I wanted to report with some facts and opinions on our trip to Costa Rica that ended yesterday (December 31). Our family group of 5 adults went to CR for a week with a mix of excitement and concerns based on what we’d read online and heard from friends.

First, we loved Costa Rica. It is a beautiful country with friendly Ticos and wonderful things to see and do. I would recommend that anyone thinking about vacationing in Hawaii or the Caribbean also consider Costa Rica. It is easy to get around, costs seemed very reasonable, and it offers some unique opportunities. Never had any problems communicating in English, and we probably could’ve gotten by without changing for CR colones, as the US $ is accepted everywhere. Costa Rica is still relatively uncommercial, at least where we visited. This translates to fewer high-end (spa-type or all inclusive) offerings than you might want, if that’s how you’d like your vacation to be. I thought it was a great trip that had a bit of adventure thrown in.

Over a week, we visited the Arenal area, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio. We drove ourselves and found that not really a problem. Yes, CR has some amazingly abysmal roads, but that made up only 10-20% of our driving time. Take a good map, as signs are sometimes there and sometimes not. Also, rent a 4WD vehicle as some roads absolutely require it. I thought it was nice to have transportation as we saw many people walking the roads in the rain after dark (sundown’s about 5:30).

For your reference, here are our driving times (including a few soda/gas station stops): San Jose Airport – Arenal (La Fortuna) 3 hours. La Fortuna – Monteverde 3.5 hours. Monteverde – Manuel Antonio 4 hours. Manuel Antonio – San Jose Airport 3 hours. Despite concerns, we never had any major backups for wrecks or traffic. Speed limits never exceeded 80 km/h (50 mph). There are a of traffic police to enforce this. It is funny how hard the Ticos try to let oncoming traffic know these speed traps are ahead. I should also add we had concerns about petty and more serious crimes going in, but once there never saw or heard of any crime at all.

I was a bit disappointed at not seeing more wildlife in the rainforests in the mountains. We did get to Monteverde NP a little after 8 a.m. to find they’d already set up a waiting list to get in as their limit is 250 people (I think) to be inside at any one time. We drove over to Santa Elena NP and got in, but saw very little wildlife.

On the other hand, Manuel Antonio had incredible wildlife. We saw monkeys, sloths, bats, birds, lizards, etc., and one of those big blue Morpho butterflys wafting by you is an amazing sight. It helped that we went with a guide ($20 each), who was excellent at locating wildlife for us. We went there at about 7:30a and got in with no trouble. When we left a little before noon, there were 200-300 people in line waiting to get in though. This was on a Sunday, and there were a lot of locals at Manuel Antonio in the park and the large public beach.

My wife and I being 50+ and not in the greatest shape, this was a very active and at times strenuous trip. Our 20-something kids thought it was just great fun. We actually had a couple of falls that could’ve been serious but weren’t, and all of us came back with a few bug bites and sore muscles.

Obviously, this was just our experience, but hopefully it will help someone get ready for their trip. I will check back and try to answer anyone’s questions if there are any.

Thank you for taking the time to write your trip report. It sounds like you had a wonderful time! What hotels did you use? I am glad to hear that driving wasn't too bad because we are also renting a car.

We were at Manual Antonio the same morning that you were. Did you get to see the boa constrictor? Sad to be back home now, but already thinking about the next trip to plan!

Thanks for the great report! What did you do in Arenal? Did you try the Cano Negro tour? We were able to see lots of wildlife there. Thanks also for the tips on the lines at MA park too! I wasn't aware people piled up by mid-day, no fun.

Thanks for sharing this.
If you had to choose Arenal or Monteverde, which would it be?

The main things about driving are navigation and patience. Some things you think would obviously be marked (the Pan American highway) aren't, and the roads are generally in poorer condition than the US and Europe. One-lane bridges are very common. That said, I enjoyed driving the car a lot. Just allow yourself plenty of time and don't stress if you get a little lost. There's always something interesting around the next bend.

My girls will be really sorry about missing the boa at MA. We never saw a snake the whole time we were there, although we joked a lot about stumbling upon a fer-de-lance. I bet someone in your group has very keen eyes to catch that.

We did the Desafio volcano walk at Arenal. It included a 1 hr+ hike at El Silencio then the clouds cleared off and we were able to see Arenal erupting and the lava streaming down the mountain, which was definitely a Wow moment. They gave us about 1.5 hrs at Baldi, which was fine. It was a pretty good late afternoon/evening activity for our 1st day in CR.

I'd be tempted to say Arenal over Monteverde if only that Arenal is more accessible - Monteverde roads are bad going in and out, and to the nearby parks. Arenal also has a wide range of activities and easy access to Cano Negro. On the other hand, Monteverde has a more secluded feel that's relaxed and very enjoyable. Arenal seems to be more spread out, with the hotels on larger plots of land strung out on the road from La FOrtuna around the volcano. I think your choice would depend a lot on how the locations fit in with your other CR plans and what sounds in tune with your interests.

Thanks for your trip report. We are doing the same itinerary in February with the exception that we are staying one night at Cano Negro. So the drive from La Fortuna to Monteverde was only 3.5 hours? Thanks so much for the driving times! We will definitely get up early to do the Monteverde NP tour. I have already reserved a guide through the lodge we are staying at. Also, good to know about the crowds at MA later in the day. Sounds like we need to get an early start on that one too since we also will be there on Sunday.