Hi first time to Cr Here's our schedule

Day 1 fly in to san jose then fly to tamarind(captain suizo)
Day 2 explore possible see turtles,beach relax
day 3 go on day tour to rincon de la veija canopy tour horseback, mud baths is this fun and worth it?

Day 4 fly to manuel antonio/quepas(si como no) relax
day 5 see park with tour guide /beach
day 6 do rainmaker tour explore
day 7 take naukaca waterfalls tour how is this?
day 8 fly home
I am not seeing arsenal is this a mistake I originally eliminated it because it seemed difficult to get to and may not see an eruption and they other areas seemed to have more activities and some nightlife.Am I making a mistake by missing this? Or any other suggestions are appreceited thanks

hi cmazza,

you actually fly into Alajuela, a big misconception to all of us the first time we visit CR...if you stay in the Alajuela area, you can go to the Poas volcano. We stayed at Hotel Buena Vista and had a great time. We also loved Arenal Volcano area due to La Fortuna and the Tabacon. if you do get up to La Fortuna, check out the canopy tour place a few stores down from the mercado on main street. you won't be disappointed, the highest canopy is 14 stories. by the way, you did not mention when you were going. this can make a big difference on your itinerary...driving in the green season is pretty hectic sometimes. just a personal comment, you guys are flying an awful lot...

we are traveling in Jan. We are traveling fly to our destinations to save time on our 7 day trip and it was camparative to renting a 4x4.

Hi there,
Planning a trip to Costa Rica in July ...i really like your itinerary.

I"m wondering about the flights you've arranged from SJ - Tamarindo...then Tamarindo to Quespo....then Quespo to San Jose.

Can you tell me which airline you're using? How much each "leg" is costing you?

How you bought tickets (when you arrive in Costa Rica...or before your journey).

Thanks!
Carmen

Sounds like a good itinerary. Just make sure that your international flight times will work with domestic flights (most of the time international flights arrive too late to be able to fly to another destation in the country and most people stay the first night near the airport or in San Jose).
Capitan Suizo is a great place and I would highly recommend it. We did the day trip to Rincon de la Vieja including a canopy tour and volcanic mud treatment back in 2000 and it was a lot of fun. We did not do any horse back riding there but saw other people do it. It is a beautiful area.
Are you really able to arrange for a direct flight from Tamarindo to Quepos? If that is the case, that's great as it will save on a lot of driving. Si Como No is a great choice in MA, you'll have fun. Both Tamarindo and MA are good choices for some nightlife and a good selection of hotels and restaurants. Definitely hire a guide to see the park and then plan to spend the rest of the day on the beach there. It is beautiful.
As to Arenal, it is hit or miss. We were not able to see it in August 2001 (it was foggy and cloudy with on and off rain for 2 days). We'll try again this year but I don't have high hopes for it. The hot springs at Tabacon are fun, but you are right that it is not that easy to get to (no flights, so the only options are driving or busing). I'd say, stick to your original plan. If you end up loving Costa Rica (like many of us on this board) you can go again and include it in your plans then.

As to the comment that you are flying too much, I disagree. With only 7 or 8 days, it makes sense to fly to your destinations and not worry about spending a full day in the car. That's what we did on our first trip and half of our second trip.