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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.

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