Blogs from Alajuela, Costa Rica, Central America Caribbean

La Fortuna was billed as this big backpackers hang-out at the foot of a massive volcano. There's no doubting the first part of that statement, but what volcano? All we saw was low cloud and drizzle! It was good to sit in a bar drinking craft ale and playing Jenga, but there wasn't the party vibe we had expected. Food, drink and accommodation were generally way overpriced, but we did manage to find some value. We had big plans for our stay. A walk on a trail where we were more or less guaranteed to see sloths was definitely on our itinerary as was a trip to see a series of hanging bridges close to the volcano. Both bit the dust as the rain was relentless leaving us spending more or less a whole day in ... read more

Le 14 août 2022, Ce matin, je suis encore debout à 5:00. Cette fois, c'est gracieuseté des singes hurleurs, qui nous donnent tout un concert dans les arbres pas très loin de nous. Personnellement, ça me rend de bien bonne humeur pour la journée à venir! Après un petit-déjeuner en famille, nous partons pour une vingtaine de minutes de voiture en direction du célèbre Rio Celeste-rivière bleue. Bien que perdu au milieu des champs, l'endroit est plus touristique que ce à quoi je m'attendais. La visite ne se fera définivement pas en solo. Nous payons notre dû pour entrer dans le parc national et entamons notre balade de la matinée. Ainsi, pour se rendre au petit bijou qu'est le Rio Celeste, nous devons d'abord randonner pour 1,5 kilomètre sur un sentier bien aménagé, mais qui grimpe ... read more

My friend gave me the choice for the next stop and due to the excessive rain, I figured, if we are gonna get wet anyway, hiking in rainforests, relaxing in hot springs, seeing sloths and a volcano sounded great to me. Bus experience We took the early bus from Playa Samara to Nicoya. Knowing the location of the multiple bus stations at this point, we made our way directly to the station to catch the bus to Liberia. Here we double and triple checked the buses and waited for the ride to Canas. In Canas, we each got an empanada as a snack. When it was time leave, I got a nice comment from the lady on the bus to Tilaran because when I asked the driver the price, he told me in Spanish and I ... read more

It’s our last day in La Fortuna and there is no rain forecast for a full 6 hours. However, the volcano remains stubbornly hidden behind the clouds. I manage to sleep until gone 6 then get up to watch the hotel staff hoist bananas up a flagpole to attract the birds, and watch as group after group of different species turn up for breakfast – things get particularly fractious between the budgies and woodpeckers. My breakfast this morning is (not surprisingly) from the bakery – bread stuffed with cream cheese and pineapple. This morning’s activity is a trip to La Fortuna waterfall, which is accessed via a flight of 530 steps – a jolly sensible activity for two old codgers with dodgy knees! We drive to the top of the waterfall, pay the £25 foreigners’ entry ... read more

This morning is our first full day in Costa Rica. I am awake at 5 am (which is actually 11 in the UK and my stomach). 2 hours till breakfast and I’m starving. At 6 it gets light and I can brave going outside to sit in the garden without standing in anything. It’s a pretty little garden with a gazebo and plunge pool set among the shrubs. Breakfast is served in a clearing in the garden and is very tasty – fried rice and beans, omelette, sausage and plantain. Although I go off my food a bit when I see quite how often the cook fondles the shitty little dog whilst cooking. Then we take a walk to find a shop to stock up on supplies. We’re staying on the main road to the airport ... read more