Exploring the Wild Beauty of Costa Rica
Exploring the Wild Beauty of Costa Rica
In March 2023, we spent two weeks re-visting our soul country - Costa Rica. We travelled to San Jose, Dominical, Uvita and San Gerado de Dota and had a nature packed roadtrip.
Map of Costa Rica
Costa Rica 2023: A Journey Through Our Soul Country
Our adventure in Costa Rica this time around, began in March 2023. After a long journey from London and over 16 hours of travel with a layover in a very snowy Toronto, we arrived at Juan Santamaría International Airport at 8pm, exhausted but excited to be back in our favourite country. This marked our fourth visit, and if we had the means, Costa Rica would undoubtedly be our permanent home. However, rising costs and strict work restrictions for foreigners sadly makes that dream impossible for us. If I could afford it, I would spend the rest of my days there! The Costa Rican people’s affinity with nature and their deep-rooted respect for the environment is really apparent in everyone and I really love that.
Our History with Costa Rica
Matthew's love affair with Costa Rica first began back in 1998 when, at 18 years old, he spent eighteen months working at Profelis, a wild cat rehabilitation centre near Dominical on the Pacific Coast. Surfing in his free time and caring for Ocelots and Margays during the day cemented his lifelong attachment to the country. In 2002, after returning to the UK, fate brought us together in a nightclub one evening. A couple months on fast forward and we had since discovered that we had a shared interest in a love for travel and both wanted to experience the world. Our little home town was not doing it for us and we craved some adventure.
Matthew was due to go back to Costa Rica at the end of the year and had arranged to volunteer at a nature reserve, Hacienda Baru in Dominical, to work as a tour guide and to help his friend Owen, build the new tree canopy ziplines which were planned for the reserve.
As his time there approached, I was fortunate to be able to arrange some volunteering of my own in the jardín de mariposas - a beautiful butterfly garden at Baru. I quit my job working as a sales executive for a design company and packed my bags to join Matthew.
My role in the butterfly garden involved assisting with breeding efforts, ensuring optimal conditions for developing pupae, and venturing into the jungle to collect leaves and butterfly eggs to bring back to the garden.
Each day, I would head into the hot, humid forest, searching high and low for the tiny butterfly eggs which were just 1 - 2mm in size. They were usually hidden on the underside of heliconia leaves or at the tips of Passiflora tendrils. It often felt like searching for a needle in a haystack! All the while, I had to stay vigilant, scanning the forest floor for any unexpected encounters with caimans, spiders, or the deadly fer-de-lance snake which could be well camouflaged in the leaves on the forest floor. Matthew arrived in Costa Rica six weeks before me and had already had an encounter with a caimen which had snapped at his ankles as he passed by on his way to the beach!
One of my more challenging tasks was keeping the butterfly garden free of spiders so they wouldn’t overrun the space with webs or prey on the butterflies. As a lifelong arachnophobe, I still have no idea how I managed to do it - the things we do for love!
My favourite butterflies were the magnificent Blue Morphos, a national symbol of Costa Rica. Their wings, a disguised brown when at rest, resembling a dried leaf, transformed mid-flight into an electric flash of iridescent blue. Some of the caterpillars were just as fascinating, cleverly mimicking bird droppings to deter predators from eating them. Nature’s ingenuity never ceased to amaze me.
Our experiences during this time were a lot of fun and after our volunteering placements were over, we then spent time backpacking through the rest of Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua getting ourselves into all kinds of scrapes, and surviving on coconuts and rum, before finally running out of money and having to return home. Those carefree days of volunteering and backpacking are still some of our best memories to this day.
Since then, we’ve returned to Costa Rica multiple times, including in 2004 and 2016. Now, in 2023, we wanted to revisit old places and have a new road trip adventure with our teenage daughters. Previously to this trip, we had last visited over seven years ago with my sister and family and some friends of ours, who all fell in love with the country just as much as we did. It was now just the four of us this time, and we were looking forward to seeing how things had changed and begin our road trip adventure.
