Puerto Viejo in Costa Rica is more than a beach, it's a place to enjoy adventures

View of Playa Chiquita

     This weekend I got to go on a trip to the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica, specifically to Puerto Viejo. Happily this became  my first visit to the beach, since I started working as an intern at Serendipity Adventures.  We stayed at Playa Chiquita, which is a little bit south of Puerto Viejo.

     The beach was beautiful, just like a post card with clear blue water, jungle lined beaches, palm trees, and white sand.

     We stayed in a small cabana a short walking distance to the beach. We spent our first full day there doing a Gandoca Tour, we had to travel north through banana plantations and long dirt roads to get to the area where the tour was.  When we arrived we had lunch on the black sand beach, taking in the view of this beautiful place.  The water was much rougher here, and the jungle was more dense and filled with wildlife.

     After lunch we went to our next adventure, where we met our guide and started off the tour by learning about the plants and animals in the area.  He showed us fruit plants such as pineapple, papaya, and many others.  Once we got to the lagoon he got the small boat ready for us and we began our lagoon ride.  The water was perfectly still, surrounded by dense jungle.

Our boat ride in the lagoon.

     The first animals we saw right when we began was a group of spider monkeys jumping through the trees. I had never seen monkeys in the wild before, so this experience was very unique.  As we quietly continued through the lagoon we saw all different types of animals including toucans, herons, iguanas, and sloths.  It was a great experience to see all of these exotic animals in their natural habitat. Since the boat was quiet we sat and watched the animals for a while taking in the scenery and appreciating our surroundings.
 
     The next two days we enjoyed swimming in the warm, clear blue water at Playa Chiquitta.  The water is filled with colorful coral and many different types of fish.  The area is great for swimming in shallow water, but it is too rough to swim in past the reef.

A sloth outside of our house.

     I relaxed on the beach and soaked up some Costa Rican sun, and went
for walks on the beach.  One night we drove to the nearby beach of Manzanillo to watch the sunset.  Even though it sets in the Pacific, Manzanillo jets out to the point so you can see the best Caribbean sunset here.
   
     We didn't spend much time in the town of Puerto Viejo, but I really enjoyed the time we did spend there.  We had a delicious meal with traditional dishes.  I had Caribbean rice and beans with shrimp. The difference between Caribbean rice and beans and regular rice and beans is that it is made with coconut milk, which gives the rice much more flavor.

     On the last day we stopped in town to try some street food, and look around at all of the interesting things happening in this laid back beach town.
   
     Puerto Viejo has been one of my favorite places I've visited in Costa Rica.  It's a great place to go to relax and enjoy the beautiful beaches and lush jungle on any Costa Rica vacation.

Another view of Playa Chiquita

Canyoning in Costa Rica

           Recently I was lucky enough to go canyoning with Serendipity Adventures.  I had never been canyoning, and didn't even know what it was before I heard about Serendipity.  For those of you who don’t know what it is, it’s exploring canyons by rappelling down waterfalls. 

I started off the morning by meeting with the group and guides in Serendipity’s warehouse, where we all got fitted into our harnesses.  The guides went over all of the safety procedures with us here, and got us ready for this new adventure. 

When all of the equipment was packed up and ready to go we all got in the car and were taken to our destination.

We drove through the countryside of San Antonio to the town of Santa Cruz, to the mountain where a beautiful canyon was hiding. Once we got there the guides got the rest of our gear on us and we started hiking to the first canyon. 

When we reached the canyon the guides went into more detail about how to safely rappel down.  They taught us how to tie different types of knots that they use for this activity, and showed us different techniques we could use. 

These many safety talks, helped me to feel confident about this activity, and ready to start going down the first section, which consisted of a grassy mountainside. This was the perfect way for us to get the feel of rappelling and more comfortable using all of our gear. Then, we were ready for our first waterfall. 

This is when the trip got really exciting, and I was able to feel the adrenaline rush through my body.  It was more difficult to maneuver down since the water made it slippery, but Serendipity’s guides made me feel safe the whole time and talked me through it step by step. 

At the bottom of the waterfall was a small pool of water that went about waist deep, and was a little chilly to jump into.  As we waited for the rest of the group we got a very good surprise, hot chocolate and tasty cookies for us to warm up with. 

The next waterfall was trickier at the start.  Here I had to lean back a lot more and become more parallel to the ground.  The guides said this position is important to have so that if you slip you don’t hurt yourself by hitting the rocks. 

When I leaned back more it felt much easier to rappel down and I was even able to jump down the waterfall a little at the bottom. 

Our final challenge was a big waterfall. Wao! When I first looked down my stomach dropped, I had never seen a waterfall so steep and been standing at the top ready to rappel down before. 

The guides told me how to place my feet for the first section, and when I was ready I started down.  At first I took it step by step, but once I got into a rhythm I was able to jump and rappel the last half of the waterfall. I was happy facing my fears and seeing what I was capable of.

I didn't know what to expect about my first canyoning experience, but I know I definitely want to go again!  The guides at Serendipity made me feel safe throughout the whole trip and made their instructions easy to understand for everyone in the group. 

