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Destination weddings bring a sense of romance and magic that make the experience feel more intimate and memorable. Andy and I loved our wedding! The whole day was a perfect blend of two individuals making a commitment to their lives together and we were surrounded by 250 loving family and friends. Some want a more intimate and romantic setting. Some couples like my brother and his wife Aly want a destination. They wanted to turn their wedding into a vacation and bring some of their closest family and friends along for the experience. We were so grateful to be a part of their wedding day a year ago and help them celebrate all week long in Costa Rica! I’ll get into the destination wedding experience below but first, let’s dive into our weekend adventure off the resort.
When you hear Costa Rica, where does your mind go? Rainforest, monkeys, frogs, colorful birds, and delicious food? That’s right where our minds went! As outdoor adventurers, there were no questions about it, our experience in Costa Rica needed to involve an authentic and road less traveled experience. We debated camping but realized it would be more work and money with all of the bags we would need to check just to camp for a couple of nights before going to spend time with our family at the all-inclusive resort. In addition to the money aspect, camping in another country brings another level of safety concern because it is an area you have not traveled before and knowing what is safe/what’s not is only done by what you can hear, watch, and read from those who have done it before.
Instead of camping, we found the second-best option which was a rustic Airbnb for “glamping”. Santa Maria Volcano Lodge was the perfect place to stay for an off the beaten path adventure. The experience was the perfect blend of Costa Rican culture immersion and authentic rainforest experience. We were able to have a traditional Costa Rican dinner dish of chicken cooked in passion fruit sauce served with fried plantains, rice, and beans. I paired it with a fresh passion fruit juice. Andy got the BBQ pork ribs served with rice and veggies and paired it with an Imperial beer. All of the food is locally sourced from the village or the on-site farm. The meals cost just $10 and were very generous portions. Did I mention they had some delicious homemade hot sauce? We used nearly the whole jar on the two meals we enjoyed there! We wanted to take some home but it needed to stay refrigerated.
The cabanas are a rustic feel but have all of the amenities you need for a comfortable stay. Comfortable beds and a bathroom complete with running water, toilet, and shower. There was even a fan in the cabanas which is very appreciated for the humidity that can be common this time of year in Costa Rica. We fell asleep to the sound of the howler monkeys and woke up to the sound of a variety of birds singing.
Time zone changes: With travel comes time zone changes and with time zone change comes the expectation that your smartphone will automatically set to the current time zone, right? We were in for a surprise the next morning when our smartphones did not change. We kept them in airplane mode as we left the US and just connected to WiFi while in Costa Rica. Apparently, the time on our smartphones is based on the last cell tower pinged when our phones had service, which for us was in the Atlanta airport. Without knowing this at the time, we set our alarms for Sunday morning at 6:30 AM. We wanted to pack up and go to Rincon De La Vieja National Park by opening time knowing that the park closed at 5 PM (note that some portions of the trail do not open up until certain times so plan your hikes accordingly). We packed up and were at the main lodge of the cabanas by what we thought was 7 AM. Our wonderful host Bella told us that the kitchen opened at 7 AM so we wanted to get breakfast as soon as we could before heading out. We were in the lodge at this time, lights still out, no sign of anyone yet. The roosters had hardly started their wake up calls and it was a bright sunny day already! We took a short hike around the cabanas to the plantain farm and then went back to the main lodge. By the time we got back to the lodge, there was a group of cows starting to begin their morning walk to the farm for milking with one rancher leading behind them who only spoke Spanish.
