Tortuguero & Puerto Viejo... Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica

Puerto Viejo is the perfect place to soak up the laid back Caribbean vibes and experience Costa Rica's Pura Vida.  What makes it so special is the mix of African, Latin and Caribbean Cultures.  We saw vibrant painted buildings, people sporting dreadlocks, heard reggae music and saw more beach cruisers than cars.  We started our Costa Rican adventure in Puerto Viejo and ended in Tortuguero.

Costa Rica...

This was our second time visiting Costa Rica.  On our first trip we visited Arenal and Tortuguero.  We liked Tortuguero so much we decided to visit it again.  These are the three areas we visited on our vacation to Costa Rica.  

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve & some video of the rough road to get there:

Getting to Monteverde, Costa Rica can be a teeth chattering experience! The road is a steep winding dirt road. We spent at least an hour on this rough road and were amazed by it's poor condition. We asked a local about it and she said it's much better then it used to be. I can't even imagine...

We stayed at Hotel Belmar while in Monteverde.  The owners lived in Europe and built the Austrian Chalet in Costa Rica to remind them of their time spent in Austria.  One of the highlights while staying at the hotel was an amazing hike we took near the hotel where we saw lots of playful Howler Monkeys.  Charlotte also enjoyed playing with the ducks in front of the hotel.

We went on the Sky Walk in the Monteverde rainforest.  It's a combination of suspension bridges and walking trails in the cloud forest.  We saw lots of monkeys, a pair of macaw birds and beautiful plants.  Next we went on the Sky Tram high above the canopy.  It was fun to see the cloud forest from a different perspective.

Monteverde Biological Cloud Forest Reserve-  I've spend a lot of time flying through clouds but to walk through the Cloud Forest is high on my list of cool things I've experienced and the highlight of my trip to Costa Rica.  While walking in the clouds we could hear thunder echoing in the distance through the mountains and birds twittering.  It is great for bird watching. One of the most famous residents is the Quetzal which has now become rare. We saw one go by but unfortunately it was quicker then our camera.

Costa Rica is a haven for butterflies with about 1,251 species. You can see them year round but you'll find more in the rainy season. We got a close up view at a Butterfly farm.  You'll find them throughout Costa Rica.

Blue Morpho

 Hecale Longwing

Blue Morpho


Next stop click here→ Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio...

We enjoyed spending time at the Manuel Antonio National Park.  The beaches were great and we loved all the playful monkeys.  It was also endless entertainment for Charlotte.  The video of the monkey drinking Charlotte's juice box was taken on a beach in the Park.

Ze Plane... Ze Plane!

Wow! It's a fuseLodge

in the Costa Rican Jugle!

In it's heyday this Boeing 727 took globetrotters all around the world! Now this Vintage 1965 Boeing has landed in beautiful Costa Rica.

The 727 was refurbished into a 2 bedroom suite with 100% Costa Rican teak paneling and a jacuzzi in the cockpit.

Master Bedroom

Master Bath

Amazing Views of the Lagoon

Wonder if your greeted in the lagoon by

Mr. Roarke or Tattoo?

Outdoor seating on the Wing

View from the Balcony

Click here if this is your fantasy!