On the first day of 2022, I kicked it off with a bang. I hopped on a flight and flew to San Jose, Costa Rica. How in the world did I end up there? Well, a long time family friend put out feelers for anyone interested in going on a retreat to Costa Rica. It was marketed as a Rest, Play, Connect adventure. All of those hit me at the right moment and resonated with what I had been searching for, so I said yes!
Arriving In Costa Rica
Most countries have a QR/Health Pass pre-check website, which greatly expedites the entry process. There were no pre-requisites to entering the country aside from providing proof of insurance that would cover any expenses if I contracted covid. When I arrived, there were many taxi drivers eager to shuttle me to my hotel, but most lodging places near the airport offer free shuttles. Word to the wise, don’t be duped because they are rather insistent!
The first night I stayed at the Adventure Inn. The lodging was a cozy house feel with wandering hallways to explore. We dined at the Moon Glow Grill in the lobby and everything was fantastic! I had fresh caught grilled fish on top of a bed of fresh vegetables. Everyone else’s dishes looked so vibrant, fresh, and scrumptious, as well.
White Water Rafting On The Pacuare River
Bright and early the next morning, all of us loaded up to travel about 2 hours southeast out of the city to raft on one of the top 10 rivers to raft on in the world. The Pacuare River had some of the most amazing views of sheer rock faces, lush waterfalls, and stunning wildlife. The Exploradores Outdoors crew was fantastic and provided everyone with a hearty breakfast and a mouth watering lunch.
Tierra De Suenos Yoga Retreat
After a full day of rafting over 18 miles, we arrived to our lodgings in Puerto Viejo to this stunning spread of fresh, local produce. The Tierra de Suenos retreat boasts local chefs and cuisine locally sourced, which means mostly vegan, sometimes vegetarian, and only 3 meals with fresh caught seafood. Admittedly, I was a little timid about eating mostly vegan all week, but the chefs have a way with the food and spices. There was always an abundance of amazing flavors and I never felt like I was deprived. I made sure to purchase the cookbook they have available on their website.
A very small selection of the food and native plants.
Puerto Viejo is on the Caribbean side of the country and is known for being the “wild side” with heavy Rastafarian influences. There was also a heavy police presence since it was the largest town right next to the Panamanian border. The locals said this was a normal occurrence and I always felt very safe, even walking around at night hopping from spot to spot along the beach enjoying local bands and DJs.
Cahuita National Park
About 20 minutes north was Cahuita National Park. While the entry is free or donation only, we opted to secure a tour guide with a high powered monocular. Hands down recommend spending the extra money to hire a guide. There is no way I would have seen a fraction of the wildlife. The area is so lush and the creatures are in there element, I would have walked past almost everything.
There are creatures in every single picture, I promise! The picture with dead palm fronds has a yellow headed brown vine snake. In the picture that looks like tree bark, look closely for 5 little bats. The other monocle shots (the ones I took with my phone through the lens) have sloths, iguanas, and native birds.
Jaguar Rescue Center
Government funding is nonexistent for rehabilitating the abundant wild life in the area and, unfortunately, a lot of animals get caught in traps or electrical lines. When I visited the Jaguar Rescue Center, our group was lucky enough to get the owner as a tour guide. While, yes, the animals are wild, the way she and the animals responded to each other was chilling. There was absolutely no mistaking that they knew and loved her, and she them. She had multiple photos and videos to show us of released animals that had come back to say hi. She also tags the animals that have been rehabilitated to know if and when some animals need to be relocated. I witnessed this in our retreat when a tech showed up with what looked like paranormal activity equipment, she was only looking for an adventurous sloth.
**TIP – Buy tickets online. Even though we showed up early to buy tickets the first time, the center was already sold out.
Around “Town” In Puerto Viejo
So many more pictures and videos to go through. I’ll be trying my hand at video editing, so check back for videos of macaws soaring and howler monkeys roaring.
If Costa Rica has been on your mind, I highly recommend making the trek. I’m hoping to take my family back soon!
How beautiful! I’ll have to visit.