Cindy Southgate’s Travels
Life is What you Make it!
Vacationing in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica 2023, Day 15
Tulemar, Manuel Antonio For our first full day at Tulemar, we decided to spend the day at the resort. We walked up the hill to TuleCafe for breakfast. Mike asked if the chef could make our favourite breakfast dish, even though it was no longer on the menu, and he kindly made it for us.… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2023, Day 14
Costa Rica 2023, Day 14 El Castillo to Tulemar Resort On our last morning at El Castillo, Mike and I enjoyed seeing the sunrise from our balcony, reflected in the clouds, as we headed up for breakfast. We ate our breakfast indoors, while enjoying the view of the infinity pool and beyond. After breakfast, our… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2023, Day 13
February 22 This morning we headed out for another hike down along the beach. The plan was to do a similar distance to the day before, and then return to the hotel for lunch and relaxation. We headed out the front door of the hotel and headed down the gravel road that would take us… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2023, Day 12
February 21 With our tours cancelled, we now had a couple of days to relax. We started the day with breakfast at one of the two cute tables for two that were tucked into the corners of the pool patio. We had several options to chose from – breakfast was included with the price of… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2023, Day 11
February 20 We were up early today to take a short birding tour with Kevin. We met him at 6 am and headed down the road to a short trail near the main building. We only saw a few birds and unfortunately Kevin wasn’t as good at taking cell phone pictures through his scope as… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2023, Day 10
February 19 Today we went on a hike in Piedras Blancas National Park. We purchased our pass at the resort’s front desk and were told to bring it with us. We assumed we would have to show our pass at the park’s ranger station. The trail head was just a short walk up the road.… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2023, Day 9
February 18 Today we went on two different tours. The first tour was a daytime rainforest walk through some of the trails on and around the property. We had Kevin as our guide for both and no one else signed up so we ended up having a private tour. The rainforest here is very lush.… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2023, Day 8
February 17 Mike and I were up at 5 am after an early bedtime the evening before. We sat on our patio until 7 am and then headed into the village to pick up some food for breakfast. We visited the general store and the bakery with Lucky leading the way. I did a lot… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2023, Day 7
The post details a challenging and exciting hike through Corcovado, with encounters like a Caiman and Puma tracks. The trek was physically demanding, with rugged terrain and encounters with wildlife and nature’s elements. The day ended with a refreshing river cool-down, a bumpy van ride, and a change of accommodations to a nicer cabin. Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2023, Day 6
In Costa Rica, an early start led to a day filled with wildlife sightings. From small Anoles to majestic birds and monkeys, the diverse flora and fauna of the region captivated us. We covered 8.5 km on trails, spotting fascinating creatures along the way, before ending the day with a beautiful sunset at the beach. Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2023, Day 5
On February 14th, we embarked on a challenging yet exciting hike to Corcovado Park, a biodiverse oasis. Guided by Josue, we navigated through rainforests, beaches, and rivers, spotting various wildlife like bats, monkeys, and even a tamandua. Despite the rugged terrain and uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, the unique experience was well worth the effort. Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2023, Day 4
On February 13, the day began with a tranquil breakfast of cereal and yogurt on the patio, followed by a bike ride to a secluded beach in Costa Rica. Despite encountering some challenges, such as bumpy roads and smoking at the resort, the day concluded with a memorable evening snorkel tour, complete with dolphin sightings… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2023, Day 3
February 12 I was up around 5 a.m. which would be the trend for most mornings. We enjoyed breakfast on our patio while watching a squirrel chow down on some fruit that was hanging on a nearby tree. I had tentatively booked a snorkelling boat tour for today but discovered that the owner of Cabinas… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2023, Day 1 and 2
February 10 and 11 This year we headed back to Costa Rica for our third visit. I spent days researching our trip and the places I wanted to see because the plan was to visit a different country the following year. The main focus of this trip was our three day hike in Corcovado Park,… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 17 and 18
Sunday, February 27 – 28 Today was our last full day in Costa Rica. We decided to have our breakfast delivered to our room to enjoy on our deck. This morning we went kayaking. Our guide picked us up and drove us to a small river where their tour company was located. Once again we… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 16
Saturday, February 26 Today was our second last day. We planned a relaxing day with some time at the beach. This is our favourite resort so spending a day enjoying all it has to offer is mandatory. After breakfast we made our way down to the beach. We were not in a hurry so we… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 15
Friday, February 25 Today we returned to Manuel Antonio National Park to explore at our own pace. We reserved our arrival time about a month before our trip. This is one of the national parks that requires a paid reservation. After breakfast we headed up to the reception area and ordered a taxi. Our driver… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 14
Thursday, February 24 We had a bit of time this morning because our first tour didn’t start until 10 a.m. We enjoyed our breakfast at TuleCafe and took some pictures of the wildlife we encountered while we walked around the property. We saw a Sloth, a Squirrel Monkey with her baby and a Scarlet Macaw.… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 13
Wednesday, February 23 Today we woke up in one of our favourite places – Tulemar resort. https://tulemar.com/Resort. At 6:30 a.m. we headed up to TuleCafe for breakfast. We were disappointed to learn that our favourite breakfast wasn’t on the menu anymore, but all their breakfasts are great. After eating we slowly made our way up… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 12
Tuesday, February 22 Today was our last day in Monteverde. We were up early as usual and made our breakfast with a combination of the food supplied in our tree house and leftovers from the fancy breakfast delivered the day before. We packed our bags and drove over to Curi-Cancha reserve where we had a… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 11
