It’s dark. Pouring rain. And I’m in the middle of the jungle. So, why can’t I wipe this huge grin off my face? Such is the magic of Costa Rica.
Our day started with a two-hour easy hike across a series of suspension bridges spanning chasms over 100 feet above the jungle floor. This created a perfect vantage point to observe monkeys (spider, white-faced capuchin and howler) up close. Our guide still advised us to keep one eye on our feet to ensure that no one inadvertently disturbed any of the tiny but highly venomous eyelash viper snakes that are known to make this part of the jungle their home.
Invigorated by this start to our day, we then travelled to nearby La Fortuna and picked our way carefully down 450 steps to the base of a thundering waterfall. Following a refreshing swim in a pool of churning water, we quickly learned that 450 steps is substantially more daunting on the way up than it is on the way down.
After the hunger-inducing stair climb, we stopped at a roadside open-air restaurant and dined on fresh local fish and produce while sipping our gaunábana juice (a product of creative cross-breeding between a guava and banana) as our guide pointed to the looming volcano in the background and described the plans for our afternoon hike. We pushed through the jungle to a clearing at the base of the volcano. This was as close as the Costa Rican government permitted our guide to take us, for fear of tourists getting blasted by one of the molten lava rocks that constantly roll and stumble their way down the Arenal volcano — one of the world’s most active.
The smoke and light show was so impressive that we lost track of time. We started our return hike a little later than planned and the storm clouds that had hung over Lake Arenal for most of the day let loose with full fury. A warm rain soaked the jungle canopy, encouraging an entirely different gang of wildlife to emerge from the shadows onto the muddy trail and stare curiously at the light emanating from our head lamps.
And now you understand how darkness, rain and a vacation can indeed form an intoxicating mix, leaving only smiles in their wake.
At the insistence of The Crime Traveller’s Wife, our day of stair-climbing and mud-slogging came to a conclusion lying prone on a massage bed in an outdoor jungle oasis at the spa at the five-star Tabacon Grand Resort. Treatment “rooms” are really secluded, open-air coves carved out of the jungle to form a true oasis of relaxation. Soft music accompanied the constant background rush of the nearby waterfalls as my expert therapist relieved all the muscle tension accumulated from a day of hiking.
The next day was spent lounging around the pools and waterfalls of the Tabacon Resort. Rivers flowing down from the mountains are naturally heated to between 39°-41°C by the geothermal activity of the Arenal Volcano. The resort has sculpted the tributaries of the river into a playground of steaming hot baths, waterfalls and pools that meander through a meticulously landscaped jungle garden. Meals can be had overlooking the thundering central waterfall at Ave del Paraíso while the volcano itself looms in the background.
With my wife suitably satiated, it was time to push her limits to the other extreme. Boarding a bus in Arenal, we made the day-long ride along the (single-lane) highway back through the capital of San José and into the wilderness of Curu. We lunched on sandwiches and watermelon as white-faced capuchin monkeys, scarlet macaws and iguanas strolled lazily through our picnic. After lunch we boarded ocean kayaks and paddled several kilometres to our camp site. Our guides had already set up the tents on a sliver of white sand wedged between the crystal clear ocean and the thick verdant jungle.
After two nights camping on the beach, we made our way to the muddy Tortuguero River and launched river kayaks for a full-day paddle assisted by the current of the stream. We passed dozens of varieties of birds, turtles, sloths and monkeys, but the caiman and crocodiles stole the show. There is something distinctly unnerving, yet simultaneously thrilling, about paddling past a stone-faced caiman as it stares back at you with its unblinking eyes.
We closed out our trip in style with a two-day rafting expedition down one of the world’s greatest white-water rivers. Our route along the Rio Pacuare took us across 108 km of drenching, roaring fun. Overnight we stayed in what is best described as a ‘luxury tree house’ – the outstanding Rios Tropicales jungle lodge. The lodge appears to rest precariously on the edge of a jungle downslope overlooking the rushing waters of the river.
Costa Rica does offer white-sand beaches and all-inclusive resorts of the Caribbean variety, but if you want to enjoy the unique experiences the country has to offer, be sure to allocate significant time for in-land travel.
The Crime Traveller’s Guide: Costa Rica
Still interested in Costa Rica, but don’t want to give up your beach chair? The country has a full range of spectacular ocean-front resorts that rival the best the Caribbean has to offer. Even better, many resorts offer their guests day trips into the jungle for a small taste of eco-adventure. If you’re looking to enjoy the best of both worlds, consider a hotel operator with multiple properties. Some Costa Rican hotels have customized packages allowing you to divide your time between beachfront relaxation and jungle exploration.
When to go: Pretty much any time. Costa Rica enjoys a constant warm climate. But don’t be put off by the brief, but frequent, torrential downpours.
What to pack: Sturdy hiking gear including zip-off pants that can easily convert to shorts. Light rain gear in a water resistant pack for the surprise thunderstorms. A good headlamp so you can keep your hands free while enjoying evening hikes.
Where to Stay: Tabacon Grand Resport & Spa, Mawamba Lodge, Rios Tropicales
Where to Eat: If you stay in the Arenal area, do not miss a meal at Tabacon’s signature restaurant, Los Tucanes.
When not jetting around the world as his alter ego, The Crime Traveller, Edward Prutschi is a Toronto-based criminal defence lawyer. Follow Ed’s criminal law commentary (@prutschi) and The Crime Traveller’s adventures (@crimetraveller) on Twitter, or email ed@thecrimetraveller.com.