Two Weeks in Costa Rica | Perched in the hills above Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast is the charming town of San Mateo. This traditional locals’ town has a nice mix of countryside and tropical forest, with a small, but vibrant, downtown. In recent years, San Mateo has become popular with expats with the addition of some eco-communities and private schools. The town is within a reasonable drive to nearby beaches, the San Jose metropolitan area, and SJO Airport. In this post, we’ll tell you more about San Mateo. Orientation San Mateo is located just 30 minutes inland from the port of Caldera ..read more

Two Weeks in Costa Rica | If you’re visiting the San Mateo area or just passing through, an interesting activity is Choco Tour Costa Rica. This is a chocolate tour that teaches about the origins of chocolate and how it is grown. Unlike other chocolate tours in Costa Rica, though, this one has a culinary focus as the owner is a chef. In this post, we’ll tell you more about the experience at Choco Tour Costa Rica. Background Choco Tour Costa Rica is located in the small town of San Mateo, not far from Orotina. This area is about one hour from San Jose on the way to both Guanacaste in northern C ..read more

Two Weeks in Costa Rica | Taking a ferry to cross Costa Rica’s wide Gulf of Nicoya is a fun way to break up a long drive. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about using the Puntarenas-Naranjo ferry. We’ll include how to buy tickets, boarding the ferry with your car, and what to expect once you are on the boat.    We will also cover how this ferry will soon become essential due to the temporary closure of a major bridge that connects San Jose and the central Pacific coast to Guanacaste. About the Puntarenas-Naranjo Ferry There are two passenger/car ferries th ..read more

Two Weeks in Costa Rica | Walking the busy streets of Tamarindo, you’d never guess that just a short walk away is an estuary brimming with wildlife. From the river mouth at the northern end of town, a large wetland stretches inland. This rich ecosystem is home to tropical birds, crocodiles, monkeys, and other cool creatures. In this post, we’ll share what it’s like to take a Tamarindo estuary boat tour and what you might see.  Background The Tamarindo estuary is part of Las Baulas National Marine Park (Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas). This important conservation area helps protect sea ..read more

Two Weeks in Costa Rica | If you are visiting a beach destination in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Province, you may be wondering where you can see wildlife nearby. After all, many beach spots in this area offer lots of amenities and awesome beach time, but not as much wildlife. One fun option is a river float tour to see birds, monkeys, and crocodiles. In this post, we’ll share our family’s experience, tell you what we saw, and explain how you can arrange this activity. Overview Costa Rica’s Guanacaste region is seasonally very dry and doesn’t have lush rainforest like other places around the coun ..read more

Two Weeks in Costa Rica | Since living in Costa Rica for the past 10+ years, we have visited several wildlife sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers. These important organizations help animals that have been injured in the wild, orphaned, or held illegally as pets. The experience visiting these places can differ a lot. One of our favorites is the Jaguar Rescue Center in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. We have been a couple of times, and on each visit, we leave inspired to help Costa Rica’s amazing wildlife. In this post, we’ll share what the Jaguar Rescue Center tour is like. Background Founding T ..read more

Two Weeks in Costa Rica | At the end of the road, south of Puerto Viejo on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, you’ll find the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Mixed Wildlife Refuge. This protected land is the ideal place to spot amazing wildlife like sloths, monkeys, birds, lizards, and even snakes. It also has picturesque beaches and gorgeous coastlines. In this post, we’ll share our experience hiking the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge with a guide. Location and Layout The Gandoca-Manzanillo National Mixed Wildlife Refuge (Refugio Nacional Mixto de Vida Silvestre Gandoca-Manzanillo) is located on ..read more

Two Weeks in Costa Rica | One of the most important things to know about visiting Tortuguero is that you’ll need to take a boat or small plane to get there. This village on Costa Rica’s northern Caribbean coast is surrounded by water, with no good roads around. Luckily, taking a boat up the canals is a fun and scenic way to arrive. In this post, we’ll tell you about accessing Tortuguero from Cano Blanco boat dock. Boat Taxi Access Points to Tortuguero Before we cover Cano Blanco, we’ll explain about the two other places where you can take a boat taxi to Tortuguero. The most common is La Pavon ..read more

Two Weeks in Costa Rica | The Sea Turtle Conservancy does essential work to protect endangered sea turtles that nest along Tortuguero’s beaches. Just outside the main area of town is their visitor’s center. Here, at the small museum, you can learn a little bit about the organization and how they are helping sea turtles. In this post, we’ll tell you what to expect on a visit to the Sea Turtle Conservancy Visitor Center in Tortuguero. Background The Sea Turtle Conservancy is the world’s oldest sea turtle research and conservation group. It was founded in 1959 by the biologist Dr. Archie Carr to ..read more

Two Weeks in Costa Rica | Many years ago, we paddled through Tortuguero National Park’s waterway canals in a tipsy canoe. Gliding through the wetlands, we snuck up on birds, river turtles, and caimans. On our most recent visit to Tortuguero, our situation had changed. This time, with two little boys in tow, we opted for a more stable boat tour. We thought we wouldn’t see as much wildlife but were pleasantly surprised. In this post, we’ll share our experience exploring the Tortuguero canals by boat. Background & Location Tortuguero is a small town on Costa Rica’s northern Caribbean coast ..read more