San José - Museums, Markets & Unexpected Encounters
We spent our first couple of days in San José, staying at the centrally located Sleep Inn Hotel Paseo Las Damas. We started our day with a traditional Costa Rican breakfast of coffee, gallo pinto, eggs, and plantains. Gallo pinto is a traditional dish made from rice and beans and its probably my favourite breakfast ever to this day. I often cook it here for tea with leftovers for breakfast the next day – I think the girls are sick of it by now but I will never tire of it!
After breakfast, we then set off for the Museo de Ciencias Naturales La Salle. Located within La Salle school, Matthew had recently heard about this off-the-beaten-path museum which offers a diverse collection of specimens showcasing Costa Rica’s biodiversity as well as natural history. It is filled with fascinating (and sometimes humorously bad) taxidermy, ancient fossils, an impressive butterfly and insect collection and an eerie room of preserved specimens, including a rather disturbing exhibit of a three-month-old human fetus in a jar. We were sure that they were not meant to be funny, but the taxidermy exhibits were terrible and we couldn't help but giggle as we passed each one!
We finished our tour with a stop in the small garden outside, noting the unusual and beautiful Candle tree which we had heard about but never seen before. The Parmentiera valerii, commonly known as the Candle Tree, is a fascinating tree native to Costa Rica and other parts of Central America. The most distinctive feature of the Candle Tree is its long, cylindrical, yellow-green fruits, which resemble candles or wax tapers. These fruits can grow up to 60 cm (24 inches) in length and are edible. The Candle Tree is not as well-known as some other tropical trees, but its peculiar fruits make it an eye-catching species for nature lovers to see.
Even though the museum is off the tourist trail a little, if you're passionate about biology, paleontology, or Costa Rica’s incredible wildlife, Museo de Ciencias Naturales La Salle is definitely worth a visit.
Finding the museum was an adventure in itself, involving a lost taxi driver, directions from locals, and an unsettling encounter with an aggressive, inebriated man who for no reason at all staggered over and called me a “puta”, a derogatory term for women in Costa Rica. Charming.
This was beside the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica building which was an interesting place to see and the area felt a bit edgy. Protests take place quite often here and there was graffiti on the ground from previous protests to do with abortion rights from memory.
After finishing our visit to the museum, we finally managed to flag down a taxi outside and headed back into central San José to visit Mercado Central, San José’s historical marketplace. We had missed out on visiting this place with the girls on our last trip due to travelling in a larger group with different preferences and this time around, we really wanted to stop off here so that the girls could experience it.
The atmosphere inside the market is vibrant and bustling. As you step inside, you're immediately enveloped by a maze of narrow corridors lined with stalls selling everything from fresh produce and aromatic spices to handcrafted goods and traditional Costa Rican cuisine. The air is filled with a mix of scents - freshly ground coffee, sizzling street food like casados and empanadas, fresh meat hung at the butchers, fish and shellfish from the fishmongers, animals from the pet shop and the floral aromas from vendors selling tropical flowers. All mixed in with the feint stench from San José’s sewerage system.
The sounds are lively too, with latin music playing over the loudspeakers, vendors calling out their daily specials, locals chatting over cups of cafe con leche and the occasional clatter of kitchenware from the small sodas, which are traditional eateries. The market has a somewhat dimly lit, worn out charm, with colourful displays of fruits, meats, and souvenirs creating a patchwork of things to see. There’s a sense of organised chaos, where locals go about their daily shopping while tourists weave through the crowd, taking in the authentic tico culture and most likely feeling a bit overwhelmed!
Whether you're there to grab a bite to eat, shop for local goods, or simply soak in the atmosphere, Mercado Central offers an immersive and truly Costa Rican experience.
Having bought some delicious chicken and black bean empanadas from the market for the girls to try, we sat and ate them in the Plaza de la Cultura outside of the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum (Museo del Oro Precolombino), our next stop.
This is one of the most significant museums in the country. It is part of the Central Bank Museums and showcases an extraordinary collection of gold artifacts from Costa Rica’s pre-Columbian civilisations and it was really interesting to look around. The museum's atmosphere is modern and is actually located underground. Security is tight and you have to walk through a body scanner at the entrance and leave your bags in lockers by the door.
