“Pura vida” is a commonly used phrase in Costa Rica that translates to “pure life.” This saying is a way of life in Costa Rica. Simply put, for the people of this Central American country, “pura vida” means to enjoy life happily and without worry. 

We visited  Costa Rica in June, arriving at 2 a.m Our hotel manager had arranged transportation service to Arenal Springs Resort and Spa for nine of us (my family and my sister’s family of five). It took the local driver three hours to drive through the mountainous terrain.
When visiting Costa Rica, I would highly recommend hiring a car if you are not staying in San Jose. The cost to take a cab to a hotel and stay the night is a lot more than taking the transportation service directly to your resort.

We arrived, slept and started moving around noon. We had made arrangements with a car rental company, and the agents delivered the vehicles to the hotel. Be prepared for some very confusing terms and conditions when renting cars. Make sure you are fully covered, as your American insurance company may not cover your rental vehicle outside the United States.

We had several recommendations to eat lunch at Choza De Laurel in LaFortuna. All the tipico (typical) meals are served with meat, fish or chicken, white rice and beans and a side salad.

Later that afternoon, we went to the Tabacon Hot Springs. We did not need to make a reservation and were not required to purchase the available buffet meal during our visit. To our surprise the evening pass was $40 per person. The next few days our itinerary included:

• White water rafting with Wave Expeditions – This tour included roundtrip transportation between the river and the hotel and a tipico lunch. The class IV rapids and the company personnel were excellent!

• ATV tour with Fourtrax Adventure – This was a two-and-a-half hour tour through the Arenal Volcano area and included several stops, including one at the Posa el Salto river swing. The swing was our kids’ favorite activity and we ended up going back to the bridge the next day. Lunch was also included.

• Rappelling with Pure Trek– This adventure with Pure Trek included rappelling down four waterfalls and one canyon wall in a rainforest canyon. Transportation was included to and from the hotel, and  waterproof jackets were provided. The tour ended with the tipico lunch.

• Arenal Hanging Bridges – This is a two-mile trail that crosses 15 suspended bridges in the primary rain forest. I highly recommended it!

• La Fortuna Waterfall – We hiked down the trail system to take a dip in the swimming pool below the fall.

Early on in our visit, one of our tour guides recommended the “Soda” family style diners for our evening meals.  Any establishment with “Soda” in the name is a family-run business and is less expensive than a “restaurant.” Prices for a full meal including a beverage generally range from $3 to about $6.

The last evening in town we went to the Lava Lounge for dinner. This was a casual, fun open-air patio-style place to end our stay in Arenal/La Fortuna.

All of the service we received for tours and restaurants was accommodating, helpful and pleasurable. Take note that the tours above can be made with a hotel activity director or with the tour companies directly.