Costa Rica Adventure, Days 6 and 7: Pura Vida

This was our final full day of our tour.  Chris and I awoke early and were able to enjoy our coffee in the living area of our suite at El Mangroove without disturbing the kids, who were still sound asleep.  While we were sipping coffee, we heard monkeys in the trees outside our window.  When the kids woke up, we dressed in bathing suits and cover-ups and headed to breakfast.  The breakfast buffet at El Mangroove did not disappoint.  Overall, the breakfasts were my favorite meals throughout the trip.  It was excellent at all three of the properties where we stayed. 

After breakfast, we took a leisurely stroll down to the beach to wait for our catamaran.  There is no dock at the beach, so our catamaran anchored as close as it could.  A small motor boat ferried us from the beach to the catamaran.  This one was the cleanest catamarans I've seen and the crew was top notch.  They provided plenty of water, punch, and beer.  

After getting everyone on board, we pulled anchor and were off to our snorkeling spot.  It was a smooth ride and we couldn’t have asked for a better day.  It was warm and overcast most of the day, so we were able to enjoy the top deck and the ocean breeze without baking in the sun. 

We anchored off a small island to enjoy snorkeling and swimming.  Chris took Easton snorkeling.  Clara is not yet a strong enough swimmer to snorkel.  Luckily, the boat that ferried us to the catamaran from the beach at the hotel had followed us and took us to the island to play at the beach.  Fico swam over and helped the kids find crabs for a race.

The conditions were perfect for Easton’s first snorkeling experience.  The tide wasn’t strong, so he was easily able to snorkel.  He and Chris even swam to the beach for a short visit and then swam back to the boat.  My mom nerves were calmed since I knew Chris was nearby at the ready and one of the crew members was out on a paddle board acting as a lifeguard.

After some beach play time with Clara, we asked to be ferried back to the catamaran.  Clara had built up enough confidence to try the small slide off the back of the boat.  I handed her a pool noodle and positioned myself in the water so I could catch her.  She slid right to me and we “swam” to the ladder together.  She was so happy that she got a little taste of adventure, too.

 

At this point, the crew had set out chips and salsa, cookies, and fresh fruit for snacking.  A few people were still at the beach or snorkeling, but most of us had migrated back on the boat.  Everyone was lining up to jump off the boat and into the water.  Easton jumped off at least ten times.  He loved it so much that on the first day of school he drew a picture of himself jumping off the catamaran for his "What I Did Over the Summer" assignment.

As with just about everything this trip, our departure was perfectly timed.  It was the right amount of time to enjoy a morning out on the water, but not so much time that we were getting hungry, hot, and tired.  The crew dropped us off at the beach at the hotel just in time for lunch.  The rest of the afternoon was free of any scheduled activities.  We decided to head straight to lunch. 

Lunch was included.  All we had to do was tell our server that we were with Adventures by Disney.  What I remember most about this meal was Easton’s octopus presentation.  Not only did he think the octopus on his plate looked super cool, he actually ate it.  Picture below for proof.  

We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging by the pool.  Late in the afternoon, we headed back to the room to rest for a little bit and get cleaned up for our farewell dinner.  We had all spent a wonderful week together and it was time to say goodbye to Costa Rica, our fellow adventurers, and to our wonderful guides.  After dinner, we filed into one of the conference rooms.  We were treated to a wonderful show with live music and traditional Costa Rican dancing.  Everyone joined in. 

A beautiful Pacific sunset right before our farewell dinner

Clara dancing at our farewell dinner.  She loved the beautiful costumes.  

Our farewell photo

After the end of the show, we all had an opportunity to share our favorite moment of the trip and watch a slide show of the pictures Lauren and Fico had been taking of us all week.  We couldn't thank Lauren and Fico enough for making this such a memorable vacation.

In the morning, about half of the travelers departed.  Lauren had an early flight the next morning to Montana to start guiding her next adventure.  Fico stayed on through the morning to ensure that everyone who was departing made it onto the hotel transfer to the airport. 

