I actually wanted to hug sloths in Costa Rica. Looking back, I'm glad we didn't do that, realizing how stupid the idea was and how much more Costa Rica has to offer.
Anyone planning a trip to Costa Rica really has to consider two options: traveling around and seeing as much of the country as possible, or relaxing and surfing. We chose the latter. If you're interested in the former, you can stop reading now. For a relaxing beach vacation in Costa Rica, you'll have to choose between the Caribbean and the Pacific coast. They're about an eight-hour drive away. Since you can only surf decently on the Pacific coast, the decision was easy for us.
Easy peasy to Costa Rica.
There are many ways to get to Costa Rica. Most fly via San Jose, the capital. There are even direct flights. However, you are in San Jose about 4 hours away from the beautiful coastal towns. What many people don't know, however, is that there is also a small airport on the Pacific coast, which has direct flights from many US airports or Panama. Liberia (LIR). This means you have to change trains once and will be there in about 18 hours. We are with Lufthansa and United flew via Houston.
First stop: Tamarindo
To make the journey as relaxing as possible, I thought it would be a good idea to book the first hotel near Liberia Airport. One of the first coastal towns, about an hour from Liberia, is Tamarindo. Here we found the hotel La Ramona Charming Hotel However, we didn't particularly like the town of Tamarindo itself or the hotel. The place is very touristy, and the beach is completely overcrowded. The hotel was very nice in places, but in places it was really run down. Therefore, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.
Restaurants in Tamarindo
Mamato Beach Club- If you do find yourself on the overcrowded beach, you should definitely spend the day at Mamato Beach Club. We spent several hours there and enjoyed lunch, smoothies, ice cream, and cocktails!
Green Papaya Taco Bar- Here you can enjoy your tacos on swings and to sensational live music. The vegan version is amazing!
Main Stop: Nosara
Everything I had read about this place beforehand had excited me. One of the best surf spots in the world. Blue Zone, One of the 10 places in the world where the oldest people live. Why? That's not really proven. But it's believed to be a combination of nutrition, proximity to the sea, and happiness. In Nosara, they place incredible value on sustainability and living in harmony with the environment. Sounded like my paradise. And it was. I could have stayed there for four weeks or longer.
Accommodation in Nosara
First of all, Nosara, and Costa Rica in general, isn't a cheap place. Since we didn't like Tamarindo that much, we left two days early and hurriedly treated ourselves to two nights at a luxury hotel, The Guilded Iguana.
A dream! From the service to the design and the food, this hotel is simply an oasis of relaxation. While the hotel doesn't have a kids' club or anything similar, it's very child-friendly, with a children's pool, toys by the pool and in the restaurant, and a special children's menu. Hotels in Nosara are generally not located directly on the ocean, as building along the ocean is prohibited due to the nature reserve. However, the path to the ocean is only 100-200 meters long, and it takes five minutes to get there. Leaving after two days was, of course, extremely difficult. However, at €350 per night, our vacation budget more than paid for it.
The Sunset Shack
Our main hotel for another 8 nights was the The Sunset Shack, Half the price of The Gilded Iguana, but no less recommendable! I'd call it an eco-boutique hotel. The amenities are basic but stylish. It has exactly what you need to feel completely at home. And all in harmony with nature. A saltwater pool, refillable beauty products, and the food in the Al Chile restaurant is sourced exclusively locally. The selection for breakfast and dinner is therefore not huge, but we often enjoyed eating there. Because of the location in the middle of the jungle, you'll be woken up by howler monkeys in the morning, and you'll meet 1m-long iguanas by the pool every day.
During my research, this hotel caught my eye. It's an apartment complex with a stunning design. However, it's only worth it if you're traveling with four adults, as the villas always have two bedrooms.
Restaurants in Nosara
Costa Rican cuisine is predominantly locally influenced, with dishes such as Tacos, burritos or ceviche as they are common in Central America can be found almost everywhere. In addition, Nosara has a distinctive Health food and vegan culture.
Al Chile
Our hotel restaurant. We often enjoyed dinner here. The seating is beautiful in the garden. The menu is simple but authentic.
La Luna
Oh my God, this place! La Luna is located right on Playa Pelada. Restaurants by the sea are the absolute exception in Nosara, as development on the coast is prohibited. The sun sets right in front of the restaurant. The food is delicious, but it comes at a price! You also have to reserve a table several days in advance.
