Costa Rica had been on my list for a while. Wildlife, rainforest, volcanoes, beaches, and ceviche are all very appealing. Spiders and the repeated requirement to wear helmets and harnesses, are slightly less so. Still, in the interests of thorough travel research, I went.

San José – a brief encounter

We started with one night in San José at Hotel Presidente, which was really just a chance to land, sleep and prepare ourselves for the 5am alarm clock the following morning. For once having a bit of jetlag paid off as early the next morning after a quick breakfast we set off for Tortuguero on the Carribean coast, driving to the dock before transferring to a boat for the journey to Tortuga Lodge. And this is where Costa Rica really began.

Tortuguero – The Caribbean Coast, but not how you know it!

As the boat zipped through the waterways towards our hotel we spotted our first sloth — followed by a crocodile, which was considerably less cuddly. Travelling by river and spotting wildlife as you go, is a rather fabulous way to arrive at a destination.

Our room was beautiful, right on the river, with plenty of space to relax between all the activities we had planned. That evening instead of cocktails overlooking the river before dinner we threw caution to the wind and headed out for a night walk.

Night walks are a recurring theme in Costa Rica. Essentially, you wander around in the dark looking for things you would probably rather not find in your bedroom. Luckily, this one was all about frogs. Tiny frogs, brightly coloured frogs, enormous frogs — an extraordinary number of frogs.

Dinner afterwards was excellent, and I discovered that Costa Rica does a very good ceviche. This was important research and one I was happy to repeat throughout the trip. The following day we kayaked along the river, spotting birds and monkeys, and climbed a volcano. By this point I was beginning to realise that this wasn't going to be one of those holidays where you return home wondering whether you've moved enough.

Pacuare Lodge – arriving by basket

After two nights at Tortuga Lodge, we transferred to Pacuare Lodge, which is buried deep in the rainforest. There are two ways to arrive. You can raft in. Or you can go off-road before being winched across the river in a basket. Obviously. We arrived in a basket!!

Pacuare was quite extraordinary. We had possibly the most amazing room of the entire trip, overlooking the river with our own private plunge pool. The sort of place where you immediately wonder whether cancelling the day's activities and simply sitting in the pool might be the more sensible option.

Sadly, there was canyoning to be done. This involved being trussed up in a harness and helmet and lowered down waterfalls. There was some talk of "letting go” and “free falling” I made it very clear that nobody was letting go of anything. I would be lowered gently and carefully – just like a giant spider - thank you very much.

After two nights at Pacuare it was time to leave — by white-water raft. Out came another extremely flattering helmet, and off we went to discover exactly what Class 4 rapids are. For anyone wondering, they are quite bumpy. And wet. And considerably more exciting than they sound when you're reading about them from the safety of your sofa.

Arenal – volcanoes and hot springs

Next stop was Arenal, staying at Tabacón Thermal Resort and Spa

There is a volcano. And where there is a volcano, there are hot springs. Finally, an activity I felt naturally suited to. Tabacón's thermal springs tumble through tropical gardens and, after the previous few days of being strapped into various pieces of safety equipment, sitting in naturally hot water felt like an excellent use of my time. Did I also mention that there was a bar and that the bar served Margaritas? I might have found my happy place.

We also visited the Mistico Hanging Bridges, walking high above the rainforest floor and spotting spider monkeys, hummingbirds, spiders and snakes. Some sightings were obviously more welcome than others.

That evening we visited an organic farm for another night walk followed by dinner. One unexpected discovery: remarkably few mosquitoes. Apparently the enormous frog population eats them. I immediately developed a much deeper appreciation for all the frogs.

Monteverde – up in the clouds

From Arenal we travelled by car and then boat across Lake Arenal towards the Monteverde Cloud Forest. As usual for Costa Rica, the journey becomes part of the experience. We stayed at Monteverde Lodge, where we could spot toucans from our balcony and the bar produced some extremely good margaritas. This was more like it. One of my favourite experiences here was a cooking class with a local abuela, learning to make tortillas along with a traditional chicken dish, beans and rice. There is something particularly lovely about learning recipes in someone's kitchen rather than simply eating them in a restaurant — although obviously I am very happy to do that too.

Then came the treetop adventure park.

Costa Rica clearly felt I hadn't had enough adrenaline. There were hanging bridges, tree climbing, a sky bike, the Tarzan swing and zip wires — including one very long zip wire through the clouds.

It was spectacular. I never need to do it again. Ever. I feel I have now had my lifetime allocation of adrenaline and would be quite happy for all future holidays to involve nothing more dangerous than deciding between the ceviche and the tacos.

Santa Teresa – tacos, beach, repeat

Which brings me neatly to our final stop: Santa Teresa, on Costa Rica's Pacific coast.

After rivers, rainforests, volcanoes, harnesses, helmets, kayaks, rafts, hanging bridges and being transported across a river in a basket, Santa Teresa was exactly what was required.

We stayed at the beautiful Nantipa, where the agenda became considerably simpler. Beach. Tacos. Relax. Repeat. And what a perfect way to finish.

Travelling a little greener

One thing that really stood out throughout the trip was Costa Rica's commitment to eco-tourism and sustainability. At almost every hotel, recycling and reducing waste were simply part of everyday life rather than something they made a great fuss about.

And the tap water is drinkable in much of the country, so we could refill our bottles rather than constantly buying plastic ones. Add in hotels working hard to protect their natural surroundings and support local communities, and it felt like a country that genuinely understands that its extraordinary environment is also its greatest asset.

So, would I go back?

Absolutely. Costa Rica manages to pack an extraordinary amount into one relatively small country. One day you're drifting down a jungle river watching monkeys in the trees, the next you're soaking in volcanic hot springs, flying through clouds on a zip wire or eating tacos beside the Pacific. The wildlife is extraordinary, the landscapes are spectacular and the hotels can be seriously special. It's also a destination that works brilliantly if you like a bit of adventure with your luxury. You can spend the morning kayaking through rainforest and the afternoon in your private plunge pool. You can raft Class 4 rapids and still have an excellent ceviche for dinner.

Which is very much my sort of adventure. Although next time, I might leave the sexy helmet at home.

Jacky Bowman travelled to Costa Rica in May 2026

Costa Rica: Sloths, Sexy Helmets and Class 4 Rapids