What do you consider to be the perfect Costa Rica vacation? Your answer is bound to reflect your personality, but many of you will probably think about achieving a perfect balance of thrills and relaxation while trying to have as much fun as possible. If you are looking for ideas on what to do the next time you are in Costa Rica, this 12-step guide by a young and fashionable woman from Spain will come in handy.

By her own account, Patricia Rodriguez is a Marketing and Administration professional from Spain who keeps a blog about fashion, style, shopping, and travel. She visited Costa Rica last year during a rare break of rain in the midst of the green season and was able to experience more than most of us will ever hope to do in our lifetimes. Miss Rodriguez kindly allowed the Costa Rica Star to adapt her vacation experience for the benefit of our readers. If you read Spanish or want to see pictures of her vacation, please click here; her Shopaholic blog, which is very well-written, is highly recommended for fashionable Ticas interested in fashion, style, shopping, and other girly concerns.

Costa Rica in 12 Steps; Or How a Shopaholic Found New Ways to Release Adrenaline – Different from Shopping for a Pair of Miu Miu Heels on eBay

So, I must confess that of all adjectives that could describe me, adventuresome is not one of them. At least not until now. This summer I took the plunge, got my backpack, and set off to discover Costa Rica from north to south and east to west. It was an unforgettable trip; if I had to describe it with just one word it would have to be “amazing.”

Even if you have already visited, Costa Rica always has a surprise for you waiting at every turn. Many times it is a surprise that leaves you breathless with new sights and experiences. Here are some of mine:

1. Traversing the jungle in a quad cycle, going off-road on trails you could not even imagine. Enjoying an incredible tropical storm and still seeing a glimpse of the sun (the canopy is so thick that only 2 percent of sunshine reaches the ground). Stopping to take a natural shower in a waterfall is an added treat.
2. Visiting a desert island; spotting whales along the way. If there is anything that Costa Rica is known for is their commitment to nature conservation. The jungle is super-protected (illegal logging in national parks results in a year in prison) and this extends to tiny virgin islands where you can pretend you are part of the Swiss Family Robinson. You get to Cano Island by boat, land on the beach and there is nothing else you can do. This island is protected; you can’t even eat or drink therein. Bonus for me: I spotted two whales, and one was a mother and her baby -incredible!
3. Leaping off a tree 40 meters from the jungle floor. I will say this now: Costa Rica made me brave. I spent one morning swinging from the tallest trees I have ever seen in my life in Manuel Antonio National Park.
4. Yoga in Nosara. Too much adrenaline makes you long for a chance to take a deep breath, relax and enjoy your surroundings. There is nothing like a morning spent doing yoga in a beautiful nature setting and following up with a gallopinto, Costa Rica’s breakfast of champions, at the comfortable Harmony Hotel.
5. Flying a gyrocopter. This was the pinnacle of my fearlessness. This aircraft, which is similar to a convertible version of a small plane, actually flies and is perhaps the closest I’ve ever felt to bird flight. Very impressive.
6. Partying in Santa Teresa. This surf town has such a great vibe that it is impossible not to be drawn to its party atmosphere. The best is when you are dancing carelessly, and in the middle of the night a rainstorm pours with reggae music in the background, and you keep dancing until sunrise.
7. A real blue river. Rio Celeste is a perfect example of Nature’s incredible work. This is a river full of minerals and volcanic materials that turn the water blue. The people of Costa Rica say that this river is where God decided to soak and rinse the brushes used to paint the Heavens above. To get to Rio Celeste, the jungle trek is about three kilometers, which makes you appreciate the beauty of the river even more.
8. Impossible roads shared with oxen and mules, or roadways that end because a river overflows during the rainy season. Amidst all this chaos, you find the most beautiful sunsets.
9. Sea turtles returning to their birthplace. This ability is chemically implanted in them, and they lay more than 100 eggs and build a nest just a couple a meters away from your feet before heading back out to see. A beautiful full moon makes the moment even more magical. You want more? How about spending the night in Tortuguero and falling asleep as the howler monkeys that sound like dinosaurs (how would I know what dinosaurs sounded like?)
10. Rafting in the Pacuare River. Another experience that I would’ve never attempted before, but Costa Rica makes you brave like that. I learned that rivers are graded on the strength and dangers of their rapids from 1 to 5, and my section of the Pacuare River was a category 4.
11. Meeting baby sloths, monkeys and cute raccoons in the Jaguar Refuge and Rescue Center in Puerto Viejo, where they are cared for before they are reintroduced to the wild.
12. Dining with the best views of San Jose. Maybe this is not the prettiest city in the world, but from a distance she is spectacular, and she is the best dinner companion you could hope for. I can actually say it and feel it now: Pura Vida!

P.S.: I have a confession to make. I did not carry a backpack; it was a rather tasteful tote suitcase on wheels.

Patricia Rodriguez

www.shopaholic-prr.com

Twitter: @Shopaholicp