The Experience of Living Abroad, in Just 1 Day

So you’re not a student anymore and you don’t have a semester to spend living abroad. Who really has the ability to do that anymore anyway? It’s challenging, even if you are a student, let alone an adult with family, career and other responsibilities. But let’s face it, living abroad for study or other reason has rewards and lessons that are hard to replicate by any other means. If you’re one of the many who wants to experience those things, but you’re short on time (and/or cash for that matter), don’t worry! You can still experience local living in Costa Rica, even if you have as little as one day.

organicfarm_costarica

Finca Integral Didactica

What you’re probably looking for are those experiences that make you feel like you’re in a different  place. You want to see what a typical home is like (one of my personal curiosities when I travel), taste real local food, and meet people from a different culture. Vacationing may not always feel like it allows for such experiences, with all the obligatory water sports and whatnot, but you can certainly change that. A ‘tour’ doesn’t have to be just transportation to the topmost attraction that showed up on your TripAdvisor search of things-to-do (don’t get me wrong, I use this method too ;)). With a little extra research, you can find the ones that offer a bit more perspective on aspects of regional and local culture, and allow you to engage in activities that make you feel like you’re a part of someone’s home or family for a day. Usually, the investment in a professionally guided tour will do just that. You’ll get someone who knows the area, knows the people in it, and has greater insight on the unique characteristics that may make it different from where you’re from, thus highlighting things that you’d likely find out from living there versus just taking a vacation there.

We’re trying to create that kind of opportunity for visitors here in Montezuma, perhaps like yourself, who want the experiences one would gain living abroad for a period of time. Offering a peek into local living is a way for visitors to better connect with the country and region they are visiting, even if they have very little time, or simply want to enhance their tropical vacation with something a little more educational and enriching. We keep adding more components to our Let’s Get Local tour too, such as a visit to Finca Integral Didáctica (a local organic farm) because the truth is we keep finding more interesting things in the area we never knew were there, and we live here! So we hope it will provide a few things you may not have gotten to see otherwise. It may not be a semester or summer abroad, but we’d like to think it can still be rewarding and offer valuable exchanges between visitors and residents, just like living here would be.

www.jcsjourneys.com

Montezuma for Families

Often considered a backpackers town or yoga haven, there are also many great activities for families visiting Montezuma, even those with young children. From beach days, to nature walks here’s a few ideas to keep the family vacation fun for everyone.

1. Walk north on the beach from Montezuma toward a cascade called Piedra Colorada; literally translates to ‘colored rock’ which is exactly what you’ll find there. This spot offers a fun place to explore and take a refreshing dip in the cascades or ocean.

Let's Get Local - Cooking

Let’s Get Local – Cooking Demo

2. Take a day trip to Curu Wildlife Refuge. The refuge offers a shorter trail option, perfect for those with shorter legs or less tolerance for high humidity, but still with plenty of wildlife to see.

3. Walk to Montezuma Waterfall. Even if getting all the way to the falls is too much for some, relaxing by the cool cascades with a little picnic can be just a fun.

4. Go sightseeing. While the more adventurous family members are off surfing, snorkeling or ziplining, there’s an equally fun sightseeing tour  “Let’s Get Local”, that shows you the less obvious attractions, and takes you to share and learn about Costa Rican culture with a local family. This is a great option if you want to brush up on some Spanish words, find out what traditional cuisine tastes like, and immerse yourself a bit more into the area.

There you go! Now pack a bag for the kids, the grandparents, bring everyone. Enjoy!

www.jcsjourneys.com