COSTA RICA OFFERS WEALTH OF NATURAL BEAUTY.

Birds, butterflies, monkeys and sea turtles are among the many creatures visitors can see in this welcoming Central American country

I thought it was a brown shoelace, until it moved. When I opened the door to our room to alert my sleeping husband, the snake slithered inside. As my husband pondered what he could use to extricate it from our quarters, it exited voluntarily. The men at Rinconcito Lodge, near Rincon de la Vieja, were convinced that the reptile was the venomous Fer-de-lance. (Later, after seeing the photo I had taken of our uninvited guest, a snake expert reassured me that it had not been poisonous.) This first little encounter was just a taste of the nature we would meet during a three-week vacation in Costa Rica.

We arrived at Liberia Airport, and departed from San Jose. In between, we stayed at two bona fide ranches and visited two beach towns. We saw monkeys, bats, sloths, iguanas, crocodiles, snakes, a tarantula, and many birds and butterflies. We swam in waterfalls and the ocean. We walked on beaches and in national parks. We even zip-lined through a forest.

Rinconcito Lodge was the first place we stayed. We were delighted when we saw our spacious room, set on a small hillside with a magnificent view of the surrounding trees, flowers and sky.

The food at Rinconcito was reasonably priced and tasty, and the employees were gems. We chose the lodge because of its proximity to the Rincon de la Vieja volcano and because it was inexpensive. (We paid $60 U.S. for the room; breakfast was included.) Also to cut costs, we did not rent a car, and usually ate out only for supper, preferring to prepare our own lunches.

Carolina Lodge, near Tenorio Volcano National Park, about 3½ hours away over windy, bumpy roads, was our next stop. The driver from Rinconcito took us there for $45 each. Our room was simple, but adequate. If you go, I would suggest booking one of the property’s small houses, which cost just a few dollars more than the rooms. Horseback riding is included in the rates. Carolina Lodge has 31 horses, all trained and maintained under the watchful eye of Alejandro Parilla. Under Parilla’s tutelage, I became increasingly confident with each ride we took, even permitting my horse to trot on the last few rides. Parilla is also a knowledgeable guide. He took us and a handful of other guests to Tenorio Volcano National Park, known for its river that is part blue and part green (caused by the intersection of two bodies of water), as well as a waterfall and hot springs.

We left the ranch part of our trip and headed to the beach, opting to take public transportation to Playa Carrillo on the Pacific Coast.

Playa Carrillo is lovely and can be walked from end to end in about 45 minutes. The beach curves around gently, palm trees provide shade and the waves are just right for frolicking. Just stay out of the estuary on the edge of the beach: There is a “beware of crocodiles” sign, and we spotted three while peering down from the bridge. Oy vey!

The nearby Playa Samara was a completely different experience with its restaurants and surf schools lining the beach, as well as people selling jewelry and clothing in stands along the road. After the day trip, we were glad to return to the tranquillity of Playa Carrillo, but if you like more action, Playa Samara may be for you.

For $60 each, we hired another driver to take us to Montezuma, our final destination before heading back to Montreal. We felt at home at the Mariposario Montezuma Gardens, an intimate four-bedroom B&B. The hosts, brothers Ryan and Josh Samuel, were most gracious. The brothers operate a large butterfly garden (that’s the Mariposario in the name of their place) and Ryan’s tour was funny and fascinating.

We went on the Montezuma canopy tour, which felt safe and was exciting, even for a chicken like me. I loved zip-lining over the jungle. Another day, we rented an ATV from Zuma Tours. We drove to Playa Carmen, a surfing town. We made a few stops along the way: at Nena’s to buy her mango-pineapple jam; at a humongous Fica tree; at the bakery in Cobuya; and at the Soda Mal Pais.

Now that we are back in frigid Montreal, the memories of our trip to Costa Rica fill my soul with warmth and sunshine.