Visitors can explore beautifully crafted jewellery, figurines, ceremonial objects, and currency dating back to around 300 AD. If you're interested in archaeology, history, or indigenous cultures, the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum is a must-visit destination in San José. It offers a unique perspective on Costa Rica’s heritage and the deep spiritual and societal meanings attached to gold. The girls actually really enjoyed looking around which surprised me as I had wondered if they would find it boring being typical teenagers!
On the Road - Crocodiles and Coastal Drives
Costa Rica Roadtrip Map
333 miles of driving around Costa Rica from San José to:
Dominical
Uvita
San Isidro de El General
San Gerado de Dota
San José
Source: Google Maps
Having spent the day exploring it was time to head back to the hotel and rest for the night before picking up our hire car to drive down towards the Puntarenus region on the Pacific coast.
First, we had to take route 27 which is a major highway that connects the capital, San José, to the Pacific coast. The route offers a mix of urban, mountainous, and coastal scenery. Starting in Escazú, you pass through rolling hills, coffee plantations, and deep valleys before descending into the Carara region, known for its scarlet macaws. As you approach the coast, the landscape shifts to dry tropical forest, eventually revealing the Pacific Ocean near Puntarenas and Caldera. It is a scenic but winding road that eventually joins the infamous Route 34, known as the Carretera Pacífica Fernández Oreamuno, commonly referred to as the Costanera Sur (Southern Coastal Highway). You can stop off at roadside sodas to buy yucca chips and snacks or pipas, for fresh coconut water.
Route 34 is a major highway that runs along the Pacific coast, connecting key destinations such as Jacó, Quepos, and Dominical. When Matthew first visited in 1998, it was a dirt road and as soon as the road was paved, the region really opened up to development meaning the coastline experienced a boom. Towns rapidly expanded and luxury expat villas became the norm dotted here and there between the local tico communities. There are endless banana plantations on the route at times (terrible for biodiversity) but it’s still a gorgeous scenic route though taking you through famous beach towns, surf spots, and national parks, including Manuel Antonio National Park. It provides a faster and more convenient alternative to the traditional inland route which we would be taking on our way back to San José and I loved taking in all the sights as we passed by. I love a roadtrip!
On the way, we stopped off at the tourist attraction, the Tarcoles Crocodile Bridge to view the enormously huge crocodiles who infamously lay in wait underneath the bridge. There are so many of them! Its quite an experience as you have to park up at the rest stop and walk a little way down the highway, being narrowly passed by large articulated lorries with huge loads and the hot tropical sun beating down on you. You are able to stop on the bridge, along with a lot of other visitors, and peer over the edge, nervously hoping you wouldn't fall in to be eaten by a hungry crocodile! Well worth a visit if you are ever passing by. We have previously done a tour here on the actual river itself with Jose’s Crocodile River Tour company. Definitely recommended if you are staying in the area, with a boat ride up the river and a crazy tour guide jumping out and feeding the crocodiles! Pure madness.
Dominical – Catching Up With Old Friends
We had booked a villa in Uvita for the next five nights, giving us the perfect opportunity to relax for a bit. While there, we wanted to catch up with our friends, Noah and Maria, who live on a farm in the nearby mountain village of San Juan De Dios.
Noah and Maria run Broke-n-Bored BBQ in Dominical, located within The Rum Bar, where they serve up some of the most mouth-watering and authentic Tacos Al Pastor, along with fast-food favourites like Chicago dogs, pulled pork baps, Costa Rican frijoles, and incredible burgers.
They also occasionally rent out their home on Airbnb. Its an affordable and stunning place to stay for those looking to experience the peaceful tranquility of a Costa Rican mountain town and the Tico way of life. A hire car is essential, as it’s a bit off the beaten path, but well worth the trip, even if just for a day or two. Plus, there’s a big waterfall nearby that’s not to be missed!
