Costa Rica: A Wild Romance

Fly to San Jose and on arrival, you’ll be met by your guide for a warm welcome to Costa Rica and then whisk you off cross country to Arenal.

It’s good to get straight out on the road into the wild places and direct to a resort, no need to travel in the morning, make yourself at home and crash out.

A little extra here is a $50 credit at the lodge, you can use it for cocktails and tapas at La Jaranita bar where the party in the jungle! Or switch off after your journey with a well-earned spa treatment.

Wake to views of the spectacular Arenal volcano which dominates the skyline close to the resort.

Spend the day vegging out among tropical vegetation. Indulging in the fruits of the rainforest and watching hummingbirds and macaws around your room. You’ll find it hard to drag yourself away from the room with the large terrace to enjoy the scents of the jungle, raiding the complimentary mini-bar and your own plunge pool fed by the natural springs. The hotel’s free form spring pools are a fantastic place to relax and look out over the jungle.

In the early evening, venture out on a guided walk in the jungle, over a series of hanging bridges into untouched jungle canopy as the sun sets. Your guide will help you spot birds and reptiles and nocturnal mammals like coati – a cute racoon type of mammal. As night falls, enjoy a picnic in the forest, wine and cheese amid the loud song of frogs in the trees and the call of owls. Romance really is wild in Costa Rica.

You can go out on a guided trail to Arenal volcano, taking a path past old lava flows with fantastic views of the highlands. Then soak off the humidity in the natural hot springs at Tabacon.

Or perhaps saddle up for a horse ride around extensive grounds of the hotel, in the foothills of Arenal Volcano. You don’t have to be an expert cowboy or cowgirl to enjoy a ride along the valley on beautiful Central American horses the traditional way.

It’s a wonderful drive this morning along the length of Lake Arenal then on twisting roads into the mountains. You’ll notice the forest getting greener and denser as you head into the clouds. Here in these tropics, there’s an Alpine feel to the place. It’s a secluded area of Costa Rica seemingly unchanged for centuries, a true escape from the modern world.

El Silencio Lodge and Spa are set on a private cloud forest reserve, not far from Poas Volcano in an area of extreme biodiversity. What says romance like a log cabin? So why not stay in a log cabin room, sitting on your terrace overlooking mountain slopes and enjoy your private heated outdoor jet pool. It’s a perfect place to relax and do nothing, breathe deeply and appreciate the moment.

Today is a day to connect with the heart of Costa Rica. This small jewel of a country is strongly dedicated to sustainability, preserving nature and offers a vision of how the natural world can be protected.

This is another place where you can explore as much as you want, but it’s also the perfect place to do nothing and enjoy the moment.

Rise early if the feeling takes you for daybreak bird watching on trails around the lodge. Wander into the hummingbird garden, and look out for the beautifully coloured quetzal, unique to Central America. Do a zip line in the forest or head out on a horse ride. Not to forget excellent hikes through the cloud forests to impressive waterfalls, or you could also visit a coffee plantation or a cocoa farm all from your luxury lodge.

This evening for something special, dine in the forest with a private torch-lit sundown dinner.

This morning you’ll be driven across the highlands to meet up with the rangers from the Pacuare Lodge on the banks of the Pacuare River.

Jump in a raft for your journey to Pacuare Lodge. This is the outstanding thing about Pacuare – it’s hidden away in a dramatic canyon and the best way to arrive is by river – it’s like floating into a lost world. What a special way to travel!

You’ll arrive at Pacuare Lodge in time for lunch and be welcomed by the friendly team of guides and hosts. With just 19 lodge rooms here, all of which are hidden around the jungle or by the riverside all blend in beautifully into the natural environment, it’s a true hideaway.

Spend a bit of time relaxing and watching tropical birds in the canopy, but don’t miss out on the brilliant activities they run here. We’d recommend on the first day to head on a guided walk with a naturalist guide who will open up the secrets of the rainforest to you and take you through some indigenous communities.

Enjoy a dinner of delicious local produce and the night amid the calls of the rainforest. We have included two nights here at Pacuare Lodge, it’s well worth staying for three.

IBreakfasts in this other-world location are something to linger over. The fun of the freshest tropical fruits, straight-from-the-plantation local Costa Rican coffee, homemade bread, eggs, pancakes…we could go on. You can load up for an active day, or if you want just laze around at the lodge and let the wildlife come to you.

A popular excursion here is the hike up to the waterfall. It’s fairly challenging but the reward is jumping into the clear fresh pools below the fall. Live that shampoo advert!

The birdwatching here is absolutely among the best in the world and you can go out with an expert, or go crazy and jump into the river on a canyoning trip.

It’s a check out with a difference this morning, bid farewell and depart by raft along the Pacuare River. This is a thrilling raft journey with grade three and grade four white water rapids. It’s a rafting adventure of up to 5 hours through the jungle and steep-sided canyon.

At the end of the rapids, your guide will be waiting by the river for the private journey to the coast. From here we drive just a few hours until you reach the shores of the Caribbean Sea.

Arrive at the beautifully hidden Aguas Claras hotel and get into the beach vibe for a 3-night stay.

We love Agues Claras for being a friendly, small and unpretentious place, just like Costa Rica. This area is undeveloped, wild and is an intoxicating mix of Central American, Caribbean and Creole influences like nowhere else.

Get into that old-time Caribbean vibe, it’s like staying in a plantation house. We recommend splashing out on the Cacao bungalow, for ultimate privacy direct on the beach.

You might want to sit on the beach for a few days, take dips in the clear waters and do nothing – we won’t judge!

With so much to do you’re almost spoilt for choice. Just a short walk from the hotel is the Jaguar Research Centre. They don’t get too many jaguars here, despite the name, but it’s well worth the visit to see sloths, monkeys, anteaters and reptiles.

You’ll find snorkelling trips available, or if the swell is right, try a surf lesson. Or a real highlight (pardon the pun) could be taking a jungle canopy excursion and zip-wire from the canopy to the coast. For those who prefer their adventures on the ground, they have some amazing bike trails a short way down the coast or kayak through the mangroves spotting sloth, toucans, monkeys and sea turtles.

Another lazy day on the Caribbean coast. For something a bit different you can visit a cocoa plantation to see where rich Costa Rican chocolate comes from.

The nearby town of Puerto Viejo is a surfer hang-out with laid back bars and nightlife.

We would recommend eating at Da Lime at the hotel, meaning ‘Meeting up with Friends’ in Jamaican patois, it fits in with Agua Claras barefoot luxe vibe. Not forgetting a pamper at the spa called Casa Gandhi – yes with some yoga included.

We’re sure you won’t want to leave this beautiful hotel, this coast and this country.

But when it’s time to do so, it’s a private transfer straight back to San Jose to meet your flight home.

Arrive this morning, see if you can keep life at a more natural, unhurried pace, and unpack that Costa Rican coffee.

Land back home. We are sure that Costa Rica changes everyone who visits and gets to the heart of the country. You’ll have so many stories to share and lifetime memories. For kids and parents alike it shows us a different way of living, of coming together to protect the planet and a bit of inspiration to take forward. And as much as any of that, it’s lots and lots and lots of fun.