Sarah’s Blog: My first trip to Costa Rica with Exodus Adventure Travels

Exodus is a small group touring company with over 50 years of experience in providing active, cultural and wildlife focused holidays. I was invited alongside other travel agents from the UK, USA and Canada to discover the wonders of Costa Rica.

Pura Vida!

You’ll hear this phrase from the moment you arrive - translated as “pure life”, it embodies a positive attitude, relaxed pace and appreciation of life’s simple pleasures. It’s felt throughout this wonderful country in the people and how friendly and proud they are to live here and share it with visitors.

Most tours begin in the capital, San José. We only had time for a quick overnight stop though before moving on to remote Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean coast, best known for its nesting turtles.

The main season is July to November, so I’d wondered if there would be enough to experience outside turtle season. I needn’t have been concerned!

With lodges here only accessible by boat, our transfer to Evergreen Lodge was an adventure in itself. Cruising through the waterways, we spotted crocodiles, spider monkeys, blue jean frogs and sloths high in the trees - what a fabulous introduction to Costa Rica.

Our Exodus guide, Glenda, deserves a blog just to herself - a real-life Dora the Explorer. She was incredible with so much passion for nature, always on alert and making sure we had the best chance to spot the diverse wildlife. Even when stopping for morning coffee, she spotted a toucan we’d all walked past!

It’s not called a rainforest for nothing; torrential rain cancelled our 5:30am start (not such a bad thing!). That said, activities here will generally continue whatever the weather so be prepared – more on that to come.  

Later that morning, ponchoed up, we braved the downpour for a boat tour and I’m so glad we did.

Glenda’s well trained eyes spotted our first sloth, low in the branches just above the water. Then came cries of “Jesus Christ!” and we were on high alert – it was actually a lizard called Jesus Christ, named after its ability to literally walk on water.#

The highlight of the day was our second sloth. On a forest walk in the grounds of Pachira Lodge, another guide called us over to see a female slowly making her way to the forest floor to relieve herself - something they only do twice a week. Coming to Costa Rica, a sloth is high on anyone’s wish list so to see one so close was an absolute dream.

Back at Evergreen Lodge, we were greeted by a resident troop of white-faced capuchins in the gardens - almost like they knew we were coming and wanted to put on a show!

Our time in tranquil Tortuguero was soon over, and we moved on to La Fortuna, a town nestled beneath Arenal Volcano and the adventurous heart of Costa Rica. The roads are pretty good here and always a place to stop for good coffee and home baked goodies. La Fortuna is definitely a place to linger, there’s so much to do from here and plenty of bars and restaurants to experience local life.

We headed to Arenal Observatory Lodge hoping for a glimpse of the volcano at its finest, but it was not to be. It’s still a pretty epic landscape with far reaching vistas across Arenal Lake and the lush rainforest.

Glenda delighted us with her flora and fauna knowledge as we took a 10km walk through the surrounding area. We explored hanging bridges and waterfalls, with the highlight being ‘The Nest’ - a 28m high observation tower. Not for the faint-hearted, but totally worth the climb.

The perfect end to a busy day was relaxing in Eco Termales Hot Springs - a magical experience under the night stars.

A change of climate in Monteverde, about 4 hours away. This town is in the heart of the cloud forest which I now know is a rainforest at a higher elevation. This brings cooler air, low cloud, mist and a unique ecosystem. Hummingbirds and tree frogs thrive in this area and it’s also the best place to spot the rare resplendent quetzal bird - elusive to us sadly.

On a night forest walk with Kinkajou, we did spot coati and kinkajou high in the trees, a tarantula in its nest, and day glow scorpions.

We’d all been looking forward to our final day’s activities. Selvatura Park sits within 850 acres of protected forest and combines nature and adventure in the most thrilling way possible.

Zip lines and hanging bridges traverse the forest - I chose the zip lines and even challenged myself to the Tarzan swing. The highlight was the final zip line, 1km over breathtaking scenery flying like Superman – what an end to the trip!

If you’ve followed me for any time, you’ll know food is a big part of travel for me. I’ll admit, I’d braced myself for a week of nothing but chicken, rice and beans but I couldn’t have been more wrong!

From delicious local dishes to hearty home-cooked meals, the food was a wonderful surprise. Plantain, pancakes and delicious coffee became my go-to breakfast and I’m convinced I tasted the juiciest pineapples on the planet!

My first foray into Central America has given me the bug for more. I’d love to revisit Costa Rica as there were areas we didn’t have time for - particularly Manuel Antonia National Park, combining nature and the ocean, and remote Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula for whale watching and snorkelling.

Thank you, Exodus and especially Glenda for a truly memorable trip.

Costa Rica Tips

Who should visit

Nature lovers, wildlife and bird enthusiasts, adventure activities and off the beaten track destinations. Perfect family destination - I’d say from around age 8+.

When to go

Peak (dry) season is December to April. We travelled during green season - yes, we had rain, but fewer crowds, better prices and you’ll not miss any activities as these operate year round.

What to pack

• Lightweight, quick-dry clothing

• Jumper or jacket for cooler areas

• Waterproofs

• Hiking shoes (preferably waterproof), trainers and flip flops

• Swimwear

• Mosquito repellent (I recommend Incognito – a great natural brand)

• Sunscreen and a hat (wide-brimmed if possible also keeps the rain off your face)

• Refillable water bottle - Costa Rica is very eco-conscious

• Day pack

• Dry bag for electronics (optional but helpful in humidity)

This Exodus tour starts from £1,699pp plus flights. Beach extensions can be added, and I can also create bespoke, private itineraries planned to perfectly suit your requirements.