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Showing posts with the label Baxter State Park

Ultimate Costa Rica Packing List: Must-Have Gear for the Mountains & Beach

When I started traveling to Costa Rica as a solo backpacker in 1997, I had done a ton of homework, and thought I was prepared for 6 months of travel through Costa Rica’s extraordinarily varied microclimates. During my adventures I struggled with being perpetually damp and often cold in the cloud forests of Monteverde and San Gerardo de Rivas . Unfortunately my tent had been devoured by a type of nylon chewing ant that turned waterproof fabric into confetti! It’s hard to be prepared for everything… Now I am part of a family of 5, so planning a yearly 6 month trip has taken on new challenges. Fortunately we have years of experience now. So here is what I have to share. Whether you’re exploring the lush mountains of Monteverde or soaking up the sun on the Pacific or Caribbean coasts, packing smart is key. Costa Rica’s climate varies dramatically—humid and hot on the beaches, cool and misty in the mountains—so you’ll need a well-rounded packing list. We’re in and out of the water a lo...

Costa Rica Surf Spots: The Complete Guide to Waves, Wipeouts & Why Our Kids Are Now Better Surfers Than Us

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we actually use. Thanks for supporting Nomadventure! Costa Rica Surf Spots: The Complete Family Guide to Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced Breaks Costa Rica Surf Spots: The Complete Guide to Waves, Wipeouts & Why Our Kids Are Now Better Surfers Than Us In 2016, we made what we thought was a brilliant family decision: pack up and move to Costa Rica for its nature, warm climate, and family-friendly Pura Vida lifestyle. What we didn't anticipate was that our children would immediately become obsessed with surfing while my wife and I remained exactly where we started: firmly planted on our rears in the sand, nursing margaritas and documenting our failures on GoPro. Now, eight years later, our family can't imagine life without surf forecasts dictating our weekends. Somehow, between the escalating ...

El Potrero Chico: The Ultimate Climbing Guide (And How We Drove a School Bus to Get There)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we actually use. Thanks for supporting Nomadventure! El Potrero Chico: The Ultimate Climbing Guide (And How We Drove a School Bus to Get There) By Nomadventure | Mexico Climbing Guides | Updated 2025 There is a moment, familiar to anyone who has ever chosen adventure over sensibility, when you look up at a sheer 800-foot limestone wall and think: Yes. This is exactly where I am supposed to be. Then your palms start sweating, your rack clanks ominously, and your brain — that ancient, anxiety-prone organ — begins drafting a strongly worded letter to the rest of you about life choices. Welcome to El Potrero Chico , one of the greatest sport climbing destinations on earth, located in the municipality of Hidalgo, just outside Monterrey in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It's a place where world-class lim...