Making Memories

“¡Pura Vida!“, have you heard of this term? It is translated to mean “pure life” or “simple life”. But in Costa Rica, it is not just a saying but a way of life. It’s similar to the Hawaiian “Aloha“, where it’s not just for saying hello or goodbye, but rather describing a way of living in harmony. Similarly, Costa Ricans use this term as a way to say both hello and goodbye, even to mean that everything is fine, or even just accept “C’est la vie” sort of saying. ¡Pura Vida! is a way of living a simple, stress-free life, just be thankful for what we have and not dwell on what we lack. It’s not just an idealistic philosophy, they truly believe and lead their lives this way!

Such a long introduction to share the next destination I want to introduce to you: Costa Rica!

Note: Some photos used here were taken by Duc Tran.

Where is Manuel Antonio?

One of the most asked questions before visiting Costa Rica is which side of the country is best to visit?! Costa Rica is a tropical paradise blessed with two coastlines: the Pacific and the Caribbean coasts. The Pacific side is known for its dramatic landscape beauty: high cliffs, rocky outcrops, long sandy beaches. The Caribbean side is flatter and is covered with dense tropical forests and mangroves.

Oftentimes when visiting Costa Rica for the first time, people tend to visit the part of the country famous for volcanoes, hot spring, mud bath, etc. We decided to visit the more southern part of the coast, where Manuel Antonio National Park is located.

Airport

The nearest airport to Manuel Antonio is the Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, the capital of Costa Rica. The drive to Manuel Antonio is about 2-3 hours depending on traffic.

We took a shuttle from the airport to the vacation rental, which is more than 2 hours away, and the driver was able to take us to the exact house at 2 o’clock in the morning (we had a late flight that landed at 11pm)!

Address System

The address system in Costa Rica is the most bizarre information that I learned while planning for the trip there. Considering we’re living in modern time, I thought every single location on the map should have some sort of address in the form of street name and street number (or something similar); at least for homes and businesses, there must be a way to deliver mail and to get direction. Not in Costa Rica!!! Every address in Costa Rica is in relation to something else, and sometimes to things that no longer exist!! Without prior knowledge, I literally thought I was being scammed when the owner of the vacation rental told me there’s no address, just follow these directions to get to the house: “our house is on the road in Manuel Antonio called Valle Pura Vida.  After the Y in the road we are the third house on the left.  Just after Jungle Creek.” Or another owner gave an address that is relative to something else like: 250m sur de Villa el Parque (basically 250 meters from the Villa el Parque). Another place we looked up, the place’s address was something like 100 meters from this gas station!! Addresses and directions in Costa Rica are simultaneously methodically logical and maddeningly chaotic. Somehow it makes sense to the locals here! Not just businesses, houses have names, such as Casa Espanola, and for some reason, everyone seems to know where they are based on the names!

How to get around?

As explained above, the address system here is very different to what most of us are used to. In the capital city, the roads are paved and safe in regards to road conditions. I can’t speak about other parts of Costa Rica, but for Manuel Antonio, the roads are difficult to navigate. Some parts are very rough with unexpected turns and have very steep inclines. If you have experience driving on dirt roads or very small and steep roads, then having a car is very convenient, but having full insurance coverage is recommended. Otherwise, they have buses, taxis and car hires.

Note that if you plan to drive, then using the GPS/Map is a little tricky here since you can’t really enter the address!! Google map and Waze apps on your phone can work here, but you will have to rely on the name of the location! Waze has been known to be the best app to use here, online or offline. To avoid being directed to the wrong destination, after selecting the name of the location, it’s best to look at the overview of the directions to ensure you’re going to the right area! If in doubt, contact the location to be sure – ask for a nearby well-known landmark so you can be sure you’re going in the right direction. Most importantly, do not follow the directions blindly; use common sense!

Is it safe?

As with many big cities, the capital city San Jose has a higher crime rate. Petty crimes, such as pickpocketing, purse snatching or carjacking, are common in Costa Rica. It’s no different than if you visit any other country in South America, Europe or Asia! Petty crimes like these exist everywhere, but more so in big cities. So if you rent a car, be sure not to leave any belonging in the car. It’s a good practice to be alert anywhere, especially when you’re in a foreign place.

Manuel Antonio is a smaller town so it seemed much safer. For up-to-date information regarding Travel Advisory, visit the U.S. Department of State website. We spent a week here and had no problem.

Currency

Costa Rica Colon is the official currency; however, US Dollar is also accepted, although changes will most likely be in Colons. Credit cards are widely used in big cities, but cash is preferred in smaller towns. So carry some cash, but not too much as you don’t want to draw attention for pickpocket!

Where to stay?

Hotels and vacation rentals are both popular here. Because of environmental restrictions, the hotels in the Manuel Antonio area are not beachfront but set cliff-side with sweeping views. We stayed both at a villa and a hotel, both overlooking the rainforest and the ocean.

