redsx

Going to Costa Rica in February for 10 days. Booked the Mariott outside of San Jose for the first night. Spending the next 4 nights at La Paloma near Corcovado. Would like to go to monteverde and arenal for the remaining 4 nights.

Question:
1- We depart La Paloma on the 16th- Does anyone know if we can get to Monteverde(or Arenal if better)that same day?
2- Would I stay in one location to see the sights in Monteverde & Arenal or split the time between two hotels?
3- Need a hotel recommendation for either area.
4. Need a hotel reco for last night outside of San Jose (The Mariott wants $500!!)

Thanks!

dfarmer

As to getting to Monteverde or Arenal the same day. This depends much on what time your flight is arriving back to SJ and what mode of transportation you intend to take?

Monteverde and Arenal are two different areas, looking fairly close on the map, but hours away from one another. So yes, you would need to split your time.

Lots of recs here, if you read a bit more, for hotels/lodges in both areas. Monteverde we stayed Trapp Family Lodge. Arenal we stayed Arenal Parasio. Were pleased with both.

Hotel for last night, again lots of recs here, which you have probably already discovered. But $500 is WAY TOO much to pay. Lots of wonderful places to stay, that are not chain type establishments. Orchideas Inn (15 mins from airport) was our choice this year. In the past we have stayed at Hotel Brtiannia (in town), Vista del Valle (25 mins from airport) and Peace Lodge (1 hour + from the airport) for our final nights. All wonderful. If you are looking for a chain type hotel, there is a Hampton Inn just across the highway from the airport.

Now - February is a huge travel month, many of the top requested hotels will already be full. What type of nightly rate are you considering?

jubileeCR

hi redsx

We hired a private transfer for $110 to pick us up at the airport and drive to Monteverde on the same day. Driving time took less than 4 hours. Depending on when your flight arrives, you might be able to catch a public shuttle which charge by the person. I believe it'll be about $76 for 2?

buterflymail

When we stayed at Palo Verde Resort in the Arenal area they had a private driver pick us up at the airport and drive us to the resort for only $95. He stopped at every town, gift shop, and resturant we wanted him to. While at Palo Verde Resort we took a day trip to Monteverde. It's true it is a bit of a drive from Arenal to Monteverde but the resort booked us on a day tour that picked us up right at our rooms and took us to the Arenal Lake where we took a boat to Monteverde. Much quicker then driving about a 30 minute boat ride and from there we enjoyed everything monteverde had to offer and were back in our cabinas in Arenal by the end of the day. So, as a recomendation I recomend Palo Verde Resort for your whole stay.

shillmac

I'd suggest flying back from the Osa, then driving (or transferring) to Arenal first, since it will take less time to get there than to Monteverde. Other posters say you can even fly into the Arenal area now via NatureAir. Because of your travel time, you really will have very little time to spend at both Arenal and Monteverde.

Agree with dfarmer that you would need to split your time between Monteverde and Arenal if you indeed choose to visit both. With no more time than you will have, I would suggest you choose one, thoroughly enjoy it, and save the other for another time.

We were 2 nights in Monteverde, didn't even come close to seeing all it had to offer, and would stay at least 3 if we had it to do again (especially given the difficulty and time involved in getting there).

As for your last night, I second Las Orquideas as an excellent choice. One of our favorite places more recently has been the Hotel Villa Bonita in Alajuela, only 5 minutes from the airport and just up the road from the Hampton Inn. It is Tico owned--a very friendly and helpful young couple named Humberto and Carmen--about $50 (or less) per night. Great breakfast, and a wonderful little Peruvian restaurant just down the street a couple of blocks with great corvina (sea bass)!

My suggestion: The Osa and Arenal (try to include a day trip to Cano Negro while at Arenal). Have a great time!

redsx

Thanks for the great advice. Will spend 4 days in Corcovada at La Paloma and the go on to La Fortuna and stay at Lost Iguana for 3 nights. They also have availability at Arenal Lodge. Does anyone have a preference?

RufusTFirefly

To get from the Arenal area to Monteverde is much more than a 30 minute boat ride--Monteverde isn't on the lake. You have to get to the lake from wherever you are in the Arenal region. Then after you cross the lake it's about a 1-1/2 hour drive to Monteverde.

Melissa5

redsx, we stayed in both Monteverde and Arenal. Since you have only 4 days to spend there, I would choose one or the other, not both. As has been mentioned, the drive between them over rough road takes much longer than it appears on the map.

They are both great destinations, both having natural beauty. If you want to see a cloud forest that seems primordial, with some old trees that remind me of the Ents in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movie, Monteverde Cloud forest is amazing...it is a nature experiece, best for a slow morning hike . Arenal also has beautiful rain forest...like at the Hanging Bridges in ARenal, beautiful. Also Arenal has the volcano.

My young adult daughters preferred Arenal overall, while my husband and I preferred Monteverde.

They both offer a variety of action adventures...day-tours you can sign up for like zip-lines.

If it's important to you to see wildlife like monkeys, choose Arenal because the Monteverde cloud forest is so incredibly dense that it's difficult to see wildlife, but you see an amazing variety of flora...

Hope this helps, they are both great, read some trip reports and choose between them. I have both in my trip report for our June 2005 trip...try clicking on my name. Have fun!