Known for being one of the most biodiverse countries and for having copious lush rainforests, Costa Rica was a country I had always been drawn to. So when I realized my birthday was approaching and thought about how I hadn’t done anything more than a small dinner with friends for the past ten years, I finally decided it was time I had a real celebration and chose to spend it exploring Costa Rica! And naturally made my two best friends come along with me. I felt like a true explorer climbing through the verdant palm trees!

In order to see as much of Costa Rica as possible and get the most well-rounded experience that we could, we decided to explore two different parts of the country, and split our time between the coast and the inland. The first part of our trip took us to Manuel Antonio where we stayed right outside the National Park. We spent our first night exploring the beach in front of our hostel and playing in the waves until the sun set.

Manuel Antonio National Park is home to over 100 species of mammals and 200 species of birds and one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. While it may be Costa Rica’s smallest national park, it’s the most biodiverse (Costa Rica is home to 500k+ species)! The park is incredibly accessible with walkways leading the entire way through and the fee is less than $20 and goes straight to helping maintain and preserve the park. We spotted several species of monkey, birds, and even sloths, along with coatis, anteaters, snakes, and the red eyed tree frog. Once through the park, we made our way down to the beach and spent the rest of the day exploring and enjoying the dreamy views.

The second half of our trip took us the middle of the country to Mt Arenal were we stayed at the Springs Resort and Spa right next to the volcano. We knew the resort was known for having some incredible views, but we were completely unprepared for just how mind-blowing they were. We also went during the rainy off-season (and got blessed with perfect weather!) so we were able to avoid the crowds and practically enjoy the resort to ourselves. With several pools, hot tubs, and over 20 natural springs included in the resort, we were in absolute paradise. There were jungle-style canopy bars, open-air dining, and even a waterslide, which I must have gone down at least 100 times!

Our suite had a direct view of the volcano from our balcony, where we spent every night just hanging out and relaxing in the open air on the hammocks. We felt a little bit of imposter syndrome with just how luxurious this resort was, definitely not our typical stay. We quickly shook it off and were humbled by just how lucky we were to be enveloped in this teeming pocket of life, and enjoy the beauty of this earth we’ve been blessed with. We made sure to soak in every moment. I mean when am I ever going to have another opportunity to stay in a rainforest next to a volcano!

One of our favorite features were the windowless panes found throughout most of the resort. If the dining wasn’t completely open-air then it had glassless windows. With nothing separating you from the outdoors, you really felt connected with the wilderness. We felt isolated in our own little corner of nature, while still enjoying all of the creature comforts.

I’m a bit of a thrill seeker so the idea of being completely immersed in the jungle canopy was one activity I couldn’t miss out on. One of the best ways to view the jungle canopy, the Arenal Hanging Bridges consist of 14 hanging walkways which we were able to traverse throughout the rainforest, suspended at roughly 200 feet. If that wasn’t enough adrenaline already, we then made our way over to Sky Trek Ziplines where we flew through the air for a total of 1.7 miles and at a height of 660 feet through the trees, between canyons, and even over the Mt Arenal Volcano! Short of swinging from vine to vine like one of the monkeys, we were as close to being one with the other jungle creatures as we could be.

This was the cutest little waterfall! La Fortuna tumbles from roughly 250 feet off the side of the Arenal Volcano, carrying the waters from the rainforest. We had to hike the equivalent of 80 flights of stairs to get to its basin, where we spent the day cooling off underneath the crystalline falls. Up close it seemed tiny, but the view from the beginning of the hike was striking. A single stream breaking up the dense jungle.

My birthday was our final night at the resort. It was bittersweet our trip was coming to an end but the fact it was spent celebrating my birthday definitely made it go out with a bang! I got to watch the sunset over the volcano, be serenaded amidst the rainforest canopy, and was surprised with the most delicious birthday cake. This was one of the most memorable birthdays for sure and I couldn’t have possibly asked for anything more. I even got to have cake for breakfast the next morning and finished it on the way to the airport!