Many people go to La Fortuna to hike around Arenal, see La Fortuna Falls, spend a day at the hot spring spa, and more. All of these experiences require spending extra money for tours and access fees.
I spent just 2 nights in La Fortuna and managed to spend less than $55 the entire time there. The key? Find the right accommodation and don’t pay top dollar for hiking tours, waterfalls, and hot springs.
While staying low budget, I managed to enjoy clear views of Arenal Volcano, a garden labyrinth, a beautiful jungle hike, a swim at a secret waterfall, a dip in a natural hot spring, a cozy hostel stay, and some of the best food in town. These are my top 7 recommendations for a great, low-budget experience in La Fortuna.
Science and nature are mind-blowing sometimes. That is what I concluded after visiting Tenorio Volcano National Park in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica.
I went for the sky-blue-colored waterfall, Rio Celeste. I left with so much more including views of 3 volcanoes, gorgeous river views, and a science lesson in sediment mixing.
There's truly nothing like immersing yourself in nature and knowing it's there for us to witness and appreciate at any time. We just have to seek it out and keep on protecting it!
The Santa Elena Cloud Forest is a magical hiking experience. It’s a cheaper, less touristy departure from the nearby Monteverde Cloud Forest entrance. I was able to walk the trails in near solitude and silence aside from the chirping birds and creaking trees.
What I loved about this reserve was its manicured trails depicted on a clear map from which you could choose your own adventure. Not a lot of time? You can pick a shorter path and b-line it for the observation tower for the best views in the park. More time? Take the longer route along Caño Negro.
With the beautiful canopy above, cool mountain air, I was easily enchanted by this place. The views of Arenal mountain on this fairly clear day were the cherry on top!
The Drake Bay Hiking Trail is one of the best hikes I’ve ever been on! I saw giant bamboo, pretty flowers, white-faced monkeys, and so much more!
This hike was hot, sweaty, and wet—possibly more wet than you’d expect with a treacherous river crossing included! But San Josecito beach is the payoff. It’s considered one of the best beaches on the entire Osa Peninsula. The calmer waters here make taking a dip a complete delight.
From the amazing plants and silly monkeys to the dense jungle and sandy beaches, this trail is packed with a variety of sights, sounds, and something for nature lovers and animal lovers alike!
As one of Norway’s three most spectacular hikes, Trolltunga easily made it to my top 5 hikes of all time. The hike met my standards in terms of length, challenge, and interesting terrain.
The views, especially at the “Troll’s Tongue,” are what made this out and back hike move right onto my favorite hikes list.
The hike from the village of Skjeggedal requires some pre-booking and planning especially depending on the time of year and extent of the challenge that you want. That way, if you happen to go, you can choose the best way for you to enjoy this hike’s spectacular Norwegian landscapes.
Our Fira host, Alex, recommended to us a secret place to get in the caldera waters in Oia. He showed us on a map and told us we couldn’t miss it.
He mentioned a tiny island with a church called Saint Nicholas on it. “Swim out to this island,” he said, “it’s not far. Then jump off the wall!”
We had no idea what to really expect but when you get a recommendation for something so unique—you go! This little off-the-beaten path spot turned out to be an unexpected highlight of our time in Santorini!
As an adventure traveler, I am always trying to sniff out the next activity that is a bit off-the-beaten path and perhaps a little daring. I initially expected to have a pretty typical, touristy time in Santorini—but then I discovered something unexpected!
I anticipated from photos of Santorini that my short 3-day stay would consist only of sunset views, resort culture, wineries, restaurants, and nightlife. As I looked deeper, I found there was more to Santorini than meets the eye.
Turns out, the Santorini island group is made up of the most historically destructive volcanic activity in the world! And I just had to get a closer look.
The first activity I did after arriving to Santorini was go on the only hike worth taking—from Fira to Oia. This is an iconic hike and by far my favorite part of my time there. I believe it was the best way to introduce myself to this Greek island I’d seen only in pictures.
I strolled between white-washed Cyclades-style buildings with the sunken caldera to my left and sun beaming overhead. I also took a side trek to an outcropping called Skaros Rock near the town of Imerovigli.
In addition to tips for what to expect, I share plenty of photos of the architecture in the towns and views along the rim of the caldera overlooking the Santorini islands.
I knew Crete had hiking. But I didn’t know Crete had a hiking experience that would make it to my top 5 list!
Samariá boasts a difficult, steep, downhill hike that levels off through an absolutely stunning gorge. The views of Crete’s White Mountains on the bus ride there and the hike down only add to the overall experience. The scenery is unique and varied throughout Samariá. As a national park, there are amenities and clean water the whole way that make it as comfortable and safe as possible, too.
I had very few expectations about this hike except that I was afraid it would be too much of a touristy experience for me. Having to take a bus tour there did not sit with my independent, adventurous style. But I listened to other hikers advice and did it a different way from my usual standard—and it paid off! This hike was perfection from start to finish!
Sometimes I randomly pick adventures to go on without doing much research in advance. This has it’s benefits and its drawbacks!
The first adventure Carolina and I went on outside of Chania was one of these unresearched occasions. I thought we would go on a short, meandering hike to a beautiful, ocean chasm for a nice swim on a hot day. In reality, it was a sun-soaked and complicated path down to unknowingly treacherous waters!
