Economical Explorations

Playa Biesanz is a perfect place for the money-conscious traveler. We packed a cooler with snacks and drinks, hiked down the rocky path to the cove, and spent our last day of this trip enjoying the weather and swimming in the sea.

We are deliberate about what we spend money on while traveling, which helps us to splurge on the good stuff. This beach is free to enter, which allowed us a little extra for activities. We rented beach chairs with an umbrella and kayaks for 7000c total (approx $11). Even though a wave flipped us at the end and I lost my sunglasses, it was still a blast!

We had to cut the day short so we would make our bus back to San José @ 2:30, but we didn’t mind. We loved squeezing in this last excursion before heading back home. Hasta la próxima vez, te amo playa! 😎🌊🌞
📍Playa Biesanz, Quepos, Costa Rica

Jungle friends 🦥🦜🦉🐤✨

Ok, full disclosure, all of these photos were taken through a scope, I wasn’t actually this close to these animals. But that’s a good thing...let the animals stay wild while we observe from afar. Keeps everyone happy! 😄

We had a great time at the sloth watching trail and saw much more than just sloths. When we called for information, they told us the tour would be more than $40 a person (the gr**go price), so we were hesitant about this one. With some extra time on our hands before our bus headed back to San José, we took a taxi to the attraction for only 700 colones (about $1), and negotiated a much better price for the tour, settling on 12000 colones each, or about $20pp. Never hurts to ask for a deal!
📍La Fortuna, San Carlos, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Kill nothing but time ⏰✨
Leave nothing but boot prints 🥾✨
Take nothing but pictures 📸✨

Hiking to the Arenal Observatory and the surrounding area was the unexpected high point of our time in La Fortuna. We were able to get a unique view of the volcano from the backside at a finca that was seemingly empty, apart from us. We saw rainbow Eucalyptus, cracked open macadamia nuts fresh off the tree, saw pineapples growing in the wild, jumped into a waterfall, crossed hanging bridges, and saw the sunset in line with the volcano. This was a gem of an experience we would have never known about if it weren’t for our lovely guide Errol at Arenal Jungle Tours. We spent $40 each on this tour, but with a car and clear directions, you could easily go yourself and just pay the entrance fee. In my opinion, having a guide to point out so much I would have otherwise missed was worth the extra $. Either way, don’t skip this hike!
📍 La Fortuna, San Carlos, Alajuela, Costa Rica