Thomas
A suite at the Harmony Hotel in Nosara, Costa Rica
Almost everyone likes to finish their Costa Rica holiday with a bit of time on the beach. Apart from anything it’s nice to have time to process all of the extraordinary things you will have done and seen over the previous week or two.
The Pacific coast of Costa Rica is the obvious choice. There are all sorts of options out there, from marina/golf course type affairs, to the more low key. On our holidays, we forget the former and plump for the latter every time.
The Harmony Hotel in Nosara is a great example of the sort of hotels we like. It’s in Nosara which is a pretty relaxed, surfy type village. The hotel is set around lush tropical gardens but has its own path (1oom or so) down to the beach. And what a beach. Very long, very golden, very sandy and very sunny. In fact, watch out because there’s nothing much by way of shade to be had.
The Harmony pretty much epitomises barefoot luxury. It’s not luxurious but it is very comfortable indeed. It is very barefoot.
If you are going, I’d say spring for a suite. These are detached bungalows spread throughout the gardens. They are a very good size and well done. The photo above is one of the suites.
I personally thought that the standard, Cocos, rooms were not where I would want to be. They are actually all in a line, somewhat like a motel and were just a bit too dark for my liking.
The food is very, very good. They major on fish, sushi in particular. Wash it down with one of their genuinely top notch smoothies/juices and you have a healthy diet which really complements being out on a beach. For me it works.
I would say that you are likely to feel a bit out of place here if you are in your 50s or more – the median age is somewhere in the 30s I suspect.
Surfing is definitely the activity of choice and this is a cracking spot if you want to learn a new skill or if you are an old hand. There’s a surf board rack at the entrance to the hotel, and it’s always full.
If you are minded to, they have daily yoga classes and some quite ‘out there’ sounding dance classes. Personally I would stick to having a go at standing up on a surf board, sunset walks on the beach, visits to the Ostional Reserve to see turtles and exploring some of the tiny villages and beautiful coastal landscape all around.
Looking for Costa Rica holidays? Our Costa Rica self drive holidays generally end up at Nosara or nearby Samara. Call us on 01273 676712 if you would like us to tailor make a holiday for you.
Views from the Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica
The Arenal Volcano is one of the most visited areas in Costa Rica. It’s easy to see why – there’s a colossal volcano sticking up out of flat farmland. And it explodes, a lot. In fact I think it is considered the world’s most consistently active volcano.
The image of red hot lava pouring forth into the night sky is a staple of Arenal tourist promotion. And yet, you can only see this from one side of the volcano. The crater tantalisingly changes shape periodically to expose the lava flows to different directions.
Its first eruption in recorded history or memory was 1968. Until then, the locals thought it was just a big hill. In fact they called it ‘El Cerro’, the hill. Presumably they got an almighty shock when it suddenly erupted in their midst.
The scars from that first, most major, eruption are still very much in evidence in the immediate vicinity of the volcano. Black sand, lava fields and very patchy vegetation. This despite Arenal being basically in tropical lowlands where, if you threw a peach stone out of the window in the morning you’d be harvesting peaches by the afternoon.
The way things are set out at Arenal is that there is one main road which loops around the north side of the volcano. To the south is more or less national park, very little in the way of population.
At the moment, and for the last 18 months or so, the crater has been exposed to the south. There is just one hotel to the south of the crater, the Arenal Observatory Lodge.
To get that priceless view of red hot lava against the night sky, you really have to go to the Observatory Lodge. The hotels to the north of the volcano can’t wait for a big explosion to clear their view of the lava!
The Observatory Lodge is very close to the volcano as it was originally created as an observation point for the Smithsonian Institute. It feels somewhat like a scientific institute still – certainly the older rooms do. You don’t come here for luxury though it’s comfortable enough. Rooms are en suite and the service is friendly.
You do come here for the views at night. I should say the possible views at night since Arenal volcano is so often coated in cloud.