We’ve known Noah and Maria for many years, ever since our very first trip to Costa Rica. Back then, we were living in ‘La Casona’, one of the houses on Hacienda Barú land, with Lettie, Maria’s mother, while volunteering at the reserve. Maria was dating Noah at the time - a young American surfer who had followed both his heart and the perfect waves to Costa Rica. He had left his hometown in Colorado for good, chasing a new life in the sun. It wasn’t long before he and Matthew became close friends, spending their free time surfing together.
During our time at Barú, Noah and Maria got married, and we had the honour of bartending at their wedding which was a vibrant, joyful celebration of Costa Rican tradition. A Mariachi band played music while guests pinned money to the bride and groom as they danced. A hog roasted over an open fire while we poured endless amounts of rum for the wedding guests, me barely speaking a word of Spanish yet somehow managing to communicate in our rum-fueled haze.
After the wedding, we travelled with them to Panama and later stayed at their little beachside home in Guapil, a peaceful, rustic community located right on the shoreline. Over the years, we’ve kept in touch and always make a point to visit whenever we’re back in the country. It’s been so nice to introduce them to our children and to meet theirs in return. Lovely, genuine people and lifelong friends.
Uvita – Jungle Living at Finca Khan
Upon arriving in Uvita, we noticed that had it expanded a little from our last visit but still retained that small town feel. We turned off the paved highway and made our way through the rocky, dusty streets of the village, driving up an extremely steep and hair-raising mountainside road to our villa, Finca Khan. We were glad of the 4x4 we had hired as we never would have made it up the hill otherwise. It got interesting trying to traverse that hill after we experienced some heavy rain later that week, as Matthew's driving skills and nerves were put to the test!
Finca Khan was a truly wonderful place to stay located on the edge the jungle with stunning ocean views. The property was gated and had an on site caretaker 24/7 at the entrance which felt nice and secure. There were two bedrooms on the second level with their own private stairs each with fabulous wood ceilings and ceiling fans, and with large windows on three sides of the room for unobstructed views of the ocean and jungle.
The ground floor had two bathrooms, two outdoor showers, and an open kitchen, dining amd lounge with jungle views to the north and ocean views to the south. The property is within 43 acres of land and there are private hiking trails which you could follow. We had daily visits from White-Faced monkeys and Howler monkeys who made daily canopy runs only yards away in the trees. We also saw toucans, parrots, agoutis and saw numerous critters and buglife. Falling asleep to the sound of the nightlife in the jungle every night was awesome.
We had a few tropical rainstorms whilst here as well which was an experience to hear and feel in such an open house. One day during a spectacular rainstorm, the girls and Matthew swam and shrieked in the plunge pool as the rain and mist swept in and a torrent of warm, tropical rain poured down on us. It was very fun! There were occasionally power outages due to the weather and one night we cooked, ate and played cards by candlelight and lanterns, attracting all of the local buglife and frogs to the party as our gatecrashing guests.
Tropical rainstorm sweeping in from the ocean across to our villa on Finca Khan. A night of torrential rain followed.
Lori, the owner, lived in her own house elsewhere on the estate and was very friendly and hospitable when she popped by to introduce herself and to ask if there was anything we needed. We absolutely loved it here and would highly recommend staying.
Unexpected Earthquake!
Whilst stood on the verandah one day during our stay, I felt a strange vibration from the balcony railing I was leaning on. It wobbled and moved and I thought perhaps the railings were slightly loose but it seemed fine when I checked again. Not really thinking much about it, we later heard on the news that there had been an earthquake! A strong magnitude 5.5 earthquake had occurred in the North Pacific Ocean near the coast of Costa Rica. The quake had a shallow depth of 35 km (22 mi) and was felt over a large region. It was nothing major by the time we felt it in Uvita but it was interesting to know me and the girls had experienced our first earthquake. Matthew had already been in one during his time at Profelis back in the 90s. He recounted being in bed when he was woken by violent shaking and things falling off the walls! Thankfully there was no serious damage at Profelis.
Costa Rica experiences earthquakes primarily because of its location on the "Ring of Fire," being situated between two oceans and several tetonic plates. Active volcanoes and steady seismic activity are part of residents' daily lives, along with the occasional devastating earthquake.