Go Juice
Go Juice isn't actually a restaurant, but a food truck. They serve delicious smoothies and fruit bowls, which are also great for a quick lunch and are a perfect healthy alternative to fries by the pool.
La Oliva
Pizza Pizza Pizza. Not exactly Costa Rican, but DELICIOUS! But be careful, I could have bought out the boutique next door, located in a converted caravan, from top to bottom.
Rosi's Soda Tica
Perfect for an affordable, authentic Costa Rican lunch. Here you'll find simple, honest food, like casadas, the national dish of rice, beans, and vegetables.
Things to do in Nosara
Surfing!
If you want to learn to surf or even already know how, Nosara is 100% the right place. When I think about it, I literally long to lie on the water with a surfboard under my belly, paddling after the next wave. I'm a beginner and have taken one-day surfing courses in Fuerteventura and Sri Lanka, but I've never had as much fun or made as much progress as I did in Nosara! Playa Guiones is known worldwide as one of the best surfing beaches. Depending on the tide, the water is more suitable for beginners or more advanced surfers, so you don't really get in each other's way in the water. My surf instructor was Kaari from Selva Surf School. We never go to the same place twice because we want to see as much of the world as possible. I want to go back to Playa Guiones. Absolutely.
Beach!
There are several beautiful beaches around Nosara that can be easily explored by tuk-tuk or rental car.
Playa Guiones
The main beach in Nosara, surrounded by numerous surf hotels. The waves are perfect for surfing. It's a natural beach without any bars or loungers or anything like that. However, the vibe is great, and the whole town gathers in the evenings at sunset for a beer or a few waves. Be careful: there's virtually no shade on this beach, so you'll want to bring an umbrella or a tent if you're planning on staying longer.
Playa Pelada
The beach is right next to Playa Guiones. There's even a small path between the beaches. You absolutely have to go to Playa Pelada at sunset. The panorama is breathtaking.
Playa Garza
Garza is a small fishing village. The beach is okay. But what we really enjoyed was sitting at the Pilos Bar, enjoying ceviche and shrimp pasta while simply gazing at the sea. At first glance, we actually thought twice about whether we really wanted to go to this bar because it looks pretty run-down by European standards. But the food was delicious, and the view was fantastic!
Playa Barrigona
You'll definitely want to take a taxi or rental car here. Playa Barrigona is a bit farther from Nosara and so remote that you probably won't find a tuk-tuk to take you back. Once you get there, you should definitely walk all the way to the end of the beach! There, you'll find shady spots with plenty of palm trees and everything nature has to offer for children to play in.
Rainforest & Nature!
Admittedly, we didn't really do much traveling in Costa Rica. Unlike most Costa Rica tourists who see the entire country in two weeks, we simply relaxed in Nosara and only did one big day trip. But it actually included EVERYTHING you'd imagine Costa Rica to be.
At about 8 o'clock we left with the rental car towards Rio Celeste in the Torino National Park. If you can manage it, it's best to leave even earlier. The drive takes about 3-4 hours. Then you're in the middle of the rainforest. The temperature drops from 35 to 25 degrees Celsius, but the humidity doubles. You'll need to be pretty fit for the hikes around the Rio Celeste. The 250 steps down to the waterfall (and back up) were particularly challenging with Levi in the baby carrier. But the view of the Rio Celeste waterfall is truly breathtaking! Swimming isn't allowed in the waterfall itself. Further down, where you can stop the car again, there's a spot where you can swim in the bright blue water.
After the hike we went to a small lodge that manages a small piece of rainforest, the Finca Verde Lodge. There are tons of animals there, including sloths. I definitely didn't want to do any of that sloth-tourism in Costa Rica. With the Finca Verde Lodge, we felt good knowing we were visiting a sustainable facility that doesn't cage the animals or expose them to the hordes of tourists. There are no fences there, and the animals can be there, but they don't have to be. And we were lucky. We actually spotted a family of sloths in one of the trees, including a cute little baby sloth.
budget
I have been looking for a very, very long time good and cheap flights for Costa Rica The magic word is patience. Start planning early and check the prices regularly (in an incognito browser). At times they were over 800 EUR per person. In the end, I got them for 600 pp with Lufthansa got hold of.
Hotels in Costa Rica are very expensive unless you're backpacking. On average, we paid about €200 per night, including breakfast. We stayed in Costa Rica for 12 nights. Levi was 2 years and 11 months old at the time of the trip.
Total travel budget: 4,200 EUR
(transfers, rental cars, additional meals and entrance fees are not included)