This is a great adventure activity for a family vacation and I would recommend it for anyone who likes an adrenaline rush. 

           Once again I thank Serendipity Adventures for giving me this opportunity, and I look forward to my next adventure in Costa Rica.

Rafting on the Pacuare River

My favorite experience so far has been white water rafting on the Pacuare River with Serendipity Adventures.  This trip was a day filled with adventure, and lots of fun.  

 I was picked up early in the morning by one of the guides and taken to the river, where we helped set up everything the group would need for the day.  I was very impressed with how organized Serendipity was with every aspect of the trip, from preparing lunch, getting the rafts ready, making sure all safety equipment was working properly, and getting the group to the river with no problems.

 I didn’t realize how many people it took to make this an adventure of a lifetime.  Serendipity staffed the event with 4 river guides, 2 in rafts, and 2 in kayaks, a safety raft that also had food and supplies, drivers that got everyone to the destination, and had cars waiting for the group when we got to the end.  Not to mention everyone in the office who helped plan the trip, assemble the lunch, and get all of the equipment ready.  The whole process was very impressive to watch unfold. 

The Pacuare River, a gorgeous Costa Rican river for rafting.

Once the guides went over our safety instructions we were able to get into our rafts and start our adventure.  We started on a calm part of the river, which was a good way to get used to rafting.  The river has a variety ranging from class 1 to class 4 rapids in the section we were on.  This was a beautiful way to experience Costa Rica’s biodiversity and really take in all that is around you. 

The guides at Serendipity were very knowledgeable of the history of the land, the wildlife in the rainforest, trees and plants that grew along the river, and any questions the group had about rafting.  The guides made sure everyone was comfortable and felt safe at all times, which showed how much Serendipity cares about their clients.  They made the trip that much better and were able to provide a lot of laughs for everyone in the group.

On one part of the river we were able to pull up our rafts to a rocky area where the guides led us to a beautiful waterfall.  There was a swimming hole here where we were all able to jump in, swim and enjoy another adventure in Costa Rica.  When we were finished swimming we headed back to our rafts and continued down the river.

 About halfway through the trip the guides brought us to a small beach where they set up a delicious lunch.  The spread was quite impressive including salads, burritos, fresh fruit, chips and salsa, and fresh juice.  Everyone enjoyed lunch while listening to the birds singing and watching the river pass by.  When lunch was over the guides packed everything back up into the rafts and we were on our way again.  We had some more exciting rapids and some calm water where we could really appreciate our surroundings. 

           The last section of river we rafted was one of my favorite parts because on each side there were rocks so high up it felt like we were in a cave.  The water was also very calm here so we were able to get out of the rafts and swim for a bit to end our adventure in Costa Rica.  Serendipity exceeded all of my expectations by taking me on this adventure, and it is one I will never forget.  Now I see why so many families trust Serendipity with planning and guiding them on their Costa Rica family vacations.

Freshest Fruit in Costa Rica

Since I have arrived in Costa Rica I have tasted some of the freshest fruit I have ever eaten.

Everyday at Serendipity Adventures' offices we get to enjoy fresh fruit and a delicious green salad for lunch. We have had all different kinds of fruit including locally grown pineapple, mango, papaya, watermelon, strawberries and bananas.  One morning we even got freshly squeezed orange juice.

Turrialba produce market

On the weekends I travel to the busier city of Turrialba, where I go to the fresh produce market.  I've been to produce markets before in my home country of the U.S., but none of them compare to the ones in Costa Rica.  All of the local farmers come to town and sell their delicious produce from smaller towns, such as San Antonio of Santa Cruz, where Serendipity's office is located.

Some produce stands have fresh coconuts, which are a refreshing treat to enjoy as I was around taking in all my surroundings.  There's always live music playing, and the whole experience feels more like a festival rather than an ordinary Saturday morning.  Everything always looks so delicious I have a hard time deciding what to bring back with me.  The local bananas are much smaller than ones in the U.S., but a lot sweeter and more delicious.  Farmers get to wait until they are at their peak ripeness before picking them, which is the reason for the extra sweetness they have.

Bananas are Costa Rica's major agriculture export along with coffee, sugar, cocoa, cattle and meat products. Coffee was the major export for many decades and a very important part of Costa Rican history, but in recent years was surpassed by bananas. Other agricultural exports from the country include tropical fruit, such as pineapple, melon, mango, papaya, and coconut.

In many towns local people go to the market to shop for fresh produce, vegetables, and cheeses.  Markets are usually in larger cities such as San José, Turrialba, and San Ramon.  Many people from smaller towns make their trip to the market an all day outing.  They use the day to buy fresh produce and other daily items for the week that they can't get where they live.  Usually markets are during the weekend, and are a one or two day event.  In Turrialba the market takes place on Friday and Saturday.  Markets are a great way to see the local people and immerse yourself in the culture on your Costa Rica vacation.

The fresh produce is one of my favorite parts about living here and I always look forward to going to town to try new things and experience the culture of Costa Rica.