The Single Girl Travel Guide: A Costa Rican New Year Celebration

This year my girlfriends and I decided to do something extravagant to welcome 2023. I was over the typical New Year gatherings in LA with outrageous cover charges and surging Uber prices, so planning an escape to warm tropical San Jose, Costa Rica, seemed like a great alternative. We arrived in San Jose on New Year’s eve and headed straight to the Airbnb to drop off our bags before jetting over to El Silencio Lodge & Spa for a much-needed relaxation session after our 6-hour plane ride. 

Side Note: If you are calling an uber from the airport, make sure to request the Uber SUV because most cars there are compact and don’t have much room for multiple luggage. 

The drive there was so beautiful and filled with lush greenery and exotic wildlife at every turn. However, once we started driving up the mountain, the road got narrower and my anxiety began to kick in. We were so high up that we ended up inside a cloud, and I was stressed!

Once we arrived at our destination, my anxiety jitters just melted away. The environment was so serene and peaceful, and the air was crisp and clean, a complete 180 from the air quality in LA. We crossed over a tranquil stream that lead us to a path through nature. Then we were ushered into the changing area and were given a robe and slippers. I decided to indulge in the Coffee Ritual, a restorative treatment with a coffee and orange exfoliation, followed by a soothing outside shower and a hot stone massage.

My obsession with coffee hit an all-time high the moment I decided to bathe in it.

The exfoliation was phenomenal! Not only did the coffee invigorate my senses, but they used a zesty orange liquid to enhance the experience. After the scrub, I headed to the outside shower and rinsed off and got ready for my hot stone massage that was miraculous! My masseuse had the hands of an angel, and the combination of her magic hands and the warmth from the stones allowed me to fully relax and let go. After our session came to an end we were greeted with fresh fruit, nuts, and water/hot tea and directed back to the changing area. Later, we browsed around in the gift shop while waiting for our taxis to take us back to town, and the drive back didn’t make me as anxious because I was still on a serotonin high from my hot stone massage.

The next stop on our agenda was the New Year celebration dinner at a local restaurant called Doma Escalante. The restaurant served a delicious holiday-inspired tasting menu that featured a beautiful prosciutto salad (that was too pretty to eat), lobster creme brulee, pork tamale with chipotle and chocolate sauce, and a turkey dish that was combined with a sweet and tangy cranberry sauce.

Check out the TikTok video featuring the dishes here 

The service was superb, and the decor was colorful, vibrant, and eccentric, making it a perfect blend of upscale and artistic. It also had a fun gallery wall in its gender-neutral bathrooms that my friends and I couldn’t help but take pictures in front of. After stuffing ourselves with the 5-course menu, we headed back to our Airbnb just in time for the countdown. Once the clock struck 12, we watched fireworks burst from every angle of the city from the spectacular view in our Airbnb that overlooked the San Jose skyline. It was the perfect first day in San Jose. 

The Coffee Tour

Our first excursion of the trip was a Three Coffee tour through Airbnb experience with the incredible Alejandro! We explored the city and learned a bit about its history while making our way to 3 different cafes. Our first stop was Cafe Central Coffee stand inside the Central Market, where we were shown how to prepare coffee using the sock method. Next, we made our way over to the Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica, where we learned about the history of the theater and enjoyed a smooth cold brew in the theater’s cafe, Alma de Café. Also, their carrot cake is delicious, I highly recommend getting a slice.

Before we headed to our final coffee stop Cafe Miel, we took a walk through the park and had a mini photoshoot. Once we arrived at the cafe, we ordered our caramel cappuccinos and explored some of the neighborhoods until our tour came to an end. Alejandro was such a great host, he was knowledgeable, friendly and I enjoyed how small and intimate the tour was.

After a long day of exploring, we all got a little hungry and rushed home to get dolled up for our dinner plans at Jaguar Negro. The restaurant had a sexy indoor/outdoor atmosphere. My friends and I started with a round of mocktails because we had an early morning planned the next day. Then we indulged in some flavorful dishes like ceviche, tostadas de atún, and shrimp risotto. 

Check out the TikTok video featuring Jaguar Negro restaurant here

Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour

Our final excursion was a full-day experience, and it started with a 6:30 am pick-up time. It felt like the first day of school. Our first stop on the tour was a mini coffee tour where we tasted coffee beans, and to my surprise, they had an unexpected sweetness to them. Next, we headed to the La Paz waterfall and took fun group photos while learning more about the surrounding area. We made a few more small stops at some souvenir shops before we arrived at our zip-lining destination.

We had a brief course on how to zip-line properly, then we each got hooked up one by one. It was the most amazingly thrilling experience and flying over the jungle made me feel so liberated. After our zip-lining session, we all headed to the hot springs, located at the base of the La Fortuna volcano, for a couple of hours before heading back home. If you are planning a trip to Costa Rica, I would highly recommend booking this excursion. My friends and I had such a wonderful time and felt that it was a great value. 

This trip helped me realize the beauty in simplicity and gave me a whole new meaning to Pura Vida. It was a refreshing experience, and I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to celebrate the new year in a new country with people I deeply cherish. 

Cheers to 2023! May it bring you blessings and prosperity! 

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