A Few Of My Favorite Things PART II! In continuation of my last blogs, I would like to share with you a few of my favorite things to enjoy here in Costa Rica. Living here at the beach, you spend lots of time on the oceanfront in Tamarindo, Flamingo and Potrero. You might own a condo in Playa Conchal or Hacienda Pinilla, but what do you do when you need to make that famous city run to San Jose. Well the white sand beaches are great but the mountains of San Jose hold some great treasures to explore.
Just an hour outside of San Jose, La Paz Waterfall Gardens are nestled on the side of Poaz Volcano. This tropical destination offers you an experience like no other. You enter this garden by walking through the luxurious Peace Lodge. Harkens thoughts of Jurassic Park. For a fee of $40 tourists and $22 locals you get a wristband that allows you access to all the jewels this property affords. As you enter the Aviary, the skies are teaming with tropical birds native to Costa Rica. Scarlet Macaws, Toucans and Tanagers fly freely. You can even take a picture while holding them on your arm.
Next is the Butterfly Garden where hundreds of species of butterflies fill the air. Beautiful flowers attract these delicate little creatures and might even land on your finger. You can view their various stages of development and if you are lucky you can see them escaping the crysillus. There is an open air Hummingbird Park where the tiny birds fly past your head to get to their frequently filled feeders. You can't miss them as they zoom so close you feel it. There are monkeys, frogs, snakes and even Jaguars to view in their natural habitat.
The Rainforest is stunning and La Paz Waterfall Gardens brings you the highlights of the jungle without having to leave the comforts of a well groomed trail. The Park also boosts some of the most beautiful waterfalls I have seen in my 21 years here. Get your face sprayed by a 120 foot waterfall, get so close you can taste it. The power is inexplainable and you can see it up close and real. All this just outside San Jose.
So, next time you need to leave the paradise of La Playa, don't hesitate to check out La Paz Waterfall Gardens.