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This trip was for our honeymoon – March 7-15. We are a young 30s couple who were looking for adventure, romance & relaxation.

First of all, I booked all of my arrangements with Marina Villatoro, (http://travelexperta.com/), who I found by perusing Tripadvisor. By far, the best decision I ever made, as she was able to secure much lower rates than I could on my own, and the recommendations she gave for hotels, tours (she arranged all of them & our transportation) and the area were spot on. We are recommending her to all our friends and family and we will be using her again.

Day 1: ARENAL NAYARA (Nayara Hideaway Package)

We arrived in SJO at about 2 pm, and waited for about an hour to get through immigration and obtain our luggage. Once we made it outside, the driver, Wally, from Arenal Nayara had a sign with our name on it, and we made the drive to Arenal (approximately 2.5 hours). It was rather foggy, and the roads are quite bumpy, but he pointed out vegetation and plants all along the way. We arrived at Nayara, and we greeted by Andres and Esteban, who offered us cold towels and fruit juice. The check in process was easy and relaxing, and even though it was almost dark, we could tell the property was beautiful. They took us to our room on a golf cart (#42 – Casita Suite) and it was spectacular! Teak wood floors, outdoor shower, indoor shower with dual heads, Jacuzzi tub on the deck, and a small living room. There were also Chocolate Covered Strawberries waiting in the small fridge for us. Our package included dinner one night with 2 glasses of wine, so we headed for the open air, candle lit restaurant. The food was amazing, and the service was excellent. We stopped in their new wine bar on our way to our room (a unique card system, where you can fill your own glasses), the perfect way to end or start an evening. They also have free internet and free international calls if you need to let anyone know you arrived safely. Gustavo helped us in the wine bar, and our first taste was complimentary.

Day 2: DESAFIO HORSEBACK TOUR TO FORTUNA WATERFALL/VOLCANO HIKE WITH ECO TERMALES

That morning we were picked up for our horseback riding tour (Marina arranged for us) with Desafio to the Fortuna Waterfall. Our guide, Johnny, was wonderful, and it was just the 2 of us with him. It was a nice ride down to the trail head, then a walk to the waterfall where we could take pictures and cool off (although the water was freezing). Then we hiked out and rode our horses back to the stable. This tour was a great first tour for our Costa Rican Experience, and we would recommend it to first timers.

We ate lunch by the pool at Nayara, where the sun started to peek out so we could get a glimpse of the volcano. Then we rested for our pick up with Sunset tours for our Volcano hike and Eco Termales visit with dinner. Danny was our guide for the hike, and he was superb! Very knowledgeable, and brings his viewing scope which you can use to get close up pictures. This tour group was much larger than the morning, but Danny did a great job of managing all the personalities. We did get a few good pictures of the volcano but unfortunately no lava views since it was so cloudy. Then we headed to Eco Termales. This was a GREAT choice! It was quaint, not at all crowded…not swarming with kids, and very romantic. The dinner was open air, lit with candles, and simply wonderful. We will do the Volcano Hike again, but probably book the same day as to ensure a clear view. Without a doubt, we will be returning to Eco Termales, maybe next time on the first night of our visit to relax and decompress after our flight.

Day 3: DESAFIO WHITE WATER RAFTING (BALSA) & TABACON COUPLES SPA TREATMENT

The next morning we slept in, and had our breakfast (included with the package), and had a wonderfully clear view of the volcano during breakfast! We were picked up for the Rafting Trip (Class II-III) with Desafio on the Rio Balsa. We had AMAZING guides for this trip (Figo, Edgar, Tom, and Carlos)! It was a blast, and they even offer you a CD you can buy with pics from the day. Halfway through the trip, they offer you fresh fruit, and on the way back to town, you stop for local fare at a house, which was perfect. We will be doing this tour again, but next time we will try the Class III-IV rapids on the Rio Toro.

We went to the Nayara pool to relax and have some drinks before our 7 pm Couples Spa Treatment at Tabacon. We took a taxi to Tabacon ($12), and checked in for our treatment. I can’t say enough about how amazing the spa & treatment was. Seeing the hot springs while we were there, I don’t think they were for us (too crowded, and many kids), but the spa was a great way to experience it in our own intimate setting. We were greeted with a lime spritzer by the valet who showed us to our lockers, then the relaxation area. We were then walked out to an open air treatment area in the jungle where you could hear the hot springs in the distance. They began by washing our feet, then we had a massage with a facial treatment and volcanic mud mask on our feet. The treatment portion concluded with a love poem they read to us, then we were allowed to enjoy our own private Jacuzzi with bubbles, with fruit & chocolates, & champagne for half an hour on our own. I HIGHLY recommend this treatment for honeymooners and just couples wanting to splurge. It was definitely expensive, but something you could never recreate at the spas in the States.

Day 4: SKY TRAM/SKY TREK & PEACE LODGE

The next morning we started early with the Sky Tram/Trek tour which was included in our package through Nayara. This is a great tour to experience zip lining for the first time. The views are amazing and it seems very safe and well-run.