The host’s son also was up at this time, beginning to sweep the common area and spoke only Spanish as well. In my most broken Spanish that I learned in high school, I communicated to the boy, “Donde mama? Yo quiero desayuno ahora siente! Tu mama in dormitorio?” He somehow understood my Spanglish and went to get his mother, who would later make our breakfast. She came out still in her pajamas and said to us, “Do you need something?” We were confused at this because the night before we had made it clear to her that we would be at the lodge for breakfast at 7 AM. We told her we were there for breakfast and she said the kitchen doesn’t open until 7. Confused, we tried to confirm with her that it was going on 8 by showing her the time on our phones. She pulled her phone out and showed us the actual Costa Rican time which was 5:45 AM. To our surprise, we had woken up much earlier than needed! The sun rises then we anticipated in Costa Rica. It only felt natural to be awake! Laughing at the situation, she took our breakfast orders and said come back at 7:30 and your breakfast will be ready! So moral of the story: don’t always rely on your smartphones to change to the current time zone, especially outside of the country!
Since we had over an hour, we spent some time hiking the property’s trails which is highly recommended on your stay here! It is about a 2-mile loop around the property that takes you to a river, up a staircase made of empty crates, over to the farm where there are goats, roosters, dogs, and cows. You will hear plenty of howler monkeys as you hike through the majestic rain forests too. I was fascinated by the colonies of ants working hard to carry their green-leafed meals. After our hike, we enjoyed a short siesta on a couple of the hammocks throughout the property. We got back to the lodge at the correct local time and enjoyed an authentic Costa Rican breakfast! Eggs, beans, rice, plantains, and the most delicious locally grown coffee. Mmmm, I wish I had some fresh Costa Rican coffee right now to sip on!
That day we planned to hike the Santa Maria Sector of Rincón De La Vieja National Park. It was the perfect way to spend a day exploring the park and what the sector has to offer. On our next visit, we would love to check out the Las Pailas Sector which offers some more challenging terrain. The Las Pailas Sector was a further drive than what we wanted for a day’s hike and we had to be back in Liberia that evening, so that’s why we chose the Santa Maria Sector.
A hot but rewarding 5-mile hike and escape away from the more populated tourist areas. We were expecting to see more people than we did. In our 5 hours spent at the park, we ran into roughly 6 groups of hikers (each which had 2-5 hikers per group). The terrain was mostly flat with some steeper portions that don’t last more than a ½ mile uphill. It is very realistic for a day hike, even for beginner-level hikers who might just need to allow more time for the steeper parts of the trail.
On our hike, we stopped at all of the sites which included boiling mud pots, a waterfall, and finally the picturesque hot springs. Be sure to have plenty of water along, especially if you are not used to this type of climate. I drank nearly my whole 3-liter Camelbak on the 5-mile journey. Stopping in the waterfall for a dip along the hike also helps keep your cool during the high humidity peaks of the day. The hot springs are a perfect place to dip in too, just don’t stay in them too long otherwise you may become overheated and lose energy for your hike back to the car.
A few of our must haves for a day hike at Rincon De La Vieja:
- Sun hat. Protect yourselves from the sun! We love our sun hats and take them on almost every hiking trip that will involve sunshine. Easily packable, these will squeeze into any tight space in your packs.
- Protein bars, nuts, and cheese for snacks. Always come equipped with snacks to keep your energy levels going! We love Babybel wax wrapped cheeses that stay good on long hikes.
- Camelbak hydration system. Easy access to always have water on your hike.
- Sunscreen. Plenty of sunscreen!
- Action camera to capture all the scenery. This was our first time testing out our “off-brand” GoPro-type camera and it didn’t disappoint. One of the features we love about it is the screen which allows you to view your video live.
As mentioned above, we had accommodation plans that night at an Airbnb in Liberia which was just a 15-minute drive to the airport — perfect for us to return the rental car and get to where we needed to catch our transport to the resort on Monday. We took the long route (not realizing it) from Rincón De La Vieja to Liberia. We were on an even more rocky road than the day before which took nearly 1.5 hours to drive. As we got closer to town on the dirt road we started to noticed piles and piles of trash along the road. We eventually drove by the overflowing landfill. A bit of culture shock for us to see along the highway.
