September 15th is coming, Costa Rica celebrates its independence and therefore it’s a national holiday; the 15th this year falls on a Thursday so there’s a lot of people taking a day off work on Friday the 16th to enjoy a well-deserved long weekend. If you are part of those lucky people, and you are trying to figure out where to go spend a fun few days we have a couple of suggestions for getaways in Costa Rica:
Nauyaca Waterfalls: a great place if you enjoy adventure and eco-tourism, the Nauyaca Waterfalls are located in the province of Puntarenas, 10 KM (6.2 miles) from Dominical beach going towards Perez Zeledon, so about a 3 hour drive from San Jose. Nauyaca has a free-fall 147ft waterfall and a tiered 65ft waterfall with a 19ft deep swimming hole at the bottom, there are other smaller pools as well. The beauty of this place is that you can enjoy horseback riding tours over a 12KM (7.45 miles) route, this is about a 2 hour ride where you’ll be surrounded by beautiful nature, there’s also a mini zoo and a restaurant area “Don Lulo’s house” that serves typical Costa Rican food. If you are not big on horseback riding, you can also walk there (it’s a bit of a hike so consider this if you are traveling with kids or anyone with a disability), if you have an SUV you can get close enough to where you’ll only have to walk a short trail. Entrance fee is of $8 per person. Close to Nauyaca Waterfalls as we mentioned you can find Dominical Beach and the area of Uvita where the Marino Ballena National Park and its famous whale tail is located, this is a great time of the year to visit and you can so this could make for a great 3-4 day trip where you can explore the area and take the whale and dolphin watching tour if you haven’t yet.

If you rather stay closer to home instead of taking a long drive, a trip to Poas Volcano and the Waterfall Gardens is your best alternative, this can even be just a day trip, but if you have the possibility of staying at The Peace Lodge you’ll never regret it.

Volcan Poas is one of the most visited National Parks, this because it’s just a short drive and of course because it’s beautiful and impressive. The best time to visit is early in the morning, at around 9-10AM there’s a big chance it will be clear and you get to see the craters and the lake, just a few weeks ago they inaugurated a new trail and viewpoint where you can see the Botos lake up close. The park is open from 8AM to 3:30PM and the entrance fee is of $5 for foreigners. On your way there if you go really early try to stop by Freddo Fresas restaurant, it makes for a great experience.
Just a 20 minute drive from the Poas Volcano you will find the popular Waterfall Gardens, this place is great for adults and children alike, the views are spectacular, this private park features five waterfalls, and a rescued wildlife preserve where you can see jaguars, ocelots, monkeys and you can find an aviary, toucan and hummingbird gardens, butterfly gardens, among others. The experience is wonderful, and the restaurants are very good. The Peace Lodge is a very relaxing option if you wish to stay the night and enjoy the park for another day.