A Jungle Hike and a Tico Village Community
Our first day in Uvita, saw us meet up with Marcus, an old Tico friend of Matthew’s. Matthew had first worked with Marcus at Profelis back in the 90s and despite the fact that Marcus is several years older, speaks no English and they communicate through sign language and Matthew’s broken Spanish, the two of them have maintained a friendship over the years.
We arranged to meet at Rancho La Merced. Along with horse riding tours, there are trails here which you can follow, either solo or with a guide and Marcus had agreed to take us on a hike through the jungle. It had been several years since Matthew had last seen Marcus and at first he did not recognise him waiting at the side of the road for us. He had really aged but as we approached, Marcus threw his hands in the air shouting ‘Mateo!’ grinning away with a toothless smile and clearly delighted to see him as he jabbered away in Spanish, with his thick tico accent.
Marcus took us to the reception at Rancho La Merced to pay the fee for using the trails and we set off for our hike. It was hot and steep on the trails at times, with Marcus wisely reprimanding Matthew telling him to slow down as it was very hot and he would tire out too soon. He also wanted to be sure not to disturb any wildlife which we might encounter. He was really good at spotting wildlife, as most Costa Ricans are, and we had a wonderful time seeing capuchin monkeys, a coati and numerous butterflies, birds, leaf cutter ants and insects. We would not have been able to find our way around the trails in the thick jungle without Marcus and it was great to have him guide us around. Afterwards, Marcus kindly invited us back to his house in a nearby village to meet his wife and show us his house where he now lived.
We stopped off at a small sandwich shop at the side of the road and bought sandwiches and cakes to take to their house to share with his wife and it was really nice to see the place they called home. It was a traditional wooden tico house perched high on a hillside surrounded by nature. It was brilliant for the girls to see how ticos traditionally live in the countryside of Costa Rica, as Marcus tended to the fire in his outhouse and gave us a little tour of his community outside, showing us his pineapples that he had been proudly growing.
His wife was really sweet too and looked around her house to find something which she could give us as a gift, choosing a napkin holder, which was so thoughtful and appreciated.
Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary
After parting ways with Marcus and promising to stay in touch, we went on to visit the Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary in San Martin Norte Dominical. The sanctuary is a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre. It focuses on the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured, sick, or orphaned wildlife, while also providing a permanent home for animals that cannot be released back into the wild. The sanctuary offers guided tours where visitors can see a variety of native Costa Rican wildlife, including sloths, monkeys, toucans, macaws, ocelots, and anteaters. Many of these animals were rescued from illegal pet trade, injury, or habitat destruction. The tours are educational and conservation-focused, helping visitors understand the importance of protecting Costa Rica’s biodiversity.
The sanctuary is located on a beautiful hillside property with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, making it a scenic and peaceful place to visit and a nice place to have a cold drink in the restaurant afterwards taking in the ocean views. You can also volunteer here and I wondered whether it might be somewhere that our youngest daughter might like to apply for when she was older for a gap year experience due to her love of animals. Our tour lasted around an hour and required a reservation. I’d highly recommend taking a visit here.
Waterfall Hunting and Surf Competitions
On our last day in Uvita, we set out on a mission to go waterfall hunting. Lori, our host, had mentioned a local waterfall hidden somewhere nearby, so we ventured down Uvita’s dusty back roads, following her clues. There were no signs to guide us, but she had described a few landmarks to watch for, and soon enough, we found the spot.
We parked the car and followed an unmarked trail, letting the distant rush of water lead the way. The place was completely deserted except for a lone Canadian guy dozing in a hammock, a book resting on his chest. Our arrival woke him up from his nap, but he didn’t seem to mind as we quickly changed and plunged into the water to cool off.
We spent the next couple of hours swimming, soaking in the tranquility, and having a lovely time. It was a perfect way to wrap up our time in Uvita. You simply can’t visit Costa Rica without taking a dip in a waterfall - it’s an experience that belongs on every traveller’s must-do list. With so many waterfalls in the area, some popular and well-visited and others hidden away in the jungle, there’s always a magical spot waiting to be discovered.
