Falling in Love with Costa Rica: Our First Visit and the Wild Journey That Hooked Us

I love Costa Rica.

Our first trip to Costa Rica changed everything for me. It wasn’t just a vacation; it was the start of a love story. One filled with mischievous monkeys, sweet pineapples, unexpected friendships, and a few backroad surprises.

I’ve shared with you that we’ve been there a couple of times, and I wrote a series of articles about our most recent trip. If you haven’t read those, you can find them [here].

In this blog, I’d like to share our experiences from our first trip and highlight some of my favorite parts. This adventure spanned from Quepos to La Fortuna to the northwest coast in the area of Guanacaste, where we stayed at a resort on Panama Beach.

Our First Trip to Costa Rica: From San José to Quepos

We started this trip by flying into San José International Airport, picking up a rental car, and driving south to Jaco. We stayed one night there before continuing to Quepos, which would be our home base for the next four nights.

Quepos is just north of Manuel Antonio National Park, the perfect place to stay if you want to spend your days hiking and exploring the lush rainforests in the area.

We checked into a little boutique hotel, the Val Hotel, with simple but clean rooms, a pool, and a fantastic restaurant. Every morning, we dined al fresco and watched the Scarlet Macaws fly into the large trees to begin their day of foraging. You could hear them coming before you ever caught sight of them.  Abundant wildlife is everywhere in Costa Rica.

Exploring Manuel Antonio National Park: Wildlife and Mischievous Monkeys

I love this area in Costa Rica, where I found my first true love, Manuel Antonio National Park.

We hopped on a bus just outside our hotel, and it took us directly to the park entrance. In the parking lot, guides were offering their services, eager to help you spot all the wildlife that thrives in the park.

We opted not to hire a guide and just wing it. We entered the park as soon as it opened and started hiking. The paths are well-marked and easy to navigate, with trails suitable for every activity level. That makes it ideal for all ages and abilities.  

We hiked all over that forest. There are multiple beaches inside the park where you can slip into your bathing suit and cool off in the ocean. I wore my suit under my clothes so I could jump in and out of the water as I pleased.

Encountering White-Faced Capuchin Monkeys at the Beach

It was at one of those beaches that I met my first monkey.

A white-faced capuchin. Or rather, a troop of them.

My husband and I sat down on a shaded log for a water and snack break, watching their antics for a while. These mischievous little thieves were clearly here for a reason...  

Hikers came and went, and those who stopped to jump in the water would lay down their backpacks and leave them unattended.  No one worried about theft, at least not from people. But the monkeys? They were watching.

These clever little monkeys would watch the people, and as soon as someone went swimming, the monkeys would dart down, inspect the bag, and, if possible, open it. Some of them even knew how to work zippers!  

By the time the swimmer noticed, the monkeys had already snatched what they could and taken off, just as the person came running up the beach.

They weren’t after valuables, though. They were hunting snacks.

Why forage when you can snipe someone’s apple or sandwich?

White-Faced Capuchin monkey after he swiped a half-eaten apple. / Photo by Whaldo Digital Content

Wrapped or unwrapped, they tore into packaging with their teeth and munched in the shade like they’d earned it. 

The people would get their bags and ask others around to protect them, but the crowd changed constantly. It became a game, the monkeys versus the humans, and the monkeys almost always won.

The forest was alive with wildlife. We could hear howler monkeys in the distance, though we didn’t see any that day. But we did see so much else. We hiked all day and barely scratched the surface of the park. Just before sunset, we swam at the main beach. It was the perfect end to my first day of a lifetime love affair with one of my favorite countries in the world (so far).

Ziplining Adventure and Tropical Fruits with El Santuario Canopy Tours

The next day, we went ziplining through the forest with El Santuario Canopy Tours.  

We met our guide in town, boarded a small tour bus with about ten others, and headed deep into the forest. Along the way, one of the guides struck up a conversation with my husband in Spanish. Since my husband is from Mexico, this happens often during our travels.

They chatted about food, specifically, the difference in spice levels between Mexico and Costa Rica. My husband’s motto is that if he’s not drenched in sweat while eating, it’s not spicy enough.

This cracked up our guide. He started telling us about his garden at home, where he grows his own peppers because Costa Rican food is, in his opinion, “too bland.”

He was confident he could outspice my husband. 

At the ziplining site, we were fitted with safety gear and began climbing rope ladders, steep steps, and crossing bridges from one platform to the next. 

J.S. Whaldo geared up to go ziplining with El Santuario Canopy Tours. / Photo by Whaldo Digital Content

Tasting the Sweetest Tropical Fruits Mid-Adventure

Halfway through the adventure, the guides led us to a spot where we stopped, and they passed out fresh pineapple and watermelon to fuel us for the rest of the adventure. That fruit? The best I’ve ever tasted in my life. Sweet, juicy, ridiculously flavorful. I wasn’t the only one having that reaction; everyone was raving about it.  I dream about it still today.

After finishing up all of the zip lines for the day, we rappelled down to the ground and loaded back into the tour bus, and headed to our final stop…lunch.