From there, we returned to the hotel to check out L and Frank Herrera (a driver arranged by Marina), picked us up for our drive to Peace Lodge. We chose Peace Lodge based on Marina’s recommendation, so we could be closer to Pavas airport where our flight was leaving out of the next morning. It took almost 3 hrs to get to Peace Lodge, and we were able to see some of the earthquake damage from over a year ago. We checked into our room (Deluxe Room), and again we were WOWED! You really do get a room with your bathroom here. My husband and I refer to it as Disneyland for adults! The bathroom is like a tropical jungle and the room has a fireplace and balcony with another tub. The hotel also sent up a complimentary bottle of wine for us to enjoy for our honeymoon. We toured the Waterfall Gardens (included with your room rate), and saw the different animal exhibits. It is a really neat property, and although not fully restored from the earthquake yet (some of the trails were closed, etc), it is definitely worth checking out. We dined at the restaurant that evening, and although I had read on trip advisor that the food leaves something to be desired, I personally thought the beef tenderloin with blue cheese sauce I ordered was amazing. Peace Lodge is definitely a must see, especially for couples – even for only one night.

Day 5: BOSQUE DEL CABO

We were up early and had room service on our balcony, and then Peace Lodge arranged transfer (through Marina) for us to Pavas airport to catch our Nature Air flight to Puerto Jimenez. Nature Air was on time, and again felt very safe.

We arrived in Puerto Jimenez and the first thing we noticed when we got off the plane was the humidity. We are from the desert, so this was somewhat of an adjustment for us. Eric, from Bosque Del Cabo, picked us up in an old Land Rover, and we took the 40 minute bumpy drive to the Lodge. We arrived in time for lunch, and were greeted by Gerly who checked us in, and got us a lunch table. Lunch was AMAZING (the food is one of the best things about BDC). We also had a Tico Sour (the Drink of the Day), to help us with the heat J Our room was ready almost an hour later, and we were shown to La Mariposa Cabina. It was rustic, but very nice. We had an outdoor hammock, and a nice deck where we could see the ocean (my favorite part). We got organized than headed to the pool to cool off. The pool is small but quaint. I have to say, we had come off being around mostly couples the whole trip, and BDC had quite a few families, so we didn’t have that intimate experience we were hoping for, but it has its perks nonetheless. The wildlife is rampant – from the howler monkeys to the birds to the frogs, you really can see it all. That night for dinner we did request a private table (the food again – amazing). After dinner, we headed to the bar for a drink, and did make some good friends with another young couple.

Day 6: PRIMARY FOREST TOUR & WATERFALL RAPELLING

The next day we signed up for Philip’s Primary Forest Tour based on recommendations from some of the other guests there. This is a 4 hour tour with some great info if you are going to head out on the trails on your own. We made it back in time for lunch (all meals are included), and then got ready for our El Remanso Waterfall Rapelling Tour. This was a great tour (again we were the only 2). We had 2 great guides – Gera and Hiner – and it starts with a hike followed by 4 waterfalls you rappel then a hike back. This is something we have always wanted to do, so it was worth it for us, but it is not an inexpensive tour.

That night dinner was especially amazing, and we sat with the couple we met the night before. Dinner is typically community seating, but you can request a private table. For honeymooners, the community seating may not be ideal, so request your private table as soon as possible. Bernie, the bartender was great – making us local drinks out of coconuts.

Day 7: BEACH HIKE

We made this day a Beach Day and did the Golfo Dulce Trail. It is a rather steep hike there and back (1 hour & 15 minutes each way), and we had BDC give us a packed lunch to enjoy on the beach. The beach was very nice and secluded, and we did see some great lodges & houses on the beach that we may explore as options next time. The trail had so much wildlife and was one of the coolest hikes we have ever been on.

That night at dinner, they did have a photographer there who did a book on the Osa Peninsula so he was selling/signing books. We did get one of the books as a memento of our trip. That being said, dinner was crazy with all of those people. We were originally promised a private table, but with all the people, there was some confusion. We eventually did get our own table, but there was some delay. It probably wouldn’t have been a big deal for most people, but we wanted some time alone on our last night. We also had to go to the bar for our own drinks that night, since they were swamped with the large crowd. This was a little frustrating.

Day 7: SURF LESSONS & FLIGHT OUT

The next morning we did Surf Lessons on Pan Dulce Beach arranged by BDC (AWESOME!) It was our first time to surf and we both got up quite a few times.

We headed back to the hotel to check out which was also a lengthy process as they had quite a few new guests arriving. Gerly did provide us with great service and we were able to get away in time for our flight.

BDC is a beautiful place and a wonderful way to experience the Osa. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend it to couples looking for romance and relaxation. We are glad that we did it, and may return someday with children (it is great for kids), but we will probably explore other lodges/houses on the Osa until that point. With the hiccups in service, and for the price, I think you can really stretch your dollar elsewhere.

CONCLUSION

Must Dos: Use Marina: http://travelexperta.com, stay at Arenal Nayara, do the Volcano Hike if it is your first time (but book same day to determine weather), Eco Termales, River Rafting (if you want a sense of adventure), Sky Trem/Sky Trek, Peace Lodge for romance, Take Surf Lessons, Spa Treatment at Tabacon, & see and explore the Osa Peninsula.

Hope this helps someone out there J WE LOVED COSTA RICA & are already planning our next trip.

~Pura Vida!!!

Breland Atkinson
Arizona, USA

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