PURA VIDA

January 29, 2021

Pura Vida

In this turbulent time, I hear from many, I want to wait until I see how things go…. We want to wait to see what happens with the vaccine…. I long to travel right now, but we can’t. Well, I am here to tell you, well, you can, if you are ready to. I just returned from a 10 day trip to Costa Rica in January 2021. I going to share some amazing experiences and memories from my trip with you. Pura Vida which in Costa Rica means “pure life” or “simple life”. There are so many wonderful things to experience in Costa Rica that I am pretty sure I am going to have to go back for more 😊.

Extraordinary Experiences

Two weeks ago, I was a guest of Costa Rican Trails with a small group of top producing travel advisors. I experienced how Costa Rica was taking our health and safety into their hands and providing an exemplary example of how to travel during covid.

Our group didn’t have to test upon entering Costa Rica, but we did for the sake of our fellow travelers. We wanted to be sure we all felt secure while traveling together. We followed all the rules of social distancing and wearing our masks, washing our hands and disinfecting at the entry of the hotels, having our temperatures checked, etc. Everything was very clean, and nothing deteriorated our wonderful “pura vida” experience.

Hotel Grano de Oro

So, what did I do and what did I see and where did I stay? Well, let me share the beauty that is Costa Rica with you. We began 2 days earlier than the group and landed in San Jose, Costa Rica. We stayed at a very nice “boutique” feeling Hotel Grano de Oro. This hotel opened its doors in December of 1991 with 21 guest rooms. In 1994, they increased to 34 rooms. In 2007, they finished another expansion which then housed the Grano de Oro Restaurant, which is also an open-air courtyard as well as indoor dining.

Waterfalls and More

Venturing on, we stopped the La Paz Waterfall Gardens which housed butterflies, sloths, large cat sanctuary and more! We were en route to our next amazing hotel stay, El Silencio Lodge and Spa, which was located in the cloud forest! I could say a lot about this property, from the gorgeous 2-bedroom villas to the private suites with privacy and perfect mountain/forest views and an amazing hot tub (my favorite part).

The Adventures Continue…

After a few nights of peace and beautiful experiences, we moved on to my favorite hotel, Nayara Springs. This property was a “secluded place of understated luxury” in the Arenal Volcano region, near La Fortuna. This property had so much to offer, from night hikes to outstanding spa experiences to outstanding food and hot springs to boot. Who could ask for more?

Visiting the area of the Arenal volcano definitely offered up some amazing experiences as well. First time zip liner 🙋‍♀️ thats me and Richard. Hanging bridges, 🙋‍♀️ again, first timer here!

And There is Still More

After all the excitement of this region, we moved on to the beach region of Manuel Antonio. Here we stayed at a beach side resort Arenas del Mar. Lovely atmosphere and pristine public and private beaches. We had some downtime to soak in the sun and the water and just relax to end our time here. “Beachfront. Ocean views. Rainforest. Wildlife. Manuel Antonio National Park on your doorstep and adventure at your fingertips.”

All Good Things Must End….

After so much excitement, nature, new adventures and amazing hotels, we had to end with yet another gem in Costa Rica. We only got to spend one night here, but the beauty and peacefulness had us wanting to stay longer. We spent our last night in Costa Rica at Finca Rosa Blanca, Coffee Farm and Inn. This amazing property was peaceful, serene, private and inviting. The food was amazing, and the people were splendid.

So many wonderful memories, new friendships and amazing new experiences were had here in Costa Rica, even during a pandemic. Travel is possible if you are needing to get out. Ask me how to create this amazing experience for you and your family!