hey, I'm Mari
Costa Rica travel advisor, nature lover and chronic overthinker... and Costa Rica is the place that finally got me to slow the hell down.
My story really began the moment I stopped waiting for "someday".
For years I did what most people do. I stayed busy, I checked every box, and I kept telling myself I would slow down later.
Then Costa Rica showed me how damn good life feels when you are outside, with people you love, making room for joy, laughter and a LOT of fun. Later started looking like a pretty bad plan.
These days...
You will usually find me exploring Costa Rica, chasing wildlife sightings, practicing my Spanish, hunting down new boutique hotels, or arguing with somebody that there is NO bad time to visit Costa Rica.
Because there isn't. The best time depends on what you want out of the trip, and helping you figure that out is my favorite part.
the first time i visited costa rica, i thought i was taking a vacation, but costa rica ruined me, so i kept coming back.
The beaches were gorgeous. Seeing monkeys in the trees never got old. And yes, I took WAY too many photos of waterfalls.
BUT somewhere during that first trip I realized I had not checked my phone in hours.
Every time I went back I found another beach, another restaurant, another little town that somehow was not on the typical tourist itinerary. Before long, planning my own trips turned into researching Costa Rica year round just because I genuinely love it. (Yes, I am that person.)
I STOPPED WAITING FOR SOMEDAY.
Costa Rica became the place I went back to whenever I needed to reconnect with myself. My first trip was to Uvita and Dominical, and I left already planning the next one.
At some point I had to ask myself a hard question: if this place made me feel this alive, why the hell was I only letting myself have it one week a year?
SO I BUILT A LIFE CLOSER TO WHAT I LOVE.
Today I spend part of the year living in Costa Rica. I have lived in Playas del Coco, and Guanacaste and the Dominical and Uvita coast are the parts I know best from my own time there.
What that means for your trip: I will tell you where to stay and EXACTLY why, how many nights a place actually deserves, and which popular stops I would skip. Bluntly.
Must-HAve for adventures
BLUE LIZARD
my fav daiquiri
PASSIONFRUIT
current obsession
EMPANADAS
on repeat
SWIMMING PAUL
the best therapist i know
NATURE
I'm ALL ABOUT
Dirt roads,
cold beers,
slow mornings,
helping you travel well
I'M NOT ABOUT
Buffet lines,
mass tourism,
sh*tty resorts,
travel trends,
gross food.
WORdS TO LIVE BY
― Ken Schramm
“A smart person learns from his mistakes, but a truly wise person learns from the mistakes of others.”
WHERE TO NEXT?
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Not the Instagram version. Not the version packed with tour buses and resort wristbands. The version that leaves you wondering why the hell you waited so long.
Ready to exhale?
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