What
better way to celebrate an anniversary than a quick getaway to Costa Rica, our
southern neighbor.
Located in Central America, Costa Rica links North and South America, bordering Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. Population is listed, as of 2019, at 5.1M.
The country is divided into seven provinces comprised of San José, its capital, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Puntarenas, Guanacaste and Limón. The local currency is the colón and its official language is Spanish.
One of the most important characteristics of the country was the abolition of its army on Dec. 1, 1948 by former President José Figueres Ferrer. On that date, Costa Rica differentiated itself from other Central American countries that utilize military as a method of defense.
The highest point in Costa Rica is Cerro Chirripó at 12,536 feet above sea level.
To book my week in Costa Rica I selected Travel By Jen aka JetSet Vacations. I opted for the "land only" package as I was able to purchase a very reasonable airfare using Alaska Airlines.
The basic one-week package included car rental for the duration of the trip, 3 nights in the Arenal Volcano area, 3 nights in the Guanacaste area and 1 night in San Jose. Since it was for my anniversary I opted for some upgrades to enhance our time.
The Alaska Airlines flight landed in San Jose, Costa Rica at 6:49pm. A representative from the Solid Car Rental Company escorted me to an awaiting van for the short transfer to their off-airport location.
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| Solid Car Rental Company Van |
The Travel By Jen package includes a rental car for a week but you will still need to purchase additional COMPULSORY insurance coverage for the week. You will be given 2 choices; a $25 daily additional fee which requires a $1,000 HOLD on your credit card plus you will be faced with a $1,500 deductible for any accident or the $35 daily fee places a $600 HOLD on your credit card but reduces your deductible to ZERO. I opted for the $35 day rate and was charged $276.85 for the week. They also placed a $600 HOLD on my credit card but that was promptly removed when I returned the vehicle.
My first
night in Costa Rica was to be at Volcano Lodge in La Fortuna.
My GPS indicated it was under 100 miles but would take me 3 hours to
drive. It was already 7:30pm and I wasn’t
comfortable driving strange roads at night so opted to stay at the Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton at the
airport. It is located next door to the
rental car location. This proved to be a smart decision
as the roads were winding, dark and very little, if any, striping.
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| Hampton Inn & Suites San Jose Airport, Costa Rica |
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| Hampton Inn & Suites San Jose Airport, Costa Rica |
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| Hampton Inn & Suites San Jose Airport, Costa Rica |
After a complimentary breakfast at the hotel I set my sights, and GPS, for Volcano Lodge at La Fortuna. The drive through the rain forest was beautiful and I had no difficulty finding the property.
Before you can proceed through the security gate and enter the property you must first check-in at the building on the right. Here you will receive your waterproof bracelet and key to your room, along with a parking pass. They offer complimentary coffee here.
The Volcano Lodge, Hotel and Thermal Experience is located in Arenal Hot Springs. This 4-star property is in the mountains, minutes from Arenal Natura Ecological Park and only about 5 miles from the town of La Fortuna.
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| Closet and safe in room |
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| Seating area in the room |
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| 2 double beds |
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| Bathroom |
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| Patio seating |
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| Shower |
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| View from the patio area |
With 64 rooms located throughout this tropical botanical garden setting, I was pleasantly surprised to find my room right next to the thermal baths, pool and restaurant. The unit featured 2 double beds with hypo-allergenic bedding, complimentary WiFi, 32-inch LCD TV, refrigerator, coffee/tea maker, private bathroom, hair dryer, shower, air conditioning, private terrace and daily housekeeping. The property also offers a full-service spa for massages, body treatments and facials. Parking is complimentary.
A complimentary hot/cold buffet breakfast was served daily from 6:30am-10:00am. Local wildlife was abundant during breakfast as they have a feeding area right next to the restaurant.
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| Morning visitors during breakfast |
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| Entrance to breakfast buffet |
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| Feeding area for local wildlife |
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| Breakfast buffet line |
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| Buffet seating |
There are
four mineral rich thermal springs that vary in temperature with the hottest one
being 105.4 degrees Fehrenheit. I found it more
comfortable to use the largest and coolest of the baths. This allowed me to turn on the jets and relax
for as long as I wanted. In addition,
the lower baths had a swim up bar.
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| Upper baths |
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| One of the thermal fed jacuzzis |
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| Swim up bar in the lower thermal pool |
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| upper pools |
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| Complimentary Lockers |
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| One of the fresh water pools |
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| Upper thermal baths |
Arial of lower baths with swim-up bar Photo: Public Domain
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| Upper thermal bath with drink table |
Bathing in thermal water increases your
body temperature, killing germs, including viruses, and also increases the
hydrostatic pressure of the body, which increases blood circulation and
oxygenation. The temperature increase
also helps dissolve and eliminate toxins from your body.
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| Lower baths |
I have also read that it helps to reduce the aging process of the body. I’m all for that.
Next stop
would be Occidental Tamarindo All-inclusive Resort in
Guanacaste at Tamarindo Beach.
Occidental Tamarindo
Driving time from the Volcano Hotel to the Occidental Tamarindo was 4 hours and a dramatic change of scenery.
The small area of Tamarindo was very busy and reminded me of trying to drive through Santa Cruz, California during Spring Break week. The road to the Occidental Tamarindo was under construction so I found myself dodging traffic cones and pot holes for the last mile.
I arrived at the hotel a little after noon but was not assigned a room at that time. They did check me in however and I was given my all-inclusive waterproof bracelet. Luggage was handed off to the baggage porter to be stored in a secure area awaiting my return at 3pm. Without luggage I was now free to roam the property and have enjoy the lunch buffet.
The buffet was clean and well organized with sufficient staff and offered a large selection of breads, fruits, main dishes and desserts. Soda, wine and beer were all easily accessible.
Buffet Restaurant 
Buffet Restaurant 
Buffet restaurant seating
After
lunch I made my way to the outside bar located next to the pool and beach. With a piña colada in hand I located a beach lounge
and enjoyed the scenery while waiting for my iPhone alarm to go off at 3pm. 
Relaxing at the beach
Back to
the registration desk where my key awaited.
I was assigned room #2136 which was a first floor room in a building next
door to the outdoor bar as well as closest to the pool, beach and buffet
restaurant. 
Bathroom shower stall 
Bathroom shower stall 
Bathroom 
Desk and coffee/tea maker 
Seating area 
2 double beds
The time
spent here was glorious. In a nut shell
- Breakfast, walk along the beach, dip
in the pool, lunch poolside, watch the iguana and howler monkeys, nap. For the afternoon - REPEAT!
Entrance to Occidental Tamarindo 
Pool area 
Pool Area
For a US Citizen to reenter the United States, a COVID test had to be done 72 hours prior to our departure from Costa Rica. The only place that the hotel could find was 30 minutes away at the Beach Side Clinic in Huacas. Off to the clinic for the 2-minute COVID swab, hand over $115 and drive back another 30 minutes. Within 48 hours I received the results in my email box.
The drive from Occidental Tamarindo back to San Jose was 4 hours and once again the scenery changed. If you have GPS you should be able to set it to "AVOID TOLLS". If you don't you will find yourself shelling out colõn at four different toll booths along the way.
The Travel By Jen (Jetset Vacations) package included 1 night at Fleur de Lys. I felt very uncomfortable as I drove through the neighborhood and after entering the property made the decision to not check in. Instead, I went back to the Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton at the airport. I did write a letter to Travel By Jen with my concerns about the Hotel Fleur de Lys and was given a small $45 credit to apply to my next booking.
All in all the trip was fantastic and I would certainly do it again.
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