This was a great experience, and I recommend it for anyone spending more than a few days in San Jose, Costa Rica.
While San Jose is the capital, there isn't much to do for tourists there. It is a city like most others and outside of walking tours and national museums it's mostly designed for local. When my partner and I traveled there, we didn't stay in the city itself. Instead, we stayed in a wonderful condo (with a rooftop pool and hot tubs!) in Heredia. It was a lovely place and a cheap Uber ride outside of the city. We found our lodging through AirBnB and an excursion opportunity popped up on the site. I had never book excursions through AirBnB, but there's a first time for everything, right?
We chose to go Hiking in Barva Volcano (link here) and I'm so glad we did. We met our guide, Eduardo, in the town square in a vintage jeep. It was the oldest, coolest jeep I've ever seen. Aside from my partner and myself, there was one other man who joined our group. We piled into the jeep and took off.
If I'm being honest, the jeep ride could be an excursion of it's own. We bumped up steep mountains on dirt roads as we overlooked the land below us. It was exhilarating to feel the wind in our face (there were no windows) and we bustled along.
Eventually, we reached the base of our hike. We stopped to use the restroom and Eduardo provided us with fruits, which was lovely. We ate and exchanged travel stories before heading up. The hike was not too difficult, but I'm glad we wore our hiking boots, pants, and rain jackets. I also have a CamelBak Hydration pack that I use for hiking. It came in handy on this hike.
Walking through wet tree canopies, completely immersed in nature, felt like the Costa Rica I'd heard so much about. It was like I was transported to a different dimension than San Jose. It was so peaceful and beautiful. At times we walked in silence taking in our surroundings. Other times, we shared stories and learned about each other. Our guide was excellent at letting us stop for photos and giving us background information.
Eventually, we cam to a lookout point at the top of the volcano. Over the year, water has accumulated at the top of the crater to make what looks like a lake. It was stunning. We climbed a bit higher to the very top, where we could look down on the crater, and we were literally in the clouds. Mist was floating over our faces and the wind made me a little nervous to stand close to the edge. There was one other group of hikers at the top, but it was serene and silent. I think we were all a little aw -struck. We stayed until the mist made us cold enough to head back down.
As we walked back, we saw college students cleaning the trails and creating new pathways. Eduardo told about his life as a Tico, and gave us suggestions for things to do during our stay. After we made it back to the car, we drove a short distance to a delicious restaurant that had an open window against the forest. There, we saw many chipmunks and squirrels hopping from tree to tree in delight at fallen food. We paid for our own meals and then loaded back into the jeep.
After an eventful morning, we were dropped off in the square again and said our goodbyes. It was a great way to spend our time and see a different perspective of Costa Rica. When we got back to our AirBnB, I was pleasantly surprised to have a message from Eduardo with a list of things we could do with our remaining time. He was an amazing guide through and through!
If you have the time, book this excursion!
👌