Communal Lunch and Legendary Grilled Chicken in the Forest

Under a large wooden canopy in the forest, we all sat at communal tables and watched as the chefs prepared lunch.  Although we’d started the day as strangers, after the adventure we’d just shared, we were friends, and we had plenty to talk about.  When lunch was ready, we lined up and served ourselves, buffet style.

The chefs had made gallo pinto (rice and beans), grilled chicken, salad, and plantains.  The food was simple, fresh, and absolutely delicious. That grilled chicken became legendary. My husband took notes, and he still makes a version of it for me to this day.

Then our guide reappeared.

While we’d been ziplining, he’d gone home, picked some of his homegrown peppers, and brought them for my husband to try. He had extras, in case anyone else was brave enough.

I took a tiny bite, and my mouth caught fire. Meanwhile, my husband was happily munching away, sweat pouring down his face, just how he likes it. Our guide was thrilled. They laughed about it together for the rest of the meal.

By the end of the day, it felt less like a tour and more like a shared cultural adventure with new friends. 

Relaxing at Los Lagos Hotel and Exploring Arenal Volcano

After exploring the natural beauty of this southern area of Costa Rica, we drove north to La Fortuna and stayed at Los Lagos Hotel Spa & Resort, which had natural hot springs. I’d never experienced anything like that before, and I fell in love with them.

While there, we hiked around Arenal Volcano, soaked in the hot springs, and tried white water rafting with Arenal Rafting.

My first encounter with a Toucan happend at the Los Lagos Hotel Spa & Resort. / Photo by Whaldo Digital Content

White Water Rafting Lessons and Safety Tips in Costa Rica

I didn’t love the rafting.

The gear provided to me didn't fit correctly, and despite pointing this out before we started, I was blown off by the staff and told it would be okay.  But, when our raft guide purposefully threw a couple of us off the raft so that he could do a safety demonstration, and have others on the raft haul us back up, I ended up with large bruises on the back of my arms because the life vest they had given me wouldn’t tighten.  

When they are hauling you back onto the raft, they grab the vest and basically fall backwards using their body weight to lift you out of the water, and you slide back on the raft.  Instead of that happening, the vest pulled loose, and instead of coming all of the way off, it lodged on my arms, which then got the full brunt of the pull.  Ack!  That’s not the way it’s supposed to work.

My advice? If your gear doesn’t fit right, speak up, and if you are blown off, like I was, insist. A poorly fitted vest isn’t just uncomfortable; it can lead to bruises or worse. Trust your instincts.

Afterward, we returned to the rafting headquarters and shared a meal together, another custom I love in Costa Rica. 

Meals are more than food; they’re a way to connect.

Luxury Stay at El Mangroove Resort on Guanacaste’s Gulf of Papagayo

For the final leg of the trip, we drove west to the El Mangroove Autograph Collection Hotel, on the Gulf of Papagayo in Guanacaste. This was our luxury splurge.

To make this final journey memorable, we decided to get adventurous and take a scenic route rather than stick to the main roads. I used Google Maps to find a route that cut across the mountains.  We had explored Ireland this way in the past, and it led to a phenomenal sightseeing trip.  

What could go wrong?

Scenic Mountain Drive and Unexpected Road Challenges in Costa Rica

We were winding our way through the mountains, going from little neighborhood to little neighborhood.  Suddenly, we found ourselves on a street that went up steeply.  As we started to inch our way up, we noticed people watched us from their porches with puzzled looks.

We rounded a bend, and suddenly, the pavement ended.  

A local SUV passed us, turned into a driveway, and we kept climbing... until the road got so steep, we couldn’t go any farther.

The car was struggling, so my husband stopped.

I was white-knuckling the dashboard, leaning forward in my seat as if to prevent the car from toppling over backwards.  

Time to turn around.

The road was too narrow, so he slowly backed down, using the SUV’s driveway to get turned around. As we passed the neighbors again, they just shook their heads and returned to their day.

Now that we knew the outcome of that road, I completely understood the looks on their faces.  I kept my head high in solidarity with my husband, who didn’t have the luxury of shrinking down out of view.

We eventually found our way to the main highway, and it turned out to be a gorgeous drive with photo stops along the way.

Paddleboarding, Beaches, and Wildlife at Palo Verde National Park

We spent the final days paddleboarding, swimming, visiting beaches, and relaxing by the pool.

We explored Palo Verde National Park, a hotter, more arid region with sparser crowds and a desert-like feel. Wildlife was still present but less abundant than in the rainforests.

El Mangroove Autograph Collection Hotel, on the Gulf of Papagayo / Photo by Whaldo Digital Content

We also visited Coco Beach, a lively little town full of tourists, boutique shops, and restaurants. The beach was pretty, but it had more of a “tourist town USA” vibe, not quite what I crave when I visit Costa Rica.

Crossing a Flooded Road: A Harrowing Drive Adventure in Guanacaste

After dinner at Buzzed Monkey BBQ & Grill, we decided to take a different scenic route back to the resort.

