Anniversary/Birthday Trip Report to Costa Rica
Feb 10th, 2013, 06:51 AM
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Anniversary/Birthday Trip Report to Costa Rica
My wife and I just returned from ten days in Costa Rica and I would love to share some of our experiences with you!
Rather than give you a day by day account of our vacation I have decided to break it up into categories making it easier for you to focus on which categories are important to you.
The Planning Stage Part 1
With the help of many Fodorites I researched hotels, activities, restaurants and itineraries and cross referenced with Tripadvisor and determined to spend 10 days in Costa Rica spending time in three locations: Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio (in this order). I booked our airline first ( American), took out Travel Insurance (Travel Guard) and then booked our hotels in each location. After making the decision not to rent a car I arranged our transportation throughout our stay and once I had everything in place started the process of determining which activities to pursue in each location including restaurants, hikes and tours, drivers and wildlife to see. I read about drinking the water (absolutely ok), getting any inoculations (not necessary), taking vitamin B1/ 500 mg two weeks before ( to prevent against mosquito bites--don't know if it worked but we didn't get any bites), phone communication ( will be using Skype and buy a phone for local use) and what to pack. We even made copies of our passports, driver licenses, credit cards and other important documents that we were carrying leaving a copy at home and another to bring with us.
Airlines.
Our trip departing from JFK in New York to San Jose was exceptional due to our son having us upgraded to Business class which was a first time experience for us. It reminded us of the Seinfeld episode in which Jerry gets bumped to first class while Elaine remains in coach. Oh my what a difference it made! You are literally wined and dined and treated so royally. There was more room to stretch out and more choices at your disposal for food choices and use of electronic equipment. It was indeed a treat and we were so grateful to our son for arranging this, however, our trip returning home would be much much different!
I was told to arrive at the San Jose airport two hours before departing and remember that you have to pay a $28 fee to leave the country. You can pay either with cash or credit card. After doing this we checked in, went through security, waited around and then had to go through another baggage check before boarding. We boarded, sat for a half hour and then was told that the plane would not be leaving due to the EXIT signs not working. Luggage off the plane, waiting anxiously for arrangements to be made including our connection to NY from Miami. American handled this wonderfully and soon we would be on our way ( 2 hours later) and would have to stay in a hotel overnight in Miami (arranged by American), vouchers given for dinner and breakfast and transportation provided to and from airport. No Business class this time but first class treatment displayed by American and its employees.
San Jose Airport
Since we were arriving in the evening we arranged through our hotel Adventure Inn ( http://www.adventure-inn.com/) to be picked up. A representative was there and we were on our way to the hotel only 15 minutes away. We went through immigration quickly and also stopped to purchase a phone at the Kolbi counter nearby the baggage counter. The phone was $20 and included 120 minutes for local calls. **Our only problem was that all the instructions were in Spanish. We ended up using the phone a few times, however, it was reassuring knowing that we always had the option.
Hotels
Adventure Inn was a nice hotel with comfortable beds, a small restaurant/bar, free wi fi , free phone calls to the states and a decent breakfast included. Highly recommend for an overnight stay. Helpful staff.
Lost Iguana Hotel in Arenal (www.lostiguanaresort.com) was exceptional! Although a bit isolated and away from the town of La Fortuna this hotel had excellent rooms, views and service. We had a view of the volcano from our room ( although only saw it one out of three days), incredible birds ( Toucans and others) right outside our breakfast area, beautiful pool , happy hour, on site trails, golf carts to bring you back and forth to your room ( if needed) and great staff. The food at the Hibiscus restaurant was good--not great but they went out of their way to prepare a very special Romantic dinner to celebrate our anniversary. Since we didn't have a car we were able to arrange both taxi rides and hotel staff vans into La Fortuna and back. Check with them on their van times and you can save the money from taxi rides which can add up.
Hotel Belmar in Monteverde (www.hotelbelmar.net)
Another exceptional hotel and also a bit isolated (without a car) with a long unpaved road taking you to the main road into town. Loved our room in the new building. food was wonderful and the evening sunsets were spectacular. An inexpensive taxi ride will take you into town while tours to both the Cloud Forest and Sepalverda will provide their own vehicles.
