In early 2009, I went to Costa Rica for a business trip. With some time to spare on weekends, we decided to try to see as much as possible. What to do for day trips from San Jose on the weekend? Here is what we did and managed to see waterfalls, the top of a volcano, a few beaches, surfing, shopping, great food, and hiking through the jungle.
The first weekend we decided to go to the Irazu Volcano. This turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. The drive from San Jose was good with good road conditions and little traffic. The entrance fee was not too expensive and there were no large crowds once there. I was awe struck to see the landscape from up so high. The volcano was very impressive and the sights are spectacular. I will never forget this place.
The next day we traveled to Dominical to visit the beach. The trip was exceptional as the drive took us through the mountains and the views were amazing. Playa Dominical is a beautiful beach and great for surfing. Definitely worth the visit.
The following weekend we visited the La Paz waterfall and did some shopping along the way. The waterfall is amazing and the fact that you could walk behind it makes it special in a way that most other waterfalls pass from memory. Unfortunately, this waterfall sustained damage during the earthquake on January 8th and I believe it is no longer as accessible.
The next day we traveled up to Volcan Barva to see what this park was about. We did not hear much about it and thought it may be interesting to get off the beaten path a little. After driving up the mountain for an hour we slowly changed form well paved roads to dirt road. We began to wonder where we were going, but the GPS said to continue. When we arrived we were met by some other hikers and a worker at the park. We paid the entrance fee and did not know where we were really going. We followed a trail up the mountain to the lagoon. On the way we saw the jungle the way it should be seen. There were many beautiful plants and birds that we would not have seen by sticking to the roads. We were in the cloud forest and as the clouds moved in it became very wet. When we arrived at the lagoon we could hardly see anything. It was one of the best hikes I have been on. It was well worth going off the beaten path.
With one day remaining we had to decide where to go. I heard many good things about Manuel Antonio park and its beauty. We drove through Jaco and stopped at Esterillos. What a beautiful beach. There were very few tourists on this beach and we had it almost all to ourselves. What a place it was. We left there and arrived in Manuel Antonio shortly after. After paying the small park entrance fee and going through the forest, we found ourselves on a secluded beach that was like something out of a movie. It was amazing with its light sand, warm and crystal clear waters. After swimming and relaxing on the beach for a few hours, we had to head back. We stopped in Jaco and had a very large and inexpensive supper at one of their many restaurants. I had a 1lb steak with appetizers, dessert and 2 beers for less than $20. The food was great. We went back to San Jose where we left on our flight the next day. I am looking forward to going back someday.
I have posted a slideshow of some of the sights. Feel free to check them out.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/slideshow/29483/costa_rica.html
Big Rob
