When planning a trip to Costa Rica there are so many different things to consider, and so many decisions to be made. Because of its geographical, economic, and climate diversity you will find yourself asking many such questions: Do you want the typical beachside holiday or an adventure in the mountains? Do want luxury or rustic accommodations? Relaxation or adrenaline pumping adventure? Shuttle buses or car rental? Dry season, wet season?
Our vacation strategy, this time, was going to follow the one we used in Cambodia — choosing a couple locations from different parts of the country. We were certain that we wanted to spend some time on the beach, but also time near the mountains and volcanoes. The first four nights were booked at the beautiful Villa Encantada on the northwest side of Lake Arenal. This location was perfect for day trips to explore the Arenal and La Fortuna areas.
Against the suggestions of many vloggers on YouTube, we chose to rent a Toyota Fortuner from Alamo Car Rental. It has been said that the car rental and insurance process was difficult and costly. We really didn’t find it to be an issue — a full size SUV for nine days for under $900. They also said that the roads were in rough shape and the drivers crazy — meh, I live in Michigan. Every day, we loaded up the Fortuner in search of fun, food and adventure.
Costa Rica has so many exciting excursions for casual adventurist to the adrenaline-addicted thrill seeker: hiking, canyoning, zip-lining, etc. We chose white water rafting and horseback riding. Glenn, the owner of Villa Encantada, provided suggestions for both and even made our reservations.
Monday, we were booked for a half day tour through Wave Expeditions to raft down the Balsa River. Only Tom and Evie had actually done this before. But with Class 2 to Class 3 rapids, we were in for a relatively leisurely float… Or so I thought.
During the 45 minute drive, we received a little instruction as to the commands we would be given from our guides. Six simple commands, which included “get down!” in which you throw yourself onto the floor of the boat so as to not get ejected. We would certainly never hear those words.
Down on the banks we posed for a few pics, had a few laughs, and split into 2 rafts. Looking at the river, I was regretting not signing us up for a Class 3-4.
Five minutes in… my only thought was “holy shit!” Then we hear “GET DOWN!”; leisure river float, nope. For the next hour, other than a few intermissions of calm, we hammered the rapids in quick succession.
Now I don’t want to mislead. It was a little scary and a lot of work, but it was fun as hell! Even Beth was having a great time.
Tom, Evie, Leah and Karen were also tearing it up in the other boat! Lots of excitement; perhaps, too much excitement. Early into it, they crashed hard sideways into a rock and Evie was jettisoned into the river. It was a pretty serious situation as she had gotten pinned between a rock and the raft, much of the time underwater. Fortunately, the others were able to get ahold of her and pull her back into the boat. Other than a little whiplash, bumps, bruises, and a pretty damn good scare, she came out unscathed.
Midway through the trip, all of the rafts from the company pulled off on the right bank for a little rest and refreshment. The timing was near perfect because we were all pretty wore out at that point. The guides flipped one of the rafts and began making quick work carving a half dozen pineapples and watermelons. It was some well need sugar and hydration.
Evie lost a watersock during her “swim”
The rafting tour concluded with a stop at a local organic farm for lunch and a small demonstration of local organic coffee, fruits, sugar cane and sugar cane “moonshine”. The food, served on a banana leaf, included a curry-like chicken, rice, beans, yucca, green papaya mash and homemade corn tortillas. It was fantastic, and probably the best food of the trip.
Tuesday we had planned for an excursion that would be a little more tame — horseback riding around the Arenal Volcano. Most of us had been horseback riding before, but never in a setting as incredible. Rocky streams, hills on the side of the volcano, and even a little waterfall were the backdrop for this amazing ride.
Despite being her first time, Beth took to it quite well
Karen’s horse loved to play in the water
Arenal Volcano
At Don Tobias Cabalgata, the horses were very well cared for and the guides were friendly and knowledgeable. They really seemed to follow much of Costa Rica’s philosophy of caring for their environment, the animals, and the planet, in general.
Wednesday brought about a little sadness in having to leave the Arenal region and Villa Encantada, we had a lot of fun there and were quite accustomed to the climate. But we had much to look forward to as our next 4 to 5 days were going to be spent on the beach.