Hotel Costa Verde 2 in Manuel Antonio (www.costaverde.com)
The view from our room was wonderful, however, we were on the ground floor and wished I had booked a higher one. For one you will have more privacy and a better view higher up. The restaurants on the premises are OK--not great with the view from the Anaconda restaurant breathtaking! Costa Verde 2 is for Adults only so it was quiet by the pool with bar service and once again spectacular sunsets. Each room is huge with a full kitchen, balcony, free wi fi and of course great views! The bus stops in front of the hotel providing easy access into town and up the road for other restaurant choices. You can walk from the hotel to the main road and down into town, however, it is a bit of a walk and coming back it would be all uphill.
**Transportation and Activities Part 2 to follow.
Rather than give you a day by day account of our vacation I have decided to break it up into categories making it easier for you to focus on which categories are important to you.
The Planning Stage Part 1
With the help of many Fodorites I researched hotels, activities, restaurants and itineraries and cross referenced with Tripadvisor and determined to spend 10 days in Costa Rica spending time in three locations: Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio (in this order). I booked our airline first ( American), took out Travel Insurance (Travel Guard) and then booked our hotels in each location. After making the decision not to rent a car I arranged our transportation throughout our stay and once I had everything in place started the process of determining which activities to pursue in each location including restaurants, hikes and tours, drivers and wildlife to see. I read about drinking the water (absolutely ok), getting any inoculations (not necessary), taking vitamin B1/ 500 mg two weeks before ( to prevent against mosquito bites--don't know if it worked but we didn't get any bites), phone communication ( will be using Skype and buy a phone for local use) and what to pack. We even made copies of our passports, driver licenses, credit cards and other important documents that we were carrying leaving a copy at home and another to bring with us.
Airlines.
Our trip departing from JFK in New York to San Jose was exceptional due to our son having us upgraded to Business class which was a first time experience for us. It reminded us of the Seinfeld episode in which Jerry gets bumped to first class while Elaine remains in coach. Oh my what a difference it made! You are literally wined and dined and treated so royally. There was more room to stretch out and more choices at your disposal for food choices and use of electronic equipment. It was indeed a treat and we were so grateful to our son for arranging this, however, our trip returning home would be much much different!
I was told to arrive at the San Jose airport two hours before departing and remember that you have to pay a $28 fee to leave the country. You can pay either with cash or credit card. After doing this we checked in, went through security, waited around and then had to go through another baggage check before boarding. We boarded, sat for a half hour and then was told that the plane would not be leaving due to the EXIT signs not working. Luggage off the plane, waiting anxiously for arrangements to be made including our connection to NY from Miami. American handled this wonderfully and soon we would be on our way ( 2 hours later) and would have to stay in a hotel overnight in Miami (arranged by American), vouchers given for dinner and breakfast and transportation provided to and from airport. No Business class this time but first class treatment displayed by American and its employees.
San Jose Airport
Since we were arriving in the evening we arranged through our hotel Adventure Inn ( http://www.adventure-inn.com/) to be picked up. A representative was there and we were on our way to the hotel only 15 minutes away. We went through immigration quickly and also stopped to purchase a phone at the Kolbi counter nearby the baggage counter. The phone was $20 and included 120 minutes for local calls. **Our only problem was that all the instructions were in Spanish. We ended up using the phone a few times, however, it was reassuring knowing that we always had the option.
Hotels
Adventure Inn was a nice hotel with comfortable beds, a small restaurant/bar, free wi fi , free phone calls to the states and a decent breakfast included. Highly recommend for an overnight stay. Helpful staff.
Lost Iguana Hotel in Arenal (www.lostiguanaresort.com) was exceptional! Although a bit isolated and away from the town of La Fortuna this hotel had excellent rooms, views and service. We had a view of the volcano from our room ( although only saw it one out of three days), incredible birds ( Toucans and others) right outside our breakfast area, beautiful pool , happy hour, on site trails, golf carts to bring you back and forth to your room ( if needed) and great staff. The food at the Hibiscus restaurant was good--not great but they went out of their way to prepare a very special Romantic dinner to celebrate our anniversary. Since we didn't have a car we were able to arrange both taxi rides and hotel staff vans into La Fortuna and back. Check with them on their van times and you can save the money from taxi rides which can add up.
