What to Do around The Westin Golf Resort & Spa, Playa Conchal

When Costa Rica became known internationally as a top ecotourism destination, one of the activities most commonly promoted in advertisements was whitewater rafting. That’s because the country has many rivers that thread across varied landscapes, including jungles and rain forests. In Guanacaste, there are several options for whitewater rafting excursions, including at least one for intermediate rafters. A 2.5-hour trip on the Rio Tenorio takes rafters on a wild ride that includes a 12-foot drop through Class V waters.

While it’s not recommended for people who are afraid of the dark or who tend to feel claustrophobic in small spaces, travelers who like adventures demanding physical fitness will likely enjoy a cave hike in Barra Honda National Park. A guide leads visitors through the park’s cave system, which is believed to have been caused by tectonic shifts more than 60 million years ago. The limestone caves feature stalactites, stalagmites, and other formations that have been evolving throughout the park’s long history. Keep an eye out while entering and exiting the cave, too; local fauna include agouti, anteaters, and coatis.

What better way to rejuvenate than a yoga class and massage on the beach? Lorena at ReFLEXion Yoga Tamarindo is a gifted and soothing yoga instructor and healer. Besides the yoga classes (for all levels), she also offers an array of other healing therapies for the body and mind, including massage and reiki sessions. Sometimes being on vacation can start to get... well, stressful. This is the perfect solution.

If you are a diver, or have always wanted to take scuba lessons, Playa del Coco is a great jumping-off point for exploring the deep blue. Visibility may not be as good as in the Caribbean, but the area makes up for it with the rich and varied marine life you’re likely to encounter. Three well-regarded diving outfitters in Playa del Coco are Deep Blue Diving, Rich Coast Diving, and Summer Salt.

Guaitil Pottery Studio in Tamarindo is a truly unique experience. Here, owner Arbin Espinosa Guevara displays and sells his Guaitil pottery, and gives lessons to visitors interested in learning the craft themselves. One of the few remaining indigenous crafts still practiced in Costa Rica, this organic coil-built pottery is beautiful and intricate. Browse the studio, watch artists at work, or take lessons in this ancient tradition yourself.

Sometimes, the best day of vacation is spent hanging out at and around the hotel and finishing off the evening with some entertainment. On-site at the Westin is the Astrea Theater Bar and Lounge, where guests can enjoy live performances by local musicians while sipping cocktails crafted with exotic Costa Rican ingredients, such as the passion fruit. The Astrea is open every night from 6pm-11pm. TravelingOtter

Whether under the noonday sun or overlooking a romantic sunset, one of the best ways to explore the Nicoya Peninsula is by sailboat or catamaran. There’s a good chance you’ll spot green turtles and dolphins swimming through the Guanacaste waters and, depending on the season, even humpback whales will join the show. Most tours offer snorkeling and swimming stops so you can get up close and personal with the tropical fish and coral.

Playa Conchal makes every list of Costa Rica’s most beautiful beaches, and once you see it, you’ll know why: sand made up of crushed shells; water that has somehow taken on a more turquoise hue than the rest of the coast; gentle, lapping waves; a ruggedly beautiful shoreline, and insanely technicolor sunsets. If you’re in the mood to bliss out on your own slice of paradise, then put on your sunscreen, get out your book, and stake out a corner of beach, because you’re in the perfect spot.

Hike up to El Arenal’s gray volcanic cone for a magnificent view of La Fortuna, one of Costa Rica’s most celebrated destinations. Locals and expats alike are mad for the area’s hot springs, fun locavore restaurants, irresistible bakeries (don’t miss testing the local favorite, a very volcanic chocolate cake), chic spas (volcanic mud treatments are the obvious choice), boutiques, galleries, and other delights. Excursions to surrounding places like Lake Arenal or the lush Botanical Garden, or to the famed hanging bridges through the region’s rain forests, merit a multiday stopover in this ecotourism hub. El Arenal is Costa Rica’s most active volcano. Though there hasn’t been any serious volcanic activity since 2010, the volcano regularly musters some steamy fumarole action.

Palo Verde National Park is the perfect escape for avid wildlife and bird watchers. The park is one of the world’s most important wetland sanctuaries and a vacation destination for many species of migratory birds. It is also home to crocodiles, monkeys, deer, coati, and jaguarondi. The best way to glimpse the wildlife is on board a boat ride through the fast-flowing Tempisque River.

The thermal hot springs in Rincón de La Vieja at Rio Negro (Black River) may not be as well known as those in the Arenal area, but we had the pools and surrounding forest to ourselves. From where we stayed at the Hacienda Guachipelin Rincón de La Vieja, the springs were accessible by horseback or vehicle, followed by a short hike and crossing a rather dubious hanging bridge. The pools are heated by the Rincón de La Vieja Volcano, so you definitely want to test the steaming water. There are seven pools to sample of different shapes, sizes and temperatures. The first pool was too hot to plunge more than our toes into. And the pool that was “just right” was the last one, which happened to be ideally situated next to the churning river. After two days of horseback riding, hiking, canyon ziplining and rappelling, it was great to unwind at this private oasis. If a rainforest/volcano adventure beckons you, I recommend staying at Hacienda Guachipelin Rincón de La Vieja and getting an adventure pass from Adventure Tours--both are at Rincón de La Vieja National Park.

The Gold Coast is a legendary surfing destination, and veteran surfers make pilgrimages from all over the world to catch these waves. Playa Grande is the granddaddy of all Costa Rican surfing beaches, and it doubles as a nesting ground for leatherback sea turtles. Other popular surf spots in the area are Playas Avellanas & Negra (where the 1994 surf classic The Endless Summer II was filmed), and Tamarindo. If you’re a beginner or novice and need lessons, Point Break Surf is a great option.

Enjoy the thrill of world-class golf at Reserva Conchal Golf Club. Meticulously crafted by the golf course architect Robert Trent Jones II, the Par 71 championship course winds its way around lakes, ravines and manicured Bermuda-grass greens. Careful attention went into preserving and enhancing the native forest and mangroves during its creation, so golfers are treated to outstanding views of the ocean, tropical dry and rain forests, and wildlife. Tee up!

This enchanting corner of Costa Rica, blessed with a superb climate, provides visitors with a chance to experience an ideal rural setting. If you’d like some action with your relaxation, you’re well positioned to hit local sights like Poás Volcano, as well as try camping, horseback riding, and trout fishing. Fraijanes Lagoon, set amid grasslands, forests, and strawberry fields, is particularly idyllic. There’s another attraction you may not associate with a rural setting: Good restaurants abound. Get up early to enjoy the sunrise and a cup of delicious coffee alongside warm bread and natilla, the local sour cream.