Ever considered a Costa Rica road trip? Read on to learn more about the sixth day of our eight day road trip across the Northern part of the country. Did you miss Day 5? Catch up here!
We spent the fifth night of our trip at Hotel Los Lagos at the foot of Arenal Volcano. We arrived after dark the previous night and were completely oblivious to the view our room came with until we awoke the next morning. The header photo at the top of this post is the view out our room door. Say what??
Thermal Pools Galore
The big draw to the area are the geothermally heated pools that visitors can enjoy while taking in amazing views of the volcano. There are several hotels to pick from in the area. One for every budget! We shopped around and this was what we considered to be the best fit for us.
In case you missed it, a night at this resort cost us $95USD, that includes two days (check in and check out) access to over a dozen thermal pools as well as an EXTENSIVE breakfast buffet. Did we mention the stunning views of the volcano?
We start our day off with a hardy breakfast from their EXTENSIVE breakfast buffet. They have an endless flow of tamarind juice available which has become Phil’s favourite. The buffet even has fixin’s to pack a lunch to go! This is also the only place on the resort where the WiFi is available so we take a bit of time to ‘catch up’. After breakfast, we take a stroll through the gardens and wildlife park that are part of the resort. They have a [massive] alligator, a butterfly observatory, and an exhibit dedicated to the mighty leaf cutter ants.
Once the thermal pools open, we venture off to explore them in the daylight. There are over a dozen thermal pools on the resort, all of which are kept at different temperatures. The resort is beautifully designed, with a clear sight of Arenal Volcano at every turn. We move from one pool to the next until we have to check out at noon. We had planned to leave the resort earlier but couldn’t pass up taking full advantage of the amenities included with our stay.
Arenal Volcano National Park
After checking out, we get back on the road to continue our Costa Rica road trip. We back track slightly to make our way over to Arenal Volcano National Park ($10USD per person). Depending on your agenda, you may want to skip this conservation area. The park provides some good photo opportunities but you don’t get very close to the volcano (middle photo below is the highest point in the park). To be honest, our view at the resort was quite comparable (possibly better!)
Arenal is an active volcano that stands over 1,600 meters tall (more than 5,300 feet). It’s last major eruption was in 1998 and it gave up it’s title as ‘most active volcano in Costa Rica’ in 2010. But the crater can still be seen glowing orange on a clear night!
Unless of course you are in search of a hike and want to step on some old lava rocks. It isn’t overly busy while we are there. We end up spending about an hour in the park between the upper lot and the lava field. As we pull away from the park early afternoon, it begins to rain. Right on schedule.
Fun Fact: when parking your vehicle anywhere in the vicinity of the volcano, it’s common practice to back in to your spot so that you can make a quick getaway in the event of an evacuation.
Catarata Rio Fortuna
As we start to make our trip out to the east (Caribbean) coast for the last couple days of our trip, we decide to make one last stop in the La Fortuna area. It’s pouring rain at this point but we don’t let it interfere with our plans. After all, we’re going to get wet visiting the waterfall anyway! Entry to La Fortuna waterfall is a steep $18USD per person. Your admission to the park also includes access to an Orchid Garden featuring up to 200 species of orchid. Unfortunately it isn’t the right time of year for us and there are only a few stranglers hanging on. We can imagine it is STUNNING at the right time of year.
We make our way down, down, down 530 steps to the bottom of the valley where the waterfall flows. Drenched and shivering once we arrive, we are in perfect condition to jump in the chilly river. The weather seems to have scared off most folks so there were only a handful of people hanging out. We take in the scenery while standing in the freshwater river, our feet surrounded by fish.
Catarata Fortuna is over 70 meters tall (nearly 250 feet) and rests at the bottom of Chato, one of Costa Rica’s dormant volcanoes.
As we exit the waterfall park, the rain has eased up but thunder and lightning have rolled in. It’s neat but a little creepy at the same time. Because we are at elevation, it’s almost like we are on the level with the storm. Lighting seems to be moving around us rather than above us which was a ‘unique’ experience to say the least.
It’s also worth noting that there are PLENTY of eco-tourism adventures available in the Arenal area.
Caribbean, Here we Come!
Back in the car and heading east, we make a couple stops along the way to take in some local cuisine as our days in Costa Rica are drawing to an end. We stop at a street side hut for a fresh coconut (using our stainless steel straws!). We also stop at a bakery on our way out of La Fortuna as we have about a four hour drive ahead of us to the Caribbean. The drive is rainy but otherwise uneventful.
As we near our destination, we make another stop. This time for dinner and to let some of the rush hour traffic pass. Phil orders a platter of chicharrones and Kat some seafood rice. Bellies full, we get back on the road for the last part of the drive.
The sixth night of our Costa Rica road trip has us on the Caribbean coast for two nights before we fly home. We will be staying in the little beach town of Cahuita. As we arrive into town, it’s easy to see the vibe is very different here from anywhere else we’ve been in Costa Rica. It’s almost familiar, as if we are back in St. Croix or Puerto Rico. We check into our hotel and the host informs us of the local tours. The best snorkeling here is said to be in the National Park and it can only be accessed by boat. Even at 9 o’clock at night we are able to coordinate with a local guide for the following morning.
We hit the sack excited for what the last, full day of our Costa Rica road trip has to offer.
Have you ever dipped your toes in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea on the same vacation?
