South America is great for Backpacking. Here is how I spent 1 week in Costa Rica with three great ladies. A road trip from the chill and relaxed Caribbean side, the forest jungle of La Fortuna down to the Pacific night life this is a wanderers paradise.
Hippie Towns, Hot Springs, Car Crashes, Surfing and Volcanos Erupting.
Puerto Viejo
Welcome to Puerto Viejo. This small hippie town is on the East Side (Caribbean side) of Costa Rica. Beautiful beaches, a sanctuary for sloths, cheap drinks and really great coffee. The trip getting to this town really is a story of its own.
La Fortuna National Park
A great place North West of San Jose, home to the Arenal and Chato Volcano. The jungle and lava adventure begins. Climbing a volcano, swimming under an amazing waterfall and putting my foot into a hot spring. Then there was the car accident leaving town.
jaco beach
After a crazy night of driving we get to Jaco. Just South of SanJose, a surfers town with beautiful sunsets, amazing waves for beginners and a fun night life. This area had a bad name up till about ten years and they changed it to become one of the best places to visit. Pura Vida
san jose
After the Volcano going off I spent an extra night in San Jose, meeting an incredible guy Named Adi. He turned out to be the greatest tour guide( Although he is from Canada). This city is stunning at night and has some great shopping.
Costa Rica Things To Keep in Mind
Language : Spanish but a lot of people know English
Plug: Normal North American plug 120v. You will not need to bring anything with you.
Currency: Colon. 1 USD equals around 588 Costa Rican Colon
Safety: We didn’t really have any safety concerns. However we did have one experience with locals following us in the car.
We were sticking out a bit that day as we were in a non tourist area. As allows stay vigilant.