Hey travelers

Going with my best buddy to CR for our 40th birthdays.

We have 10 full net days of traveling and I'm looking for you best advice for the ultimate itinerary - Ideally, we'll do 7 days of nature (animals, forests, volcanos...) and then 3 days on the coast (could be a mix of fun beaches and a park like Manuel Antonio).

Please help... (leaving in 3 weeks).

Cheers

This is a very broad question and impossible to answer without more information about your interests, likes dislikes, budget, method of traveling the country, etc.. The best thing to do is to get a guide book (Lonely Planet and Moon guide are my favorites) and then come back here for more specific questions

www.caravan.com good 10 day tour

or usually DIY usually rent a car

in 10 days for me

Central Valley

www.arenal.net

Monteverde

www.manuelantoniopark.com

www.jinetesdeosa.com

for Drake's Bay/Osa

Have fun,

The most popular combo for first timers is Arenal with Manuel Antonio. You'll get volcano time, wildlife, and beach time. In Arenal, do the Cano Negro tour to see wildlife and be sure to hit the hot springs. In MA, go to the park for the best beach and wildlife sightings.

VG mentions one of the most popular itineraries for first-time visitors to CR. Both Arenal and MA have great infrastructure for tourists (lots of hotel, restaurant, and activity choices). Sean's recommendation of a good guide book is also a good one. With only 3 weeks to plan, you'll want to get a good game plan established because although Costa Rica is a small country, it takes a bit of effort to travel to between various destinations. You won't want to waste any precious time trying to arrange for transportation or figuring out where to go once you're down there...

With 10 full days, you could easily spend 3-4 days in Arenal, 3 days in MA, and the remaining days in the Central Valley (visiting places like Poas Volcano, a coffee plantation, and La Paz Waterfall Gardens). That would give you a nice mix of different eco-systems and environments.

Good luck with your planning. CR is wonderful!

Thank for the ideas.

Sean - you're right - need to be more specific to get good recommendations.
So the plan is to see a lot of nature, preferably wildlife you can't find in the North America, and then to enjoy the Pacific ocean.

The motto is - less touristic more nature (I can skip all the "western" bar strips etc...).

We're currently leaning into 4-5 Days at Arenal and Monteverde,then go to the Pacific ocean - it seems to me like MA will better suit the flavor of the trip than the Grand Playa area, but I do want to get a chance for some quality beach time/surfing. Can I find it in MA area? Is it better to go up north the surfing beaches?

Any chance I can squeeze in 10 full days the following:

Arenal + Monteverde (5 days)
Penisula de nicoya beaches (Playa Grande, Playa Negra or Montezuma) - 2 Days
Then 2 days in MA (2 Days)

Cheers

Hi Londoron,

I personally think you're pushing it a bit to fit 4 destinations into your 10 days. By car, you'll spend a good chunk of that time getting from point A to point B; ~3-4 hours between Arenal and Monteverde, probably ~6-ish hours from Monteverde to the Nicoya Peninsula, and another 6-ish or so to get down to MA.

You might save some time by flying to each destination, but you still have to factor in travel times to/from the airports, arriving early for your flight, getting optimal flight times for your itinerary, etc...

You also need to consider that sunset happens around 5:30-6:00 p.m. year-round in CR. You won't want to driving on unfamiliar roads after dark, and you'll need daylight for a lot of the activities you'll want to participate in...

One suggestion is to look into surf sites that are closer to MA. I'm not a surfer so I don't know what the best options are, but either Dominical or beaches closer to Jaco would reduce your travel times considerably over trying to fit the Nicoya Peninsula in too.

I agree (as usual!) with cam. I'd pick only one beach location and stick to it. You don't want to waste so much time driving between these destinations. Will you have to spend a night in SJO based on flight times? MA has a lot of wildlife in the area.

Cam, VolacanGirl - thanks for your insight - i had a feeling I'm trying to squeeze too much...

I'll focus on 3 areas only then - Arenal, Monteverde and MA.

Are the beaches around MA a lot different than the ones up at the Nicoya? Do you think I can find quality beach time in MA area as well? Any surfing down there (I don't surf a lot - so a nice "beginner beach" will do...).

Assuming I'll do Arenal, Monteverde and MA - any recommendations for nice homey lodging (mid-range, comfortable - nothing too fancy...)

Thanks all - this is very helpful!

In Arenal I really like Silencio del Campo. A wonderful Tico family owns and runs the place and it's just perfect. They also have a hot spring on site.

In MA you might check out La Posada Bungalows, haven't stayed there because it was full but would like to. A lot of people like Costa Verde for mid-range, great views and good location on the hill. The beaches inside MA Nat'l Park are gorgeous. You can do surfing/surf lessons from there.

Also, don't know how you're getting around...are you renting a car? If not Interbus is easy and reliable.

We stayed at Fonda Vela in Monteverde; it was pretty homey and affordable. I'd recommend their junior suites - very up to date and comfortable. They have a good restaurant with a cozy fireplace, which was great because it was rainy and chilly when we were there. In MA, we stayed at Mango Moon, but if I went back I'd do Tulemar Bunagalows or Buena Vista Villas. Costa Verde and Villas Nicolas get good reviews as well. In Arenal, we love the Lost Iguana, but it's kind of pricey. Silencio del Campo gets good reviews and is a little more affordable I think.

hip, we posted the same things at the same time - lol. I agree; the beach inside the park in MA is gorgeous. I haven't had any surfing experience, but for a beach, it's hard to beat.

vgirl -- Funny how that happens! Good recommendations make great trips! ;-)

For Monteverde area we stayed at the Arco Iris Ecolodge in Santa Elena. We had a duplex cabin up on the hill overlooking the town, nice landscaped gardens, centrally located for both MV and SE reserves, ran around $70 per night (in March), not including the breakfast buffet which was $6.50 pp. It's right in town, but the grounds are quite extensive. Monkeys in the trees outside the dining room are a great way to start the day!

You've got a bunch of good mid-range hotel recommendations. Here's two more in case you need them; Arenal Lodge (in Arenal, of course ;-) ) and Hotel California (in MA).

Your plan to focus on Arenal, Monteverde, and MA will really help you optimize your time and see some wonderful highlights in the country.

Sounds like you're in for a wonderful trip!

colobri -- Did you post a trip report? How did your Tortuguero leg with the Watsons end up?

Hip,

Our trip to Tortuguero with the Watson's isn't until February, but I wish it was tomorrow! We are still dealing with Hurricane Gustav damage in Baton Rouge, so I'm pretty stressed at dealing with AT&T and Entergy right now.

I did post a trip report from the Montevere/Liberia/Brasilito trip in March. Just click on my name, think it's #32.

Hi Londoron - when are you in M.A.? I ask because my wife and I are looking for 3 others to make a group of 5 to do an amazing day of diving (Scuba or snorkling) to Isla del Canos 2 hrs south of M.A.with Oceans Unlimited. This would be between Nov 17th and the 20th, weather permitting. We're both 'young' 50's so this might be a good fit.

Thanks colobri!