Finally, we made our way back to Dominical to go and watch a surf competition on the beach and say goodbye to Noah and Maria. They were working for the day and had set up a food stall on the beach selling delicious rice and beans, tortillas and homemade bacon that Noah produced from the pigs they raise on their farm. Sooo good! Who knows when we shall next meet again!
An Easter Stop at San Isidro and Cerro de le Muerte
After spending a relaxing few days in Uvita and exploring the beautiful local beaches of Dominicalito, Playa Dominical and Playa Ballena, it was time to continue our journey through Costa Rica and set off on an adventure driving to our next destination, San Gerado de Dota where we would spend a couple of days before returning to San Jose for our flight home.
On the way, we called in to see some other old friends, Magno and Evelyn, who lived in San Isidro de El General, which is the largest city in the Pérez Zeledón canton in the southern part of the country. It had been over twenty years since we had last seen them but we had remained friends thanks to the power of Facebook. We had spent time with them back in Guapil in 2003 when Evelyn had owned some cabinas on the beach and spent many an evening drinking rum and partying at that little community. Guapil was sadly later erased to the ground by the government after they decided that the community was illegal and built too close to the shoreline.
In San Isidro, Magno and Evelyn showed us around the house they were renovating and hoping to rent out as an Air bnb and then took us over to Evelyn’s mother's house. They were keeping an eye on her house whilst she was away, and kindly gave us lunch. It was Easter and so we ate a traditional lunch of palmito pie and salad along with fresh pineapple batidos and fruits from their garden. Palmito Pie (Pastel de Palmito) is a traditional Costa Rican dish made with hearts of palm (palmito) and cheese, baked inside a flaky or soft pastry crust and it was really delicious.
After saying our goodbyes to them and their much-loved dogs, and thanking them for their hospitality, we continued on, making our way along the infamous Cerro de la Muerte.
Cerro de la Muerte (translated as "Hill of Death") is one of the highest and most infamous mountain passes in Costa Rica. Located on the Inter-American Highway (Route 2), it reaches an altitude of 3,491 metres (11,453 feet), making it the highest point on the country’s national road system. The name "Hill of Death" comes from historical accounts of early travellers who had to cross the mountain on foot or horseback before modern roads existed. The harsh, freezing temperatures, difficult terrain, and unpredictable weather often led to fatalities. Today, while it is fully paved and drivable, it still has a reputation due to fog and low visibility, cold and near freezing temperatures - especially at night, and steep, winding roads. The sharp curves and steep inclines require careful driving and we have witnessed lorries or cars that have either crashed or had careered off the roadside and were now caught up in trees on steep drops offs as the land plunges away into the jungle far below. There are also numerous landslides during the rainy season which can sweep vehicles off the mountainside.
San Gerado de Dota - A Bird Watching, Fishing and Hiking Paradise
San Gerardo de Dota is nestled in Costa Rica’s highlands, renowned for its breathtaking cloud forests, pristine rivers, and world-class birdwatching. Located in the Talamanca Mountains, about 85 km (53 miles) southeast of San José, this small mountain village sits at an altitude of approximately 2,200 metres (7,200 feet), making it one of the coolest and most serene destinations in the country. It took us a moment to realise why we were so out of breath upon arrival as we walked around - until it dawned on us that the high altitude was to blame!
The region is part of Los Quetzales National Park, a wonderland of misty cloud forests, ancient oak trees, and cascading waterfalls. It’s also home to the Savegre River, one of the cleanest rivers in Central America, winding through the valley and providing the perfect setting for trout fishing and scenic hikes.
As we descended from the highway into the steep-sided valley, the landscape unfolded before us. The single-track road hugged the mountainside, plunging sharply down to reveal a panorama of untouched Costa Rican jungle. I gripped my seat with white-knuckles, occasionally squeezing my eyes shut and silently hoping we wouldn’t meet another car as when we did, we had to inch past each other with nerve-wracking precision!
