mojo61309

My girlfriend and I are traveling to CR in June for an 8 night trip. We are spending the first night near San Jose (Xandari for a bit of luxury) and then the plan is to travel to Arenal for 3 nights and Samara for the last 4 nights and flying out of Liberia.
I am wondering if I should cut a night from Arenal and/or Samara and try to hit another spot. I've heard great things about Las Carolinas near Tenorio National Park, but I don't know if it will be too much travel. Is there a good day trip on the way from Arenal to Samara that wouldn't be out of the way and is doable in a day without having to stay overnight?
I also don't know how much there is to do in Samara (especially if it is rainy) and if 4 nights is too much. Same with Arenal and 3 nights.

We are looking to do some active stuff (hiking, ziplines, kayaking, snorkeling, etc.) and also just relax on the beach, see some local culture, arts, etc. Not looking for high tourist areas, night clubs or anything like that.
Any advice on our itinerary? Should we add in a night or two somewhere else and cut from our plans? Has anyone driven from Samara directly to Liberia airport?
Also, any specific activity recommendations for those two areas is appreciated!

mojo61309

I realize I am replying to myself. I just wanted to clarify that this is our first trip to CR, so any advice is helpful. Airline tickets are booked (so we're definitely going!) but we are flexible with locations if any regular travellers have other ideas. Definitely want to see some wildlife! Chose Samara for beach because we heard Guanacaste was the least rainy beach area during this season. Anyone have recs for Hideaway vs. Tree House Inn?

MichelleY

I can't help you much with your plans, but just play it by ear. That is what we ended up doing. Arenal was very rainy & cold when we visited, so we cut it a day short. 3 nights in Arenal will be fine. If Samara gets too boring, maybe check out Nosara.

Don't try to do too much by adding another location.

Please report back.

MY

volcanogirl

We haven't been to Samara, but we love Arenal. I think three nights there is just fine. I'd zipline at Sky Trek, go to Eco Termales hot springs for dinner, do the Cano Negro tour with Sunset Tours, and hike the Hanging Bridges. If you have time, go to the waterfall. I'd stay somewhere with a nice volcano view.

mojo61309

Thanks for the replies. We have reservations at the Observatory Lodge, which I think is on the right side of the volcano for viewing. I don't know if we can just cut it short once we're there without losing money on the reservation. I will check out the Cano Negro tour. I hadn't thought about straying from Arenal but I see a lot of people on here have good things to say. Is this different from the "safari float" posted on the hotel's website as an activity?
More feedback is appreciated!

MichelleY

Dear jo:

We stayed at the Arenal Observatory Lodge(AOL) and lucked out one night with seeing the red hot boulders coming down the mountain. Like I said, we had torential rain, day & night, so activites were limited. We did the zipline in the rain. It was cold & all we saw were clouds, but still had the experience to tell our friends about. We finished that afternoon with Ecotermales. This was so heavenly after being so cold on the zip line. I highly recommend Ecotermales.

Be aware: AOL will try to push Baldi Hot Springs. Do not give in, go with Ecotermales. And go with recs from here at Fodor's. Not sure about the safari float.

We were supposed to stay 3 nights at AOL, and left after 2. They did not charge us for the 3rd night.

I have never been to Samara, but the Tree House is on my list!!

Good luck

MY

hipvirgochick

Yes, Cano Negro is different from the safari float. Highly recommend Cano Negro and an evening at Eco-Thermales, that'a a pretty full day. I really love the Arenal area and there's a lot to do in the area so hopefully you'll have a pleasant stay. I always recommend 3-4 nights. I'm not exactly sure what is on the way to Samara from Arenal, but Las Pumas rescue center maybe...? Also, haven't been to Las Carolinas but it's on my list. Shillmac has (she's currently in Belize though) and highly recommends it for a night or two. You get the gist from the website as far as how to get there, rustic, working ranch, etc. I would go for it if it sounds interesting to you.

I will be going to CR in June this year as well but I'm not letting the typical weather trends dictate where I go. First time for me in the "wetter" month so it will be interesting to see how it all turns out.

volcanogirl

I'd definitely take Cano Negro over the safari float. Go to the Sunset Tours website to check it out. AOL is on the good side for viewing lava - hope you get to see the view!

xelas

Tenorio NP and specially La Carolina Lodge (? Las Carolinas) deserve at least 2 nights. Too much rough driving for only 1 night. As everybody above also I suggest Cano Negro tour followed by Ecotermales with dinner. On the way from Arenal to Samara we have stopped at Las Pumas and was well worth. The Tree House Inn was little upscale for me but my ladies fully enjoyed small pool, shaded area under the house with loungers and immediate access to the beach.

mojo61309

thanks everyone! i got excited about Cano Negro because I know my girlfriend really wants to see lots of wildlife, but when I brought it up to her she was pretty concerned about getting carsick in the van/bus ride (sometimes she won't even let me drive if she's feeling queasy!). any thoughts on that?
We are definitely going to do Sky Trek, Ecotermales and hiking around AOL. I think we will skip on la carolina just because we don't want to be driving every day or even every other, but I'm bummed. I heard it is really special. But Las Pumas looks interesting. Xelas-- how long was the trip from Arenal to Samara with the stop? How long did you stay at Las Pumas?
I'm surprised to hear you say the Tree House Inn was upscale. Looks pretty rustic to me. I'm just really drawn to the bungalow on the beach idea. The Hideaway was recommended to us and there's more a chance of seeing wildlife, I think, but something tells me go for the tree house...

