Pura Vida in Pictures

 

20160130_172633Our Girls Getaway to Costa Rica was a complete success!  Perfect weather, an incredibly relaxed resort & the discovery of “Pura Vida” – the simple life at it’s best.

We really enjoyed the Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa, as it was a change from our usual “stock” all-inclusives.  The intimate atmosphere made everything so accessible… just a few steps from the pool, to the restaurant to the beach.  The service was excellent & the staff was friendly & knowledgeable, offering helpful advice on what to see & do.  We loved the open-air feel of the resort & enjoyed all of our meals & drinks outside in the beautiful, tropical setting.

For a full review of this resort, check out my latest article on Trip101.com:  “Discover Pura Vida at Costa Rica’s Flamingo Beach Resort”

But for the “Photostory” – just keep scrolling 🙂

I’m starting with my favorite thing to do on vacation…  Morning coffee on the balcony. Here it came with a great view & a strong Costa Rican brew.

Here’s our actual room from the inside & out.  Basic accommodations, but with everything we needed.  And our 2nd floor “Poolview” room was a winner as we could see both the pool AND the ocean – jackpot!

I loved heading over to the beach early in the morning and enjoying this long, beautiful stretch all to myself.  And I mean EARLY as the symphony of tropical birds had me up every day by 6am!20160130_0618302016-01-30 06.44.57

The sun rose from behind the resort, so the ocean lit up before the sand… so pretty to watch!

This the main Arenas Restaurant, with air-conditioned seating inside and this awesome screened-in patio outside, looking over at the beach.  Drinks & dinner were also available upstairs at the open-air, Sunset Lounge.
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We did make a few friends during our stay…  this guy crawled right up onto my chair to say hello one afternoon!PhotoGrid_1454433100894

Here are a few more shots from around the resort… As you can see, it’s all about the water.  The covered pool is for the kids – such a great idea!

We did venture out and took a Sunset Catamaran Cruise on the 47′ “Panache” – a beautiful boat, manned by a super fun crew.  We stopped to snorkel, had some snacks, enjoyed the complimentary cocktails and ended with an amazing sunset…

Speaking of sunsets… staying on the Pacific side of Costa Rica guarantees some breathtaking views every night.  These were taken as we walked down the beach to “Coco Loco” – a restaurant/bar that sits right on the sand.

Costa Rica is famous for its surf… Unfortunately the only wave I “caught” was this one, just as the sun was setting.

This really was a perfect destination… totally relaxing, friendly people and a great place to reconnect a little with nature.  The “Pura Vida” lifestyle certainly is amazing!

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Last but not least… for the Foodies:  Two delicious ceviches, fresh fish tacos (at the airport of all places) and my favorite cocktail – The Green Monster!  Cheers!!!

 

Next Stop… Costa Rica!

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One month from today, I will be waking up here… at the Flamingo Beach Resort in the Guanacaste area of Costa Rica. 🙂

This year’s “Girls Getaway” was booked faster than any other.  We found an AWESOME deal on the airfare… an unheard of $275 for round-trip, non-stop flights from Newark on United.  This made the destination a no-brainer.  Then we quickly selected this resort based on it’s beautiful beach, the all-inclusive option, a full range of amenities (including  a spa) and the stellar reviews we read online.

This will be my 2nd trip to Costa Rica, the first being a cruise stop on the Caribbean side where we explored the city of Limon, zip-lined through the rain forest,  and came up close & personal with a 3-toed sloth who had ventured down from the trees to do his weekly “business” (my highlight of the trip).  But now I’m heading to the Pacific Coast, to this fairly new tourist destination where people are scooping up properties, surfing the many beaches and living the “Pura Vida” lifestyle.

Flamingo Beach is considered one of the nicest in the area, featuring white sand, gentle waves and that gorgeous Pacific sunset.  The resort itself, however, is a little different than where we usually stay.  It’s much smaller, the pool is fairly basic (although it does have a swim-up bar), the rooms look very nice but not overly luxurious and there’s only 1 actual restaurant, compared to the 5 or more we’ve been spoiled by at our previous resorts.  But we’re looking forward to trying something new and everything here sounds amazing. The area looks gorgeous, the service sounds top-notch and the food should be a real treat as the resort utilizes its own organic garden & meals here feature fresh, local specialties.

I can’t wait to hear the monkeys in the trees, be surrounded by tropical vegetation, paddle board in the Pacific & catch those spectacular sunsets every night.  I think this is going to be a good one!!!

If you’ve been here… please share your must-see or must-do list in the comments below!!!  Thank you!

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Visit the resort’s web site here: www.resortflamingobeach.com

And check out their great video:  https://youtu.be/e9E0Tz3zyCE