We have just spent the last two weeks in Costa Rica at Kia’s new home located in the little village of Hermosa. We had a fantastic time hanging with family and friends.

Gary, Pam, Brian and I arrived on March 7th, Kia the week earlier. Pam and Gary were kind enough to wait a few hours for Brian and I at the Liberia airport so we would have a drive to the villa. Our last visit was in November 2022 and the first thing we noticed was how different the landscape looked. Everything was so dry and barren looking. As we approached Hermosa we could see a lot of little “forest fires” in the hills and a lot of land that had already been burned. Kia informed us that fires were started from cans lying in the grass reflecting the sun like a magnifying glass on paper.

This year we visited a few new beaches in addition to our regular Playa Hermosa and Playa del Coco, explored a few new little villages, floated down a lazy river, tried some new restaurants and did some house maintenance around the villa.

Kia, Pam, Brian and I visited Playa Calzon and Playa Penca. These beaches were very isolated and inhabited mostly by locals as they took a little effort to get to but well worth the trek. To get to Playa Calzon we had to travel a very potholed sand road and then walk about a kilometre down a very steep sandy path with lots of loose gravel. The beach was located in a quiet, protected cove. We set up our beach chairs and enjoyed some time in the water. While Pam and Kia relaxed, Brian and I walked along the rocky shore to Playa Penca. Along the way we encountered several small sandy secluded shores. Playa Penca was a beautiful white sand beach with a little margarita bar. Unfortunately we didn’t think to carry our wallets with us so we had to pass it up.

One of Gary’s biking days was in Las Catalinas so we all decided to tag along. Las Catalinas is a new beach town on the Guanacaste coast. Its purpose is to create a way of life that is healthy, sustainable, fulfilling, and fun. Las Catalinas consists of houses, shops, restaurants, small hotels, plazas, parks, and recreational facilities. The town has over 1,000 acres of tropical dry forest, with spectacular hills and valleys that afford extensive hiking and biking and two of the finest beaches in Costa Rica – Playa Danta and Dantita. While Pam and Kia enjoyed Playa Danta, Brian and I hiked a 2.3km loop trail that would take us up some elevation climbs and down to Playa Dantita and then back to Playa Danta along the lava rock. The day was thoroughly enjoyed by us all.

Our next adventure was to the natural pools – Poza Los Coyotes. This is a secret gem, located within a private farm, that has yet to be commercialized. When you arrive you are charged 2000 colonnes per person to enter the family-owned property and then an additional 1000 colonnes if you wish to rent an inner tube to travel down the river, through the canyons and into the cave. The river flows with a light current down from the Rincon de la Vieja volcano and has several small rapids and one small waterfall where the water moves through the eroded canyon wall. The high concentration of minerals from the volcanic activity give the water a beautiful emerald colour.

Our next adventure was to Santa Cruz, Playa Langosta and Lola’s on Playa Avellana. These sandy beaches and the restaurant were fabulous.

When not adventuring we relaxed on the back porch of Kia’s villa, enjoying the little pool, visiting cats and the sounds of the birds. We savoured some great meals prepared on the BBQ while shooing away the neighbourhood coatis that visited nightly after sunset. Six even broke into the house one evening only to be scared out by Brian and Kia but not before creating quite the mess in the kitchen. Never did we forget to check that the back patio door was completely locked before we ventured to bed.

On our last night in Costa Rica we had supper in Ocotal with Brian and Lynn Burton. The restaurant, Father Roosters, was located on the beach and had a very relaxing beachside vibe. The food was delicious and fun was had by all.