The Central Valley is one of my favorite regions in Costa Rica — the rolling hills are painted an almost impossible green and there is so much to see and do. A year ago, I decided to explore the area during a series of day trips, and the experience only served to make me love the region even more. Now, as the dry season rolls around, I’m itching for a chance to continue my adventures, but with so many options before me, it’s hard to choose where to start!
Because of its convenient location — smack …
Spans the northwestern part of Costa Rica, from the Nicaraguan border to Puntarenas, including the Nicoya Peninsula.
The central Pacific coast from Puntarenas south to the Baru River mouth, just north of Dominical.
Includes the southwest coast of Costa Rica and the southern part of the Puntarenas Province from Playa Dominical south to Panama.
Includes most of the border with Nicaragua, stretching south to Arenal Volcano and the northern parts of the Heredia and Alajuela Provinces.
Encompasses the Monteverde area, from the Santa Elena Cloud Forest in the north to the Monteverde Cloud Forest in the east.
Includes San Jose, the Juan Santamaria International Airport, and parts of Alajuela, Cartago and Heredia provinces.
There’s something about a butterfly that brings to mind words like “enchanting” and “ethereal” – butterflies are beautiful, and many cultures see them as more than just a colorful animal. With this in mind, Alajuela’s Butterfly Farm, the Finca de Mariposas, explores both the scientific and mythical aspects of these beautiful insects, affording its visitors a rare look into the culture and biology of the butterfly.
After pickup at the international airport, it took less than 20 minutes to drive to the Butterfly Farm, located in La Guacima de Alajuela. Along the way, I saw gorgeous …
It’s always a pleasure to discover something special in your own backyard. For me, it was the Ark Herb Farm, a 25-year old estate dedicated to permaculture, culinary and medicinal plant cultivation, and botanical research and education. Located in Santa Barbara de Heredia, Ark Herb Farm grows approximately 625 plant species on a rotating basis, from the familiar Genovese basil to the not-so-common toothache plant.
After walking into downtown Santa Barbara, I hailed a taxi for the remaining jaunt to the 17-acre farm. When I hopped out of the cab the first thought that popped into …
This was my last day in Tortuguero and Vincent and I were getting up early to stroll the beach — we were hoping to see green turtle hatchlings and a beautiful sunrise. At 4:15, I turned off my alarm, hopped out of bed, and grabbed my camera.
The beach was dark and deserted when we walked out; to protect nesting turtles, Tortuguero’s beach is closed from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. Our feet in the sand, we sat and waited for 5:00 to roll around — the sky stretched out before us, deep blue in the …
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