Greetings dear readers! We just got home very late Wednesday evening from our wonderful vacation in Costa Rica and have been catching up on tasks and trying to get used to the time change – as well as the cold weather! This post will be a quick summary. We rented a villa on the side of a mountain in the Central Pacific Coastal region of the country with 7 other people:
5 of the travelers were friends and family of the couple who invited us to join the group and we made some wonderful new friends!
The views from the villa, about 1300 feet above sea level, out over the Pacific were spectacular!
Here’s a view from the infinity pool in front of the villa:
I was up by 5 AM every day and able to enjoy the sunrise with amazing birds, including toucans, singing and flying about:
We went on guided tours of a national park, a mangrove wildlife preserve, and an animal rescue center and saw some wonderful birds and and animals. Some of these are my photos and some were taken through the guide’s spotting lens. We saw several sloths:
and capuchin monkeys:
Lots of lizards:
And birds:
We visited and swam at some beautiful beaches:
We hiked to a beautiful waterfall and swam in the pool at its foot:
That was the lower falls; this is the upper falls just above:
You could swim at the base of this taller part of the falls, too (see the group of people lower right), but the rocks getting there were too slippery for us 🙂.
Beautiful plants were everywhere!
Renting the villa included the services of a chef for all breakfasts and dinners. They were all excellent, featuring lots of local fish and fruit. The pineapple is superb and we were served some fabulous seviches.
We were treated to several spectacular sunsets:
I took a very small appliqué project with me and did very little sewing on the trip – too many other fun activities to do and friends to talk with. I’ll share it and other sewing updates in the next post and will share some more CR photos too.
Wishing you all a good weekend. Looking forward to spring!
Be kind, be grateful, and cherish each day, Gladi
gladiquilts 
Todas bonitas! As I’m slowly but steadily recovering from illness, these nature pictures of a tropical paradise are a treat indeed and diversion from sick bed necessities. Thanks for the inspiration and dreams of better days.
Thanks Marie. Sorry to hear you’ve been ill and I send you wishes for a rapid and full recovery!!
Your pictures are stunning! It looks and sounds like it was an amazing vacation. Hugs,
Thanks Sandi! It really was a wonderful vacation! So nice to get away from the cold and the gray for a while.
what a paradise! Gorgeous photos of the flora, fauna and scenery!
Thanks Sophie! “Paradise” is a good word for a number of areas in Costa Rica.
I’m so glad your trip was so wonderful–a respite from winter for a week. Thank you for sharing the beautiful photos. Just delightful!
Thanks Nancy! So glad you enjoyed the photos and there are more to come.
What a great set of pictures! Looks like a great time 🤗
Thanks Pam! We indeed had a great time away from winter and coming back was easier knowing spring is just around the corner. 😊
This looks like an incredible vacation. All of the beautiful sights, from sunrise and sunset, to waterfalls, flora and fauna. And sharing it with a group makes it all the more fun, I think.
I have to ask, did you see the sloths move? I know they do, but when visiting a local aquarium that had a display of sloths on loan, no matter how long I watched, or how often I came back to them, they had never moved. Just curious if you saw activity. 🙂
Great vacation, Janet! We saw several sloths and they all moved. I have a great 2-3 minute video of one moving in a tree in the national park. We also saw one close up in a cage at the animal rescue center and watched it crawl from branch to branch and lick the leaves. Amazing creatures!
It would appear that you had an absolutely glorious vacation. Good for you! The sunset photos are magnificent.
Thanks Janice!
Looks absolutely wonderful !!
And the photos probably don’t do it Justice.
An absolute treat this morning to read your post and see those glorious photos! Imagine seeing a real sloth! And the other incredible creatures/flower/views, etc. What a wonderful vacation. Sounds ideal.
What a wonderful getaway! The sloth’s “smile” is always so amusing.
What a wonderful and exotic destination. Looks like a great travel group!
Looks like you had a wonderful time
I absolutely marvel at the artistry and fine craftsmanship of all your work! I just discovered you and many of your quilts from past blog posts listed on the internet.
Please subscribe me to your blog so I can continue to follow you!
Thank you Merrie! Check out the area at the right side of the blog near the top where you can sign up to receive posts and fill it out. So glad you enjoy my blog and want to follow along with my adventures!