Hotel Belmar in Monteverde (www.hotelbelmar.net)
Another exceptional hotel and also a bit isolated (without a car) with a long unpaved road taking you to the main road into town. Loved our room in the new building. food was wonderful and the evening sunsets were spectacular. An inexpensive taxi ride will take you into town while tours to both the Cloud Forest and Sepalverda will provide their own vehicles.
Hotel Costa Verde 2 in Manuel Antonio (www.costaverde.com)
The view from our room was wonderful, however, we were on the ground floor and wished I had booked a higher one. For one you will have more privacy and a better view higher up. The restaurants on the premises are OK--not great with the view from the Anaconda restaurant breathtaking! Costa Verde 2 is for Adults only so it was quiet by the pool with bar service and once again spectacular sunsets. Each room is huge with a full kitchen, balcony, free wi fi and of course great views! The bus stops in front of the hotel providing easy access into town and up the road for other restaurant choices. You can walk from the hotel to the main road and down into town, however, it is a bit of a walk and coming back it would be all uphill.
**Transportation and Activities Part 2 to follow.
Feb 10th, 2013, 05:40 PM
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Allyboy, great trip report so far, hitting on all the things that people are always questioning/want to know...
Was curious if it was an "anniversary/birthday" trip for you because the two days fell over your vacation, or because you were actually married on your b-day? I was married on my b-day and have only found 2 other people thus far who can say the same...
Looking forward to Part 2...
Was curious if it was an "anniversary/birthday" trip for you because the two days fell over your vacation, or because you were actually married on your b-day? I was married on my b-day and have only found 2 other people thus far who can say the same...
Looking forward to Part 2...
Feb 11th, 2013, 05:40 AM
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Coryandcarissa: Technically I wasn't married on my birthday. Our anniversary is on the 29th and Birthday on the 30th, however, our band did sing Happy Birthday to me at midnight!
Volcano Girl: Lost Iguana took very good care of us!!!
Transportation Part 2
The Adventure Inn arranged to have us picked up at the airport via Interbus ( no charge). It was very cool to see our representative waiting for us with our name on a huge card! Quick and easy transfer to the hotel.
We arranged to have Interbus pick us up the next morning for our trip to Arenal/ Lost Iguana. It is not a bus--more like a van and it was fine. There were 7 of us in the van and we enjoyed the conversation and a stopover at a restaurant/bathroom and gift shop all rolled into one.
Taxi cabs and Lost Iguana staff van into La Fortuna. The taxi ride into La Fortuna was expensive so if your Hotel provides van service ( as Lost Iguana does), I would suggest that.
Van/Boat/Van through Desafio Tours was our choice traveling to Monteverde from Arenal. It was comfortable on the boat with a beautiful 45 minute trip seeing magnificent scenery. The van to Monteverde was far from comfortable, however, it was an adventure. The roadway for a very long period was a challenge!
Taxi cabs in and out of the Hotel Belmar in Monteverde was easy and not expensive at all.
Wilson Rojas was our driver from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio and Manuel Antonio to San Jose Airport. I cannot say enough good things about Wilson! He wasn't only our driver--he was our Tour guide, Concierge and Friend. The road out of Monteverde is difficult, however, inside Wilson's van which he has made more comfortable by providing you with more room ( he has removed seats allowing you to stretch out your legs), snacks ( chips, drinks) and very careful driving he managed to make us forget the road and concentrate on the descriptions of the fauna and animals that we would pass by. He introduced us to Manuel Antonio by taking us to lunch, his favorite beach spot, suggesting several restaurants and advice on how to deal with the local vendors. On our way back to the San Jose Airport he went out of his way to show us Macaws (which were magnificent looking). Yes, it was more money than Interbus, however, Wilson was well worth every penny!
Taxi cabs and public bus are suggested while in Manuel Antonio, however, we attempted to get a bus after 9 pm and were unable to do so . Ended up taking a taxi back to our hotel so I suggest finding out how late the bus runs so that you don't end up like us waiting for 30 minutes and then end up taking a taxi.
Last means of transportation: Use your feet! Get out and walk as much as you can. You will see things you wouldn't see if you drive; meet interesting people along the way and get additional physical exercise.
