Our family’s Vacation in Costa Rica
May 31st, 2009 by Daniel Q. Floyd, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
I recently made good on a promise I had been making to my family for sometime now. We had seen a program on television talking about Costa Rica and all it has to offer and I promised then and there that we would all get to Costa Rica at some point. We are all about nature and wildlife and adventure so since that time, the requests have been relentless. The only obstacle, as is often the case, is time and money.
This peaceful, Central American country is sandwiched between Nicaragua and Panama and boasts one of the most bio-diverse ecosystems in the world. It is part of a land bridge between North and South America and as such enjoys wildlife from both hemispheres. It has protected over 12 % of land thus birds and other wildlife have areas of refuge here during yearly migrations.
Monteverde was to be our first destination on our itinerary. Green Mountain as it were, was settled by a group of Quakers who arrived to the area around 1951. They were attracted to Costa Rica after the abolition of its army and choose the area that would become Monteverde because it seemed conducive to the diary farming that was their trade. After scientists realized the significance of the delicate micro-system of its surrounding cloud forests, they began to protect the nearby forests.
The drive up the mountain, as it turns out, was to be our first adventure. They views are stunning as you rise from sea level to 4,500 ft in elevation where Monteverde nestles into the mountain top. The road itself is quite narrow and more than a little harrowing but the destination is well worth the ride.
The plan was to spend our first morning ziplining at a place called Selvatura. After awakening to a symphony of nature just outside our cabin we ate breakfast and drank fresh Costa Rican coffee as we waited for the shuttle to pick us. We choose Selvatura for our zipline experience ironically, because they offer so much more. They host an unparalleled bridge system through the forest canopy, a magnificent butterfly garden the most extensive insect museum in the country probably more I am not aware of.
With all that Selvatura had to offer, we still had no trouble deciding that our first stop was going to be the ziplines. Fortunately, Selvatura is also known for incredibly high safety standards so I wasnt worried about my familys safety as we embarked on our high flying adventure through the forest canopy. The sensation of soaring through the forest canopy and the birds eye view of the rainforest splendor was something my family and I will always remember.
We stayed in Monteverde long enough to enjoy much of what it has to offer. We explored the local nature reserves, enjoyed a night hike through the Childrens Eternal Rainforest and headed out on horseback to witness the majesty of nearby, Volcan Arenal. This active and picture perfect volcano, is set against the tranquility of lake Arenal.
As our plane took off and the beauty of Costa Rica faded into the distance, we discussed the favorite parts of our journey. It was fairly unanimous that the ziplines had won but the competition was stiff. After all, how do you choose one extraordinary adventure over another?
