kpd6305

I've read countless reviews on here and you've all given such great feedback. I'd love to hear what you all think of my ideas and if you can answer some of the questions i ask...
I will be honeymooning in CR in June 05..
Day 1 Arrive and goto Xandari Spa
Day 2 goto Arenal, visit hot springs, waterfalls, stay at Arenal Paraiso (is that a lot for one day?) Or should I skip Arenal since it's the green season and heard that you may not see the volcano because of clouds?
Day 3 goto MA, I'm thinking of staying at the Tulemar Bungelows
Day 4-5 in MA
Day 6 should we do another day here? all in all we'd like to do a canopy tour, ATV trip, National Park, maybe a kayak or whitewater trip, or should we head to Mal Pais to stay at Flor Blanca?
Day 7-9 Mal Pais at Flor Blanca
Day 10 travel back to Xandari? or is there an airport nearby Mal Pais where we could depart out of and transfer to SJ?
Day 11 depart CR
Thanks for your help!

shillmac

I'm anxious to hear what the others think, but definitely, if you can manage the last few days at MalPais, it would be a wonderfully relaxing way to end your honeymoon. And yes, you can fly out of Tambor back to SJO. It's about an hour from MalPais.

For us, 2 nights at Manuel Antonio was enough. Many prefer 5 or more nights. As you said, I think it depends on how much you plan to take advantage of the many activities there.

I think that in June you stand a decent chance of seeing the volcano and Tabacon is a must, IMHO! Don't skip Arenal! But 2 nights there is plenty--especially if you arrive fairly early on your first day.

Latitude9Lisa

Looks like a great itinerary! I agree that you shouldn't skip Arenal. Just the opportunity to see an active volcano is worth the trip and relaxing in the hot springs is wonderful too. In M.Antonio, the park is closed on Monday so work your schedule around it if needed. Some people spend an entire day in the park, first hire a guide at the entrance(approx. 3 hours tour) and then enjoy the beaches in the park for the remainder of the day. The whitewater is a full day activity. The canopy tour, kayaking (ocean, estuaries or both!) and ATV are 1/2 day activities. If you enjoy sportfishing, Quepos is great (1/2 or full day) After all that fun, a couple's massage at the Sea Glass Spa or Serenity Spa sounds like a great idea too! Day 3 Arenal to MA is a six hour drive so you probably can't plan much on Day 3 other than enjoying the scenery enroute. June is a great time to visit Costa Rica..enjoy!

Lisa in MAntonio

kpd6305

After looking at a map today, I realized that maybe i should goto Manuel Antonio first, then Arenal, then Mal Pais. Is that a better idea?

TripleSecDelay

kpd6305 - check my other posts regarding seeing the volcano during different times of the day. Was not there in June, but September (doesn't get any greener) and we rose early to see the volcano before clouds formed around 8:30 a.m. - and then stayed up later to see the clouds disappear around 10 p.m. when the lava flows are visible. It is weather, after all, so a person couldn't set their watch nor calendar by viewing the volcano - however, we experienced timely weather that was quite regular.
Your itinerary reads like a great trip ahead of you!!

shillmac

It really doesn't make that much difference--the order. However, you may wish to separate your beach experiences. Personally, I think you'll have less travel time involved if you stay with the original itinerary. Check out the approximate times:

SJO-Arenal, 2.5 or 3 hours
Arenal-MA, 6 hours
MA-MalPais, 5 or 5.5 hours
Arenal-MalPais, 6 hours
MA-SJO, 3 hours

Do take Lisa's advice, however, and be sure to plan your MA park tour on a day other than Monday when the park is closed!!