The beginning of Summer 2016 marked many spontaneous adventures. One of Diana’s best friends, Natalie, asked her and I if we were up for a trip to Costa Rica. Natalie was embarking on her own three week volunteer program up in the north of the country and would be finishing the trip in the capital, San Jose. Having never stepped foot in Central America, we decided that Costa Rica would be the best place to start!

We spent 5 days and couldn’t get enough of the endless good vibes that radiated from the country. The locals were extremely down to earth, amicable and kind. Every one of our conversations with Ticos, as the natives are called, ended with the phrase “pura vida” which translate to “pure life.” Returning ‘thank-you’s’ resulted with “con gusto” (my pleasure) instead of  the”de nada” (‘it’s nothing’) that we’re used to. It was such a breath of fresh air to feel like company and conversations were wanted and warranted. Something we thought was very interesting about Costa Rican culture was the result of our conversation with our taxi driver from the airport to our Airbnb. He told us that Costa Rican’s appreciate and value all the plentiful nature of their country so much so that they prefer to build their houses and offices low to the ground so as to be in touch with it, hence why there are very few skyscrapers in the center city. He also told us that there were very few gas stations to preserve their biodiversity as much as possible.

Unfortunately, summer from May to November isn’t the best time to go to Costa Rica because the country undergoes its rainy season, which was mostly the climate we experienced. Cloud forests and rain cover the air and because of that, we weren’t able to see some of the most famous attractions, like the famous volcano in Poas. However, we were able to visit and enjoy La Paz Waterfall, hike through Manuel Antonio National Park, and even go ziplining for the first time in the beautiful Braulio Carillo rainforest, so ultimately, we did get to do our fair share of sight seeing. 

Visiting Costa Rica was an unforgettable experience that we’re glad we were able to experience, even as spontaneously as it happened. The country’s beautiful nature, great food, cozy culture, friendly people and great vibes make it an unforgettable, incredible vacation destination, all year round. Below are some photos I took that recap some of the adventures the 3 of us went through during our stay in the center city of San Jose and all around the gorgeous, natural landscape of one of the happiest and most beautiful places we’ve been to yet. Take a look!

Pura Vida!