Maryellen

I am planning a trip to Costa Rica in Feb.<BR>for first time. My husbandand I are planning to stay for 10 days. Interested in doing a mix of beaches, hiking, general sightseeing.<BR><BR>It seems there are a few different areas to choose from. Any ideas on where the best locations would be?<BR><BR>Thanks

Jean

We took our first trip to Costa Rica last February. Late night arrival required a stay close to the airport, picked up a small 4-wheel drive vehicle the next morning and were off to the Arenal volcano area. The distances when you look at a map are very deceptive. The roads are full of curves and some, full of potholes. Besides which, there are cattle and sheep crossing where they please. Lovely drive though. We stayed two nights at Tabacon Resort with a view from our room of the volcano. With binoculars you could see the steam and the boulders rolling down the side of the mountain. Very impressive. The hot springs were lots of fun.<BR><BR>We then headed to Monteverde. We had heard horror stories about the road from Tilaran to Santa Elena. They were true. Huge potholes and huge rocks sticking up out of the road. Took 2 1/2 hours to go a little over 20kilometers. Never got out of second gear. But, it wasn't 'scary' driving. Just slow going. We took a guided tour of the Monteverde cloud forest and got to see the resplendant quetzal (areas most famous bird). Fascinating place, both the reserve and the area in general. We stayed at the Hotel Belmar, and while there was nothing wrong with it, I probably wouldn't go back.<BR><BR>Spent the next three nights at Si Como No in Manual Antonio. The road to the PanAmerican Highway isn't nearly as rough as the road from Tilaran. Even on the PamAm highway things are slow going due to traffic and animals on the road. We had a great time in this area. Lots of monkeys and sloths. and birds. Loved our room.<BR><BR>Back to San Jose for the last night to catch an early morning flight home.<BR><BR>Hoping for a return trip this February, this time to Osa peninsula, Manual Antonio again, and some nights at Xandari in the central highlands.<BR><BR>We didn't go to the northwest beaches because we were traveling the dry season, and have heard that the area is quite brown at that time of year. We were lookig for lush tropics and that's what we found.<BR><BR>Have a great time.

judie

We also took our first trip to CR last February and also did 10 days of a nice mix. First nite at Vista de Valle 30 min from SJ airport. Next am took a Sansa flight to Osa Peninsula (bought a 3-day package to Casa Corcovado). Spent 3 nights there. Flew back to SJ rented 4 wheel and drove to Monteverde -ghastly roads as noted but all part of the ADVENTURE. Spent 2 nights at El Sapo Dorado. Then drove to Arenal (roads somewhat better - but no signs anywhere -- but a beautiful drive through Tilaran). Spent 2 nights in Arenal at Arenal Lodge. Drove back to SJ airport and dumped car, stayed last night at Hampton Inn Airport for early am flight back. Took taxi into SJ and had wonderful dinner at Tin Jo. We liked this itinerary very much -- provide LOTS of nature and some beach without too much rushing around in 10 days.

Jen

My husband and I went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon. He is from Spain and I speak fluent Spanish so we didn´t have a problem with language. The language aspect comes in later.... We stayed at Tabacon Lodge the first part of our trip where I proceeded to have a rather unfortunate event. Since there is no glass in the bathroom on the windows, the elements are ripe for insects to crawl in. I was bitten by a scorpion that was hidden in my towel. The people at the resort were unresponsive. They actually asked us to go back to the room and kill the scorpion to see if it was poisonous. Fortunately my husband and I made it quite clear that we prefered not to do that and seek medical attention. Finally we were taken by van, 30 minutes later to a local clinic. If we hadn´t spoken fluent Spanish and my husband hadn´t insisted, I don´t think this hotel would have helped at all. They really had molasses in their blood. Also, the chances that scorpions enter your room as a result of the lack of glass in the bathroom, is quite high. Would I stay again? Yes, because it was beautiful. But the staff was unresponsive during a very frightening event.

