adventures in costa rica: part 3

Making new friends

We rented an ATV for the day, and drove miles of beach and trails to get to this beautiful cove. 

This is the view from one of the zip line platforms

Halfway through zip lining, we took a break to jump off the rocks!

This is the boat that took us to Tortuga Island for a day of snorkeling

A trip to Costa Rica would not be complete without a little treehouse yoga on a full moon night with howler monkeys going crazy in the surrounding trees! 

pura vida!

adventures: costa rica, part 2

Even though the weather was hot and humid, that didn't stop us from getting out and exploring Playa Santa Teresa and the surrounding towns and beaches.

I had to rent a surfboard from the popular Denga Surf Shop. There are a handful of surf shops around, but this guy is the only shaper in the area. I traded in my 9' longboard at home for a 6'10" to try out on the faster waves in Playa Hermosa.

Because of the beach break, the waves were a lot faster and heavier than I'm used to in Southern California, but I loved being out in the wonderfully warm water for hours. Even the cows enjoy the beach!

Dinner would not be complete without a sunset, so what better place to enjoy it than at the popular Brisas del Mar overlooking the whole town and ocean. 

Next stop: Montezuma. This touristy little town was very beautiful and quaint, but I'm glad we didn't stay there because it didn't really feel like you were in Costa Rica. What are paved roads doing in town? 

From Montezuma, we wound along the coast on more dirt roads until we got to Cabo Blanco, the country's first nature reserve at the very tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. Finally...monkeys (among other creatures)! We did the shorter hike through the reserve, which took about 1 hour. This is not the zoo--you enter into these animal's habitat, which is actually a little bit scary when you don't know exactly what all the noises you hear belong to!

hard to tell, but there is a huge spider in that right hole that i almost stepped on.
i can't imagine what spider season is like if this was the dry season!   

don't feed the monkeys 

some sort of badger--there was a herd of them traveling along the dried up river 

And of course, the day would not be complete without a sunset

pura vida!

summer in the marina

It's been a busy summer, and is going by entirely too fast. The beach has had more June gloom than normal, so we love it when the sun comes out and bask in it's warmth for as long as it decides to stay.

The colors of summer are my favorite--the sun shining on the sea gives it that warm inviting feel 

(even if the water is 60 degrees!)

Even the surfboard designs seem to be following the bright color trend!

You can always find crowds in the water, regardless of the weather

It's nice to curl up on the couch with some good coffee after a morning surf session

Emma loves the cool weather

Summer is a time for feasting on our favorite fresh foods and locally grown produce 

...and paleo carrot cake

...and birthday drinks!

A little trip to Deus Ex Machina satisfies both his and hers loves

And summer would not be complete without a beach sunset

mermaid soiree

I just got back from Cabo, where two of my great girlfriends and I enjoyed our first annual Mermaid Soiree (surf trip). What a fun trip! It was so nice to get away from everything for a few days to hang out with some friends I've known for years and spend time relaxing, eating, drinking, talking, sunning, and surfing together.

We stayed at the gorgeous Cabo Surf Hotel, with an infiniti pool and hot tub facing the surf break. We basically never left the water--running from the pool to grab our surfboards and jump in the ocean, then back to the pool again. We made a lot of fun friends in the pool while watching the waves come in!

The service at Cabo Surf Hotel was amazing, and everyone there from the staff to the visitors were so friendly. It is a very convenient little resort, which has basically everything that you need right there so you don't have to rent a car if you don't want to. The food and drinks at the restaurant were delicious. There is even a surf shop below the hotel on the beach where you can rent your boards, making it very convenient (since taking longboards on a plane is not only a hassle, but very expensive).

The surf ranged from 2 ft to 12 ft while we were there. Mornings tended to be a little more mellow and clean, and the currents seemed to pick up a bit more in the afternoons and evenings. The break was very challenging for us, and pushed us out of our comfort zone which was a fun change. The water was incredibly warm (yes, 80 degrees warm), which was such a nice break from our freezing California water. Everyone out in the water was so nice and encouraging--I felt like an amazing surfer, while I'm sure I looked far from that riding some of these big waves. 

There isn't a bad view from any of the rooms

On the last day, a storm came through so we couldn't surf. Instead, the hot tub on the balcony got filled up and pina coladas were ordered!

Besides my sunburned lips, and getting stung by a bunch of jellyfish while paddling in from an evening session, the trip was amazing. We couldn't have asked for a more fun spot for our first soiree!