Costa Rica

The happiest place on earth

By Michael Wilson

January 26^th, 2016

San Jose

My first stop in Costa Rica was the capital city, San Jose. This was my first trip to central america so I had no idea what to expect. Luckily, I loved it. I really enjoyed walking around the city. The weather was glorious, the surrounding views were beautiful, the people were friendly and there was something interesting around every corner.

National football stadium

I had heard the football stadium was an impressive sight so I took a walk south of the city to see for myself. I wasn’t disappointed. The surrounding park is full of wildlife and people relaxing or playing sports, the stadium is lovely, open at both ends with two arching stands at either side.

National Theatre of Costa Rica

Did you know San Jose was the third city in the world to have electricity? Neither did I until I visited the national theatre. To convince a famous opera singer at the time to sing in San Jose they commissioned a Belgian architect to design their theatre. He imported electric lamps from Paris and so it was needed to get them going.

The theatre is opulent beyond belief, with murals on every ceiling, statues all over and gold (leaf) everywhere!

Next stop Arenal

With San Jose done, it was time to take a transfer to Arenal. The drive was amazing, as we climbed up into the clouds getting closer to viewing the volcano which Arenal is famous for.

When I arrived at the resort my jaw hit the ground. Forget sea view, my room had a volcano view! The place was stunning, with hot springs open until 10pm, 3 great restaurants and wildlife filling the grounds.

Iguanas!

The swimming pool had more Iguanas than it did people. They were fascinating to watch, so I spent most of my time relaxing in the hot springs watching these awesome lizards surround the pool. There was something about their posture that seemed to say they owned this place.

Birds!

A bird loving friend of mine was one of the reasons I wanted to visit Costa Rica. He had told me about the amazing array of birds that call it home. They come in all shapes, sizes and colours and there always something new to see. Here’s just a handful of what I snapped in my resort.

Toucans were near the top of my wish-list for wildlife I wanted to see in Costa Rica. So you can imagine how excited I was when these guys flew into a tree above my head, while I was lounging by the pool.

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Arenal volcano

On the second day in Arenal we headed to the national park for a walk around the jungle. Once we’d emerged above the canopy we had the most amazing view of the volcano.

Apparently getting a glimpse of the very top isn’t that common because it’s normally covered in cloud, so I’m glad I got lucky as it took my breath away.

Off to Monteverde

It was time to leave Arenal, so we took a short boat ride across Arenal Lake before jumping into another coach onwards to Monteverde.

I was transported to a palace again, look at the view I had from my room! Another stunning resort to explore, there was so much wildlife to spy.

Time to watch the sunset

We had the most beautiful evenings in Monteverde, so I always planned my day around being out in front of my room to watch the sunset. All of the other hotel guests joined me with the same (obvious) idea.

Once the sun had gone, it was then the stars turn to sparkle in the clear sky.

The cloud forrest

The next morning we got a tour around Monteverde cloud forrest. There was so many birds in the trees, but sadly (for you not me) most of them were only visible through a telescope, so no photos.

I was lucky enough to spot the famous (Google it) Resplendent Quetzal before any of the guides had, they were well impressed ;-)

We also saw the continental divide (the last two photos in the next set), where on one side water flows towards the Atlantic and on the other it heads to the Pacific.

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Last stop, Manuel Antonio

The last transfer took me south west down the coast to Manuel Antonio, which is famed for the surfing culture. Naturally, this meant it was full of wooden shacks, hostels and people on the beach offering lessons.

However, it’s also home to the amazing Manuel Antonio national park where 3 species of monkey and both species of Sloth live!

The beaches

The beaches in the national park were not only stunning, they were also deserted. The sun was shining, with barely a cloud in the sky so I made sure to spend a whole bunch of time enjoying them.

Sloths might be the funniest animal I’ve ever witnessed. They hardly move and when they do it looks like they’re in slow motion. I just don’t understand how they survive.

The monkeys were also fascinating to watch but far more energetic. They move in big groups and constantly seem to be grooming each other or play fighting.

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The final sunset

I spent my last evening in Costa Rica on the beach taking photos as the sun went down.

Time to go home :-(

The final morning had arrived so I tried to get some final sun rays, watching the locals make a living off the numerous tourists in the area.

Sadly, it was time to go home. I’d had an incredible couple of weeks exploring Costa Rica. It’s got so much to offer; hot weather, amazing landscapes, happy locals, exciting wildlife, an abundance of activities and so many unique cities.