While this hike to Katholiko Bay had some difficult twists and dramatic turns, I still can’t wait to share all the beautiful scenery, the ancient ruins, the cool caves, and the turquoise waters we encountered. In the end, I highly recommend this hike but definitely pay attention to some of the lessons I learned!
While visiting Orlando for a conference, I decided to take a little detour for a nature fix. Wekiwa Springs State Park is one of many parks with springs in the area surrounding Orlando. It looked like the perfect place to enjoy a couple of hours in the sun.
This park has much to do including camping, swimming, kayaking, and what I decided to do on my trip—get lost hiking!
Well, I didn’t exactly get lost, but I did end up going down a trail that was once a trail but is no longer! I went literally off the beaten path. Oops! I guess Google maps isn’t always the most accurate about its park trails.
Back in late October, before the omicron COVID-19 variant was in the news, I took a 3-day trip out to Colorado. I had 2 goals while there—to spend time with my bestie, Dasha, and to hike some mountains!
I have absolutely no mountains close by to hike in Miami. So Dasha and I chose a hike that would take us to about 10,000 feet in elevation and end with two gorgeous mountain lake views.
This hike took me higher than my hike up Mount Ngauruhoe (aka Mount Doom) in New Zealand! While, I hiked Hunter Mountain in New York back in August, this was going to be my first time hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park.
I had a wedding to attend in the Catskill Mountains of New York a couple of week ago. On my way there, I decided to stop for a little hike up Hunter Mountain.
I didn’t realize at the time how intense this hike would really be. While incredibly strenuous, it was exactly what my body craved after months on end living at near sea level in Florida.
In this post, I describe the entire hike from start to finish, including some info and tips to having a great experience!
I love it when travel activities fall into my lap unexpectedly. By sheer circumstance, I stumbled across Rainbow Springs State Park. This park has some of the most gorgeous crystal clear, aqua blue water I’ve ever seen!
Only a 2 minute drive from my Airbnb, I decided to spend my morning exploring the park. I thought I might check it out by kayak but the chilly air of the morning and a tight schedule led me to hiking the park instead.
I had no idea I’d end up enjoying this park as much as I did. Sometimes the best travel moments happen without prior planning!
This past weekend I discovered a new and truly magical park! While I visited in rainy weather, I can’t complain because it was still so warm out!
I feel so grateful that I moved to Florida in time for the COVID19 pandemic to hit. Family and friends are dealing with snowstorm after snowstorm in the Northeast. Meanwhile, I am to be able to go outdoors and explore nature in comfortable temperatures.
I’ve explored parks near and far during this pandemic. But Tree Tops Park might be my favorite discovery yet! Ant here’s still so much more to explore.
Right before the COVID19 pandemic hit the United States I traveled to Denver, Colorado to visit my friend, Dasha. I now feel so lucky that I got to see her before the shut down. I even got to check off a bucket list item—snowshoeing!
After my first winter living in Florida, I was craving some craggy, snow-topped mountains!
I had a full 3-day weekend in February to explore the mountains with Dasha before travel restrictions went into place. We hiked Mount Falcon park and we explored Breckenridge and the surrounding area. Read and see all the glorious photos from my last major trip in this post.
You know what's awesome? Having friends as adventurous as I am—friends who aren't afraid to travel across the country to try on a new lifestyle. That's what my friend Dasha did over a year ago when she moved to Denver, CO.
A hiker like me, Dasha left her Brooklyn life seeking higher elevations. When I visited for her birthday weekend back in April, I had the privilege of experiencing some of Denver's gorgeous mountain views.
We also had the chance to explore a bit of Denver's nightlife and restaurants. I did a ton with Dasha in just the first 24 hours in Denver—but there's more! This 3 day weekend in Denver is in 2 parts. Here is part 1...ready, set, go!
A major reason why I chose to visit Curaçao is Mt. Christoffel. Curaçao is the only island in this part of the Caribbean that has a true mountain hiking experience.
Mt. Christoffel, also known as Christoffelberg, is a short but challenging hike with satisfying, 360-degree views from the top. I loved this hike and the views so much I spent a ton of time at the top taking it all in.
In this post, I give the complete breakdown of how to make this hike happen in the best way. From the best time to go to how long it'll take you, this is my hiking story and your guide to climbing the highest peak in Curaçao.
Table Mountain is iconic to Cape Town, South Africa. Reaching the summit of Table Mountain is necessary to complete any visit to Cape Town.
I chose to hike Table Mountain on my second to last day in Cape Town. This hike challenged me with its constant upward incline. But the views were immediate, making it worth every ounce of sweat!
Below, I take you on my journey while answering some common questions about this iconic hike. Take it all in and consider it a must-do for when you visit Cape Town!
The last time I posted about a hike in upstate New York it was when I hiked Stissing Mountain. That was shortly after I returned form the trip around the world. Since then, I have been meaning to hike more around my hometown area.
The day after Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law, Kate, and I decided to digest our turkey and stuffing with a local hike! I searched for a hike with the following features: in the Dutchess County region, challenging enough to burn some significant calories, short enough to accomplish in a few hours, and able to deliver some spectacular views.
Brace Mountain (2,316 ft) matched all my criteria! And it was a beautiful, late autumn day for a hike.