Volcano Girl: Lost Iguana took very good care of us!!!
Transportation Part 2
The Adventure Inn arranged to have us picked up at the airport via Interbus ( no charge). It was very cool to see our representative waiting for us with our name on a huge card! Quick and easy transfer to the hotel.
We arranged to have Interbus pick us up the next morning for our trip to Arenal/ Lost Iguana. It is not a bus--more like a van and it was fine. There were 7 of us in the van and we enjoyed the conversation and a stopover at a restaurant/bathroom and gift shop all rolled into one.
Taxi cabs and Lost Iguana staff van into La Fortuna. The taxi ride into La Fortuna was expensive so if your Hotel provides van service ( as Lost Iguana does), I would suggest that.
Van/Boat/Van through Desafio Tours was our choice traveling to Monteverde from Arenal. It was comfortable on the boat with a beautiful 45 minute trip seeing magnificent scenery. The van to Monteverde was far from comfortable, however, it was an adventure. The roadway for a very long period was a challenge!
Taxi cabs in and out of the Hotel Belmar in Monteverde was easy and not expensive at all.
Wilson Rojas was our driver from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio and Manuel Antonio to San Jose Airport. I cannot say enough good things about Wilson! He wasn't only our driver--he was our Tour guide, Concierge and Friend. The road out of Monteverde is difficult, however, inside Wilson's van which he has made more comfortable by providing you with more room ( he has removed seats allowing you to stretch out your legs), snacks ( chips, drinks) and very careful driving he managed to make us forget the road and concentrate on the descriptions of the fauna and animals that we would pass by. He introduced us to Manuel Antonio by taking us to lunch, his favorite beach spot, suggesting several restaurants and advice on how to deal with the local vendors. On our way back to the San Jose Airport he went out of his way to show us Macaws (which were magnificent looking). Yes, it was more money than Interbus, however, Wilson was well worth every penny!
Taxi cabs and public bus are suggested while in Manuel Antonio, however, we attempted to get a bus after 9 pm and were unable to do so . Ended up taking a taxi back to our hotel so I suggest finding out how late the bus runs so that you don't end up like us waiting for 30 minutes and then end up taking a taxi.
Last means of transportation: Use your feet! Get out and walk as much as you can. You will see things you wouldn't see if you drive; meet interesting people along the way and get additional physical exercise.
Feb 11th, 2013, 07:27 AM
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Sure! He was talking about Manuel Antonio only.
Always bargain and never accept their initial price.
If you have a car be careful of the men who will attempt to have you park in relatively free spaces and /or charge you to watch your car. After you pay--they disappear!
Be aware of pickpockets.
Be careful of carrying around very expensive camera equipment.
If you choose to rent an umbrella on the public beaches be sure to know the total cost of rental for several hours. Some vendors will give you a cheap price for the first hour and when you come back late in the day add on huge amounts.
Be careful when hiring a guide outside Manuel Antonio Park as many men dress in uniforms ( that are not sanctioned by the Park). In fact there aren't any official Park guides.
He gave us his opinions on all the restaurants that I had suggested from my research and ended up going to Cafe Milagro, Victorias and Terrazas. We had lunch near the beach at El Sol and Wilson introduced us to the owner ( Vanessa) and his favorite drink : Guanavana.
Taxi rides should cost in the range of $4-$6 and encouraged us to use the bus. It is safe and cheap and let us off right in front of the hotel.
Always bargain and never accept their initial price.
If you have a car be careful of the men who will attempt to have you park in relatively free spaces and /or charge you to watch your car. After you pay--they disappear!
Be aware of pickpockets.
Be careful of carrying around very expensive camera equipment.
If you choose to rent an umbrella on the public beaches be sure to know the total cost of rental for several hours. Some vendors will give you a cheap price for the first hour and when you come back late in the day add on huge amounts.
Be careful when hiring a guide outside Manuel Antonio Park as many men dress in uniforms ( that are not sanctioned by the Park). In fact there aren't any official Park guides.
He gave us his opinions on all the restaurants that I had suggested from my research and ended up going to Cafe Milagro, Victorias and Terrazas. We had lunch near the beach at El Sol and Wilson introduced us to the owner ( Vanessa) and his favorite drink : Guanavana.
