Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/127001
destination + honeymoon Escape the Ordinary From rainforest adventures to sun and surf, Costa Rica offers honeymooners a colourful getaway from the everyday by Catherine Dunwoody C anadian newlyweds spending their honeymoon in Costa Rica take pretty quickly to the locals' notion of Pura Vida — which means "pure life," celebrating all that's good, and loving every moment of the journey. Easy to do in this tiny, tropical Central American country, located between Nicaragua and Panama. With Costa Rica's serious commitment to the environment, plus the fact that it's a virtual outdoor playground with temperatures averaging between 27°C on the Caribbean coast and 32°C on the Pacific side, this is the ideal post-wedding destination for couples who want to do more than just laze on the beach. Most visitors fly into Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, the nation's capital, in the province of Alajuela. Rent a car and drive towards the town of La Fortuna, about three-and-a-half hours, but stop along the way at the Sr y Sra Ese factory to pick up the real deal in wooden souvenirs, like beautiful bowls, tiled placemats and jewellery, plus a plate of fried green plantain and black beans in the café here is a must. The area is home to the famous Arenal Volcano and rainforest, and to the ultimate honeymoon resort — the Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens. In 2012, the deeply lush, open-air property was named top resort in Central and South America by Travel + Leisure. Couples will want to book their own 1,200-square-foot private casita, with a romantic canopied king-size bed, his and her bathrooms, an outdoor shower that surrounds you with natural stone and jungle-worthy greenery, realweddings.ca p82-85_CostaRica.indd 83 83 13-04-22 11:41 AM