Weekend Taste of Costa Rica

With one backpack in tow, I’m off to the Louisville International Airport in an effort to escape winter. I ramble to the American Airlines check-in and present my passport. After a few keystrokes from the agent, out pops my boarding passes to San Jose, Costa Rica.

Before I know it, I’ve transferred planes in Miami and find myself on a relic Airbus A300 at 26,000 feet over Cuba. Flight attendants offer drinks along with the requisite Immigration and Custom forms for entry. After a catnap I awake to our decent; a series of tight turns to avoid the volcanic terrain below. Peeking out the window, I can see the bright lights as we touch down in San Jose.

I feel the humidity of the tropics upon setting foot in the jet-bridge. I follow the stream of passengers into a corridor and queue for immigrations. As I proceed to the front, an immigration booth opens up. I present my passport and landing card. My passport is swiped and then I hear a loud click – passport is stamped!

I made it in! With only a backpack for luggage, I make a beeline out through the green lane for Customs - no muss, no fuss. I approach the taxi booth to acquire a taxi voucher and hand over an Andrew Jackson to cover the $20 taxi-fare to the Marriott Courtyard in Escuzu, on the outskirts of San Jose.

Costa Rican Driving 101

I hop into my taxi; the driver takes the petal to the metal and it felt more akin to a roller-coaster ride at a Six Flags park than a taxi ride – fast speeds, tight turns, and lots of passing. All this time I had thought driving in Italy was bad.

Marriott Courtyard San Jose - Escuzu

Upon completion of Costa Rican Driving 101, I check into my hotel on the outskirts of San Jose. Prior to my arrival, Juan José Acuña Leandro, the CRT travel concierge at the Courtyard, assisted me in setting up a couple of day trips. The first daytrip was to Turu Ba-Ri and the second to Arenal Volcano & Tabacon Hot Springs.

Turu Ba-Ri (Day One)

Up at the crack of dawn the sun is already vibrant and the weather is beautiful. The Courtyard has a morning buffet which includes a combination of “American” and Tico fare (for real Tico fare, you must visit a Soda). The Gallo Pinto is tasty along with eggs and plantains.

A bit after 8:30 my ride comes along – a passenger van for the trip up to Turu Ba-Ri. The drive isn’t as wild as my taxi adventure the previous night, but the trek takes us up and down and through many turns. It takes time to navigate the mountainous terrain and the views are stunning as I view the hills and green tropical forest of Costa Rica. Once we arrive, the first order of business is a light, fresh fruit snack. Here we meet our tour guide and jump into a gondola that brings us downhill into the park. The park is full of nature – butterflies, insects, animals, and birds. Insect Repellent and Sun Screen are two musts, which we share among each other while touring the nature park.

I must admit, The Turu Ba-Ri Park is a bit touristy, but if you’re an adrenaline seeker, you’ve arrived at the right place. I took a ride down the Sensational Cable, otherwise known as The Superman – the cable is 1 km long and the ride down is breathtaking as you reach speeds of 55 kph.

Once back at the Courtyard I discover Fried Plantain Chips in the gift shop. Similar to potato chips in some respects, but made of fried plantains.

Arenal Volcano & Tabacon Hot Springs (Day Two)

A fantastic breakfast at the Courtyard to start the day and my ride up to Arenal arrives on time. We start our jaunt to Arenal via the Pan-American Highway to escape the hustle and bustle of San Jose. As we’re en-route, our guide does a fantastic job of pointing out important landmarks along the way including the all-important Guaro Cacique Liquor Factory.

Our guide takes a few minutes to explain the economy of Costa Rica; while Tourism and Coffee are obvious, decorative flowers and microchips are large exports.

Soon we are off the highway and climbing through the mountains – abundant lush vegetation, coffee farms, decorative flower farms, and numerous, small yet colourful towns. One town that stuck out was Naranja, meaning Orange - the town was full of decorative Oranges.

En-route we make one stop at a small shopping complex for souvenirs – touristy, but I found a couple of decent, inexpensive buys; I had some leftover Euro notes on me from a previous trip and I was pleasantly surprised they honoured the Euro Note at a fantastic exchange rate, providing change in US Dollars.