Taxi rides should cost in the range of $4-$6 and encouraged us to use the bus. It is safe and cheap and let us off right in front of the hotel.
Feb 11th, 2013, 06:21 PM
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I was persistent insisting that I wanted only Wilson for both of my days. At first Elsy ( his wife) wanted to book Wilson one day and not the next. We were fortunate that Elsy was able to work it out.
Feb 12th, 2013, 06:15 AM
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Activities Part 3
Arenal.
Lost Iguana arranged a tour for us with our own guide at the Hanging Bridges. We got to see Howler monkeys, leaf cutter ants, vultures and coatis as a result of our guide. The Lost Iguana drove us to the nearby Hanging Bridges and we walked back.
Hike to Cataratas de La Fortuna ( Waterfalls). It's a steep climb down ( over 500 steps) and coming back up is a bit exhausting but the payoff is the waterfall. We saw some people swimming down there. There is a small viewing bridge at the beginning of the walk if you want to see a beautiful scenic view including zip liners!
Hikes within Lost Iguana are good.
Cano Negro. We booked this tour through Sunset Tours, however, they did not have enough people so they included us in another company's tour. Not a huge deal, however, we should have been informed. It is a long day but worth the trip. Lost Iguana is about 25 minutes from town. Cano Negro is another 90 minutees to 2 hours away. We were stuffed into a van while others ( in the same tour) were placed on a decent size bus. I say this because the trip includes 20 minutes of hell on a horrendous road that was far worse than getting in and out of Monteverde. A suggestion to ask beforehand if enough people have signed up and whether 1 or 2 vehicles will be used. The first stop was at The Las Iguanas where there are dozens of iguanas perched in the trees. The trip down the river was great. We saw lots of wild life including 3 kinds of monkeys, caymans, birds, turtles and more birds! Lunch was included ( just ok) and then the ride back.
Monteverde. Hotel Belmar arranged a night tour for us at the Santamaria reserve. Although I was initially hesitant I must admit that I loved it! We saw a sloth, vipers, tarantula, agouti, raccoon, katydid, a walking stick and birds. Very interesting hiking in the dark with just flashlights and meeting up with other tour groups throughout the reserve. Also saw an armadillo crossing the road and all of the vehicles stopped to give it the right of way!
Hotel Belmar arranged a bird watching tour for us at the Curi Cancha Wildlife Refuge. It was an excellent opportunity to see birds--especially hummingbirds in the early morning. Also went to the nearby cheese factory.
Ziplining in Selvatura. Also arranged through Hotel Belmar. Oh my! First time for both of us and it was exhilarating and exhausting. You travel on 15 zip lines and walk quite a bit up stairs to get to many of the zip lines. We went on a rainy and cloudy day, however, it was one of the highlights of our trip. Don't bring huge cameras or back packs as they will get in the way.
Guided tour at Cloud Forest with Ricardo ( highly recommend). Great hike: saw a quetzal (female), agoutis and coatis, a hummingbird in its nest and the largest snail ever! Walked to a waterfall. Very interesting information on the Cloud Forest as told to us by our guide . He is a Quaker and his dad was one of the first individuals who settled in Monteverde.
Bridge of Crocodiles on the way to Manuel Antonio. Very interesting and happy that we were far and away from at least 35 crocs lounging around on the banks.
Manuel Antonio Park. We had a guided tour arranged through Wilson Rojas/Coati Tours with Diego. Managed to see Howlers, Capucins, sloths, morpheus butterflies, walking stick, golden spiders, raccoons and iguanas--some of which we would never have seen without Diego. Also spent time on Beach 3 spending as much time swimming and sunbathing as photographing the capuchins, raccoons and iguanas. Don't forget to bring some water with you--we did and were fortunate enough to find someone who gave us one.
Hike to the public beach from our Hotel Costa Verde. Much much easier walking down to the beach. Advice is to either take your towel and use it as blanket or look for vendors who rent chaises and umbrellas. Don't forget to ask price for entire day before paying. There is a very nice and cute resturant/bar on the beach for a snack and drinks.
We went on many hikes throughout all three locations by ourselves including a wonderful short one on the Hotel Belmar grounds in Monteverde. Wilson also stopped on our trip back to the airport to see 6 Macaws and he brought us to the Villa Caletas for an incredible view of Jaco and Toucans.
