Have you ever stayed in a place that was truly paradise? We have….
Last September, Mike worked in El Salvador for a couple of months on and off and finally for a whole month. It was the longest time we have ever been apart even though I used to travel all of the time for work. One, two, maybe three weeks, but never, ever four. I worried the entire time he was there but he didn’t. After a month away from each other, we thought it might be wonderful opportunity to rendezvous somewhere wonderful. It would be some place neither of us has ever been so Mike could decompress from the long stint and one that was relatively close for him and a relatively easy trip for me. Costa Rica was our choice! It is safe and we’ve never been there before. Mike’s plane from El Salvador came in about 45 minutes after mine from Miami. We had a car service take us to the resort. I highly recommend getting a driver and not try to drive yourself. The roads aren’t the greatest. It is a bumpy, funny trip. We saw cows (actually steers) loose on the street.
We passed lots of farms growing coffee, bananas, plantains, pineapples, corn, sugar, and other crops. There was lots of wildlife and amazing birds that we saw along the way.
Mike made reservations at a place called the Nayara Springs Resort in Fortuna (actually it is about 20 minutes from Fortuna). Fortuna is in the Arenal Volcano area so we were going into the mountainous area that was in a jungle. As it turned out, Nayara Springs Resort is ranked as one of the 50 top resorts in the world and the top resort in Central America. Nayara is located on the edge of Arenal Volcano National Park, a sprawling jungle full of sloths, howler monkeys, brilliantly colored butterflies, and tropical birds of all kinds. The Arenal Volcano area is a playground for all kinds of outside activities from hiking, horseback riding, rafting, birding, or looking for spectacular waterfalls.
It takes a good three hours to get there from San Jose airport. We finally arrived at the resort and, after going through the gate, we arrived in paradise.
The hotel is pretty spectacular by any assessment. They cater to you and allow you your privacy. We have been to many beautiful hotels and resorts all over the world but this resort was simply amazing.