My self-care trip to Costa Rica by Tameeka Leon

My self-care trip to Costa Rica

Let me just start by saying that Costa Rica is freaking AWESOME!!!!!

Ok so this particular blog post is a bit late, I went to Costa Rica back in October, but it is still so important to share. If you are looking for a place to visit, Costa Rica most likely has what you are looking for. It is absolutely beautiful. The weather is amazing. The food is amazing. The people are amazing. And the views, OMG!!!!

With the focus on self-care during the month of February, I really wanted to share my thoughts on Costa Rica because, to me, a trip to Costa Rica definitely falls into the category of self-care.

For those who don’t know, Costa Rica is a Central American country that is bordered on one side by the Pacific Ocean and on the other side by the Caribbean Sea. Being south of the equator, their seasons are the opposite of us in the US. That is important to know when planning your trip.

This trip was a bit last minute but came at a time when I needed it most. I was going through a rough time emotionally and just felt like I needed a different environment for a few days. I have an absolutely amazing friend, who is more like a sister, and who also happens to be the owner of Luxe & Chic Travel. She called me one afternoon and asked if I wanted to go to Costa Rica. Before she could even finish telling me about the trip I said yes. I needed this so bad and the universe answered in the best way possible. So we booked our tickets, got all of our reservations set up and we were ready to go. I mean, you are going to go prepared when you travel with an awesome travel advisor :)

So what was the first thing I noticed? The views!!!! OMG, THE VIEWS!!!!! Costa Rica is a beautiful country. We flew into San Jose, then flew from San Jose to Liberia. Absolutely beautiful! Then the views from our hotel lobby and then our hotel room?!?!?!?! Absolutely breathtaking, especially in the morning and at sunset.

Costa Rica Room View  Costa Rica Room View at Night

We stayed at a beautiful resort that is set far enough away from everything making it an ideal location to rest and relax, W Costa Rica Reserva Conchal. When you check-in, you walk into the most beautiful hotel lobby that I have ever seen and then you are presented with the drink of the day. I don’t remember what was in mine but it was delicious. You will most likely want that drink again but as it is the drink of the day, it won’t be available any other day.  The room was beautiful. I loved the decor and the shower was amazing. Though I will say that it is a bit surprising if you don’t know what to expect (Don’t worry, I won’t spoil the surprise!). They have a few restaurants to choose from and I think we tried all of them during our trip. One thing I would like to highlight is breakfast. The breakfast buffet was wonderful with so many delicious options. And they have healthy juices in their own individual little single-serving glass bottles. I was able to drink my green juice while on vacation and it was delicious (actually it really tasted like green juice but the fact that I didn’t have to make it or clean up made it taste that much better). It rained during our time there so we didn’t use the pools or the beach but they were beautiful. We did get to spend some time at the spa. The spa here is so cute. Each treatment room is like its own hut. From the moment you walk into the spa, you feel the stress melting away. Since I was in Costa Rica for the first time, I decided to try something else for the first time and I got a facial. It was so good that I fell asleep during my treatment. And I don't think my skin had been that soft since I was a baby. It definitely hasn’t been that soft since I came back home.

Costa Rica Pool View

As I said at the beginning of this post, I think of Costa Rica as a self-care destination. As part of our trip, we booked a morning tour with Manta Ray Private Charters. The trip and being on the water was so relaxing. It had been so long since I was able to truly relax that much that I soaked up every single second of it. I sat back and enjoyed the view while we were on our way to the beach. Then I sat back and got some sun while reading a book by one of my favorite authors. Yes, I got a little sunburned but it was so worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat. The crew on the catamaran were awesome, they played music and provided snacks and drinks for us. 

Costa Rica Hidden Beach Costa Rica Catamaran

Costa Rica is also known for adventure travel and more specifically ziplining. Now, this is not normally my thing. I seriously hate heights and I’m not one to look for adrenaline rush type activities. But I couldn’t go all the way to Costa Rica and not at least try it, right? So we spent one morning at Tamarindo Ecoadventure Center and I did it. And I didn’t die!!! It was my first time and I had no idea what to expect. Once I got the hang of it, I had no trouble whatsoever. My fear went away and I was able to make it to each platform with ease. Now I didn’t get to the point where I was able to enjoy the scenery because it started raining while we were there but I didn’t hate it and would consider doing it again. After the ziplining, we rode 4-wheelers. Now that I hated! I won’t go into too much detail but that is NOT my thing. However, I can say that I am happy I got the experience. After the excitement of the day’s activities, we were fed a traditional Costa Rican meal. OMG! It was delicious! So delicious!!!! Now that I’m thinking about it again, I could actually go for a plate right now. Unfortunately, the rain was coming down pretty strong so I couldn't grab my camera until the very end. I did manage to get some pics of the stunningly beautiful, and hand-painted, pottery. Costa Rica pottery 1  Costa Rica pottery 2                 

Costa Rica 3  Costa Rica 4

When it was time to head back to the airport, I can honestly say that I felt like I got what I needed out of the trip. I got out of my routine, I stepped out of my comfort zone, and I got to relax like I hadn’t been able to in a long time. And hubby knows that a trip to Costa Rica is in our near future. To me, that is self-care. Taking care of you so that you can continue to work on your goals and keep pushing forward to success. 

If you are looking for a place to get away for a few days, please consider Costa Rica. It is absolutely beautiful and you will come back with a sense of renewal.

 

A few more pics to help you make up your mind:

Costa Rica Breakfast  Costa Rica green juiceCosta Rica at night  Costa Rica Strawberry Daquiri

Costa Rica Passion Fruit drink   Costa Rica Traditional BreakfastCosta Rica Lobby




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