James Travel

Toni Barnett, of James TravelPOINTS recently discover the beautiful country of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is a land of breathtaking beauty, natural wonder, and environmental consciousness. Much of Costa Rica is in its natural state with 27% of the country protected by land conservation or the national park system.  Extensive coasts compliment the lush jungles, cool mountains, and abundant wildlife in the interior regions.

Upon our arrival we headed into the hills outside of San Jose, our hotel patio overlooked the city lights below. Waking up to this peaceful resort on it’s own private coffee plantation surrounded by lush gardens gave us instant gratification and great start to a memorable vacation. We enjoyed a short hike that led to a series of waterfalls and pools, pleased to begin our adventure in such splendid fashion.

We left for Tamarindo, a sleepy surfing town on the Northern Pacific coast, long beaches offer a wide variety of surf that caters to beginners and experts. Our first time surfing wasn’t very successful but we sure had a great time trying. We left with fond memories of casual dinning at some wonderful little cafés, great waves, evening fireflies and relaxing walks along the beach.

Our next destination brought us to higher elevation in the Northwestern region and to Arenal. Thought to be just another dormant volcano, Arenal came alive on July 29, 1968 forever altering the landscape with dramatic explosions and lava flows. We hiked around the still belching Arenal where previous lava flows cut through the terrain. Staying up most of the night to view small glowing lava flows and listening as Arenal hissed and chug. We also visited the beautiful Tabacon Hot Springs-streams, waterfalls, and pools, this is a very special playground.

Our most scenic drive took us from Arenal through farmland and coffee plantations into the Cloud Forest region of Monteverde.  Here we were able to hike with our naturalist guide learning about this delicate ecosystem; we can’t imagine what we would have missed without his diverse knowledge and enthusiasm. With his spotting scope we were able to view two troops of howler monkeys. The males were competing for dominance with their unique and ferocious shrieks.   Our canopy tour took us sailing over the cloud forest it’s thrilling and beautiful, not nearly scary as I thought. A seriously good time enjoyed by all. Once we finished we walked along trails featuring several suspension bridges this is a great way to enjoy the canopy for those who wish to pass on the zip line.

Our final destination was Manuel Antonio. On our way there we spotted 7 Toucans and 2 sloths in one tree, the final check-off on our must do list! What an awe-inspiring 360º view of the beach and national park from our hotel balcony.  Our hike within the park was fantastic and once again our naturalist came through. He pointed out numerous things we would have missed without his keen eye.  Raccoon, several sloths, white faced and squirrel monkeys, birds, lizards, bats, and spiders became victims of our spotting scope and camera.

We left Costa Rica with vivid memories and the understanding of what makes this an extraordinary destination.  Call our Costa Rica experts to plan a vacation that will best meet your needs and let you mark a few of those “must dos” off your list 1-800-538-7461/303-938-9165, www.travelpoints.com.

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