cano negro + time at airport
Aug 14th, 2007, 09:29 PM
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cano negro + time at airport
Two separate questions.
1. Cano Negro from Arenal : if I have a rental car, should I drive up to Cano Negro & then just take a boat tour there, or should I just take a tour package which includes pick-up & drop-off at the Arenal hotel ? What works out better, is there other stuff to see on the way & is the flexibility of driving myself worth the pain ?
2. If my flight out of SJO is scheduled at 2.30, how much time should I allow at the airport to return my car & check in ? If I need to allow 3 hours at the airport, and returning the car takes another hour, then I must get to the airport by 10.30 am - which means I really will not much time to do anything that morning. But if returning rental cars is a breeze & 2 hours check-in time is sufficient, I can get to the airport by 12.15, giving me a little more time that morning (it will be a Saturday morning, so maybe traffic will be light ?)
Sunil
1. Cano Negro from Arenal : if I have a rental car, should I drive up to Cano Negro & then just take a boat tour there, or should I just take a tour package which includes pick-up & drop-off at the Arenal hotel ? What works out better, is there other stuff to see on the way & is the flexibility of driving myself worth the pain ?
2. If my flight out of SJO is scheduled at 2.30, how much time should I allow at the airport to return my car & check in ? If I need to allow 3 hours at the airport, and returning the car takes another hour, then I must get to the airport by 10.30 am - which means I really will not much time to do anything that morning. But if returning rental cars is a breeze & 2 hours check-in time is sufficient, I can get to the airport by 12.15, giving me a little more time that morning (it will be a Saturday morning, so maybe traffic will be light ?)
Sunil
Aug 15th, 2007, 04:13 AM
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I'd definitely take the tour package to Cano Negro - Sunset Tours - the shuttle is included in the cost of the tour, so there's really no point in driving yourself. There's not just a spot where you go and pick up a boat; our boat was the only one there when we went. The driver does make a stop along the way at a neat spot where the trees are full of iguanas - good chance to get a cold drink or use the restroom there. The shuttles are nice and comfortable, so really no benefit to going it on your own. Our tour guide even spotted a sloth from the road and had the driver pull over so we could all take pictures.
Aug 15th, 2007, 04:34 AM
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I'd recommend Sunset Tours (and agree with volcanogirl)--you leave from their office in La Fortuna. Even for those with cars, the tour is the best option.
Do allow at about 45 min. to check in your car. It CAN be a breeze, but that depends on how busy they are when you arrive. We try to allow about 2.5 hours at the airport. For a 2:30 flight, you should be at the car rental agency between 11:00 and 11:30. I think that would work for you 99 times out of 100!
We fly in and out midweek, and it seems to be a little less crowded than a Saturday or Sunday might be. Even so, you're not going to be able to squeeze much more time out of the morning to do anything significant. If you spend then night in the airport area, why don't you visit Zoo Ave (rehab center for birds and many other animals, near the airport) or something similar that you can do in 1.5 hour or so. . . Good luck!
Do allow at about 45 min. to check in your car. It CAN be a breeze, but that depends on how busy they are when you arrive. We try to allow about 2.5 hours at the airport. For a 2:30 flight, you should be at the car rental agency between 11:00 and 11:30. I think that would work for you 99 times out of 100!
We fly in and out midweek, and it seems to be a little less crowded than a Saturday or Sunday might be. Even so, you're not going to be able to squeeze much more time out of the morning to do anything significant. If you spend then night in the airport area, why don't you visit Zoo Ave (rehab center for birds and many other animals, near the airport) or something similar that you can do in 1.5 hour or so. . . Good luck!
Aug 15th, 2007, 06:15 PM
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Here's another vote for doing Cano Negro on a tour.
We also went with Sunset Tours and it was a very enjoyable outing. Our driver kept a lookout for any wildlife sightings along the route, and our guide gave us lots of interesting information about the area and Costa Rica in general during the drive. This was all capped off with the wonderful boat cruise and lunch on the river bank. It was well worth the tour price.
We also went with Sunset Tours and it was a very enjoyable outing. Our driver kept a lookout for any wildlife sightings along the route, and our guide gave us lots of interesting information about the area and Costa Rica in general during the drive. This was all capped off with the wonderful boat cruise and lunch on the river bank. It was well worth the tour price.
