Roadrunner4

We would like to drive to Cano Negro join a tour and then continue onto La Carolina Lodge. Does anyone know of tour operators that we could join once we are at CAno Negro rather than going w/ a group out of Arenal? All references I have seen are w/ operators out of Arenal, Also, should we have any concern about leaving all our luggage in the car while on a tour/boat of Cano Negro?? Thank you

guanacaste

if you want it stolen, leave your luggage in the car!

shillmac

Roadrunner, I'd take the tour out of Arenal. It includes a nice trip up with a couple of interesting stops and some interesting "guide talk". You're trying to save a little backtracking time, though, aren't you? Did you know you can do the Cano Negro tour from La Carolina? That's what the owner, Bill Harwell, told us last year, although we decided to do it out of Arenal.

Write Bill and see what he tells you about this. Sounds like it might be something like what you are looking for. But then, you'd probably need one more night at La Carolina and one less night at Arenal? That was my thought last summer, anyway.

Roadrunner4

Thanks, Shillmac. Still struggling w/ the middle part of our itinerary between Arenal and Osa. I've bounced back and forth between trying to figure out La Carolina/Rio Celeste, beachtrip or heading earlier to Osa. Given the distance it seems like it may be too far to do an overnight at La Carolina Lodge with a full day of hiking the next day and then get to San Jose for early morning flight out to Osa Peninsula. Perhaps best option is to due as a day-trip and spend another night in Arenal. If so, would you do Cano Negro or Rio Celeste as the day trip?? My thought is the Cano Negro may be similar to Selva Verde so p'haps Celeste would be more varied. What do you think?

Day 1 - Arrive late morning - drive to Selva Verde or thereabouts so can do rafting in the AM of Day 2.
Day 2 - Rafting and then to Arenal
Day 3 - Arenal
Day 4 - Arenal
Day 5 -
Day 6 -
Day 7- Early morning flight from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez to Bosque del Cabo
Day 8 - Bosque del Cabo
Day 9 - Bosque del Cabo
Day 10 - Bosque del Cabo
DAy 11 - Mid-day flight to San Jose
Day 12 - Home

shillmac

There are a couple of things you might consider:

Staying the first night or two near San Jose (getting good rest on arrival day) and rafting the Rio Pacuare. It's still on our list (and looks like it will still be "on the list" in 2008!), but is said to be the best there is.

On to Selva Verde. Not to raft, but to take a morning tour of La Selva Biological Station, followed by a slow jungle cruise down the Rio Sarapiqui out of Puerto Viejo--nice and relaxing with interesting wildlife, mostly waterbirds. OR skip the boat cruise and save it for Cano Negro where you'll see FAR more wildlife than on the Rio Sarapiqui.

Cano Negro is a full day (back around 3:00) of wildlife viewing on the Rio Frio. Lots of birds, monkeys, sloths, tons of huge iguanas, etc. Very nice tour.

Rio Celeste/Volcan Tenorio would be more of a hiking experience to see the Rio Celeste which is said, during the dry season, to be a spectacular shade of brilliant blue. We were there in July, and it was a pretty blue but less so than in the dry season. We really enjoyed hiking Tenorio and enjoying some new vistas.

Why don't you stay a couple of nights near SJO, raft the Pacuare, head up to Selva Verde for an afternoon, night, and morning, tour La Selva. Then drive to Arenal and stay an extra night, doing both the Rio Celeste and the Cano Negro tours.

Does that appeal to you? OR--since you aren't going there to raft, skip Selva Verde altogether and follow this itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive, stay overnight SJO

Day 2: Raft Rio Pacuare, overnight SJO

Day 3: Drive to Arenal, take the day,
sightsee along the way,
Overnight Arenal (or if you
want more time at Arenal, drive
straight there. You could be
by noon easily, leaving 8:00 a.m.

Day 4: activity, overnight Arenal

Day 5: activity, overnight Arenal

Day 6: activity, drive to SJO,
overnight there--you would have
most of the day at Arenal,
until 2:30 or so.

Day 7: flight to Osa, overnight BdC

Day 8: overnight BdC

Day 9: overnight BdC

Day 10: overnight BdC

Day 11: Back to SJO, overnight

Day 12: Return home

This may seem to you to "waste" your time a bit, especially if you were thinking to stay the heck out of San Jose.

If you are pretty sure you would prefer going on up to Selva Verde, then spend an extra night there, touring La Selva the next morning, before driving to Arenal. You would still have 3 nights Arenal, 4 nights BdC, right?

It's a good problem to have--lots of excellent choices! Can you add another night at Bosque del Cabo? Or add a night at Iguana Lodge in Puerto Jimenez? That might be an option for you as well. We did BdC in 3 nights the first time, going for 4 next week, but having been there, I think 5 would be even better!

Roadrunner4

Thanks, Shillmac. You should be getting a commission for helping sort through all these good options. Your advice is so, very helpful. Thank you, thank you. Actually, just had a similar conversation here and concluded we'd try to stay an extra night in Osa. Helpful to get your comments on Selva Verde vs. Cano Negro. I originally had hoped to do Pacuare, but my understanding is it's rated IV and above so is too dangerous with a 10 and 13 yr. old. Do you know anything to the contrary on that or should I just keep digging?

Also, if you had to choose would you stay at Arenal Observatory Lodge or Paraiso...I see you've stayed at both. They seem like totally different experiences.

Thanks, again. How did you get to be so knowledgeable?

shillmac

Yep, good call roadrunner. With your kids, I'd stay with the original plan and add the extra day on the Osa. If you can work in an extra day at Arenal, that would good too. You did have 2 nights to fill didn't you?

Thanks for your kind words. I'm not expert--just love to talk about the country. What a fantastic place.

We've spent a lot of time there when others have suggested we really should be branching out a little. My answser to that is "we'll branch out when we've seen most of Costa Rica". There are still a myriad of things we'd like to do there. But we ARE including a week in Panama this summer, so I guess the "broadening of the horizons has begun". By now, we've developed some close friendships in CR and I can't imagine not visiting once a year at least.

As to AOL vs. AP, I think you'd benefit more (especially with the family) from the AP location. The lava views should be excellent if the clouds will allow. I don't think the lava is flowing on the AOL side these days. Also, AOL is a rough ride (about 20 or more) on a 9km road on the west side of the area. We didn't mind it as we really wanted to stay there (and would do it again), but we've chosen AP for our stay this next week. The AP ziplines sound like a good plan for your family and right there on the property. Low prices as well. Many people with kids stay at Los Lagos, and I think it would be a great option for you as well. Not sure about lava viewing.

Glad to help. Have a great trip! And do tell when it is over!