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Costa Rica 2023

A Travel Diary

Costa Rica 2023

Volcanoes, cloud forest, and pura vida — Dec 2023 to Jan 2024

51Photographs
7Days
6Places
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Pura vida

Ten days of rainforest and rumbling volcanoes, hanging bridges and hot springs, coatis on the path and the perfect green cone of Arenal coming and going behind the clouds. From the geothermal fields of Rincon de la Vieja to the cloud forest canopy, this is Costa Rica at its wildest and greenest. Tap any photo to enlarge it, or open the map.

Ten days of pura vida, green in every direction. Arenal's perfect volcanic cone came and went behind the clouds while we soaked in hot springs at its foot and hiked out to the La Fortuna waterfall.

We crossed the cloud forest on hanging bridges high in the canopy, walked the steaming geothermal fields of Rincón de la Vieja, and kept meeting the wildlife that makes Costa Rica what it is — coatis on the path, birds everywhere, the rustle of something just out of sight.

From volcano to cloud forest, it was the country at its wildest and greenest, and a fine way to turn the calendar over into a new year.

This trip ran 7 days, December 30, 2023 – January 8, 2024. Along the way we spent time at The cloud forest, Arenal Volcano, Costa Rican wildlife, Rincon de la Vieja, La Fortuna Waterfall, The hot springs, and The hanging bridges. The gallery below tells it day by day, in 51 photographs.

Planning your own trip? Read Costa Rica with kids: our itinerary & tips →

Day 1

Sat 30 Dec

A Costa Rican table
A Costa Rican tableCasado, fresh juice, and the contented silence of a good lunch.

Day 2

Sun 31 Dec

The hot springs

The hot springs
The hot springsMineral water, volcano-heated, with the rainforest for walls.
The hot springs
The hot springsThe reward at the end of a long day: a naturally hot pool and zero agenda.
The hot springs
The hot springsThe reward at the end of a long day: a naturally hot pool and zero agenda.
A Costa Rican table
A Costa Rican tableTropical fruit and a cold drink: the official refreshment of the rainforest.

Day 3

Mon 1 Jan

The hanging bridges · La Fortuna Waterfall · The cloud forest · Rincon de la Vieja · Costa Rican wildlife

The hanging bridges
The hanging bridgesThe forest from above, one gently bouncing bridge at a time.
La Fortuna Waterfall
La Fortuna WaterfallLa Fortuna Waterfall, dropping seventy meters into a pool the color of jade.
The cloud forest
The cloud forestCloud forest in every direction, dripping and impossibly green.
The cloud forest
The cloud forestStanding very small under very old, very large trees.
The cloud forest
The cloud forestGreen on green on green, with mist threading through the canopy.
Rincon de la Vieja
Rincon de la ViejaSteam hissing straight out of the ground at Rincon de la Vieja. The planet, showing its work.
Rincon de la Vieja
Rincon de la ViejaSteam hissing straight out of the ground at Rincon de la Vieja. The planet, showing its work.
Rincon de la Vieja
Rincon de la ViejaSulphur, steam, and the faint sense that the ground is alive.
Rincon de la Vieja
Rincon de la ViejaSulphur, steam, and the faint sense that the ground is alive.
Rincon de la Vieja
Rincon de la ViejaThe earth here quietly boiling, steaming, and reminding you what it sits on.
Rincon de la Vieja
Rincon de la ViejaSulphur, steam, and the faint sense that the ground is alive.
Costa Rican wildlife
Costa Rican wildlifeA coati ambling past like it owns the place. It basically does.

Day 4

Tue 2 Jan

Lake Arenal · Costa Rican wildlife

Somewhere in Costa Rica
Somewhere in Costa RicaA quiet corner of Costa Rica between one green wonder and the next.
A Costa Rican table
A Costa Rican tableTropical fruit and a cold drink: the official refreshment of the rainforest.
Lake Arenal
Lake ArenalBig water, big sky, and the green hills running down to meet it.
Lake Arenal
Lake ArenalLake Arenal under a moody sky, still and enormous.
Lake Arenal
Lake ArenalBig water, big sky, and the green hills running down to meet it.
Costa Rican wildlife
Costa Rican wildlifeThe kind of close encounter you come to Costa Rica hoping for.
Costa Rican wildlife
Costa Rican wildlifePura vida, even for the local fauna.
A Costa Rican table
A Costa Rican tableA bright, sweet pause between adventures.
A Costa Rican table
A Costa Rican tableRefueling, Costa Rica style. No complaints.

Day 5

Wed 3 Jan

The cloud forest · Costa Rican wildlife · La Fortuna Waterfall · The hanging bridges · Arenal Volcano

The cloud forest
The cloud forestFerns, vines, and giant trees - the jungle doing what it does best.
Costa Rican wildlife
Costa Rican wildlifeA coati ambling past like it owns the place. It basically does.
Costa Rican wildlife
Costa Rican wildlifeA little resident of the rainforest, entirely unbothered by us.
La Fortuna Waterfall
La Fortuna WaterfallLa Fortuna Waterfall, dropping seventy meters into a pool the color of jade.
La Fortuna Waterfall
La Fortuna WaterfallLa Fortuna Waterfall, dropping seventy meters into a pool the color of jade.
The cloud forest
The cloud forestCloud forest in every direction, dripping and impossibly green.
The hanging bridges
The hanging bridgesThe forest from above, one gently bouncing bridge at a time.
The cloud forest
The cloud forestGreen on green on green, with mist threading through the canopy.
The cloud forest
The cloud forestA strangler fig the size of a building, swallowing the forest whole.
The cloud forest
The cloud forestFerns, vines, and giant trees - the jungle doing what it does best.
The cloud forest
The cloud forestCloud forest in every direction, dripping and impossibly green.
Arenal Volcano
Arenal VolcanoThe volcano that runs the whole show here, wearing a hat of cloud as usual.
Arenal Volcano
Arenal VolcanoA volcano this photogenic almost feels like it is showing off.
Arenal Volcano
Arenal VolcanoYou plan your day around whether the summit will come out of the clouds. Today it did.
Arenal Volcano
Arenal VolcanoArenal, doing its near-perfect-cone impression against the afternoon clouds.
Arenal Volcano
Arenal VolcanoArenal, doing its near-perfect-cone impression against the afternoon clouds.
Arenal Volcano
Arenal VolcanoThe volcano that runs the whole show here, wearing a hat of cloud as usual.
Arenal Volcano
Arenal VolcanoYou plan your day around whether the summit will come out of the clouds. Today it did.
Arenal Volcano
Arenal VolcanoYou plan your day around whether the summit will come out of the clouds. Today it did.
La Fortuna Waterfall
La Fortuna WaterfallThe waterfall thundering out of the rainforest like it has somewhere to be.

Day 6

Thu 4 Jan

The cloud forest

The cloud forest
The cloud forestA strangler fig the size of a building, swallowing the forest whole.
The cloud forest
The cloud forestCloud forest in every direction, dripping and impossibly green.
The cloud forest
The cloud forestFerns, vines, and giant trees - the jungle doing what it does best.

Day 7

Mon 8 Jan

Costa Rican wildlife

Costa Rican wildlife
Costa Rican wildlifeThe kind of close encounter you come to Costa Rica hoping for.
Costa Rican wildlife
Costa Rican wildlifeWildlife sighting number we-lost-count. Costa Rica delivers.

Where we wandered