Arenal.
Lost Iguana arranged a tour for us with our own guide at the Hanging Bridges. We got to see Howler monkeys, leaf cutter ants, vultures and coatis as a result of our guide. The Lost Iguana drove us to the nearby Hanging Bridges and we walked back.
Hike to Cataratas de La Fortuna ( Waterfalls). It's a steep climb down ( over 500 steps) and coming back up is a bit exhausting but the payoff is the waterfall. We saw some people swimming down there. There is a small viewing bridge at the beginning of the walk if you want to see a beautiful scenic view including zip liners!
Hikes within Lost Iguana are good.
Cano Negro. We booked this tour through Sunset Tours, however, they did not have enough people so they included us in another company's tour. Not a huge deal, however, we should have been informed. It is a long day but worth the trip. Lost Iguana is about 25 minutes from town. Cano Negro is another 90 minutees to 2 hours away. We were stuffed into a van while others ( in the same tour) were placed on a decent size bus. I say this because the trip includes 20 minutes of hell on a horrendous road that was far worse than getting in and out of Monteverde. A suggestion to ask beforehand if enough people have signed up and whether 1 or 2 vehicles will be used. The first stop was at The Las Iguanas where there are dozens of iguanas perched in the trees. The trip down the river was great. We saw lots of wild life including 3 kinds of monkeys, caymans, birds, turtles and more birds! Lunch was included ( just ok) and then the ride back.
Monteverde. Hotel Belmar arranged a night tour for us at the Santamaria reserve. Although I was initially hesitant I must admit that I loved it! We saw a sloth, vipers, tarantula, agouti, raccoon, katydid, a walking stick and birds. Very interesting hiking in the dark with just flashlights and meeting up with other tour groups throughout the reserve. Also saw an armadillo crossing the road and all of the vehicles stopped to give it the right of way!
Hotel Belmar arranged a bird watching tour for us at the Curi Cancha Wildlife Refuge. It was an excellent opportunity to see birds--especially hummingbirds in the early morning. Also went to the nearby cheese factory.
Ziplining in Selvatura. Also arranged through Hotel Belmar. Oh my! First time for both of us and it was exhilarating and exhausting. You travel on 15 zip lines and walk quite a bit up stairs to get to many of the zip lines. We went on a rainy and cloudy day, however, it was one of the highlights of our trip. Don't bring huge cameras or back packs as they will get in the way.
Guided tour at Cloud Forest with Ricardo ( highly recommend). Great hike: saw a quetzal (female), agoutis and coatis, a hummingbird in its nest and the largest snail ever! Walked to a waterfall. Very interesting information on the Cloud Forest as told to us by our guide . He is a Quaker and his dad was one of the first individuals who settled in Monteverde.
Bridge of Crocodiles on the way to Manuel Antonio. Very interesting and happy that we were far and away from at least 35 crocs lounging around on the banks.
Manuel Antonio Park. We had a guided tour arranged through Wilson Rojas/Coati Tours with Diego. Managed to see Howlers, Capucins, sloths, morpheus butterflies, walking stick, golden spiders, raccoons and iguanas--some of which we would never have seen without Diego. Also spent time on Beach 3 spending as much time swimming and sunbathing as photographing the capuchins, raccoons and iguanas. Don't forget to bring some water with you--we did and were fortunate enough to find someone who gave us one.
Hike to the public beach from our Hotel Costa Verde. Much much easier walking down to the beach. Advice is to either take your towel and use it as blanket or look for vendors who rent chaises and umbrellas. Don't forget to ask price for entire day before paying. There is a very nice and cute resturant/bar on the beach for a snack and drinks.
We went on many hikes throughout all three locations by ourselves including a wonderful short one on the Hotel Belmar grounds in Monteverde. Wilson also stopped on our trip back to the airport to see 6 Macaws and he brought us to the Villa Caletas for an incredible view of Jaco and Toucans.
Feb 13th, 2013, 06:00 AM
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Restaurants / Food Part 4
Adventure Inn breakfast. Included in rate and really good! There is both a buffet and food cooked to order.