colibri

Cano Negro is your best opportunity for wildlife viewing around Arenal area along with the grounds at AOL. The road is good from Arenal to Cano Negro - we were there three weeks ago and I don't recall it being very curvy. Have your girlfriend take Dramamine Light if she is prone to motion sickness - it doesn't make you sleepy or have her get sea bands for her wrists. The boat ride is quite gentle, she should have no problem with that.
You'll love Eco-Termales, one of the highlights of our trip - stand under the waterfall for a free massage!
Be careful if you try to zipline on a rainy day - lines go twice as fast and some people (like me!) have trouble braking.
My German friend was just in Samara, said it is very quiet and laid back which was just what she was looking for after some hectic weeks at home. I'm not sure where she stayed.

volcanogirl

The road to Cano Negro is good and not too twisty - just the last section is bumpy.

I agree with taking Dramamine and wearing Sea Bands. I never get carsick, but the CR roads did me in on our first trip; now I'm prepared for all the twists and turns.

xelas

We have spent about an hour at Las Pumas. It is a small but nice place. As we have started our journey to Samara from La Carolina and have made many stops for taking photos our driving time is not relevant but I think that one could reach Samara in about 4 hours without stops. Any accommodation with a pool and above 100 US$ a night is upscale for me ... Tree House Inn is among the best in Samara. Nothing can beat its location and even I did not regret our decision to stay here.

xelas

We have started our journey to Samara from La Carolina and had stopped frequently to take pictures thus our driving time was about 6 hours but normally there are 4 hours from Arenal to Samara on well paved road. We have spent about 1 hour at Las Pumas. The place is small but the cats are so interresting. Well, for me any place with a pool and 100 US$ per night is upscale ... yet it was money well spent as no other property can beat its location.

zoo

Just got back yesterday. we did your trip backwards. Landed in Liberea and bus to Brasilito to Outback jacks for 2 nights. Bus to Tamarido, then we rented a Suzuki jeep and drove the coast dirt road all the way around the Nicoya Pennisula spending nights in Samara and Montezuma. From Montezuma we drove up into MonteVerde for hike and Zip line. Then down the mountain roads for the most beautiful drive around Arenal and into La Fortuna for 2 nights. We heard from other travelers to go to the Natural free hot springs right on the side of the road 200 ft down from some rich spa, under the road and it was awesome. Sat with other tourist in the creek right in the jungle. Then we drove to San Jose over mountain rd to airport. We are in our 30's and take small backpacks and do our trips on budgets. We are highly adventure seekers and dont get afraid easy. The jeep was $300 for 8 days and no drop off fee at there offices anywhere. I would recommend this exact trip to anyone that has the slightest adventure in them. The road around Nicoya pen. was the highlight of our trip. We were never alone as we came across others regularely. Montezuma was a must and free water fall hike and swim right from town. Samara is a one nighter for us. Tamarindo was a 2 nighter and Brisilito a two nighter. You could leave the car in Tamarido as it has every rental office there. $2 bus to Brisilito and $2 bus to airport the day you leave. My wife gets car sick easy so we rented instead of shuttles and buses. Plus now that I did the trip I know that the only way for us to have enjoyed Costa Rica was by our own wheels. You have the perfect amount of time for that trip and you will not be disapointed. If you want more info. email me directly.
[email protected].
Chow Lorne.

mojo61309

Thanks for all the replies! It looks like we are going to stick with the plan: 1 night near San Jose (Xandari), 3 nights at AOL and last four nights in Samara (Treehouse Inn), driving to Liberia day of departure. Can't wait!
I think the Cano Negro Tour is just going to be too much traveling, so anyone with activity ideas other than Sky Trek and Hot Springs in or near Arenal that would get us a good wildlife viewing opportunity, let me know.
Also, we have no set plans for Samara yet, so any ideas for that would be a huge help! Or things people have done there. Looking for good, cheap food (vegetarian if possible!), nearby wildlife viewing opportunities (turtles, anyone?), water activities or anything else that was a huge hit. Would love to hear about it!

volcanogirl

mojo, we hired a private guide from Sunset Tours to take us hiking and birdwatching in Arenal; we ended up seeing a lot of wildlife we weren't expecting - a peccary, an anteater, and howlers, in addition to all the cool birds. Sometimes people see wildlife at the Hanging Bridges, but we did it on our own and didn't see any.

colibri

For Arenal I think you are going to see more wildlife right on the grounds of AOL than anywhere else, other than Cano Negro. I haven't stayed there, but have read lots of trip reports and people rave about the wildlife (and lava flow) sightings. We also enjoyed hiking at the Hanging Bridges where we saw howlers and white faced capuchins, a trogon and great views of the volcano.