Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a stunningly beautiful country. The landscape is varied and offers something for everyone to enjoy. There are beaches to relax and play at, jungles to explore and volcanos that will mesmerize you. The vibe in Costa Rica is summed up in the phrase "pura vida" which means "that's life" or "enjoy" or "keep smiling" or "no worries." The feeling in Costa Rica is laid back and happy. Not that you can summarize all of a country in such a way, but the Costa Ricans are proud to be set apart from other cultures for this life view.

It is intimidating to plan a trip to a new country. There are so many things to see and do. There are details to sort out like transportation, currency and language. Here are a few things we chose to do on our trip. Hopefully this will give you some good ideas for your own vacation.

The Beach

We flew into the Liberia airport in the northwest of Costa Rica. From there we picked up our rental car with Adobe Rental Cars. Then we started the journey to Tamarindo. I had read about different beaches along the west coast of Costa Rica. This area always came up as a popular spot so we decided to check it out. 

It is popular! Tourists swarm this area. There is a wide beach. The water is warm and clean. There are more places to eat than you'll have time for. I believe there are around 170 restaurants in this tiny town. 

We had hoped to visit Playa Conchal, north of Tamarindo. This beach is unique in that there are more tiny crushed shells on the shore than sand. I've heard that it's beautiful. If you go, don't take anything in your car other than what you want to keep with you on the beach. We were warned that even with guarded parking it would still be risky to leave our luggage in the trunk of the car.

There are miles and miles (or kilometers in Costa Rica!) of beach to explore and enjoy. If we were to do the trip again we would stay at a beach closer to the airport. The roads all over Costa Rica are often narrow and windy. We didn't feel the extra drive south was worth it for that particular beach.

The Jungle

After a couple of nights at the beach we headed inland to the jungle. We stayed at the Rio Celeste Hideaway Hotel. This hotel felt like a tropical paradise. Outside our room there was a chocolate plant growing! Inside, our room was spacious and beautifully decorated. We even had an outdoor shower! It's an experience to shower with the howler monkeys making noise not far away.

The hotel is down the street from Tenorio National Park. Here there is a trail to this amazingly blue waterfall. If you are adventurous, you can hike past the waterfall along a muddy, challenging path to see where the clear water and the blue water mix further up the river. 

From the hotel, there is a spectacular path that winds its way along the river to a spot where you can get into the water and swim (which you can't do at the national park). 

Chocolate tours are available all over Costa Rica. Before 1970 Costa Rica was one of the world's main producers of chocolate. Then, a disease nearly wiped out the entire country's chocolate plants. In the last decade the country has begun to put a lot of energy and science into revitalizing the chocolate industry. We were fortunate to tour the small chocolate farm of Sibaeli Chocolate. The production of chocolate is a fascinating process and the family that runs this farm is passionate about sharing it with visitors. 

The Volcano

There are several volcanos in Costa Rica. We chose to visit the Arenal volcano in La Fortuna. If you choose to go to this area, you must realize that no matter which airport you fly into, you have a long road trip to get to La Fortuna. But it's worth it! There is so much to do and see in La Fortuna.

The volcano is the centerpiece of the landscape here. There is a large lake by the volcano where kayaking and paddle boarding are fun activities to try. You can also get wet in the Balsa River on a whitewater rafting trip. We loved our adventure down the river with the Wave Rafting company. You can also visit or rappel down waterfalls! Pure Trek is a great group to go with for waterfall rappelling. One of the most common activities in this part of Costa Rica is visiting the La Fortuna waterfall. You get to hike down hundreds of stairs to the base of the waterfall and then challenge yourself to get back up all those stairs!

When we didn't feel like being in water, we went for a hanging bridges tour in Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park. This was one of the best parts of our trip. But, do not go without a guide! You will only see about 5% of what you would see if you had a guide. Our guide was amazingly talented and knowledgeable. She could find animals, train her zoom lens on them and give us a chance to see them. Even looking through the zoom lens, at times it took effort to recognize the frog or the snake or the owl in front of us. We were constantly amazed by her skills and enthusiasm for this beautiful part of the world. We saw so many animals and learned so much. And crossing all the hanging bridges was pretty fun too!

Serving

One thing you may like to add to a vacation is a chance to give back through your time or other donations. We spent an afternoon playing with children at an orphanage in La Fortuna. These precious little children stole our hearts. We were inspired by the good women who work hard to give the children love and attention. 

The Food

We enjoyed fresh fruit like pineapple, coconut, watermelon, mangos, papayas and avocados. We had fresh fish regularly as well. And we ate lots of rice and beans! We enjoyed almost every meal in Costa Rica. Make sure to try the gallo pinto (rice and beans) for breakfast and casado for dinner. These are typical Costa Rican dishes.

The Language

I speak Spanish and looked forward to practicing while I was in Costa Rica. My husband does not speak Spanish. We didn't really need to rely on my skills to get around Costa Rica. In all the hotels, most of the restaurants and on the tours we found people almost always spoke English. 

The Currency 

Costa Ricans use colons. At the time we travelled it was 600 colons to 1 dollar. We withdrew money at the airport from an ATM for tips and incidentals during our trips. We noted that many places accepted dollars as well as colons. Most bills from restaurants came in colons and were also converted to dollars. A 10% tip is included on restaurant bills. It is our understanding that most Costa Ricans only pay this amount. If you'd like to pay an additional 5-10% (as is customary in the USA), it is appreciated. 

