Pacific Ocean View
Costa Rica Background
Costa Rica mostly comprised of rain forest jungle in Central America which the coastline on both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Known for volcanoes, beaches and eco-tourism. A good portion of the country is made up of protected jungle. They have two international airports, one in their capital city of San Jose and the other in Liberia. It is a very easy long weekend with many daily flights from the United States.
How to get there
We flew into Liberia where our hotel picked us up at the airport for the drive to the resort. The resort is only 45 minutes from the hotel. A rental car is not recommended instead hire a driver or tour operator that will provide any transportation that is needed during your stay. We wouldn't recommend driving yourself.
Costa Rica Hotel Details
There are many all-inclusive resorts throughout Costa Rica, we chose Westin Playa Conchal, the royal service which is their adult only option including a dedicated concierge and an adult only pool. There are eight restaurants onsite, a golf course, spa and beach access.
Royal Service Pool Side
Additionally, outside of the resort they are many options to partake in during your stay in Costa Rica. During out stay we chose the following things booked through the hotel's tour operator Swiss Travel.
Things to do in Costa RicaZip Lining
Ready for zip lining
Half day of zip lining, this was not a private tour since it wasn't needed. The tour picked us up for the few hours tour. They drove us up the jungle to begin the journey down. In comparison to zip lining in Whistler, we preferred Whistler it was still something fun to do in Costa Rica. Afternoon was spent walking into the village next to the resort and swimming in the Pacific.
Arenal Volcano Rain Forest Trek
The next day we arranged for a full day private tour which included a rainforest trek, Arenal volcano and finishing the day at Tabacon hot springs. For the rainforest trek they give you ponchos since it is very wet. Along the way they explain the flora and fauna.
Tabacon - Hot Springs
Pools
After drying off we headed to the volcano to see how active it was. If it is a cloudy day it is very hard to see. It is similar to the active volcanoes in Hawaii. We have seen both, the volcanic activity of Hawaii's big island is unmatched.
Arenal Volcano
Local lunch before heading to Tabacon for the remaining day. These are the mineral hot springs from the Arenal volcano. There are five main springs that are warmed from the magna of the volcano. They do offer food to purchase during your visit. We spent a couple of hours at the springs which was enough before the van took us back to the resort for the day.
More Costa Rica Hotel Details
Royal Service Bar Area
As previously mentioned this is an all-inclusive resort. Breakfast is a buffet while lunch is menu based. For dinner, we chose each night from the one of the eight restaurants each has a unique cuisine. Because we were royal service we were given higher end liquor and all dining options were available to us. When deciding between the two service options consider what is important and where you want to spend your money. We wanted a higher quality peaceful experience which we knew the royal service would offer.
Final Day
The final day was spent getting up late, working out, and sitting by the pool. We can just do nothing it isn't that frequent.
Costa Rica in Closing
Costa Rica offers you many different options based on your interests. Hence you can have an activity filled vacation, one that allows you to sit by the pool and relax or a combination of the two. It continues to be a hot tourist spot because of this try going during the off season when pricings are low, and crowds are at a minimum.
Other Costa Rica Travel Tips
Depending on when you go, book your excursions in advance because they can fill up You don't need a car, we wouldn't suggest driving yourself Minimal local currency is required if any at all Royal service is the way to go if you don't have kids Returning home, get to the airport early because security and check in lines are longOther Travel Trips