Being near the rainforest, it is very common to have monkeys visit us during the day. They are brave enough to be right at your front door, or climb around your chairs in the patio! They are friendly and fun to play with.

Food

Firstly, who would have thought we ate one of the best pizzas ever here?!! Try seafood pizza!! What a unique idea, and oh so good!! The crust was thin and crispy, topped with shrimp, calamari, muscles, clams and basil. It was so good, we had to order to take along our ride back to San Jose!

Secondly, the Chica chicken was so juicy and delicious. It was served at the end of our ziplining adventure!! Whatever marinade they used, it hit all the right notes! In summary, you should try local cuisine!

Groceries – it is worth noting that the markets only carry meat and not seafood. If you want to buy seafood, you will need to go to a fish market separately. Maxi Palí is a supermarket chain that carries most of the necessities we need, including the Asian condiments. Since we stayed at villa part of our trip, we had a few meals at home. It is also worthy to note that Manuel Antonio is a little more expensive than other parts of Costa Rica. Meat wasn’t cheap comparing to other places in South America that we have visited. Chicken wasn’t as cheap as it is here in the U.S. where I live. But overall, it is not expensive comparing to U.S. standards.

Best time to visit

The dry season typically lasts from December to April, and rainy season typically lasts from May to November. We visited at the end of November, during the Thanksgiving week, and it rained heavily for about 2 days. The temperature usually sits between 85F high and 92F.

What to do in Manuel Antonio?

Visit the national park

Manuel Antonio National Park is the smallest national park in Costa Rica but one of the most popular; it is famous for the rainforest and wildlife: Capuchin, Howler, and Squirrel Monkeys, sloths, iguanas, agoutis, and hundreds of species of birds.

*Note that the park is closed on Tuesdays.

• Hiking the trails within Manuel Antonio National Park will certainly bring you up close to many of the shyer rainforest animals. Plus you’ll get to take in the rainforest views from a unique vantage point. The CostaRicaExperts highlights the best hiking trails in Manuel Antonio or elsewhere in Costa Rica.

• Beaches inside Manuel Antonio National Park are some of the region’s best beaches: Escondido Beach, Manuel Antonio Beach, and Espadilla Sur can all be accessed via low-intensity trails. Outside of the park, Playa Manuel Antonio and the long stretch of beach known as Playa Espadilla are the main scenes. Playa Biesanz, located in a crescent bay on the end of Quepos Point, opposite Playa Espadilla, is another beach worth visiting.

Whitewater Rafting

The Savegre River is the perfect whitewater experience for beginners and rafting enthusiasts alike. The inland rainforest river scenery is a highlight of the trip, which includes a hearty picnic lunch. The excursion also led us to a waterfall. We had our first whitewater rafting here, and it was amazing. The hosting company had a photographer on a single boat following us to take photos (it was announced, we just noticed someone on a single boat that showed up once in a while). The in-action photos were so awesome, we purchased the entire package!

On the ride to the river, the driver gave us brief guides on the national forest and its wildlife; even stopped for us to capture some photos of native plants and birds. Right after the rafting, we were served the best-tasting pineapple and cookies, before taking us back for lunch.

Ziplining

Ziplining above the rainforest was an amazing experience. It was also our first ziplining experience. The excursion included 19 platforms, either zipping over or swinging like a pendulum high above the trees, was more than enough to get a good dose of adrenaline.

Ending the excursion with an amazing Costa Rican lunch buffet was a good idea to refuel after an hour of thrills. The most impressive dish was the Chica chicken, which had us going on for a second round!

Overall, the companies we used for both the water rafting and ziplining were professional and the provided meals were very good.

Quepos Sportfishing, Nauyaca Waterfalls, Damas Island Mangrove Estuary

We didn’t do any of these activities, but they are recommended by many.

Quepos has been called the Sailfish Capital of the World, so if you’re a fishing enthusiast, then this is a must-do activity while in the Central Pacific coast. Marina Paz Vela is the best place to start your fishing adventures.

About an hour from Manuel Antonio, adventurous travelers can find the impressive Nauyaca Waterfalls. This is a great day excursion for anyone who wants to go beyond the main Manuel Antonio area and experience the country’s most picturesque waterfall scenery. 

Cruise the waterways of Damas Island Estuary on a boat or kayak. Just about 20 minute drive from most Manuel Antonio hotels, Isla Damas is a unique coastal ecosystem where monkeys, snakes, sloths, and crocodiles lurk about the waterways and contribute to the ecological landscape.

When you want a vacation with more than just beaches to lounge around, I recommend that you consider visiting Costa Rica. It is where you can go when you want to disconnect. Manuel Antonio with its sun-drenched white sandy beaches and lush rainforest, it is known for its laid-back pura vida lifestyle. Immerse yourself and reconnect with nature, and pura vida will not just be a phrase you learn after you visit, but a lifestyle that you would learn to adopt! (The cover photo is of the wooden Pura Vida sign that the vacation rental owner gave to us as a parting gift. We still have it displayed on our mantel till this day!)