Costa Rica favorites
 

Planning a trip to Costa Rica soon. From those of you who have traveled there what is the one thing I shouldn't miss? Thanks for your help.

Jessie, what are you interested in? Beach, surfing, birding, hiking, volcanos, horseback riding, swimming, shopping, parties, meeting local people, monkeys, butterflies, jungle, cloud forest, hummingbirds, canopy tour, sky walk, food?

That's the problem it all sounds good to me so how do I decide. What did you like best.

I would definately recommend taking a hike (more like a 20 minute walk) up to the Arenal Volcano...it was wonderful to be at the base and hearing the rumbles and see the boulders crashing down (you are actually about 2 miles away from it so you're safe). We went there with a naturalist guide (arranged through our hotel) and it was great!!!

I would also recommend going to the Tabocon resort to do their hot springs (if you like hot water)...we went there at night and could see the volcano glow with red hot boulders. also, the buffet there is excellent.

I would recommend going to Osa Peninsula for wildlife. Bosque del Rio Tigre is perfect for birding.

Jessie, as mentioned by others, dont miss the Arenal area - volcano, hot spgs, and waterfall. Try to do Monteverde as well. Then do some pacific beachgoing - Tamarindo/PlayaGrande, Jaco/PlayaHermosa, or Quepos/ManuelAntonio or all 3 if you have time! Pick up a guidebook to help you choose. Good luck and have fun!

Love this question.

Thing 1 - rafting on the Pacuare

Thing 1 - LaPaz waterfall gardens

Thing 1 - Poas/Irazu volcanos

Thing 1 - boat tranfer to Arenal from Monteverde (for the view)

Thing 1 - Tabacon Hot Springs (even if you don't like hot water for the cute waterfalls and gardens

Thing 1 - San Luis waterfall horseback & hike (only if its not too wet and you're in good shape and adventurous)

Thanks for all of your responses. It does sound like the volcanoes are favorites. I have read about several hotels on this site that are near Arenal. There is no availabily in these hotels on the dates I will be there. Is it still worth going if you don't have a hotel that is on the side of the volcano where you can see the lava flow. I have also read that is is often clouded over. Have you all actually been able to see the lava flow?

We just got back from Costa Rica on Sunday. We were in Arenal for 3 days and yes, you can see the volcano erupt. True during the day it can be cloudy and hard to see, and when you do see it during the day, it looks like clouds. My husband would get up at 3 in the morning just to see the red lava flow. It erupted every day and night we were there. We stayed at the Arenal Observatory Lodge and Tabacon, so I don't know about the other hotels and what you're able to see. I would recommend the hot springs at Tabacon. Definitely something to see. We also went to Quepos/Manuel Antonio, and I loved it there. The Canopy Tours were very cool in that area. We also did an ATV tour there which you stop and go swimming in waterfalls. We went into the Manuel Antonio National Park and you got to see animals galore. We actually would stay in the park and hang out at those beaches. Beautiful beaches in the park. $7 admission a day to go to the park. We liked the food a lot better in Manuel Antonio then in Arenal. Excellent cheap seafood - Carola's, Barbra Roja, Marlin, are just some of the good restaurants we ate at there. Have a great time!

Besides the volcano, waterfalls, little butterfly farms, and all else mentioned, one of my FAVORITE things to do is taking a glass of wine or a cold Imperial to the beach to watch the sunset.

Ally, this is also one of my favorites! Despite all of Tamarindo's recent bad press, the sunsets there are incredible and that's what we used to do there!!!
Jessie, sunsets on a beatiful CR beach are my definite favorite. I also loved going to sleep early and waking up at 6 am to take a long walk on the beach before it is really hot and before breakfast. The beach at Malpais bathed in the rising sunlight with cicadas making noise in the background is definitely a sight to behold.

We were in Arenal at Christmas time and it poured in Arenal for the 3 days we were there. We were told that you can only see the volcano 44 days out of the year. I was disappointed because everything I read on the posts about Arenal sounded great. The weather everywhere else was beautiful in CR. I couldn't wait to get out of there, and as soon as we did it was beautiful.

Arenal would be disappointing if your hotel didn't face the volcano, I think. Guess we lucked out--it showed itself very nicely on December 27! But we have been there at other times when it was totally obscured by clouds---we still enjoyed Tabacon Hot Springs. It is indeed wonderful. Manuel Antonio and Quepos is fantastic, but the Jaco Beach area not so great. Yes, yes, yes on the sunsets in the Tamarindo up toward Flamingo Beach area. I have photos of them that are unbelievable. That's a never fail! Doesn't matter too much where you go, what you do, you'll have a great time and want to go back. But for animals viewing, Manuel Antonio is great. It is also very small, and I believe it might not be able to sustain itself forever. . .better go check it out!

jameetee - which canopy did you like at manuel antonio. going in march. thanks.

We didn't stay, but had dinner at Tabacon Hot Springs under Arenal Volcano and from our table marveled at the red lava against the night sky.
A sight I will never forget.

Please do NOT be dissuaded from going to Arenal because you can't get a room on the lava flow side! I, too, couldn't get a room on that side of the volcano, and I stayed at Arenal Country Inn.... and Arenal is one of the wonderful, beautiful places I've been.

Before my trip, I had read lots of posts about people who were disappointed at the clouds over Arenal, don't recommend going, etc. I came very close to not going... and that would have been a HUGE mistake. Look, weather is weather... you can go anywhere in the world and not have optimal weather for your travels... but the area is so beautiful with so much to do, that I urge you not to miss it. The clouds will probably be on and off of the volcano (when are you going?) but you can take a hike to the base of it and probably see lava rocks tumbling down the side when it starts to get dark.

Just go for it!

Hi Cindyjo,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I believe it was called the Tito Canopy Tour. We signed up with them right outside of Manuel Antonio National Park with a tour guide. I believe it was $45 a person, and there was 16 platforms. Our guide actually used to work the canopy tours by Arenal. I asked him which ones were better and he said the one we were on was significantly better. Have a great time!

Hi -- I'm planning a 9 day Costa Rica trip for my family of five (3 older teenagers). I have two "free" days and am debating between time in the Monteverde Forest or a rafting trip down the Paucare. We have easy access to white water here, but this trip sounds very appealing. Advice?