RICA

By Kelly MacLeod

There is much to love about Costa Rica – the food, the people, the scenery, the activities –the list is endless. What keeps people coming back for more, though, is pura vida. While pura vida does translate to pure life, it’s really more of a vibe than a phrase.

“For Costa Ricans, pura vida means enjoying life no matter what your circumstances; it’s a simple appreciation of life and the realization that life is what you make of it,” according to CostaRica.org.

I recently hopped a plane with five of my gal pals and got to experience pura vida firsthand and I promise you, it’s real.

We stayed at the beautiful Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas located on the Guanacaste Coast. I’ve been to other areas of Costa Rica and have always flown into San Jose. This was my first time flying into the Liberia airport and staying in the northwest part of the country.

The views from Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas are guaranteed to take your breath away and sunset is upgraded with the lighting of the torches at the edge of the infinity pool.

The hotel had a car waiting for us and after a not-so-quick visit to the duty free liquor store, we were on our way. The drive was about 45 minutes to the hotel, and it was worth every minute.

Casa Chameleon is set on a lush hillside and is a honeymooner’s dream. Yes, there were a lot of honeymooners. Our group of girls never felt out of place, though, and we didn’t mind each sharing a villa with one other person from our group. When you are at a place like this, it’s hard to mind anything. Everything about the secluded high-end resort was top notch. It helps to also travel with friends who you know you can travel with. As my friend Victoria Mullet pointed out, it’s important to be limit the number of people in your group as well as the number of days together.

“Four days is best. You leave still wanting more and not being sick of each other,” Mullet said.

Each villa has a private balcony and dip pool with amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and mind-blowing sunsets. There is also an infinity pool by the main building, which houses the open-air restaurant, bar and yoga/event space. There are private cabanas by the pool if you want to escape the sun, read a book or take a nap, and the staff makes sure you never go thirsty.

VICTORIA’S GIRLS’ TRIP RULES

Four-day rule. You always leave wanting more, which is far better than being ready to get away from the group and get home. This can limit where you go, you’re not going to go somewhere too far for just four days, but you have nothing but fond memories and excitement to be together again.

Limit the number of people. Four people is ideal, six is max. Too many people is like herding cats and takes away from the spontaneity and the fun. The more people you have, the more difficult it is to make everyone happy.

Know your travel people. It’s risky to go with a complete stranger; you need to have common thoughts on spending priorities. If one person likes to splurge on food and another prefers to splurge on activities, you’re going to have conflict. You also need to make sure you like to do the same things. Do you love shopping, or hate shopping?

Do you love going on a boat, or do you get seasick? Don’t be afraid to be frank upfront about expectations.

It’s good to have someone who keeps things moving. Do you like a predetermined itinerary or fly-by-the-seat-ofyour-pants? It can be helpful if someone does some upfront planning to know what is available so precious trip time isn’t spend researching and asking, “What do you want to do? I don’t know, what do you want to do?” But don’t be too tied to an itinerary, just use it as a suggestion. It’s vacation –be spontaneous!

We found that hydrating with the fresh coconut water is a tasty and wise move. There are many activities in the surrounding area to keep anyone entertained and active. While we did venture out for a sunset sail – we loved doing the group charter and getting to meet a lot of fun people – and a couple of dinners, we didn’t fully take advantage of all that nature had to offer because we just loved the hotel so much. The food was great – especially the breakfasts – the people were friendly, and we got enough exercise going up and down the stairs to our villas.

I definitely plan to return – possibly with my husband, or friends, either way it’s a winner – and would love to do more hiking, biking, surfing and exploring. The pura vida is calling.

The breakfasts at Casa Chameleon take fresh and tasty to new levels. The Chameleon Huevos Rancheros (top left) includes a flavorful green sauce with just a hint of spice. The granola and yogurt (top right) includes fruit that gives new meaning to fresh and flavorful. Hydration is key, right? It doesn’t get more pure and fresh than sticking a straw (biodegradable, of course) in a coconut. A favorite Costa Rican breakfast found throughout the country is the Tico (bottom). Beans and rice might not sound like a good way to start the day, but done the Costa Rican way they are a delicious way to fuel your day.