You also come to the Observatory Lodge to look for birds, it has an extraordinary list of species.
You might also come here because it is significantly higher than the town of La Fortuna and the other hotels in the Arenal area. Something like 600m higher. That makes all the difference in terms of temperature. While La Fortuna sweats, the Observatory Lodge enjoys cool evenings and night times.
This photos probably sums up the Observatory Lodge quite well. A couple sitting out birdwatching, the enormous volcano ahead, covered in cloud. The peeling paint on the decking (it’s due to be repainted right around now).
What the photo doesn’t capture is that the volcano is very, very active at the moment. This means that every hour or so, there was a very large explosion. Much like thunder, at times far louder than that. While I was here there was an explosion loud enough that even the local guides ducked.
Just after the explosion, you would see boulders cascading down the blackened slopes of the volcano. During the day they just look like large grey boulders. At night, you see that they are in fact glowing red.
It really is spectacular.
I should add that the Observatory Lodge is in fact several miles from the volcano so you are very safe. I should also add that you don’t necessarily have to stay here to enjoy the nighttime pyrotechnics.
You can pay a few dollars to come into the Observatory’s grounds. There are lots of self guided trails through the forests. You can then stay for dinner at the restaurant before heading back round to your hotel on the north side.
A word or two of warning and advice:
1) It’s really only worth going there if it’s likely to be a relatively clear night.
2) Go mid-afternoon to enjoy the grounds and surroundings. The lodge lies just beyond the Arenal National Park and other places you should visit when in the area.
3) The Observatory Lodge is 9km off the main, paved, road. That means 9km of dirt road. If you stay for dinner, you’ll be driving it in the dark. It’s not a problem per-se but you really do need to be cautious when driving on dirt roads. Doubly so after dark.
If you would like to know more about our Costa Rica holidays call us now on +44 (0)1273 676712.
Peaceful lagoon in the Atacama salt flats
At Pura Aventura we try to do things a bit differently, that’s why we have our Pura Handmade range of holidays.
Chile’s Atacama Desert is a prime example.
The Atacama is a popular destination with a well-worn checklist of excursions. Whilst these are beautiful, we prefer to stay off the beaten track. We think that it’s better to be outside in the fresh air with a few people than travelling in a crowd.
Sunset in the desert
The usual way is to drive out of town to the rim of the Valley of the Moon, then walk just to the edge from where you watch the sun setting over the desert. On a busy day there can be over a hundred people sitting in a long line.
Our way is to drive out of town to the rim of a valley; walk down across a sand dune; over a short stretch of salt flat and into a narrow gorge in the salt mountains. As you follow the gorge, the air cools and the rocks crackle, with bats and owls flying overhead. Emerge into a natural amphitheatre hidden away in the middle of the hills, from where you watch the sunset.
The salt flats and lagoons
The usual way is to drive a dirt road to the large lagoons in the heart of the salt flats; have time to wander, take in the scenery and watch the large colony of flamingoes before returning by vehicle.
Our way is to ride bikes straight from your hotel to a series of small lagoons towards the northern edge of the salt flats, close to San Pedro where you have time to wander, swim and watch a smaller colony of flamingoes.
Special places
We also take you to places with nothing comparable on the usual tours. Walk down through the mountains from high oases to low villages following ancient Inca pathways. Most spectacular of all is the walk up to the heady heights of Toco volcano.
Tatio geysers
The one ‘checklist’ place we do take you to are the Tatio geysers. Whilst spectacular, you can expect really quite significant visitor numbers you can expect. This photo was taken in November which is not the busiest time of year.
Early morning crowds at the Tatio Geysers in Chile's Atacama Desert
We really think that our exploration of the Atacama desert is different and better than that offered by anyone else.
“The Atacama surpassed all our expectations, summiting Toco in glorious sunshine with snow on the ground was brilliant.”
Read more about our Atacama Patagonia walking holiday in Chile.