My Favorite Things: Costa Rica

We've lived in Costa Rica for 2 months now and we've seen and done so much that I thought it was about time I share a list of my favorite things.  This is a little rushed, so it's probably not all-inclusive, but it's a list of SOME of my favorites.

Favorite beach town: Jaco

 It doesn't look like much and many people would say the tourist aspect of this town is a huge turnoff, but personally we have loved living here.  The tourist town feel was perfect for us because we ARE tourists and being in a town where most people speak some English and are aware of the naivety and idiocy of tourists was comforting.  Of all the beach towns we visited, Jaco had the biggest, most centralized downtown area with the most to do.  We would definitely come back to Jaco if we ever come back to Costa Rica.

Close second was Montezuma:

Montezuma was a completely picturesque, teeny tiny hamlet of a town that we absolutely loved.  Everyone was so friendly, we felt like we'd known them for years.  It was just a bit too small and we appreciate more of a variety.  However, many people who visit Montezuma consider it the best place in Costa Rica and I can see why.  It's a simpler way of living.  An out of the way spot, with basically one of everything (grocery store, bar), I can see the appeal of living life on a smaller scale.

Favorite local food: Casado

The casado is basically the ONLY food indigenous to Costa Rica, but nevertheless, it was delicious.  You get a little bit of everything and most were very good (not to mention cheap, you could get one for about $4).

Favorite non-Costa Rican food: Pizza Pata

Pizza Pata was definitely one of the best pizza places I've ever tried in my life!  It was so good and the ingredients were always fresh.  The best was the neon green garlic sauce, OMG!  I'll miss Pizza Pata.

Favorite non-alcoholic beverages: any fruit blended (jugo=juice or batido=smoothie) and coffee

The fruit here is insane and to blend it into a juice or smoothie (con agua = water or leche = milk) made it even better (I always opted for con agua).  Literally it's just ice and fresh fruit (you can opt for a spoonful of sugar) and it's beats Jamba Juice any day!
The coffee is also incredible, and while I didn't drink a lot of it, it was quite impressive.

Favorite alcoholic drinks: Cacique and Imperial

Guaro is a local rum made in Costa Rica (Cacique is the brand) and they would use it to make Chile Guaro (basically like a spicy Bloody Mary in a shot) and that was Aaron's go-to cocktail.  Mine was usually a daiquiri or something blended.  Other than that, we stuck mostly to Imperial, the most popular local beer (the other is Pilsen, which is a tad bit stronger and not yummy).  Imperial Silver ended up being our all-time favorite, it's a little lighter tasting than Imperial, but equally effective.  

Favorite beach spot: Riviera Beach Club

Riviera Beach Club was right in the center of Jaco beach, about a 7 minute walk from our house.  It was way overpriced and if you try to pay in dollars the exchange rate is terrible, but it was the perfect spot on the beach to get a drink, some frijoles con chips and watch the sunset.

Favorite stray dog: Peppy

Peppy was the best!  We named him Peppy because he was always strutting along, looking so upbeat.  Anytime we're feeling down and we see Peppy, he can change that frown upside down just by strolling along.  FYI, we don't think he's a stray, we've seen him in our neighbor's yard a few times.  Random funny story: our neighbors also named him Peppy (separately!) after Peppy Le Pew because he's always chasing the ladies.  What a coinky-dink!  We'll miss you, Peppy!

Favorite tourist attractions: Zipline/ATV and Isla Tortuga

The Zipline/ATV package was one of the more touristy things we did, but we loved it.  I've never done either before and I would do both again.  Scary, but so much fun!

Isla Tortuga

Snorkeling at Isla Tortuga was also seriously packed with tourists, but it was gorgeous!  The fish were beautiful, but the island itself was the stunner.

Favorite getaways: Corcovado and La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Corcovado

Corcovado was amazing!  Being in the middle of the jungle was the most exhilarating feeling and seeing all the wildlife in their natural habitats was an unforgettable experience.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens

La Paz was the complete opposite of Corcovado, but equally impressive.  The animals in La Paz were in a sanctuary, for various reasons, and you could walk right up to them and even touch them.  It was a totally different experience, but just as much fun.  Having a toucan perched on my arm was something I'll remember always.

Overall, we've had some very memorable experiences these past 2 months.  The thing I'll miss most about Costa Rica is the wildlife.  It's unavoidable, literally everywhere you look some amazing creature is gracing us with its presence.  I can sit on my balcony and watch pairs of Scarlet macaws fly overhead, sit in our apartment and watch our gecko Greenly scurry across the wall or sit on the beach and see the purple crabs creeping by.  I'm not sure we'll have that anywhere else we go and I will miss it dearly.
Tomorrow we leave Jaco for good and head to San Jose!