I've dreamed of visiting Costa Rica for several years now, and that dream was finally realized when I made it there on an Adventure Life Journey. The trip from Missoula, Montana to San Jose, Costa Rica is a long one, so I decided to overnight in Miami on the way down. I found my Taca Airlines flight from Miami to San Jose to be quite comfortable, …

The second day of the trip started bright and early when I was picked up for my two-day raft trip along the famous Pacuare River. The river would live up to all of my expectations - and more! I was blessed by being able to spend this time with a great group of friendly and fun people from several different places including California, Florida, El …

Selva Bananito is a great example of sustainable and responsible tourism at its best. Construction of the lodge began in 1994, after the Stein family declared most of their farm (two-thirds, or 2,000 acres) a private biological reserve. Decades before, much of the native tropical hardwood had been stripped from the land by banana exporters. When …

My days at Selva Bananito were filled with wonderful activities. Victor led us on a natural history tour the first morning, which was both a fun and educational introduction to the area. I relaxed in my hammock that afternoon and enjoyed the soothing rains. During my visit to Selva Bananito I also experienced sunrise birding, tree climbing, …

After lunch on my fourth day at the lodge, Victor took me back to Bananito Town. This time we were in a bit of a hurry, so we made the trip in just over 20 minutes - what a rush!

Next, I journeyed back out to the coast and down to Cariblue Resort at Playa Cocles. Here I was kindly greeted by Richie and immediately given a cold tropical drink. Unfortunately, I was only able to stay at Cariblue for one night, but I could certainly see myself spending more time there during a future trip - with bikes for rent, horseback …

Day seven of my tour began with a sunrise bike ride on the road from Playa Cocles to Puerto Viejo - very nice. After a plentiful tropical breakfast at Cariblue I took a minibus transfer bound for the Arenal Observatory Lodge. My view of the erupting volcano from AOL's Smithsonian Block would have been spectacular if it weren't cloaked in dense …

In the morning we journeyed north to the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, near the Nicaraguan border and the town of Los Chiles. This day proved to be one of the most exciting and fulfilling of the trip, especially since I had no idea what to expect. The day's boat tour on the Rio Frio was chock full of wildlife viewing. We saw capuchin …

A resounding "Muchas Gracias" to all that helped make this trip possible!