Our family’s Vacation in Costa Rica
I recently made good on a promise I had been making to my family for sometime now. We had seen a program on television talking about Costa Rica and all it has to offer and I promised then and there that we would all get to Costa Rica at some point. We are all about nature and wildlife and adventure so since that time, the requests have been relentless. The only obstacle, as is often the case, is time and money.
Costa Rica, as the program described, is a small Central American country encompassing no more than 31,682 square miles. It is known for being peaceful and even gained a Nobel Peace prize for its efforts in brokering a peace accord in neighboring Central American countries where conflict existed. Over 12% of its land is protected and it is considered to have one of the most bio-diverse ecosystems on the planet.
Monteverde was to be our first destination on our itinerary. Green Mountain as it were, was settled by a group of Quakers who arrived to the area around 1951. They were attracted to Costa Rica after the abolition of its army and choose the area that would become Monteverde because it seemed conducive to the diary farming that was their trade. After scientists realized the significance of the delicate micro-system of its surrounding cloud forests, they began to protect the nearby forests.
The road to Monteverde is, for many, the first adventure of their time there. For us, it was no exception. It is a rugged, unpaved road with dramatic drop offs and equally dramatic vistas of the gulf of Nicoya in the distance. The sunset, was one of the most breathtaking I have ever seen.
The plan was to spend our first morning ziplining at a place called Selvatura. After awakening to a symphony of nature just outside our cabin we ate breakfast and drank fresh Costa Rican coffee as we waited for the shuttle to pick us. We choose Selvatura for our zipline experience ironically, because they offer so much more. They host an unparalleled bridge system through the forest canopy, a magnificent butterfly garden the most extensive insect museum in the country probably more I am not aware of.
Our dream for sometime had been the zipline canopy tours and that was to be our first adventure. The sensation of flying through the forest canopy suspended by nothing more than a steel cable was exhilarating beyond words! Fortunately, because of the way it was built, it also felt totally safe for my kids to do as well.
We enjoyed much more of what Monteverde had to offer including horseback rides to see the active, Arenal volcano, hikes through the cloud forest reserve and much more. After departing Monteverde we went on to explore other parts of Costa Rica. We journeyed on to the southern region of the country with its lush tropical rainforests and remote beaches and later to the Caribbean with its unique flavor and style.
Our flight departed Costa Rica and we headed back to our home. Home is always a nice place to be headed towards. Even better, we decided when bringing with you all the wonderful memories we were sure to hold so dear.
