CEO Travel : 5 Things I Loved In Costa Rica
I read an article in Essence magazine titled "Travel Like A Boss", and I've been booking trips and catching flights ever since. This year I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to Coco Beach, Costa Rica with a few girlfriends and it was a beautiful adventure that will be forever etched in mind. Not knowing much about what the country had to offer I quickly learned all the things there are to love about Costa Rica. Here's my top 5 list of things I loved about the island:
1. Views: The Sunsets and Sunrises
Give me some synonyms for beautiful because I don't have any other words to describe seeing the sun rise and fall in Costa Rica. During my stay, there was only one cloudy day, and every other morning the sun shined with a glow that was much different from my daily views. Maybe the water is to blame for the spectacular way the sun shined in Costa Rica. Seeing the sun disappear into the water only to return the next day was priceless.
2. Freshness: The Fresh Fruit and Juice
No lie, no exaggeration, Costa Rica has the best pineapple I've ever tasted in my life. It was so juicy and so sweet and tasted like heaven in your mouth. Every fruit I had while in Costa Rica had the same effect, the strawberries, the watermelon, the cantelope were all extra delicious and super fresh. I was even introduced to a fruit I'd never heard of before. It's called Cas and it is amazing! It is reminiscent of a pear in my opinion with a pale green color and tropical sweet taste. A must try in Costa Rica.
3. Energy: The Hot Springs
Now experiencing the thermal hot springs in Costa Rica was at the top of my to-do and see list. Costa Rica is one of the regions on planet earth that has volcanic activity. That underground energy is what powers the thermal hot springs. Thermal hot springs are basically springs of hot water mixed with river water to create a heated pool oasis. The actual hot spring water is too hot for human contact, but when mixed with the river water it is a perfect temperature for a warm dip in this magical and energetic water.
We visited a fabulous resort called Rio Perdido which is known for its thermal hot springs. It is always were we did the excursions and it was great to have a photographer that to capture all of the moments. Click here to check out Rio Perdido and learn more about the thermal hot spring experience.
4. Nature: Black Sand
Black sand was something that I'd only seen in movies, on postcards, and on instagram. To see it for myself was pretty cool. I must admit, white sand is still my fave. Black sand is a lot more dense and less soft than white sand. It also seemed to not get as hot as white or light brown sand tends to get. Great to experience, but white sand still gets my vote.
5. Adventure: The Excursions
Like most island destinations, Costa Rica has plenty of activities and excursions available to it's visitors. From snorkeling, to zip lining, hiking, water tours, and white water tubing. Adventure is unlimited. Our excursion of choice was white water tubing.
It started off all fun and games, but when I fully understood what we were about to get into....things changed.
The extreme opposite of me, my line sister Tredia is an adventure thrill seeker, and this was all her idea. As soon as the instructor started to share the guidelines with us and I saw the hike we had to take to get to the river, I knew then that it was about to go down....LITERALLY!
Needless to say not even halfway through the excursion we through a few rocks, down a small dip, and my tube flipped over, I fell out, and my entire life flashed before me. I'm screaming, splashing, and literally thinking I was about to be swept away down this Costa Rican river. Thank God for the power of the mind because something just told me to stand up. I did, only to realize the water was about waist deep and I wasn't going to die after all.
And I wasn't the only that went down! As adventurous as Tredia is, her spill wasn't pretty either LOL!
But we made it out ALIVE!
Definitely an adventure but probably something that I don't necessarily need to experience again LOL! All in all Costa Rica was a great trip. We stayed on the Pacific side, as Costa Rica is unique in that is both in Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Next time I visit I'll definitely be exploring the Caribbean side. I've heard that's where it's really popping!
Bonus: Because life isn't always pretty, there is one thing I absolutely hated....the bugs! And also be wear of the island monkeys. Yes monkeys! They run around like squirrels and the have no fear of human beings like me and you. You've been warned!
Happy Traveling! If you have some thoughts or memories of Costa Rica, leave them in the comments or shot me an email cherise@ceochiclife.com. I love to hear other peoples travel stories and would love to hear from you.