Getting Around

If you decide to jump around from place to place, as we did, a rental car is really the only way to go. But be prepared that the roads in Costa Rica are narrow, often windy and it takes a while to get from one place to another. There are also a few toll roads and then it's a very good idea to have colons (not dollars). Main roads are paved, but side roads are often dirt and rocks. We rented a 4 wheel drive car. As it turned out, we never really needed the 4 wheel drive. When you rent a car there is a mandatory insurance you'll have to pay for. We were advised to try avoiding driving at night and parking on the side of the road. I believe this is good advice! 

There is so much to see and do in Costa Rica! These are only a few of the fun activities and places to see in this wonderful Central American country. 

Brown Rice

In an effort to eat healthier, more nutrient rich food, we have traded white rice for brown rice in many recipes. But brown rice is tricky. It can turn out hard instead of soft and that's just not as fun to eat! I found this recipe and it has worked well for us.

from skinnytaste.com, lightly adapted

• 1 cup natural brown rice (I used long grain)
• 8 cups cold water
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1. Rinse the rice with cold water for 30 seconds.
2. Bring 8 cups water and salt to a boil over high heat in a large heavy pot with a tight fitting lid.
3. When the water is boiling add the rice, stir and partially cover (don’t cover complete or it will spill over) and cook on medium-high heat for 30 minutes.
4. Drain the rice by carefully holding the lid away from the rim of the pot just a touch so the water can run out but you don't lose the rice. Then cover the pot tightly for 20 minutes so the steam finishes cooking the rice. (You can also use a strainer and then put the rice back in the pot immediately and cover)
5. Uncover the rice and fluff with a fork.

The Jeffrey Smoothie

I made this smoothie for my son yesterday. I asked him what we should call it. He wanted it to be named after him so it is now the Jeffrey Smoothie!

3/4 c passionfruit juice

1/4 c water

1 c ice

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 c frozen pineapple

1 banana

Blend until smooth. 

Gallo Pinto

adapted from mytanfeet.com

1 tbsp olive oil

4 cups of cooked long grain rice 
1 can of black beans-do not drain
3 garlic cloves, minced (or 1.5 tsp of minced garlic)
1/2 cup of chopped white onion
1 chopped green pepper
3 tbsp (or more!) chopped cilantro
1/2 cup of salsa (not chunky salsa)

1. Coat a large deep pan with the oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic, pepper and onion to the pan. Sauté for a couple minutes.

2. Add beans with the broth and your salsa (or this homemade Salsa Lizano). 

3. Lower heat and add rice. Simmer on low for about 5-10 minutes, mixing occasionally until any excess liquid is absorbed. 

4. Stir in fresh cilantro and serve.

In our home we pile the eggs on top of the gallo pinto, sliced avocado on the eggs and then add a little salt. We like to have fresh pineapple with it on the side. 

You can also fill a tortilla with the rice/beans, eggs, avocado and put salsa or ketchup on top before you roll it up. That's how half our family likes to eat this. 

boys say: two thumbs up

husband rating: 4.5 stars

Salsa Lizano

My husband and I recently visited Costa Rica. This was our first time there and we loved it. The first morning we were served Gallo Pinto at breakfast. This is a traditional Costa Rican dish. It combines black beans and rice with a few other ingredients. One of those ingredients is Salsa Lizano. From what I've read and experienced, it's easy to find in Costa Rica, but not so easy to find in the USA! After getting some confused looks from grocery store workers (including at a Mexican store near my home), I realized I'd have to learn how to make my own Salsa Lizano. I used this recipe and our family liked it:

from thekitchn.com

1 to 2 dried chiles, such as guajillo
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 small yellow onion
1 4-inch piece thick carrot, chopped
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon unflavored vinegar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons fine salt
2 teaspoons molasses
2 teaspoons all-natural powdered vegetable broth base, optional
1. Remove the stems of the chiles and then slice the chiles in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and fibrous connective material attaching the seeds to the chiles. Pre-heat a 6-8-inch cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Lay the chile pieces in the pan and toast, turning after about 2 minutes. Add the water and lower the heat to bring the water to a simmer. Simmer for about five minutes. Remove the chile pieces from the pan and place in blender. Measure out 1 cup of the chile-infused water and add this to the blender with the chiles.

2. Add the onion, carrot, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, cumin, salt, molasses, bouillon (if using). Blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning.

Sauce will keep in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Banana Muffins

from gimmesomeoven.com


3 cups old-fashioned oats*
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 eggs
1 cup unsweetened almond milk, plain or vanilla
1 cup tightly-packed mashed ripe bananas (2-3 bananas depending on the size)
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or any mild-flavored oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: turbinado sugar for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking liners, or lightly grease with cooking spray. Set aside. 

2. Puree oats in a blender or food processor until they reach a flour-like consistency. Add in the pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and sea salt, and pulse until the mixture is evenly combined. Set aside. 

3. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mashed banana, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla extract until evenly combined. Fold the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredient mixture, and stir until the mixture is just combined. (Try to avoid over-mixing.) 

4. Portion the ingredients into prepared baking cups. Then sprinkle a pinch of turbinado sugar on top of each muffin, if you would like. 

5. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. 

6. Serve warm. Or let the muffins cool to room temperature, then store in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

*Or feel free to substitute in 240 grams (8.4 ounces) oat flour. And as always, be sure to use certified gluten-free ingredients if making this recipe gluten-free.

When I went to the store to buy coconut oil I was amazed at all the options! This is the one I picked and I really like it. I enjoyed spreading a little of this on my warm muffin!

Husband and boys said thumbs up!