Pura Vida!! I LOVE Costa Rica! My husband surprised me with an amazing week in Manuel Antonio, CR in January of 2016. We flew into San Jose from Tampa with a layover in Miami. {Southwest now flies direct, so getting back there will be more convenient}
Once we arrived in San Jose, we had a 3 hour ride to Manuel Antonio. The driver was prearranged through the condo. We stopped for lunch on the way at Restaurante Los Cocodrilos, a roadside restaurant with amazingly fresh food and the best mango smoothie I have ever tasted in my life. We watched a gentleman cut mangos and make the smoothie within 30 seconds. The restaurant was steps away from the Bridge over Rio, so we are able to see the huge wild crocodiles that free roam along the river.
Once we made it to our condo, The Pacifico Colonial, the concierge handled everything. She recommend restaurants and booked all of our excursions. We also had the BEST private tour guide (Johan Chaves) for an unbelievable hike through the Manuel Antonio National Park. We saw wild deer, monkeys, several sloths, a poisonous frog and much more! At the end of the tour, we ended up on a gorgeous beach where we relaxed and watched the monkeys steal food from beach goers.
“…The south pacific ocean was a beautiful shade of turquoise and the sunsets are bigger and brighter than anything I have ever seen in the US. “
We had so much fun on our snorkeling, ATV and zip lining adventures. I even got to see a toucan flying through the trees and colorful macaws perched on some branches. The south pacific ocean was a beautiful shade of turquoise and the sunsets are bigger and brighter than anything I have ever seen in the US.
One afternoon, my husband scheduled a couples massage at the condo and that was just what we needed. After the massages, a local restaurant owner and private chef arrived and made us the most amazing Costa Rican five-course meal. The service in CR is second to none.
The Pacifico Colonial was walking distance to many restaurants, spas, bars, a small grocery store and more. The perfect location for an amazing Costa Rican getaway. http://pacificocolonial.com
After our week was up, we headed back to San Jose. On the drive back, my husband kept the surprises coming with a visit to the Lapaz Waterfall Gardens, where I got to hold a toucan; another check mark on the bucket list. We visited a beautiful coffee plantation and bought lots of Costa Rican coffee and chocolate at Cafe Tres Generations.
The evening before we flew home, we were welcomed at the San Jose Marriott with more beautiful views. I am looking forward to heading back to Costa Rica soon. I think it’s one of my all time favorite places. Nothing compares to stunning views, scrumptious eats and friendly locals!
