Pura Vida | Life in Costa Rica

There's a saying in Costa Rica which all locals live by.

PURA VIDA, which translates literally to pure life. Pura Vida is not only a saying, it's also a philosophy. It's the belief that all people should live simply, carefree, and full. The life you live should not be taken for granted. When my friend and I deboarded our plane in San Jose, we were immediately greeted with Pura Vidas from everyone we met. Little did we know how much this simple phrase would impact our trek around Costa Rica, 

In recent years, Costa Rica has become a popular destination for Americans and Europeans alike. For us, we chose Costa Rica as our destination purely because it was an exotic country that was easy for us to get to (less than 4 hours direct by plane). We really didn't know much more than what Pinterest told us. It was, so to speak, our least planned vacation. So we enlisted the help of Desafio, a Costa Rican travel and adventure agency. We told them where we wanted to go, and they planned the rest! From hotels to transportation to tours, our entire vacation was in the hands of this competent agency. 

So what did we actually do? I guess the better question is what DIDN'T we do? We visited waterfalls, repelled down canyons, swam in hot spirngs, white water rafted, zip lined, and even had time to lay on a beach for an afternoon.

I can easily say I fell in love with this amazing country. Although our trip was fairly short (just four nights), I feel like we really managed to see some of the most beautiful sights Costa Rica has to offer. We did a LOT of traveling, which isn't everyone's cup of tea. 

OUR ROUTE 

San Jose to La Fortuna | Travel time 3 hours

La Fortuna to Monte Verde | Travel time 3 hours

Monte Verde to Manuel Antonio | Travel time 4 hours

Manuel Antonio to San Jose | Travel time 3 hours

I do apologize for all the iPhone photos. We were so active and doing so much I barely had a chance to pull out my camera. Not to worry! Many more pictures and videos to come! 

What are some sayings around the world that have really stuck with you?

xoxo