As we drove, night fell fast. The streets were unlit, the jungle grew dense on either side, and the darkness wrapped around us. We hadn’t seen another car for miles.

Cue the dramatic music. One minute, we were cruising in silence; the next, we were slamming on the brakes.

There was water directly in front of us. The river that ran alongside the road had overflowed and was now covering the path entirely.

We couldn’t tell how deep it was. I briefly considered getting out to check until I remembered the crocodiles and caimans. “Nope!”

Just then, a car came up behind us.  It stopped right along with us, and we were all sitting there staring at the water.  

Then a tour van pulled in behind them.

The tour driver slowed down, saw the river, and then put the pedal to the metal, driving around both vehicles that were now sitting there. The driver skillfully and quickly swerved to the left just as it hit the water, seemed to curve up an embankment, and got safely to the other side.

Without any hesitation, the driver behind us stepped on the gas and followed the tour bus perfectly.  Without saying a word, my husband hit the gas and followed into the water just as quickly. As we hit the water, I held my breath.  He curved up the embankment, and whoosh, we were on the other side of the river and back on the road.

It was terrifying. But we made it.

Once we hit familiar roads again, we both started talking at once:

That was so scary!”

“Thank God that tour bus showed up!”

“I’m so happy that we made it through!”

“Divine intervention?!”

“Let’s not do that again!”

“Right?!  That was so scary!”

“We really should stick to the main roads.”

Once back at El Mangroove, we went straight to the pool bar to replay the whole thing over drinks. The bartender overheard us and nodded knowingly. She told us how her own road home turns to dirt, then becomes so steep she parks and hikes the rest. That’s just how it is in parts of Costa Rica..

Lessons learned—one more story about driving through Costa Rica.

Why Costa Rica Keeps Calling Us Back: Reflections on Our First Visit

Guanacaste provided plenty of adventure, but it couldn’t quite match the deep connection I felt with the southern forests. Perhaps the true gem is still waiting quietly for us to discover it.

Costa Rica has woven itself into my soul; its warm people, untamed wildness, and timeless rhythms have become a part of me.

There’s still so much left to explore, like the East Coast with its legendary Caribbean influence. I dream of watching the turtles in Tortuguero National Park someday, a moment I know will stay with me forever.

My love affair with this beautiful country continues, and somehow, I feel it’s only just beginning.

Nos vemos luego, mi amor. Until next time, my love.

Pura Vida.

-J.S. Whaldo

Practical Tips for Your First Trip to Costa Rica

Where to Stay

• Val Hotel (Quepos): A charming boutique hotel with clean rooms, a pool, and a great restaurant. Perfectly located near Manuel Antonio National Park.

• Los Lagos Hotel Spa & Resort (La Fortuna): Known for its natural hot springs and beautiful views of Arenal Volcano. Ideal for relaxation and adventure.

• El Mangroove Autograph Collection (Guanacaste): A luxury resort on the Gulf of Papagayo, perfect for a splurge with beautiful beaches and excellent amenities.

Where to Eat

• Buzzed Monkey BBQ & Grill (Guanacaste): A lively spot with tasty local barbecue dishes.

• Ronny’s Place (Quepos): A local favorite offering authentic Costa Rican cuisine and a warm, welcoming atmosphere — a must-visit while in Quepos.

• Sodas: Don’t miss trying meals at local sodas — casual eateries where you can enjoy traditional Costa Rican dishes like casado and gallo pinto at affordable prices.

• Tours: Many tours offer delicious meals, including the communal lunch experience after ziplining, featuring fresh, local dishes like gallo pinto, grilled chicken, and plantains.

Things to Do

• Manuel Antonio National Park: Explore well-marked hiking trails, spot abundant wildlife, and relax on multiple beaches within the park. Be prepared for curious white-faced capuchin monkeys!

• El Santuario Canopy Tours: Experience thrilling ziplining through lush forests with knowledgeable guides and enjoy fresh tropical fruits mid-adventure.

• Arenal Volcano and Hot Springs: Hike around the iconic volcano, soak in natural hot springs, and consider activities like white water rafting (check your gear carefully!).

• Palo Verde National Park: Discover a hotter, drier ecosystem with diverse wildlife and fewer crowds.

• Coco Beach: Visit for a tourist-friendly beach town vibe, shops, and restaurants.

Travel Tips

• Sunscreen and Bug Repellent: The tropical sun can be intense, and mosquitoes are common, especially near water and forests. Apply both generously and reapply often.

• Bring a Poncho or Rain Jacket: Costa Rica’s weather can change quickly. Carry a lightweight poncho for surprise showers, especially while hiking or exploring remote areas.

• Stay Hydrated: Tropical climates can dehydrate you faster than you think. Always have water on hand during outings.

• Watch Your Belongings: Especially in parks, keep an eye on your bags—monkeys are notorious for snatching snacks!

• Trust Your Instincts on Activity Gear: Make sure any rental or provided safety equipment fits properly. Speak up if it doesn’t, especially for activities like rafting.