezuma Falls, Playa Carmern

After 3 nights in La Fortuna we headed out to Santa Teresa Mal Pais. Our journey there was long - we weren't expecting it. We took a 3 hour shuttle from the hotel - then got on a 1.5 hour ferry - then another 2 hour shuttle - and then finally we arrived at our hotel. Also there are no asphalt roads in Santa Teresa therefore it was a bumpy ride. Our hotel in Santa Teresa was recommended by my sister's coworker - it was a eco-friendly type of hotel. We had 2 casitas which were very nice and had a great view of the sunset. Location wise it was fantastic - however it was drastically different than staying at a resort. Nonetheless we had a ton of fun being beach bumps, enjoying good food, and just relaxing in Santa Teresa. One of the days we headed out to Montezuma Falls for a hike and to see the falls. The owner of the casita drove us out to the falls and guided us on the hike - a ton of fun!

All I can say about Costa Rica is Pura Vida! It is a must see place and there is so much to do there!