Onto the luxury resort life…
As we were dropped off at the resort, we were handed cold towels and lemon water. We both wished we had come straight from hiking and wiped our hiking sweat directly onto the wet towel. It would have added to our adjustment into resort life. The week at the resort was well spent with family, drinks, plenty of delicious food, and entertainment. My brother and his wife thanked us for “going out of our comfort zone” and into all-inclusive resort life for their wedding week. The week at the resort seemed so easy, everything was handed to us as we pleased. It was not a vacation that we are used to. No prepping, cooking, planning, or anything for a whole week… many people’s ideal vacations. For us, it was an adjustment! And we would do it again.
Some of the free resort adventure entertainment included:
*Mountain biking: We were wiped out after this! We were only out for 3 hours in the morning but the hot sun, no shade, and lots of inclines did us in for a tough morning workout. We biked to a few different beaches that were off the resort.
*Ocean kayaking: The ocean kayaking was by far one of the highlights of our stay at the resort, we loved it so much we did it twice. The first time was a kayak/snorkel experience. While snorkeling we saw a pufferfish and octopus. We saw a giant sea turtle while kayaking back. The second kayak was a sunset kayak. We paddled out about ½ mile to watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. A peaceful and meditative 40-minute wait to watch the sunset was perfect, but the kayak experience ended with an unexpected turnout. Our double kayak took on water and started sinking! As we were paddling back, I slowly started to feel like I was doing all of the paddlings. Soon after I had this thought, I turned around and Andy’s back half of the kayak was underwater, part of his body already underwater. We yelled and signaled to our guide, and he came to the rescue. It turns out our kayak plug had opened up slightly, causing the kayak to fill with water on the inside and sink. I paddled back to shore in the guide’s single kayak while Andy held onto the back of the double kayak, kicking his legs to help guide as he paddled the half-submerged kayak back to shore. We got back to shore as the rest of the kayak group was anxiously waiting to hear what had happened. What an experience we won’t forget! I don’t think the guide will forget either, in his 5 years of working at the resort he said that had never happened.
*Water aerobics: I was able to enjoy a water aerobics class with my mom during one of the mornings there. A nice enjoyable workout.
*Swimming in the ocean: We were lucky to have Sarah’s Grandma join us for the Costa Rica vacation and wedding. A three-generational swim in the ocean was an unforgettable experience. Born in Hawaii, Grandma has always had a love for the water. Swimming in the Pacific Ocean brought back memories from her childhood of jumping off the cliffs into the waters of the ocean as a child. We enjoyed an afternoon in the ocean looking for sea life and riding the waves. Grandma even brought her boogie board out for a bit!
*Wedding day CrossFit training: This is not actually free resort entertainment, but rather my brother and his wife are CrossFit advocates. For their wedding day, they wanted the wedding party to participate in a CrossFit workout. Andy and I were the only brave souls to endure this workout.
In addition to all of the free resort entertainment, you can choose from plenty of other excursions for an extra fee. We did an all-day excursion that I would highly recommend to any adventure seekers. The day package included ziplining over the rainforest, a water slide through the jungle, coffee presentation and sampling, an authentic Costa Rican lunch, horseback riding, a waterfall hike, and dip in some hot springs to conclude the day. It was an experience that we will remember for a lifetime!
Destination weddings bring a sense of romance and magic that make the experience feel more intimate and memorable. The whole week was a vacation for the guests. We were all able to enjoy the company of one another, experience Costa Rican culture, and visit a place we might not have otherwise ever visited. It was the perfect day, 23 guests (6 of which were part of the wedding party), and pineapple themed ceremony on the beach. Before getting to Dreams Las Mareas in Costa Rica, Phil and Aly only had seen pictures and verbalized to the wedding planners what their vision for the day was. When they got to the ceremony, the smiles on their faces continued on. The reception brought even more smiles on. I was so grateful and my heart was full to be part of this couple’s day, who wanted this together and made it a reality!
Peace, love and hike thru life!