We chose to extend our adventure for one night and I’m glad we did.  We aren’t typically beach/resort people, but we’d had a very busy week and were just now beginning to decompress.  When I first booked the extra night, I looked for excursions we could do in the area, but ultimately decided not to plan anything, which is against my nature.  I’m so glad I didn’t.  The kids really needed the day to rest before our travel day.

We decided to rent Jet Skis in the morning.  The property only has two Jet Skis.  Two of the other families we traveled with were also staying and wanted to spend the morning on Jet Skis.  We split the cost to rent both for two hours and rotated.  Easton was ready to go out right away, so Chris took him out a few times.  I stayed on the beach with Clara while she built up the courage to go.  Finally, after about an hour, she declared that she would go on a Jet Ski if mom drove and we went really really slow, so that’s what we did.  I also took Easton out, but he confessed that dad goes a lot faster.  True, but mom taught him how to make donuts and figure-eights so you can ride over your own wake. 

After about an hour and a half, all of the kids decided that they would much rather be in the pool.  Chris took our kids to the pool and I took the Jet Ski out on a solo ride.  The water was like glass and there were barely any boats out, so I got to ride in the wide open water.  I had just enough time to go back to shore to let Chris have a turn.  It was an almost perfect morning. Unfortunately, Easton got stung by a jelly fish.  It definitely hurt, but he handled it really well.  He seems to have forgotten about the jellyfish incident and hasn’t sworn off the beach.

     

We took a break from the pool to have lunch at the restaurant.  I loved the relaxed feel of the poolside restaurant and the natural wood furniture.  Another plus was that the restaurant never felt crowded and they often had live music to add to the atmosphere.   

After lunch, I thought the kids would want to go back to the pool for the afternoon, but they were done.  They wanted to stay in the room and relax.  Chris and I didn’t want them or us to be cooped up in the room all afternoon, so we walked over the kids club on the property.  If you are someone who frequents resorts, especially in the Caribbean, this kids club will not impress you.  Do not come here to have your kids wowed by the kids club.  It was small and staffed by only one employee.  They had a few games, crafts, and activities.  No other kids were in there.  It didn’t matter to our kids.  It was just what they needed.  Easton played video games and Clara played with play-dough and did crafts with the counselor.  Crafts and play-dough are her jam, so she was loving it.  Chris and I spent the time relaxing by the pool.  We checked on them a few times to see how they were doing.  They were content to stay longer. 

  

After racking up quite the bar tab, we finally retrieved our kids and went back to the room for some downtime before dinner.  We met all of the other families who had extended for a day for a farewell dinner.  All of the adults sat at a long high-top table and all of the kids dined together.  It was a great final evening.  We said our goodbyes and turned in early to get ready for the trek home.

Unlike our arrival day, our departure day was smooth.  We had plenty of time for breakfast.  Our transfer was timely and our ride comfortable.  We sailed through airport security at LIR and had plenty of time to feed the kids again before we boarded our flight.  Our arrival at HOU was a breeze.  It was our first time using global entry.  The kiosks are clearly marked at HOU and we hardly waited in line.  It was easy to scan our passports.  The only tip I would give is to be ready to pick up your child to have his her or photo taken.  We only got half of Easton’s face and we thought it might give us trouble with the customs agent, but it ended up being fine.  Thankfully, the remainder of the trip was uneventful. 

We spent the days following our return reliving most of the moments from the trip.  This vacation was one for the books.  It exceeded our expectations in every way and we can't wait to be able to do another one.     

Amanda is the owner of Travel Adventures by Amanda, powered by Dream Vacations, specializing in cruises, tours, treks, and custom independent travel adventures for individuals, families, and groups.  For help planning your next adventure, contact Amanda at (901) 901-800-6091 or abiggerstaff@dreamvacations.com.