Greetings from Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The green season has officially started here in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. That means a few hours of rain in the afternoons, and lots and lots of biodiversity. I can’t explain why many of the animals that we are now seeing were not as prevalent during Costa Rica’s summer. With the birds, there are several types of orioles that we never saw at Pura Vida House during the summer, but now, they are abundant. Same with frogs and toads, we did not see one single frog or toad during the summer, but now outside the house every night we can see many types of them searching for food, all sizes and colors. Monkeys are also abundant (and louder!) during the green season. We see them all the time during the summer as well, but during the green season, they come closer to Pura Vida House, and make their presence felt with loud roars and playful maneuvers in the trees, a spectacle to watch from our terraces!
Another interesting aspect that is a big change in Guanacaste, is the change in color of trees and the grass. During the summer months everything is dry, since there is no rain pretty much from December to April. But suddenly after the first week of rains at the beginning of May, everything turns to bright green, bringing out the flowers and wonderful colors in every tree.
So, take your pick, you can either come to Costa Rica during the summer (when it’s cold up north) and get sunshine and warm weather all day long, with a bit less biodiversity (though still incredible!); or, come to Costa Rica during the US summer and see even MORE biodiversity, but with the chance of rains in the afternoons.
Regardless of the season, there is lots to do in Guanacaste, such as visiting Arenal Volcano, taking an ATV ride, bird watching, taking a typical Costa Rican cooking lesson, a giant turtle tour at Las Baulas National Park, playing golf at Hacienda Pinilla, taking a gyrocopter ride to see the coast line from the skies, hand pottery lessons with our local neighbor Adilia, hiking and horseback riding around Pura Vida House, renting jet skis at Conchal Beach, visiting the spectacular Llanos de Cortez waterfalls (usually after we pick you up from the Liberia Airport!), treat yourself to a massage on the beach at Conchal, go mountain biking on the hills around Pura Vida House, nature boat ride at Las Baulas National Park, go ocean fishing on our fully equipped, comfortable and spacious boats, ocean kayaking at Conchal Beach, take an ox-cart ride in Paso Hondo, get a good workout paddle boarding, visit Palo Verde National Park to see the great Jabiru bird, visit the Rio Celeste waterfalls/blue lagoon and Tenorio Volcano (one of the coolest places on Earth!), scuba dive at the Catalina Islands off the Conchal Beach coast, go snorkeling, be adventurous and try a surf lesson, take as many tennis lessons and practice hits as you want, visit different beaches and towns, take an adventure day and go white water rafting, do yoga on the beach, do zip lines (a must-do activity in Costa Rica!), try out a full adventure day at Rincon de la Vieja Volcano (includes tubing, rappelling/rock climbing, mud bath, zip lines, horseback riding and rafting), and perhaps attend a local rodeo or festival (incredibly fun but only happen during the Costa Rican summers). Lots to do, for everyone’s taste. The tough part is usually fitting it all in, in only one week!
Here’s a photo from yesterday’s sunset at Tamarindo Beach, still fantastic sunsets all year long, enjoy!
Pura Vida!
– Jorge Morera & Stephanie Morera
