Our honeymoon officially began when we flew over Costa Rica at 6 in the morning and admired the beautiful sunrise with lush green rainforests below. Once we landed in San Jose and grabbed our rental car, we immediately hit the (extremely) bumpy roads to Arenal Volcano National Park where we would be spending the following three nights. We were still an hour away but as we crested the hills, we spotted glimpses of the prominent Volcano ahead. The perfect start to our Costa Rican honeymoon!

After arriving to town, first on the list of things we must do (and thanks to the internet), was a *free* hot springs we had discovered online which is located right next door to the “commercial” hot springs. It's a little tricky to find, however, it has got to be the very best hot springs I have ever sat in. It looks deceiving, like a normal (cold) river, until you step your feet in and let your body submerge into the invitingly warm waters. Now who would want to spend money to sit in a fake, commercially built pool when you can have this...

We chose to stay in a cute little boutique hotel in La Fortuna, the small town at the base of the volcano. Of course we loved our free breakfast and towel animals. Classic. Only a few minutes drive from town we heard about a waterfall worth checking out which was aptly named La Fortuna waterfall. Because of the humidity we thought this would be the perfect opportunity for us to take a dip in now, the chilly waters; complete opposite temps from the day prior. It was a takes-your-breath-away moment when we got in but totally worth it!

Next up, the Cerro Chato hike. We were too stubborn to pay to enter the "easier" route but had asked a local how to get there the hard way. Sure enough, through a couple horse pastures, we found the sign pointing us in the right direction. A bit about Cerro Chato...it's a dormant volcano that has been inactive for 3,500 years. It sits at an elevation of 3,740 ft and little did we know, the climb was steep. What makes it unique, and you'll see, is that once we reached the top, an inviting turquoise lake inside the old crater was there to greet us.

What I haven't mentioned is that we came ill-prepared for the hike (idiots!). It was steep, muddy, and hot. We had no water and both wore sandals. Plus it took us an hour and a half to reach the lake. I'm pretty sure the sign that reads '1700 meters' is wrong! We were definitely worn out but ecstatic to finally reach the top. Hard to tell in the photos but we were definitely standing smack-dab in the middle of the circular crater. Pretty unreal, at the time.

Our last little adventure that we had to partake in was a nighttime lava showing of the Arenal Volcano, complete with bursts and ribbons of intensely orange lava cascading down the volcano. We asked the locals where to get the best viewing and went out in search of our very own lava river. It was dark, we found a spot on the side of some sketchy gravel road. Eager, we jumped outside the car to wait in anticipation. Then sure enough we heard the boisterous eruptions and saw the fluid lava oozing down the side of the volcano. It's hard to explain just how awesome it was; To be that close to an active volcano was priceless. Darn, no pictures to prove it but here are our 'holy-crap-we-just-saw-lava faces.'

Next up on our trip was the less touristy and bit more off the beaten path beach town of Samara. Surfing, palm tree lined beaches, and delicious cuisine awaits…

Costa Rican Honeymoon: Part I

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