Costa Rican Natural Features

It's not just the wildlife that makes Costa Rica so spectacular. The scenery is equally beautiful, and widely varied in a country just the size of West Virginia.

Looking south from the road leading up to Poas Volcano National Park.  Unfortunately, fog obscured the volcano crater itself while we were there, so I have no photos to share of it. :(

Clouds regularly rolled in throughout the afternoons during our stay at La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

I'm still trying to get the hang of shooting moving water. Here's my best effort from El Templo Waterfall.

And here's Magia Blanca Waterfall. I actually walked the path to the waterfalls three times in one day to fully enjoy them.

Finca Educativa Don Juan, with Arenal Volcano in the distance.

The summit of Arenal peeking above the clouds, as seen from the deck of the Arenal Observatory Lodge.

A rare cloudless view of Arenal.  Our guide Nancy noted how infrequently this happens by pointing out that even the staff of the lodge were taking pictures.

This is where we put into the Penas Blancas River for our float trip.  Some smoke from a small garbage fire had wafted down, giving a sort of "Heart of Darkness" feel.

Danelle captured a similar effect in a shot of her own.

The view from one of the namesake features of Arenal Hanging Bridges, with another that we'd crossed earlier on our trek discernible in the center of the shot.

Arenal from another of the bridges.

This was the view from our room at Arenal Observatory Lodge.  Not too shabby for a place originally built in 1987 as a Smithsonian Institute scientific research station.

Sunset over Arenal Lake.

Sunset over the Pacific Ocean from our room at the JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort.  Come to think of it, we really didn't have a bad view anywhere we stayed on the trip.

Swirling patterns in the sand left by the receding tide on the beach by the Marriott.

Like I said, a gorgeous country!