5 nights in CR--opinions please
 

My fiance and I are planning on going to Costa Rica for our honeymoon next June. We will be arriving on a Monday at around 1:00 in the afternoon and leaving Saturday at 2:00 in the afternoon. We are renting a car and driving ourselves around. We would like to stay at the Peace Lodge for one or two nights and Arenal for a couple of nights. We would also like to go to Monteverde but aren't sure if we should skip it because of time constraints. We would also like to go somewhere on the beach for a couple of nights.

I know a lot of people go to the Peace Lodge, then Arenal, Monteverde, then Manuel Antonio and back to San Jose...I was thinking I would rather do this in the opposite order. Is there any reason why this wouldn't work or make sense?

What hotels can you recommend in Manuel Antonio or somewhere else with fairly easy access to the beach?

I will greatly appreciate any advice you can give.

Christi

If you do only 1 night night at Peace Lodge, 2 nights at Arenal & 2 nights at MA, you could do it. I'd skip Monteverde due to so little time. However, with 2 nights at MA, you'd have to leave early Sat am to get back to the airport in time. You'd be a lot less rushed if you do 2 nights at Peace Lodge, 2 nights in Arenal and one night close to San Jose, Like Vista del Valle, Xandari or Orquideas.

Certainly you can head out to MA first. Many people like to have the beach experience last in their trip. However, we tend to always do beach first and end in the cooler areas somewhere in Central CR.

With a 1:00 arrival, you should get on the road between 2 & 3. You may be pushing a bit to get there by dark, but you will be close. Another option (which we did) - have a driver pick you up at the airport and take you to MA. Then have your car delivered in MA for your drive to Arenal.

2 nights MA, 2 nights Arenal and last night at Peace Lodge (gets you within an hour of SJO).

Personally this is rushed to me. But if it is what you want, then it can certainly be done.

And I would suggest to choose only 2 places between Arenal, MA and Monteverde.

Thanks for the input! I am trying to rework our budget so that we can stay 6 nights instead of 5 so everything won't feel so rushed.

Christi,
I recently returned from our honeymoon in CR, and we spent our last two nights at Peace Lodge. I can't comment on the other areas you asked about (we spent our first 5 days on the Osa Peninsula, southwestern tip of the country), but I do know that perhaps our only "regret" -if you can call it that- was that we wished we could spend more time at the Peace Lodge (we got there at 5 pm on Wed. and left at 4 am on Friday). That place is hands-down the most romantic, beautiful, breathtaking, relaxing place I've ever been, and would be a great place to finish off your honeymoon. Congrats, and have fun!