Travel

February / March, 2012

The Happiest Country in the World

Pura Vida. Loosely translated, it means "pure life" or "life is good." In Costa Rica, that's usually the case. You'll hear the words regularly, as a greeting, farewell or just a friendly gesture.

Irene Middleman Thomas

The astonishingly lush Central American nation is an idyllic paradise, replete with meandering Pacific and Caribbean coastlines, emerald green mountainous and volcanic backdrops, impossibly dense jungles and rainforests. Its people, affectionately called Ticos, are generous with their smiles and pura vida.

After an easy landing at Liberia Airport in the west, we set off on a beautiful journey on good roads with our guide and driver to the rainforest in the Arenal Volcano region, about three and a half hours by car. Our first sighting of the famed volcano is through the morning mist, with the panoramic 33-mile Lake Arenal in the forefront. The volcano, which last erupted in 2010 and is now in a resting phase, is magnificent-towering over the jungle like a giant kelly-green pyramid. This area is a hot destination for tourists and with many hotels and inns, but the grande dame is The Springs Resort & Spa, owned by a dynamic American hotelier/Renaissance man who has crafted a virtual Garden of Eden here.

We splash, play and loll about in the resort's 23 landscaped hot springs pools and waterfalls. The property's adventure park Club Rio includes a wild cat sanctuary (puma, ocelots, monkeys), tubing and kayaking on Class I and II rapids in the winding river, and horseback riding up the hills, along with a nature walk and a few lovely private thermal pools. One afternoon, we actually fall asleep in one of them, lulled by the sounds of the river, the adjacent waterfall and the soothing warm water. It all seems like a scene from the movie Blue Lagoon (but with better acting!).

To be sure, the adrenalin-racing highlight of our visit to the Arenal area is waterfall rappelling (also known as canyoning), a rainforest adventure with PureTrek, started by a California woman in 2001. Something I had never dreamed of doing at home becomes a reality when we literally rappel down three waterfalls (the highest at 170 feet) and one dry canyon wall with the help of expert guides and the support of other intrepid travelers. My secret? Never look down!

Like half of all tourists to Costa Rica, we also visit the Guanacaste province's Pacific Coast, where we stay at the Westin Playa Conchal that somehow manages to make the guests at its 406 rooms feel like the place is half-empty, due to spacious, gorgeous landscaping and its oversized, exquisite pool. Upon arrival, we are charmed by a mapache, a common local mammal similar to a small raccoon, standing on the terrace outside our room. Throughout our trip, we'd spot more of them, along with cuddly coatimundis, sloths, white-faced Capuchin and spider monkeys, exotic birds (even a toucan in flight) and numerous other tropical creatures.

The fragrances of jasmine and sultry night air fill our noses, and the ocean mist refreshes our cheeks. Sounds of crickets and the din of frogs sing us to sleep that and every night. Our forays into the rainforest countryside recall a tropical patchwork quilt. We see huge fields of sugar cane, with white plumes billowing in the breeze; Brahma cattle lazing in the sun; lemon, grapefruit, orange, papaya, star fruit and mango trees. Living bouquets of purple, pink and orange bougainvillea and hibiscus are everywhere.

Ziplining, or canopy tours, have been around for a long time as a transport system, but their booming success as recreation and tourism adventures began in Costa Rica. About an hour from our hotel on Playa Conchal in Guanacaste lies Adventures Buenavista, which hosts one of the biggest ziplines (10 cables, 11 platforms) in Costa Rica, as well as horseback riding, hot springs, a water slide and 16-bridge aerial trail. There's also an eco-lodge, all set on 2,000 acres bordering the Rincón de la Vieja National Park. Buenavista offers day packages to those not staying at the eco-lodge, which includes several activities as well as a traditional and very tasty buffet lunch.

Costa Rica advertises itself as a feast for the five senses, apt to be sure. You'll see, feel, smell, taste and hear the pura vida in everything you see and do. No wonder the nation won the prize for the "happiest place in the world," according to a 2009 study conducted by the Britain-based New Economics Foundation. Come and see for yourself!

WHEN YOU GO

UNITED VACATIONS
You'll not only earn mileage credits for your air, hotel and tours if you book with this all-encompassing operator, but you'll receive customized planning to fit your budget; unitedvacations.com, 888-854-3899
United Vacations uses an acclaimed, long-established Costa Rican land operator, TAM, to handle in-country transfers and tours, from both airports of San Jose and Liberia. Individuals also can contact TAM; tamtravel.com, 877-826-8785

PURE TREK COSTA RICA
puretrekcostarica.com

THE SPRINGS RESORT & SPA
Rates at this five-star resort start at $395 per night; springscostarica.com, 954-727-8333

THE WESTIN PLAYA CONCHAL
Rates at this all-inclusive resort and spa start at $315 per night; starwoodhotels.com/westin, 877-485-9505

Irene Middleman Thomas is an intrepid traveler, writer and photographer based in Aurora. She likes to try at least one new thing on every trip, and then relay it to you, the readers.