After a slow and careful descent, we finally arrived at our Airbnb, The Unicorn Lodge. Its always a bit of a gamble when you book through Airbnb but this place immediately won us over, with its cozy atmosphere and floor-to-ceiling windows that framed the surrounding woodland and a gently babbling stream. From the moment we arrived, we saw an incredible display of birdlife, spotting Ruddy-Capped Nightingale-Thrushes, Woodpeckers, and Woodcreepers right from our doorstep. We sadly didn’t see any Quetzals though.
Inside, the cabin had a rustic yet comfortable design, with a mezzanine floor for the bedrooms. The nights were crisp and chilly, but we were kept warm with electric blankets and thick, cozy duvets. It was absolute bliss and felt like a proper mountain retreat.
Hiking trails and The Grandfather Oak
We all set out on a hike from the bottom of the village, hoping to find the nearby waterfall which was at the end of a 2km trail. However, we kept getting lost as the trail was not well marked and the girls and I struggled to catch our breath in the high altitude so we decided to return to the cabin instead, hoping for a glimpse of the famous Quetzals which had so far evaded us but that make this area world-renowned.
Meanwhile, Matthew, unfazed by the altitude, decided to go on a solo trek along the local trails starting from Savegre Hotel Natural Reserve and Spa. This vast property spans both primary and secondary forests, offering numerous trails to explore. His goal was to find The Grandfather Oak, a magnificent tree standing in the Los Robles area to the north of the hotel. At precisely 60.40 metres, it holds the title of the tallest accurately measured Oak in the world and is over 10 metres taller than any recorded Oak in the United States or Europe.
Hours passed, and I began to wonder if he’d been swallowed by the jungle, perhaps lost or even stalked by a jaguar. But just as my imagination ran wild (as it frequently does), he finally returned, exhausted but triumphant, having trekked for miles in pursuit of the legendary tree.
San Gerado de Dota Forest
Horse Riding Trek through the Savegre Riverbed
On our final day, we decided to experience the beautiful area on horseback, setting off on an unforgettable trek through the Savegre riverbed. San Gerardo isn’t exactly set up for mass tourism, so arranging the ride required a bit of local know-how. After asking around, we were directed to a nearby restaurant, where we found the right person to organise the excursion. We were told to wait in a nearby field, and before long, a group of cowboys and their dogs arrived to greet us, assign our horses, and help us saddle up.
Despite being novice riders, we quickly felt at ease as the horses were gentle and well-trained, seemingly knowing the route by heart. Our youngest daughter’s horse, however, had a bit of a stubborn streak, and she wasn’t too keen on nudging it forward. Fortunately, our guide and their dogs were always nearby to give her horse a little encouragement when needed.
The ride was breathtaking. We passed cascading waterfalls, climbed steep forested slopes, and followed the winding riverbed as our guide shared fascinating details about the surrounding ecosystem. At one point, he pulled out his phone and showed us a recent photo of a jaguar spotted in the area. I couldn’t help but think back to Matthew’s solo trek the day before - perhaps my worries weren’t so far-fetched after all!
We ended the day with a meal at Restaurante Doña Marlen, a lovely hillside restaurant serving authentic Costa Rican cuisine. The restaurant also doubled as a succulent nursery, with a large variety of succulent plants thriving in the mountain climate. One of the best things about the restaurant was the countless hummingbirds flitting around the veranda, drawn to the hanging nectar feeders. As we dined, we watched them dart and hover about which was so idyllic and lovely.
After dinner, we walked back to our cabin for the last time, pausing at the village bridge to take in the night sky. With no light pollution to dim their brilliance, the stars shone vividly above us which was a breathtaking sight. It was so clear! The whole day was a wonderful experience and the perfect way to end our trip, something we will always remember.
Hummingbirds Feeding at Restaurante Dona Marlen
Final thoughts
Our 2023 Costa Rican adventure was a journey through nostalgia, nature, and new experiences, even including an earthquake! From exploring San José’s off-the-beaten-track attractions and tasting authentic market food to hiking with old friends and staying in a jungle paradise, every moment reaffirmed our deep connection to this incredible country. While the rising costs make permanent relocation unlikely, Costa Rica remains our soul country. Its a place we will return to, time and time again.
