The first couple pics come from the volcano hike. The hike is 6KM through the rainforest and then another 2KM to the summit. The park is compared to Yellowstone. On our particular day, the park ranger advised we not try the summit. It was rainy and windy, with the top being especially gusty. As the sign says, it is difficult and you should proceed with caution. We didn´t quite make the top, but it was a helluva rush.
These pics are also from Rincon de la Vieja. There are a number of waterfalls in and around the park. This one had a nice little cliff and pool.
Samara is a quaint little town of about 1,000 on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. It is a couple hours south of the more built-up Tamarindo and not quite booming yet. Some locals said the current condo developments in the area are selling slowly, so maybe it won´t get mowed down like Tamarindo. The beach is like a 3 to 4 KM long bay with a number of breaks. Feels kind of like El Porto or Pacifica in California, but the peaks are a little cleaner. There are some better, bigger breaks around the corner but you need 4wd to get there in the rainy season and you have to watch for crocodiles as you cross some swamps...nice.
On the western end, there is a small island that you can kayak out too. We did a 3-hour tour, a 3 hour tour....Once you get there, you can snorkle along the reef and the guides bring watermelon and pineapple that they slice up on the beach. You can throw the rinds on the beach and the hermit crabs and iguanas come out and devour them.
