cgenster

Hi,
I stumbled on to this site and am very impressed with everyone's knowledge. My husband and I are going to CR April 2008, my spring break. I am going to be taking classes at the CPI institute in Flamingo Beach, my husband is just going to bum around until my classes are over at noon.

We are staying at Potrero Beach and I can catch a bus to and from school. I've been to CR once with my daughter and her school group. We traveled by bus from San Jose to La Fortuna/Arenal and then to Tamarindo. I remember the roads not being very good, and street signs being non-exsistent.

I would like to rent a car so we could take some afternoon excursions. Do any of you have any suggestions or experiences with car rentals?

Thanks.

shillmac

It's an easy area to get around in. You can go right through the country from Potrero and come out near Playa Hermosa--saves going around on the highway. Need a 4X4, though. Good idea, anyway, to have the extra clearance. Flying into Liberia?

Tricolor is the best company we've found--and lowest prices. They are at both airports. Good luck!

I've done CPI in Flamingo--love it!

cgenster

Hi again,

Shillmac, in reading some of the older posts I saw that you attended the CPI school in Heredia. I am going to the one in Flamingo Beach, your favorite beach. Can you tell me about the school?

Thanks

cgenster

I didn't see your reply until after I wrote again. Yes, we are flying into Liberia.

shillmac

It's a very good school, and by not taking classes during the summer, you might be able to avoid the high school/college crowd. Sometimes during summer vacation, there are just too many people! At least that was my experience this past June/July.

CPI is a very good school with outstanding instruction focused a great deal on verb usage. My opinion is that the Heredia campus has a stronger academic emphasis, but that doesn't mean the other campuses don't have good instruction as well. Haven't done Monteverde. .

The campus in Flamingo is very pretty with a swimming pool. Where are you staying in Potrero? I stayed with a homestay and in Brasilito. My daughter studied there for 3 weeks and stayed at Cabinas Isolina. She really liked it there.

Be sure and try to eat dinner at Ginger in Playa Hermosa. Don't worry too much about driving that road after dark (through the country). We did it just this past summer and it was no problem at all. Take the usual care. It's called Monkey Trail (or Congo Trail) and the people at El Castillo bakery and restaurant in Potrero can direct you. It's very simple. By the way, that's a good restaurant!

Also, you would enjoy the restaurant Camaron Dorado in Brasilito just as you come into town at the curve coming from Flamingo--on your right. Go in time for sunset.

Yes, I do love Flamingo for its beach. Tied to some special memories, so it probably doesn't hold the same appeal for others! I still think it is a beautiful beach, though, and it remains relatively uncrowded. First time I was there, Spring Break, March 2003, on a Sunday evening for sunset, there were 3 people on the beach, including me. Counted about 50 one Sunday evening this past July. It's a great beach for long walks.

Enjoy!

cgenster

Thanks for all the tips on restaurants. We are staying at the studio apartments that the agency I booked the classes through arranged. They are called 'Villaggio Flor del Pacifico' They are 800m from Playa Penca, and they said they have shuttles to other beaches. They have three pools onsite.

I am glad they concentrate on verbs. Soy muy malo con verbos. I can do the basic present tense conjugations, but after that I'm lost, I speak like a two year old, just using nouns.

One of our favorite beaches is in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and we are usually the only ones on it too, so these beaches sound very nice.

shillmac

Oh, that's great. That hotel is on your way on "the Monkey Trail". Make a left as you exit that property and you are on your way.

Marco Polo Restaurant nearby is fairly good also--lots of spaghetti there, if you're in the mood.

Playa Penca is a very nice beach. Check out Playa Pan de Azucar (Sugar Beach) also while you are nearby. It's a bit further but worth seeing. Very nice hotel there. Hotel Sugar Beach.

Potrero is a great area. It is just becoming quite developed, along with everything else all along the Pacific Coast. Used to be so quiet and well, Costa Rican! Now there are so many realtors (and buyers) around, it's lost a bit of its charm. Of course, that's to be expected when something really special is discovered by the world. I whine about this frequently on Fodors! Of course, we're all a little guilty and responsible for the change!

cgenster

I think with all your help I've talked hubby into renting a car. We will have Sunday to ourselves before school starts on Monday.

I thought about driving to Arenal, can you tell me how long of a drive that would be from Potrero and if the roads are okay?

Thanks again for all your help.

shillmac

cgenster, it would take you about 4 hours. At Potrero, you will be about an hour from Liberia (through the country); further if you stay on the paved road and go around through Brasilito, Huacas, and Belen to Highway 21. From Liberia, you can expect 2.5-3 hours, depending on the condition of the highway around the lake. Too far for a daytrip.

Instead, perhaps you could spend the day driving up to the Playa Hermosa area, then maybe down toward Tamarindo in the evening. Arenal is a fabulous area, but it's just not a daytrip from the Potrero/Flamingo area. From Liberia, not quite so bad. Could you spend your first night in Liberia?

Still. . . . .lotta driving. Think I'd opt to stay closer to Potrero and just relax that day! You could also do a canopy (zipline) tour up around Hermosa. . .I think it's Bill Beard's Witch's Rock Canopy Tour.

cgenster

I posted this once but it doesn't seem to show.

The zipline seems like a wonderful activity. Thanks again for all your help.