Sun setting over the sea
Costa Rica,  Friendly Friday,  Landscape,  Travel galleries

Gallery: enjoying serene views in Costa Rica

A holiday in Costa Rica is all about connecting with nature. The animals, the birds, the landscapes.

The Pura Vida indeed.

Pura Vida means ‘pure life’ and you hear it everywhere you go. A waiter serves you a drink; a hotel receptionist welcomes you; a naturalist guide spots a sloth or monkey to share with you; the sun is shining. It’s all Pura Vida!

We are just back from a two week visit to the country, our first long-haul trip since the pandemic began. And it was wonderful! Over the coming weeks I’ll be sharing lots of the highlights; but for now let’s start with a touch of the tranquillity we found there for Amanda in her Search for Serenity in the current Friendly Friday challenge. All the photos below were taken from the terraces of the hotels we stayed in, providing the perfect antidote to the chill of a UK winter and the anxieties of the past couple of years.

The views

Tree tops and mist

The view from our room at the Villa Bougainvillea near San Jose on our first morning


Palm tree, blue water and small boats

The early morning view from Aguila de Osa near Corcovado National Park, where we spent the first few days of our trip


Volcano with low cloud obscuring peak

From the Osa Peninsula we moved on to the Arenal Kioro hotel, where we had a view of Volcan Arenal from our room, although it was often partly hidden by cloud …


Volcano with blue sky

… but not always!


Hazy view of distant water and mountains, framed by trees

Our next few days were spent at the Senda Monteverde, from where we had a view of the distant Pacific and the Nicoya Peninsula


Dramatic sunset framed by trees

The Senda Monteverde also provided us with some lovely sunset views


Looking over dense forest towards a river and coastline

Our final stay was at Lagarta Lodge on the Nicoya Peninsula, where from our terrace we could look out over the Nosara and Montana Rivers to the Pacific beyond


Sunset over trees and a bend in a river

A view perhaps even more magical and serene at sunset

(my feature photo was also taken at this hotel, from a terrace by the swimming pools)

I visited Costa Rica in February 2022

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