Costa Rica

Costa Rica marriage proposal video <3

FAV FLICKS ♥:

WHY WE ♥ COSTA RICA:

Costa Rica has a special place in our hearts 💕. Not only was this our first international trip as a couple, but it was also the place that my then-boyfriend turned into my fiancé. We got engaged on the white-sand beach of Playa Conchal, with just us. If you love the beauty of nature, this is the trip for you!

This is also the trip that taught us how to travel together. He was ready for a trip full of R&R, while I was ready to book tours every day. The perfect compromise was alternating a day to relax and a day to explore. It was honestly the best combination so you don’t return from your vacation feeling exhausted from all the tours or regretting that you didn’t see enough. You will not see everything on your trips this way, but it is truly the best balance.

Every tour shows off the stunning beauty of Costa Rica. Our first tour was the Rio Celeste Hiking, Sloth Sanctuary & Llanos de Cortés Waterfall Tour. The second tour happened the day that after we got engaged and I like to say, ‘we celebrated like kids‘ with the Guachipelin Adventure Volcano Zipline Horseback River Tubing Combo Tour.

In between tours, we relaxed at our resort (mainly poolside in a cabana).

The biggest thing you’ll have to decide when visiting Costa Rica is which side to stay on. There is the Pacific side and the Caribbean side. The Pacific side is known for luxury resorts and stunning national parks. The Caribbean side is more about the real culture and nature. We stayed on the Pacific side in Guanacaste but are itching to go back and explore the Caribbean side.

OUR FAV♥RITE THINGS TO DO:

Playa Conchal (proposal)

Rio Celeste Hiking & Waterfall

Horseback Riding

River Tubing

Ziplining

Dining at local restaurants 🤤

Poolside R&R at Hotel

Sloth Sanctuary

Mud body painting + hot springs

A Candid Cost Calculation:

Accommodation – As mentioned above, we stayed in the Guanacaste province on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. We loved our hotel – The W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal. This is the first trip that we started the habit of splurging on an ocean-view room. If you can afford it, it is always worth it! The property has golf carts to take you to the pool, restaurant etc. It is an amazing option if you do plan to relax and enjoy the beach or pool. If you would rather book back-to-back tours, you can find more affordable accommodations.

Food – Before we get to the food – the coffee was amazing! Whenever you get a good coffee recommendation, buy it! It also makes amazing gifts.

Most of our food was from the hotel or pre-selected restaurants on our tours. We loved the local food! We appreciated our fancy, yet expensive, hotel dinners but our biggest mistake wasn’t going out sooner to local restaurants. Our last night we went to a delicious local restaurant for a fraction of the price of the hotel options. It should be no surprise but somehow, we were surprised. I highly recommend asking for local restaurants and trying them out. We did not have to sacrifice the vibe and definitely not the flavor by eating local.

Transportation – On the Pacific side, our made mode of transportation was our tours. Our hotel also took us to the one restaurants off the resort. On the Caribbean side, I’d image it would be more foot-friendly for walking.

We used Liberia Airport Shuttle Service.

Best of the Best – This trip was filled with so much joy for us. We went as boyfriend/girlfriend and left as fiancés – Mi prometido 🥰. I did not see the proposal coming. I thought nothing of my now husband flying his drone and setting up my phone’s video. He’s a photographer, I thought he finally wanted to do a couple’s photoshoot. Believe it or not, when he got down on one knee, I still didn’t know he was proposing. It wasn’t until he pulled out the ring box did I understand what was happening. I completely shocked! It was an incredible moment. It was completely private. Oh, what joy! Celebrating the next day with the most adventurous tour just electrified our feelings and set us up for a lifetime of adventure 😍!

PRO TIPS ♥:

Dress for Hiking/Swimming You will do a lot of walking/hiking on your tours so make sure to have good sneakers. Also wear a bathing suit under your clothes. I brought a draw-strick backpack with a change of clothes. Travel light but be prepared to get wet. It may also rain in the rainforest - go figure!

Observe the nature Take time on your hikes to observe and admire the stunning beauty of nature - not only the large waterfalls but the small flowers and little frogs hiding on plants. There is so much beauty in every step 🫶🏽

You may have to visit twice If you have time, see both the Pacific and Caribbean sides. If you don't consider going back another time. The world is so big that I don't always like going back to the same place twice but this may be an exception for me. There is so much to see/do on both sides. Get the most out of one side if you're only there for a few days.

Versatile Trip We obviously did Costa Rica as a romantic bae trip but it is also the perfect destination for a group trip! Costa Rica has so much adventure and splendor, it can easily be experienced either way.