Lost Iguana ( Hibiscus). Great, incredible breakfast buffets with omelets cooked to order. You sit in a room that is opened on three sides looking out on Toucans and other birds feeding on bananas and other fruit provided by the staff. It is magical!
Soda La Parada (La Fortuna) Good food! Inexpensive but can get busy with tour groups. In the center of town.
Don Ruffino's (La Fortuna). Disappointing. Food just okay and not special at all. In fact I cannot understand why it is rated so high.
Stella' s Bakery ( Monteverde). Wonderful little place for breakfast or lunch. Located near Cloud Forest and entrance to Curi Cancha. Good food. If you get a chance check out the local artists and crafts close by and the women's collective.
Johnny's Pizzeria. ( Monteverde) Loved the food and service. *** Also heard that Tramonti's ( near Stella's ) is also a very good italian restaurant.
Hotel Belmar. ( Monteverde) Absolutely loved the food here both for dinner and appetizers on the terrace watching a sunset! Breakfasts were delicious!
Poco a Poco. ( Monteverde) Good food and wine and some music as well. In La Fortuna
El Sol (Manuel Antonio). Good lunch and drinks overlooking beach.
Cafe Milagro ( Manuel Antonio). Excellent for breakfast and lunch. Sit in the courtyard in the back.
Victoria's. (Manuel Antonio) Great italian food. Check if there is music for the evening and if you can try to reserve the table in the corner. It will be left of where the musician performs or do as we did: request Wilson Rojas's favorite table.
Restaurants at Costa Verde ( Manuel Antonio). Hate to knock them, however, my wife found a huge hair in her ice cream and of course refused to eat at any other of their restaurants.
Terrazas. ( Manuel Antonio). Good food and music. If you come earlier you will have nice view. Very nice waiters and good service
That's it folks! Hope you find this report useful and once again Thank You to everyone who helped me plan our trip!
Adventure Inn breakfast. Included in rate and really good! There is both a buffet and food cooked to order.
Lost Iguana ( Hibiscus). Great, incredible breakfast buffets with omelets cooked to order. You sit in a room that is opened on three sides looking out on Toucans and other birds feeding on bananas and other fruit provided by the staff. It is magical!
Soda La Parada (La Fortuna) Good food! Inexpensive but can get busy with tour groups. In the center of town.
Don Ruffino's (La Fortuna). Disappointing. Food just okay and not special at all. In fact I cannot understand why it is rated so high.
Stella' s Bakery ( Monteverde). Wonderful little place for breakfast or lunch. Located near Cloud Forest and entrance to Curi Cancha. Good food. If you get a chance check out the local artists and crafts close by and the women's collective.
Johnny's Pizzeria. ( Monteverde) Loved the food and service. *** Also heard that Tramonti's ( near Stella's ) is also a very good italian restaurant.
Hotel Belmar. ( Monteverde) Absolutely loved the food here both for dinner and appetizers on the terrace watching a sunset! Breakfasts were delicious!
Poco a Poco. ( Monteverde) Good food and wine and some music as well. In La Fortuna
El Sol (Manuel Antonio). Good lunch and drinks overlooking beach.
Cafe Milagro ( Manuel Antonio). Excellent for breakfast and lunch. Sit in the courtyard in the back.
Victoria's. (Manuel Antonio) Great italian food. Check if there is music for the evening and if you can try to reserve the table in the corner. It will be left of where the musician performs or do as we did: request Wilson Rojas's favorite table.
Restaurants at Costa Verde ( Manuel Antonio). Hate to knock them, however, my wife found a huge hair in her ice cream and of course refused to eat at any other of their restaurants.
Terrazas. ( Manuel Antonio). Good food and music. If you come earlier you will have nice view. Very nice waiters and good service
That's it folks! Hope you find this report useful and once again Thank You to everyone who helped me plan our trip!
Feb 14th, 2013, 01:26 PM
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This is very much like the kind of trip I am trying to plan to celebrate our 10th Anniversary this year. Only thing is we have a $3K budget and that has to get us to and from Seattle and everything in between. Can I ask how much your trip cost? I almost booked a "Mexican All-Inclusive" resort that fit our budget this morning but I keep getting drawn back to Costa Rica. You trip sounded great!
