I feel like commercializing nature is definitely not the best way to save it because it puts the biodiversity of the planet at risk. When farmers or corporations grow single plant plantations, they damage the biodiversity of the area. In Canopy AMA xtreme, the production of the zip lines causes humans to clear out paths…
Category: Plus3 Costa Rica
Check out all the Plus3 Costa Rica blogs below!
Fortunate to be in La Fortuna!
Today we attended a marketing lecture and had time to ourselves for lunch, exploring the local restaurants in La Fortuna. Some of the girls went to a great place where I got chicken nuggets and fries (comfort food)! After, we went to an adorable bakery where I got a pistachio macaron and a chocolate donut…
Where Tourism Meets Conservation
Today we visited AMA and honestly I thought we were just going to hear about ziplining and tourism, but the presentation ended up being way more interesting than I expected. AMA has been around for 21 years and protects about 90% of its 1,300 acres of rainforest, which is honestly crazy to think about. They…
No tourists, no trees
I believe that there are many different benefits but also costs to commercializing nature. For example, if you want to conserve nature but also have people there daily, it can become very trashed, or people can step on different plants and animals. If people do this, it doesn’t really fall under conservation anymore. Conservation is…
Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice
Our first full day in La Fortuna included hanging bridges, kayaking, sugar cane, and lots of rain. While it was all incredibly fun, I can see how a country dependent on tourism might struggle during its rainy seasons. However, I believe there are different ways to manage this challenge. There are large amounts of people…
Hanging around La Fortuna
Today, we started our adventure by trekking through the rainforest, and going through the hanging bridges. Then, we made our way to Lake Arenal, where we drifted through the water on Kayaks. We later traveled to a buffet lunch, and a cacao and sugarcane tour at an organic farm. We ended our day with a…
Hanging Bridges!!
Today we visited a rain forest with hanging bridges and we kayaked on Lake Arenal. The hanging bridges were a lot scarier than I thought they would be. Kayaking was a lot of fun but very tiring. The rain didn’t affect my activities too much today. Through our trip of the rainforest it did a…
May 17
Today, we were able to walk around the rainforest, cross the bridges, kayak on the lake, and visit a sugarcane plantation. These were all very fun activities and made me also learn a little bit more about Costa Rica. During the rainforest in the morning, it started raining here and there, and that affected our…
Day 7 – Our Day Around Arenal
Today felt like stepping into an adventure story. We braved the rainforest canopy on hanging bridges as rain poured, and instead of slowing us down, it made the whole experience more exciting. The mist hung between the trees, the leaves glistened, and every step felt like we were explorers moving through a living, breathing jungle….
May 17th: Adrenaline and Sugar Rush
We started off our day with a hanging bridges hike in Mistico Park, and then we went to a local farm for a chocolate and sugarcane tour. Throughout these main activities, there was intermittent heavy rain. It felt like a glimpse into how most days are in Costa Rica during the low season. The low…
Hanging by a Thread – 05/17
Sobreviví…. I don’t know how, but I did it. If I thought yesterday was bad with the 500 step hike back up… Idk what I was thinking… I think today their plan was literally to tire us out like we are toddlers needing a nap. Not only did we do a hanging bridges hike we…
Can’t Rain on Costa Rica’s Parade
While exploring the rainforest on the hanging bridges trail, we experienced a couple of short periods of mild rain. I actually felt that the rain added authenticity to the experience because being in a rainforest without rain would almost feel unnatural. We also learned that the rain can make certain animals like sloths, less likely…
Only rain and Pura Vida here
The rain today was very unexpected! It would start, then stop, then start, then stop, and on and on. It was actually crazy. I’ve never seen anything like that before. It would POUR so hard for 5 minutes and then be sunny skies a few minutes later.I will say, it was cool to see how…
May 17th – I’m Scared Of Heights
Today we did the hanging bridges hike, paddleboarding on Lake Arenal, and toured a sugarcane plantation. Being at the start of the low season meant rain was basically guaranteed. The hanging bridges felt completely different because of it. It started as an on and off drizzle, which honestly made it feel more like an actual…
Caught in the Downpour
Today really showed how unpredictable Costa Rica’s climate can be. At Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, we got to see some really cool things like spider monkeys, leafcutter ants, and rare birds while walking through the rainforest. The rain made the entire forest feel greener and more alive, but I also feel like it made…
May 17th – Pino the I-spy Legend
I think the rain was actually pretty cool today. When we were hiking in the rainforest it was very humid and hot and I was sweating until the rain came. It also made the rainforest look much cooler. One thing I did notice was that the wildlife disappeared. We saw Geckos, three monkeys, and a…
May 17th – a GOATed day
Even though I saw Lebron James today (G.O.A.T), the rain made things a little trickier than expected on today’s activities because it changed both the atmosphere and level of difficulty. Walking on the hanging bridges felt way more authentic and immersive but the rainforest was full of mist, moisture, and wildlife, making things more slippery…
Chocolate, Cows, & Courage
Today’s activities showed how much Costa Rica’s environment affects both tourism and agriculture, especially during the beginning of the low season. At the hanging bridges, the inconsistent rain made the rainforest feel even more alive. The trails were muddy, the bridges were slippery and the hanging bridges were extremely wobbly(I was terrified). Even though the…
May 17: Soaked Sneakers & Sugarcane
Today definitely felt like the “rainy season” version of Costa Rica. The rain honestly changed almost every activity we did. During the hanging bridges, it made everything way more slippery and definitely increased the fall risk, especially during some of the uphill parts. At the same time though, it weirdly made it more fun. After…
Pura Vida and Probably Wet
Today we had the opportunity to walk through the canopy forest and do a walking tour of a sugarcane plantation, which was a blast. Although it did rain, I think that it added to the experience in a unique way. Due to our pre-departure meetings, I was prepared for the rain that would occur on…