We are planning 7 days in CR this June. We want to spend 2 nights in Arenal and the rest on a Beach. At Arenal, we were told the Arenal Observatory Lodge is the way to go - is this right?

I am also looking for help finding a great beach to visit after the volcano. I am open to driving or flying, Pacific or Caribbean, as long as it is fun, beautiful, and off the beaten path. Any suggestions?

Nosara is a wonderful beach area. I'm not sure how far from Arenal, but I would guess you could drive it in a day. Or go back to San Jose and fly into Samara, near Nosara. It's a cool, laid back little town, and a beautiful beach. When we were there (though it was September) it was almost completely empty.

We too are also going to arenal and the going to the beach. We were thinking Tortugere on the Caribbean. We were also thinking about driving.

cdourmashkin,
These days, nothing on the Pacific side is "off the beaten path". It's being beaten to death! The closest beach to Arenal is probably the Playa Hermosa/Playas del Coco/Playa Ocotal area. Check out Villas Ocotal. Samara/Nosara a good suggestion, but further away--would take most of the day, whereas you can get to Hermosa in 4 hours.

5.5 or 6 hours will get you to Manuel Antonio, a very popular destination, along with Arenal for first time visitors. The national park there along the beach with all its wildlife is a big draw.

6 hours from Arenal would also get you to the southern Caribbean near Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo. There are some pretty beaches there as well, and the vibe is completely different. Nice hotels in that area include Azania Bungalows, Aguas Claras cottages, Cariblue, Shawanda Lodge, Almonds & Corals Tent Camp (this one is fun and they've upgraded to some pretty deluxe tents as of late).

MatthewG--unfortunately, you can't drive to Tortuguero--you can only fly or boat in as it is all rivers and canals. Great place to visit July-October when the green turtles are nesting. I could literally spend days at a time in those slow boat rides on the rivers and canals spotting birds and other wildlife. You can't really enjoy the beaches there either. The water is too rough and dangerous to get into. But down south on the Caribbean side, now that's another story. You have to think about what it is you want to do. Tortuguero is great for immersing oneself in nature. The southern Caribe is better for beach time, snorkeling, etc.

I have never been a huge fan of the Observatory. To get a volcano view, you have to spend the bucks on their newer suites. There are better options in this area.

The volcano view is essential. The volcano is socked in a lot during the rainy season, and the best chance at seeing anything is late at night. You need to be able to just lift your head from the pillow to have a shot at seeing a late night eruption.

Once again. Shillmac is on the money. Tortuguero is cool for a lot of reasons, but the beach ain't one of them. It is not swimmable. You go here for the nature, especially the turtles later in the summer. There is good nature even when it is not turtle season too. But you don't come here for beach time.

I personally would bite the bullet, and take the longer drive to Manuel Antonio. June is a slow month there, and there won't be any crowds. You don't mention the type of hotel that you are looking for. But there are good choices in all price ranges. You are also closer to San Jose, if that is where you are flying from.

I hope this helps! Let me know if I can offer more advice.

Warm Regards,
Pat Hewitt
(Travel Professional)

Pat - can you suggest another hotel around Arenal?

I recommend the Arenal Lodge - which is different from the Arenal Observatory Lodge.

It's a nice place to stay...not sure how it is for viewing lava flow currently.

We like Arenal Paraiso, and Lost Iguana gets good reviews, although, like Arenal Observatory Lodge, not easy to get to.

Our impression of AOL was different. We stayed in the least expensive room type available, La Casona. Our room had a nice view of the volcano, but it was socked in a good part of the time. We had shared bath, but never had to share with another soul. La Casona is about $50 per night, breakfast and tax included. It consist of 4 (I think) double bed rooms facing the volcano and a couple of bunk rooms on the other side (long central hallway). The bathrooms were exceptionally clean and roomy. The grounds were just great for birding and the view of the lake from the porch of La Casona breathtaking. We enjoyed hiking on the property and down to the waterfall. A bit of a pain to get in and out of there (about 9km off the main road, around to the southwest side of the volcano), but I think the lava is flowing in that area now, rather than where most of the other hotels have their usual excellent view, there on the main road through town.

We were impressed with the restaurant, who opened its doors early for those of us with early tours (such as Cano Negro). We were able to enjoy a full breakfast before leaving.

Hotel El Silencio de Campo has gotten some good reviews and looks like (just driving by) a good place to stay. Arenal Lodge looks good, as per airwayvz, and there are a number of other good, clean, and inexpensive choices. Hotel Kioro is new (relatively) and more expensive/upscale, but I don't think I've read a review of it yet. If so, my brain has pruned it from recent memory!

We stayed at the Arenal Lodge last December and enjoyed it there. It's near the Lost Iguana and further out from town than most of the hotels (although not as 'off the beaten track' as the Observatory Lodge). As shillmac mentioned, lots of people also seem to enjoy Arenal Paraiso.

The lava is apparently flowing to the SW these days, so AOL would have the best views. Arenal Lodge and Lost Iguana would probably have views as well (although who knows what will be happening by June...).

We spent our beach time in MA and loved it there. We are big wildlife fans and saw tons of monkeys, sloths, coatis, iguanas, etc in MA. The beaches inside the nat'l park are lovely. Its a good beach option, but there are many others in CR as well.

You will be traveling during the green season and would hopefully have fairly light crowds should you go someplace popular like MA. We were there at the beginning of December and it really was not crowded at all.

Good luck with planning process. June will arrive quickly!