Feb 14th, 2013, 08:13 PM
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TBalcom: I can say that this trip would exceed your budget, however, I am sure you can find ways to make it work. You can look into a car rental or use Interbus for all of your connections without hiring a private driver; look for hotels closer to towns like La Fortuna and Monteverde so that taxi fares don't add up; look for group tours rather than private ones. You can also look into the same hotels and check out the rates depending on the time of year you are going. We don't usually travel like we did on this trip, however, on this trip we just decided to go for it!
Volcanogirl: I would say that Raphael Terazzas might be what you are looking for. Raphael´s Terraza overlooks the sweeping Pacific and has a great open air feel. Great ceviche, cocktails and typical Costa Rican fare. Just past the Hotel Arboleda towards the National Park..
Here's an idea that we didn't do but I think it would make for a romantic evening: Go for drinks (Happy Hour at Cantina Salsipuedes. ) It has a spectacular view and enjoy the sunset there. Then go to Victoria's on a night when they have music and reserve beforehand the room in the corner ( just say it is Wilson Rojas favorite spot). That would make a really special evening. You can walk from Salisipuedes to Victorias.
Volcanogirl: I would say that Raphael Terazzas might be what you are looking for. Raphael´s Terraza overlooks the sweeping Pacific and has a great open air feel. Great ceviche, cocktails and typical Costa Rican fare. Just past the Hotel Arboleda towards the National Park..
Here's an idea that we didn't do but I think it would make for a romantic evening: Go for drinks (Happy Hour at Cantina Salsipuedes. ) It has a spectacular view and enjoy the sunset there. Then go to Victoria's on a night when they have music and reserve beforehand the room in the corner ( just say it is Wilson Rojas favorite spot). That would make a really special evening. You can walk from Salisipuedes to Victorias.
Feb 15th, 2013, 03:47 PM
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Allyboy, Your posts were very detail-orientated and I appreciate it. I am trying to plan an April vacation and it is killing me. I think I am getting carpel tunnel from my lap top. See, my husband and I rarely get a chance to take a vacation without kids and I feel the pressure to find something perfect. First, I was thinking Turks and Caicos, then St. John's and now Costa Rica. I think Costa Rica is best because we love hiking,tropical surroundings and adventure. I will have to see how the weather looks for April. Thanks again
Feb 15th, 2013, 04:04 PM
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Thank you 6959402 for your very kind words!
My wife and I have never been to Turks and Caicos or St. Johns. We chose Costa Rica simply because when our son was in high school he wanted a different experience and we sent him to Costa Rica to live with a family and help build an addition to a school. He had quite an adventure and had been telling us for years to go there and see for ourselves. Well it only took us 18 years and let me tell you that we too wanted to "find something perfect" and we did! So will you...even with the carpel tunnel! You will not regret the effort and the rewards are tremendous! Good luck!
My wife and I have never been to Turks and Caicos or St. Johns. We chose Costa Rica simply because when our son was in high school he wanted a different experience and we sent him to Costa Rica to live with a family and help build an addition to a school. He had quite an adventure and had been telling us for years to go there and see for ourselves. Well it only took us 18 years and let me tell you that we too wanted to "find something perfect" and we did! So will you...even with the carpel tunnel! You will not regret the effort and the rewards are tremendous! Good luck!
Feb 16th, 2013, 05:44 AM
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Allyboy, What an amazing thing for your son to do in High School! He must be incredibly mature and compassionate. One last question...Do you think I should wait to go to Costa Rica with my teens or just go for a couples get-away. My kids do LOVE nature and animals. They would pick chasing lizards over Disney rides.
Feb 16th, 2013, 06:08 AM
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6959402
My response is that any opportunity you can get away for a couples-get-away should be a Win Win for everyone! Think of it as a fact finding mission on your behalf and if you love it you can always bring them with you on your next visit! If you truly love the outdoors I cannot think of a better place to visit. My son is exactly as you describe him including skydiving for his 16th birthday. Thanks.
My response is that any opportunity you can get away for a couples-get-away should be a Win Win for everyone! Think of it as a fact finding mission on your behalf and if you love it you can always bring them with you on your next visit! If you truly love the outdoors I cannot think of a better place to visit. My son is exactly as you describe him including skydiving for his 16th birthday. Thanks.
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