Introduction
The last two months have been a bit of a whirlwind which means you, my readers, get two recap posts back to back. February saw me continue my trip east and south through the middle of Costa Rica and finish along the Caribbean coast before crossing my second land border in Central America and arriving in Panama just in time for my birthday.
Monteverde
After spending two weeks on the coast in party town Tamarindo, I was ready for a change of pace and booked a week in the secluded cloud forest village of Monteverde. After more than a month in Nicaragua and northwest Costa Rica, the cool temperatures and muggy humidity of the rainforest was a shock to my senses. Many days on the coast had been in the upper 90s (35C) and all of a sudden it was hitting low 50s (10C) along with a persistent mist and strong wind. I checked into the Selina hotel there and was pleased to find thick comforters on the beds, fireplaces in the common areas, and two hot tubs with sunset views. It was a lovely place to spend the week.
The main sight in town that is not to be missed is the Monteverde Cloud Forest. This private reserve is among the largest in the country and features a completely unique biosphere that is home to over 2500 plant species, 100 mammals, 400 birds, and 125 reptile and amphibians. Founded in 1972 as a joint project between Costa Rican scientists and the transplanted Quaker community that inhabited the area, the reserve now encompasses 26,000 acres of native forest.
The Selina is well positioned for a visit to the forest at just over 1.5km walk from the main entrance. If you are staying elsewhere in town, the reserve is easily reached by private car or taxi\. Allow yourself 2-4 hours depending on how much hiking you enjoy. Entrance is USD$25 for foreigners.
Another adventure I really enjoyed during my visit to Monteverde, was the El Tigre Waterfall Hike. This half day all-inclusive excursion was easily the most expensive of any I did in the entire country, but I enjoyed every minute of it. The adventure starts off at the lodge where you are given a trail briefing and walk through of how the day will go. You start off with 5 kilometers of hiking while crossing multiple hanging bridges and passing by multiple thunderous waterfalls. From there you have three options to return to the lodge – a 3km horseback ride, a 4-wheel jeep ride, or a rough stomp back up on your own two feet.
I chose the horse ride up the steep trail. It had been at least ten years since I was last on a horse, and it was a lot of fun. My mount, Toronja (or Grapefruit), was gentle and a lovely way to take in the vistas in all directions as we climbed up out of the dense forest floor.
The full experience costs $59 inclusive of the hike, horseback ride, and a filling lunch upon returning to the lodge. Allow 3.5-4 hours.
La Fortuna
After a relaxing week in Monteverde I moved on to the next famous inland town, La Fortuna. Nestled at the base of the semi-active volcano Arenal, La Fortuna, or the lucky in English, is named this way as it was founded by the survivors of the last massive eruption in 1968 that decimated the former villages built around its base. Built from the 70s onward, La Fortuna is focused mostly on tourism related to the natural wonders and volcanic tours that fill the area. Think rafting, hiking, swinging bridges, animal spotting, etc.
Upon arrival, I knew it was a special place. The vibe was relaxed, the people friendly and welcoming and the views of imposing Arenal all added to the charm of the town. After checking in to my hostel, I walked with some new friends to the local watering hole, a nearby river with a rope swing and multiple rock ledges to jump from called El Salto (the jump). We ended up hanging there all afternoon chatting with locals and tourists alike, swimming in the crisp water, watching toucans play in the trees above us, and overall just really loving our first day in Fortuna.
I loved the Selina hostel I was staying at and made good friends with multiple staff members and guests. The restaurant bar stools faced out into the jungle and while working I could watch the exotic birds like mot mots, tanagers, toucans, and hummingbirds flit between the branches.
After the eruption in the 60s, the locals realized that the change in magmatic activity ended up heating the local river and overnight a spa industry was born. Most of the spas range from USD$30-90 for just a day pass, but there is one spot that is popular with locals and cheap tourists alike. On one evening after work, we took an Uber to El Chollin, the free hot spring river 15 minutes west of town. It is down river from the fancy spas. It is not the hottest, think more like warm bath water, but it is relaxing nonetheless and you can easily pass many hours there.
Puerto Viejo
After my time in La Fortuna sadly came to an end, I took a shuttle 6 hours to the eastern coast of Costa Rica and the little Afro Caribbean village of Puerto Viejo. Before arriving, I hadn’t heard the greatest stories of the area. I’d been told it was not safe for women to walk alone as there had been reports of female tourists being robbed or assaulted. I’d also heard of higher than normal rates of pickpocketing and other petty crime.
My friends Leonie had had a particularly miserable time there and so going in to my time in PV, I wasn’t in the best head space. I am glad I spent longer in La Fortuna than originally planned and shortened my time here. While the town was definitely a change of pace to elsewhere I had seen in Costa Rica, it wasn’t really much of my thing.
There are a few nice beaches, including the mesmerizing black sand at Playa Negra. The granules are so fine that they powder coat anything that comes in contact with them. I had heard that Play Cocles is a good place to surf but there were Red Flag warnings the entire time I was in town so I didn’t make it out. Most of my time there consisted of working in the local coworking space and then biking to area beaches. Everywhere I went in Costa Rica I would return to, with the exception of Puerto Viejo. Give this place a pass.
Bocas
My whole reason for going to Puerto Viejo, however, was because it is a stopover before crossing the border an hour south into Panama. I had been hearing about Bocas del Toro islands as a top spot for the party and island vibe and it seemed like a great place to celebrate my birthday. I pretty much made up my Costa Rican itinerary as I went, but all along I was aiming to arrive in to Bocas more or less a couple days before my birthday.
Unbeknownst to me, the Panamanian government decided to enact more stringent COVID rules during the 10 days leading up to Carnival which perfectly fell over my birthday. Uggggh. The two main short term rules were no live music/DJs and no dancing. Pretty much my two favorite things on a night out! The world famous Filthy Friday pub crawl was also canceled for the 10 days I had planned to be in the area. Music was played very quietly and while bars were allowed to be open, they actively encouraged patrons to sit down while drinking and chatting. It was definitely an odd experience! I did however end up staying longer in to March and got my turn at the big parties a few days into the next month, more on that in my next post!
Where I’ve Been
COUNTRIES VISITED: 2
Costa Rica, Panama
CITIES VISITED: 4
Monteverde, La Fortuna, Puerto Viejo, Bocas Town
Where I’m Going
I’m behind schedule significantly in writing this, so my recap for March will immediately follow this post. For March, I spent most of the month in Panama. My plans have been changed multiple times for circumstances beyond my control (I’ll explain in the next recap). I spent two weeks in Bocas del Toro a week in Panama City and then returned back to Costa Rica to my favorite spot La Fortuna and an entirely new location with Sámara!