Monday, February 21 Instead of going out for breakfast today, we ordered in ahead of time. Two women brought us an amazing meal and set it up for us. It included eggs, pancakes, yogurt, granola, hash browns and back bacon. There was so much food we ended up saving a lot of it for the… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 10
Sunday, February 20 This morning we headed to a very new location for us – the cloud forest. It would take us about three and a half hours to drive to Monteverde. The roads were fine until we started to head up into the mountains. Here they were not well paved – there were many… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 9
Saturday, February 19 Today was our last full day at Tango Mar. I was feeling energetic so I went for a run on the beach before breakfast. For you Strava users, I became the “local legend” of this beach segment! Mike came with me to take some pictures. After taking some pictures of this Limpkin… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 8
Friday, February 18 After our usual breakfast buffet, we went to the front desk to meet our guide for the snorkelling tour to Tortuga Island. We had a couple and their 5 year old daughter joining us. They were in the midst of travelling around the world for 6 months. We all got in a… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 7
Thursday, February 17 Another picture perfect day! February is the middle of Costa Rica’s dry season which lines up perfectly with the weather we want to escape from in Canada, which is usually the coldest month of the year. This morning we headed out to explore the north side of the beach. There was supposed… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 6
Wednesday, February 16 I was feeling much better today so we headed over for breakfast. The restaurant, like most in Costa Rica, was open air. We also had a breakfast buffet included with our room price at this resort. One nice addition was a woman making made-to-order omelettes and scrambled eggs. She was pretty good… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 5
Tuesday, February 15 Today was a quiet day. I had had very little sleep since I had been sick the night before. I felt a bit better in the morning and was fine to go on a long drive. We were heading to our second location – the south east side of the Nicoya Peninsula.… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 4
Monday, February 14: Valentine’s Day! Today would be our most action packed day ever! We booked the tour ahead of time through our hotel, Hacienda Guachipelin. They run several exciting tours which are very close to or on their property. We chose the “One Day Pass” which included a variety of activities. After breakfast we… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 3
Sunday, February 13 Today was another day of exploring on our own. We were very happy to have a car because we had three different places to visit. Our first hike was a short one on the resort property before we went for breakfast. We found a trail right across the road from where we… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 2
Saturday, February 12 The nightly rate at Guachipelin included breakfast so we headed over to the restaurant when it opened at 6:30. We were up at 5:30 because the time there is one hour behind ours at home. They had a nice buffet set up with glass in front of the food and servers ready… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2022, Day 1
Friday, February 11 I was so excited to be heading back to Costa Rica! We didn’t travel in 2021 because of the pandemic. Last May we booked this trip for February 2022, hoping it would be over. It wasn’t, and I thought about postponing our trip, but with all the safety measures in place we… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2020, March 2, Day 14
Monday, March 2 Today, sadly, was our last full day in Costa Rica. We had two exciting tours planned for today. While waiting for the restaurant to open we walked around and took a few pictures. We started the day with breakfast at TuleCafe. This morning we tried a different egg dish – it was… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2020, March 1, Day 13
Sunday, March 1 Today we were supposed to be going on an adventure tour to do ziplining and rappelling. A couple of days earlier I received an email asking if we could change our date but being at the end of the trip, it wasn’t possible. We ended up having an unexpected free day but… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2020, February 29, Day 12
Saturday, February 29 Today we said goodbye to Drake Bay and the Osa Peninsula. We gathered our things and Erik drove us down to the restaurant where we had our breakfast each morning. It is right on the beach so we could wait here for the ferry that would take us back to Sierpe. Again… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2020, February 28, Day 11
Friday, February 28 This was one of our favourite days. We spent most of the day hiking along the coast towards Corcovado Park. We covered 8 kilometers on the way out but that included all of our stops to explore the beaches and climb over the rocks. The hike back was only 6 kilometers. We… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2020, February 27, Day 10
Thursday, February 27 After spending five nights at Jaguar’s Jungle, it was time to head to our next destination – Pacheco Cabins in Drake Bay. Drake Bay is a small seaside village that is located at the northern point of the Osa peninsula. It is home to some budget and mid-range hotels as well as… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2020, February 26, Day 9
Wednesday, February 26 Today would be our second visit to Corcovado Park. This time we were headed to the Padrillo Ranger Station. My original plan was to visit the Padrillo area and to do the Llorona waterfall tour. Unfortunately the latter was the location of some illegal activity, so we were not permitted to visit.… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2020, February 25, Day 8
Tuesday, February 25 For Mike and I a free day rarely means a lazy day. This was our opportunity to do some exploring on our own. After breakfast we loaded up our packs with water and snacks and set off to explore the trails that lead towards Corcovado park. Being long distance runners, we have… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2020, February 24, Day 7
Monday, February 24 Today we went on a snorkeling tour to Cano Island (pronounced Can-yo). It’s a small, uninhabited island that is very popular for snorkelling and scuba diving. It’s about 16 km from the shore and it took about 45 minutes to get there. We were very lucky to have the same tour guide… Continue reading
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Costa Rica 2020, February 23, Day 6
Sunday, February 23 I was really excited to finally be going to Corcovado National Park! I had read about all the different types of animals and birds we might see there. The variety of species here is very diverse. It is a pathway between North and South America so there are many animals from both… Continue reading
About Me
My name is Cindy Southgate and I love to travel and try new things!
My husband Mike and I love to explore new places and try out new experiences. We prefer warm places so we can escape some of the cold during the winter. (We live in Canada) I love mountains, oceans, wildlife and adventure! Both of us have run numerous marathons and completed at least 2 Ironman races. We have 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren.
Cindy Southgates Travels 