porter

I am trying to get vacation ideas for this August and am considering Costa Rica. I have heard so many wonderful things about it and it seems like it would be an amazing experience. Does anyone have any suggestions about where to stay and what to see? I will be there approx. 10 days to two weeks in mid-August. Thanks in advance!

David Cook

After landing in San Jose, head for the Arenal area to check out volcanos, hot springs and waterfalls. Then continue on to the beach at either Tamarindo, Jaco, or Quepos/Manuel Antonio. Pick up a good guidebook now (like Lonely Planet, Fodors, or etc)for lots of other ideas. Aug is low season, everything should be cheaper. It will be hot & steamy at the beach, beautiful in the central valley. Good luck, you'll have fun!

porter

Thanks for the helpful info David. I am heading out to the bookstore!

marilynn

Hola Porter,<BR>Ive been there during the green season in July and it was rather nice - we hit a couple of really good thunderstorms in the P.M. down in the Osa Peninsula and atTamarindo Beach area - I found the jungle area to be more steamy than the beaches which were very pleasant. In Feb. I found the beaches quite hot in the afternoons so go figure!<BR>Marilynn

Tess

porter,<BR>I was there in September and feel the benefits of traveling during the green season (low season) outweigh the downsides (more rain). Actually it's a bit of a misnomer when they use the term &quot;dry&quot; season to describe the weather from December thru April in Costa Rica. Yes, it is drier than other months of the year; however it IS the tropics and it does get rain pretty much throughout the year. I'd say that Guanacaste, which is the northwest region of CR is truly the only dry, dry area during the &quot;dry&quot; season. <BR><BR>After my weather digression, let me return to your primary query. There's alot to see in CR; and with a 10 day to 2 wk visit, you can easily plan to see three different areas in your itinerary. For me, no trip to CR is complete without a volcano experience (Arenal) and a beach experience. For the beach, I think you may consider Tamarindo or one of the other beaches on the Nicoya peninsula. Tamarindo is in the Guanacaste region that I've mentioned. Alternatively, OR additionally, you may want to include Manuel Antonio on your list. What I enjoyed about MA is this area offers both beaches and lowland rain forest. While making your decision on where to go, read about the different activities that are available and choose what suits your interests. My first CR trip was with a tour group and included going to see the nesting of Leatherback turtles on Playa Grande (close to Tamarindo). I found that to be an incredible &quot;Animal Planet&quot; moment --- it invovled some waiting before a turtle came up on the beach to lay her eggs, but I was very glad to witness the experience. I'm also pretty gaga over the Arenal volcano. During my more recent trip in Sept, we went on a hike around the base of Arenal --- and when that volcano starts &quot;talking&quot; (makes a subtle choo-choo-choo noise as it emits gases) --- wow, I thought that's darn cool!

x

In August be careful where in C.R. you go. We met a couple who stayed at Marenco lodge on the Osa Peninsula. They were miserable and said it POURED rain most of the time.

Scott

Dear Porter,<BR><BR>Check out the Manuel Antonio area while you are reading up. The beaches are beautiful, there is a national park with lots of animals, and some of the views from the hotels are spectacular. There's also tons of tours and activities to do. Hotels have some great specials there during that time. Check out Hotel California at www.hotel-california.com as a hotel suggestion.