Happy Thanksgiving from our rainforest base in Tres Rios, Costa Rica!
At Outward Bound Costa Rica we may not be celebrating Thanksgiving in a traditional sense with fall leaves, family and football, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t taking some time to be thankful. In fact, we think Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reflect on all the reasons we love Costa Rica. Sit back and enjoy these ten!
1. Waterfalls
Is there any more magical way to connect with the beauty of nature than to bask in the mist of a rushing waterfall? We don’t think so! Costa Rica is home to hundreds, if not thousands of waterfalls. From enjoying the mistic vistas to swimming in the cool water to rappelling down them, the waterfalls of Costa Rica bring us much joy!
2. Gallo Pinto
While Costa Rica has many delicious traditional dishes that make our mouths water, gallo pinto is probably our favorite. This dish of rice and beans is served in the morning for breakfast, usually alongside eggs and tortillas. Gallo pinto means “painted rooster” in Spanish.
3. Best Coffee
And what better way to start the day (or the afternoon) than with a fresh cup of Costa Rican coffee! With 78,000 coffee producers in the country, Costa Rica exports 15 percent of the world’s coffee. Living in, or even just visiting, Costa Rica means you are always surrounded by delicious, fresh coffee.
4. Fresh Fruit
Pineapple, watermelon, papaya, oh my! We’ve never tasted such wonderful fresh fruit as in Costa Rica! The country is also the eighth-largest producer of bananas in the world. Local markets sell an abundance of fruits we’d never experienced before including anona, cashew fruit, guanabana, nanzi and zapote.
5. Hiking
From the rainforest to the cloud forest to the magnificent coast, Costa Rica is rife with natural landscapes that begged to be explored. And there’s no better way to explore than by strapping on your hiking boots and going on foot!
6. Whitewater Rafting
For a huge adrenaline rush we love whitewater rafting! With the Pejibaye, Pacuare, Sarapiqui and Orosi rivers right in our backyard, there are so many opportunities to test our limits on rushing, world-class rapids.
7. Warm-water Breaks for Surfing
Surfing is another one of our favorite ways to get an adrenaline rush. Not only does Costa Rica have some of the best waves for beginners and experts alike, it also has warm-water breaks. That means you don’t even need a wetsuit to be comfortable while hanging ten!
8. Beautiful Beaches
While we love the many opportunities for physical activity, we also cherish our rest time. There’s no better place to relax than in the sand and under the sun. Costa Rica boasts more than 300 beaches – it would take almost a year to visit them all at the pace of a beach per day.
9. “Pura Vida” Attitude
Costa Rica’s most loved expression is “pura vida” and we love it too! This national expression can be translated as “pure life,” but it’s a saying that means so much more than this. “Pura vida” is a greeting, a salutation and a way of life that involves a laid back and optimistic attitude. We dig it!
10. Happiest Country in the World
We guess it should come as no surprise that we love Costa Rica so much – the country is consistently ranked amongst the happiest nations on Earth. Happy Planet Index ranks Costa Rica as the happiest country in the world with its high life expectancy, levels of well-being and environmental initiatives. This is reflected in the people of Costa Rica. Nothing warms our heart quite like a happy Tico smile!
And there you have it – 10 reasons to love Costa Rica. Why do you love the land of Pura Vida? Let us know in the comments below!