Catarata La Fortuna
November 2012
Costa Rica was one of those trips where every part of the country felt completely different from the last.
Arenal Volcano Region
The first part of the trip was centered around the Arenal region near Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna. Arenal Volcano is one of Costa Rica’s most recognized landmarks and was one of the country’s most active volcanoes for decades before entering a resting phase in 2010. The area around it is filled with rainforest, lava fields, waterfalls, and hot springs.
It was rainy season, so a lot of the trip involved hiking in the rain, muddy trails, and constantly drying off before getting caught in another downpour. Touring Arenal Volcano National Park turned into an experience of just accepting that being wet was no longer temporary. At one point the rain was coming down so hard that even the rain gear was soaked through. Nothing ever fully dried after that. By the end of the trip some of the clothes had started getting musty enough that I ended up throwing them away rather than taking them back home.
La Fortuna Waterfall
One of the highlights was visiting La Fortuna Waterfall. Reaching the bottom involves hiking down a 530 step concrete and metal staircase into the canyon below. The waterfall drops about 230 feet into a pool surrounded by dense rainforest. The water was cold, the rocks were slippery, and the scenery around the falls was incredible.
Canyoning and Rappelling
My favorite part of the trip was canyoning and rappelling with Pure Trek Canyoning near La Fortuna. The adventure included four rappels, three waterfalls and one canyon wall, along with hiking through the canyon between descents. The guides kept commenting on how comfortable I was and said I was a natural at it.
Zip-lining
I also went zip-lining at Ecoglide Arenal Park. The course included 11 zip-lines, 13 platforms, and a suspension bridge running through the rainforest canopy. The longest cable stretched about 1,410 feet (430 meters), and the highest cable reached approximately 131 feet (40 meters) above the forest floor, roughly the height of a 10 story building. It was misting most of the day, so visibility through the canopy kept changing. On the longest runs, people ahead of me would disappear into the fog within seconds after leaving the platform. On some of the runs, you couldn’t even see where the line ended before stepping off the platform yourself.
Hanging Bridges
Another stop included Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, which has a series of 18 suspension bridges running through the rainforest canopy. Between the bridges and trails, there were views into the treetops, unusual plants everywhere, and wildlife hidden throughout the forest.
Playa Hermosa
Getting from the Arenal region to Playa Hermosa was an adventure on its own. I was handed a rough hand-drawn map with a few landmarks marked along the route and headed out on long dirt roads filled with huge bumps, potholes, and stretches where it felt like I just hoped I was still going the right direction. Along the drive I spotted large adult howler monkeys in the wild.
After spending time in the rainforest, I headed toward Playa Hermosa on the Pacific coast for a few days at Villas Sol Hotel & Beach Resort in Guanacaste. The vibe there was completely different. More touristy, more relaxed, and centered around the pool, beach, resort activities, and excursions nearby. Guanacaste is known for its dry climate and beach towns, so it felt like a completely different side of Costa Rica compared to the rainforest around Arenal.
While in Hermosa, one stop included visiting a sanctuary where I met a young howler monkey named Lilo. He relaxed on my shoulder while I toured the sanctuary and seemed perfectly content just hanging out on my shoulder most of the afternoon.
One of the most memorable parts of Villas Sol was the activities director, who somehow managed to get nearly everyone involved in the games and pool activities. He was hilarious and constantly working the crowd. If people refused to participate, he would jokingly point at them and say in this dramatic voice, “I punish you…” which quickly became a running joke.
It was a nice contrast to the earlier part of the trip spent hiking through the jungle in the rain, but I still preferred the adventure portion of the trip.
