We picked Costa Rica as our first stop because we wanted sunshine, beautiful beaches and rich biodiversity. And of course, for the sloths! Seeing sloths in their natural habitat was high on the bucket list. Birds, monkeys, butterflies, and other animals that call Costa Rica home were a big draw too.

Caylin has become quite the birder and was excited to learn there are close to 950 birds species here. A birders paradise! He almost didn’t pack a zoom lens, but that would have been a big mistake. HUGE Mistake! (said like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman). His bird photos are impressive (not just saying that because I’m his wife ha ha ha) and he would have been highly disappointed to miss out on seeing these tropical birdies up close.

We began our adventure flying out of Portland, Oregon to LAX, then on to Liberia. We prearranged a taxi pickup with the property manager of the Airbnb. Total cost was $60 for the 30+ minute drive to Coco. We discovered that Uber is active here. While not totally regulated, its a little bit cheaper ($45, before tip) but they cant pick you up right outside the terminal so you have to walk toward the airport exit for pickup. It was nice to have a driver waiting for us after our long travel day. He was really helpful by pointing out the grocery stores we passed, advising us about what they carry and price difference. He also stopped at an ATM so we could withdraw local currency.

We booked Agua de Lechuga Condominiums because our first reservation with a different condo canceled 1.5 months before our departure due to needed property maintenance. I was concerned at first because there weren’t a lot of great options in our budget range that were still available, but Airbnb customer service immediately contacted me to assist. To my surprise, they offered to cover the difference (about $350!) to help with the frustrating situation. I was really impressed with their customer service and so happy it worked out. We ended up loving our new location.

Aqua de Lechuga is a gated community of mixed studio and 1/2 bedroom apartments with a beautiful pool in the middle. Highly recommend it. Was advised by a resident it has the biggest pool in Coco. Score!

We met some great people, both residents and vacationers, mostly from Canada. Their kindness and great conversations made us feel right at home. Double score! Shout out to Dominic, Tanya, Charlie, Devine, Jason, Michlynn, Dory, Andrew, Julie, and her siblings. You are amazing humans!

The first few days were filled with finding the best grocery stores, exploring the beach, taking photos of the many bird species, and a few outings on the main road where we found plenty of restaurants and shops.

Playas del Coco was a good size for our 30 day stay as it’s large enough to have several grocery stores and a good selection of restaurants. Trying to keep to our budget was challenging as Costa Rica prices are similar or higher to prices back home.

The area experienced more rain than usual in the last few months, resulting in less produce. Unfortunately, that meant we didn’t get to enjoy as many veggies and fruits as we hoped because they were priced too high or not available. The mango and pineapple were delicious, though!

The beach is about 2 miles (3.21 km) in length and doesn’t get as crowded as other popular beaches in the Guanacaste region. It may be due to a lack of really large resorts in the area. It’s easy to find a spot to relax and not feel overwhelmed. There are a handful of restaurants dotted along the beach to enjoy a drink or bite with a view, otherwise, do as the locals do and bring your own.

The Tico Times recently reported plans to develop a luxury state of the art marina in the next 3-5 years. Knowing this, we’re thankful we experienced this beautiful place before it changes and loses that small town charm. Now is the time to visit so you can enjoy this peaceful place. If yachting is your thing, there will be space for about 300 vessels ranging from 12-40 meters. I hate to think what it will be like in a decade.

We took an Uber to Playas del Hermosa, about 15 minutes north. The beach is smaller and a bit more crowded than Coco. Hermosa beach was really clean compared to Coco with trash cans almost every 50 feet. They also had tables spread out down the length of the beach for hanging out and eating. Howler monkeys roam in the trees in the neighborhood next to the beach. We heard them before we saw them.

There were many locals selling bracelets, massages, boat excursions, etc at all of the beaches, but in Hermosa it seemed like every 2 minutes someone was coming up to us. A simple “no gracias” sufficed and they move on. In Coco, we experienced it a little near the board walk, but the north end of the beach is quieter. If you want a massage on the beach, you can have one for $40! Not a bad price, but also no AC. We didn’t get one, but agreed that getting one in the morning would be best to avoid being hot and sweaty.

We enjoyed our first dinner out at an Italian place called Verde Salvia Ristorante Italiano E Pizzeria. The thing is, Caylin has a special stomach for pizza and that stomach had been empty for weeks. Candace did what any good wife would do and suggested our first meal in a foreign country be pizza. Ha ha! As a compromise, we enjoyed the most delicious mojitos. Pizza and mojitos are kind of a magical combination.

We shared a large prosciutto and parmesan pizza. On Caylin’s pizza scale, it was an 8/10. After that one mojito, we wanted another so we walked to the store for supplies and tried to replicate it, but admittedly they were not as good as Verde’s version.

Trying to stick to our budget, we mostly ate in at the condo. So many taco nights. Cost effective and delicious! The rest of the time we ate chips & salsa, sandwiches, wraps, more chips for snacking (someone got Caylin hooked on crisps in Scotland a few months earlier….ahem….Matt!), eggs, yogurt, granola, fruit, veggies, chicken, beans and pasta.

The spice cabinet at the condo came with a generous assortment of spices to use and that made a big difference for cooking. You don’t always get that lucky in an Airbnb.

Tip: Caylin recommends bringing a few of your favorite spices if you’re planning to cook. I can just see his suitcase in the future, full of Thai chili and garlic powders with enough room for four of the same gray T-shirts.

A nice guy from Toronto who owns Pancer’s Deli (popular for his pastrami sandwiches) recommended we join Coco Chit Chat on Facebook. This is a group of locals that chat about anything going on in Coco. We learned about happy hours, events, and even the local beach clean up that we volunteered at. We found this super helpful.

One Sunday we participated in the beach cleanup and spent about an hour along the boardwalk area gathering quite a bit of trash. Coco is close to Libera and according to some locals, the people from cities nearby leave their garbage everywhere. I really don’t understand that. The lack of trash cans along the beach isn’t helping the situation and pack it in, pack it out doesn’t appear to be popular here.

On Sundays you can visit the Coco Sunday Market at the Garden Bar where delicious produce, baked goods, Kombucha, freeze dried treats, cheese, smoked fish, meats, clothes, and many beautiful arts and crafts are sold. The produce we purchased was about 2/3 the cost of the store and so fresh. Its open from 9am – 2pm and the first time we showed up right before it closed. Big mistake! We missed out as everyone was packing up. Showing up first thing guarantees you get everything you want.

One night we went to the beach for a full moon bonfire and basked in the bright moonlight. We didn’t stay long, but it was nice to join the crowd howling at the sky. Caylin took some photos and caught Mars in a shot, the tiny dot, to the right of the moon. Dory challenged Caylin to take a full moon photo in each country we visit this year. As long as the sky is clear, we will make it happen and share the moon collage at the end of the year.

Matt and Ricci joined us for a week toward the end of our month stay. It was so great to spend time with them and enjoy new experiences together. They rented a car which allowed us to explore other beaches and have some fun adventures. Read on to find out what we did.