Costa Rica
Central America
30th October to 8th November 2025
We were thrilled flying into San Jose seeing the vast forests spread out beneath us.
The plan was to spend a couple of days in the capital before catching a bus to La Fortuna, then travelling on to Monteverde Cloud Forest, and Manuel Antonio National Park before heading back to San Jose.
So we did a walking tour of the city on the 1st day with a guide.
We found John Lennon and an Argentinian pop icon in the Plaza Artigas.
Some resemblance?
Some weird street art supposedly about drinking too much alcohol, according to our guide. A coffee plant growing on the pavement.
Some pink bananas also growing on the pavement.
The grand foyer of the National Theatre of Costa Rica, of which they are very proud.
The brutalist design of this government building reminds me of the Borg in the Star Trek series!
On the 2nd day we did the La Paz Waterfall,
And the Poas Volcano, though it was raining so much that the volcano basin was shrouded in mist.
Apparently this is what it looks like on a clear day- photo courtesy of our guide.
Next stop was a coffee farm, all very informative.
From left to right – fresh bean to roasted bean via all the stages. We enjoyed all the tastings, especially the chocolates!!
Next day we caught the bus to La Fortuna.
with colourful flora and fauna…
Such vibrant colour on the plants around our hotel and in the town square.
Next day we visited the hanging bridges in Mistico Park Cloud Forest.
Our guide on this tour was Melanie.
The first of 6 bridges suspended within the forest canopy at the base of the Arenal Volcano.
Some ancient trees and the tiniest wasps.
The Toucan and the tiny snake were viewable through a telescope.
This tiny little fella was invisible without our guides knowledge.
Same goes for this small bright yellow tree snake.
We had hoped to see some primates but they generally hide away when it rains a lot.
Some leaf-cutter ants going about their business.
Walking across the lava field from the 1968 eruption, up to base of the Arenal Volcano – the rain continued.
Rain stopping briefly for photo ops.
While waiting for the bus to pick us up at the national park’s exit we spotted loads of toucans on the other side of the road!! The first we’d seen without the aid of a telescope…
Then on to the La Fortuna waterfalls and more trekking in the rain.
Paul and I went into the pool at the base of this fall, along with a couple of others. But it was actually quite dangerous due to the immense amount of water, and the power of it kept pushing us back onto the rocks.
A lovely end to a long day was the La Fortuna hot springs.
Our tour guides broke out the cocktails, and we had quite a few while relaxing in the hottest pool. We also went down one of the quickest flumes I’ve ever been down.
Brightly coloured tropical plants in the hotel gardens.
I really wanted to see some tropical frogs so we went on a night jungle walk. These two were at it on a bird of paradise flower, it’s a bit difficult to make out who’s what where.
The blue jeans frog which has toxic skin.
I have a fear of spiders but I had to put that to one side while hiking in the darkness ducking under low hanging foliage…🫣😱
The next day we changed our plans and caught a bus back to San Jose. We couldn’t get our trainers dry anywhere, and it wouldn’t stop raining.
We went to Rescate Wildlife Rescue Centre in San Jose, where they have over 700 different species.
A Coati and lots of parrots 🦜
Some really big lizards roaming around
I really like bamboo – this is huge…
Although the rescue centre didn’t plant it, they won’t get rid of it, despite it being invasive.
The centre always aims to reintegrate animals back to the wild but it’s not possible for some, unfortunately.
I have to admit I really wanted to see some Capybaras – these were lovely 😍
more green parrots and some monkeys
wild cats
There were 2 types of sloth at the centre, we saw them asleep near the roof of their enclosure.
We were glad to have seen these animals, even though they had been rescued.
Back at the hotel we bought a large bag of rice and bicarb of soda and filled our disgustingly stinky, wet trainers. The next day they were pretty much dry, which was just as well as we flew to Guatemala 2 days later!
We would have liked to have stayed longer in Costa Rica but the persistent rain and having nowhere to dry clothes kind of put us off.