Around the corner, I also had the opportunity to grab some inexpensive, authentic Tico food at a Soda. A Soda is a traditional Costa Rican eatery.

As we approach La Fortuna, one of the first sights is a mountain called Indian Sleeping. Once a bit closer, you could observe the towering Arenal Volcano going up into the clouds. Our next stop would be for a buffet lunch – buffet had some Tico food including casado, carne asada, and plantain with fruit frescos to drink.

The resort where lunch was held also offered massage therapy – I opted for a 30-minute session. As for the massage – lets just say, save your money for a massage elsewhere.

Back into the shuttle and it’s a quick ride up to Tabacon Hot Springs. The setting at Tabacon is picturesque – full of thriving green plants & flowers with natural volcanic baths, flowing water, and waterfalls; the water, hot and rejuvenating. Ah, such is life in paradise. As the heat of the day subsided, I saw magnificent, colourful birds including the Toucan. Tabacon Hot Springs is a must for anyone visiting La Fortuna or Arenal Volcano.

A full dinner buffet was included at Tabacon; the fare was a combination of American, Mexican, and Tico food. The desserts were delightful and the passion fruit, large and plentiful.

Sadly fog closed in on the area and we did not have the opportunity to view Arenal & its lava flows at night. A bit disappointing, but you can’t control Mother Nature. I’d like to spend a couple nights in La Fortuna near Arenal at some point in the future – the area is a natural playground chock-full of activities and life.

The trip back was a bit slow going because of the dense fog, but it had been a long day. Sadly, this was the end of the trip, as I would be departing Costa Rica the next day. The visit – too short, but it offered a great taste of Costa Rica.

Return to United States (Day Three)

I had one final breakfast at the hotel and spent the morning shopping for souvenirs. As it was a Monday morning, I finally had the opportunity to meet Juan José Acuña Leandro, the CRT concierge at the Courtyard who made arrangements for my day trips.

Costa Rica has a $26 USD Departure Tax, which must be paid in cash at the airport; for a small fee you can save time and pay the departure tax at most San Jose hotels. I simply had it added to my bill to save time at the airport.

As it was midday, I was able to catch the hotel shuttle to the San Jose Airport. Departure Tax paid, I was able to proceed directly to American Airlines for check-in, through security, and off to the gate.

The San Jose Airport is a mix of old and new. American Airlines uses a new portion of the terminal that provides free WiFi. A word of caution about liquids – if you buy bottled drinks inside the airport, you must consume it prior to boarding the aircraft. A second security check is done at the gate specifically for liquids.

Upon take-off from San Jose we make several turns to avoid terrain and I peek out at my last views of this magnificent nation. Two and a half hours later I land in Miami where I pass through US Immigrations and Culture. Thankfully, one last day of warm weather as I overnight in Miami. I fly onward to Louisville the next morning, completing the trip.

Costa Rica left me with many great memories and one thing even worse, an addiction. I've become addicted to the diverse nation of Costa Rica and a desire to return for my next fix.

Costa Rica may be small in size, but it’s rich in life. Pura Vida!

Additional Costa Rica Information

US Dollars Are Accepted in Costa Rica
Visa and MasterCard is Widely Accepted
ATM’s are available in larger cities

Hotel Lodging, moderately priced:

Courtyard by Marriott San Jose
Autopista Prospero Fernandez, Calle Marginal N., Plaza Itskatzu
San Jose, 5024005
Costa Rica

Phone: +506 2208 3000
Fax: +506 2288 0808

The CRT team at the Courtyard can assist you with tours

Travel to Costa Rica

There are international flights into San Jose and Liberia. Most flights go to San Jose.

Airlines - United States to San Jose, Costa Rica

American Airlines offers flights from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Dallas/Ft. Worth
Continental from Newark and Houston
Delta Air Lines from Atlanta
Frontier from Denver
LASCA from Orlando, Miami, Los Angeles, and New York-JFK
Spirit Air Lines from Ft. Lauderdale
US Airways from Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Phoenix

Airlines - Canada to San Jose, Costa Rica

Air Canada from Toronto
Air Transat from Montreal

Airlines - Europe to San Jose, Costa Rica

Iberia from Madrid-Barajas (non-stop)
KLM to Panama City - Transfer To Copa or LASCA from Panama City to San Jose, CR