Teresa

Judy, did you like the El Sapo DorADO?<BR>I'm planning to stay there, so if you could give me any feedback I would apreciate it very much.<BR>Thanks in advance.

josh

Hey Jen, thanks for sharing the story. You know what... that's enough for me to decide not to stay at the Tabacon. It's not so much the incident itself that bothers me (scorpions happen) but rather the staff's unresponsiveness. Even if they KNEW it wasn't poisonous, they should have treated you with kid gloves at that point, as a guest of their establishment. I'm surprised you'd stay there again, beautiful or not.

Teresa

Yes Jen, thanks for the story which wasn't pleasant, unfortunately. I was also divided between the Tabacon and the Mansion Inn Arenal and now I know I'm choosing Mansion Inn. How could they be so unresponsive!

Tia

Wow, that's quite a story about the scorpion! Yikes!!! Good thing it turned out well.<BR><BR>I guess I just wanted to put in my two cents about the Tabacon. We did not actually stay there, but spent the evening there one night. While the hot springs were neat, I thought the entire place was way too commercialized. I felt like I was at an amusement park. It was way too crowded with rude people who pushed and shoved to get their way, which is not the fault of the resort of course. The drinks were watered down and very expensive and the food was a lot, too. It was very nice and the grounds were beautiful. It's not that I wouldn't stay there, but not in Costa Rica, maybe in Mexico, Aruba, etc. In my opinion, it does not give the flavor of C.R. what so ever besides the hot springs and view of the volcano. I know I have said this before in past posts, but I would have rather hiked into the truely natural hot springs and avoided the Tabacon altogether. It was approx. $17/person to get in, too. As I will absolutely never forget sitting in the hotsprings (which was amazing by the way thinking that they were naturally heated by a volcano), but I can't say as I'd go back to the resort again. Give me the Arenal Lodge or another more rustic resort any time!! No matter where you stay, baring any scorpions , I think you will LOVE C.R. as it is absolutely the most beautiful country I have been thus far in all my travels. Have a great trip.<BR><BR>Tia

Wendy

Teresa: I stayed at El Sapo Dorado and loved it. It was very rustic, as is the area. We had a wooden cabin with a fireplace. This place seemed perfect for where we were. I don't think you'll find anything that luxurious in the area. The staff was extremely warm and the food was delicious (great vegetarian options). There is a bar in the restaurant and an option to eat oudoors.

Teresa

Wendy, thank you so much for the information on El Sapo Dorado. It looks very nice on the photos.I will surely stay there hopefully. Thanks again<BR><BR>Teresa

Carol

-Pacific side beaches are fantastic<BR>-Corcovado for amazing wildlife and hiking experiences. If you're into wildlife, the Ostional Arribada (turtle nesting) can be seen this time of year<BR>-Also don't miss Tortuguero park if you're on that side of the country<BR>-Everyone loves Arenal and the hot springs <BR>-Other volcanoes of note are Poas and Irazu and Chirripo.<BR>-Coffee plantation tours, usually with skits and samples are just the thing if you're a coffee drinker<BR>-San Jose has museums, the National Theatre and a lot of nightlife<BR>-Cahuita and Puerto Viejo area has somewhat more rain but is more quiet and great locals<BR>-Jaco is a good party towns, that is where you'll find the surf crowd<BR>-For extra convenience, your best bet is to stay in Alajuela (near the airport so there´s no big panic to get there!) to cover your first and last nights here. I recommend Mark's Cannon's Oasis: He picks you up and sends you on your way with a good breakfast and tips for the rest of your trip.

Tess

Stayed at Tabacon recently, Sept-13 thru 16th. Loved the convenience of being able to walk to the hot springs. Maybe because it's low season, but they were very pleasant to us. I'm sorry to hear about Jen's experience; I'd prefer the bugs to stay outside, however the reality is you're traveling in a tropical climate and there's alot of little critters. And sometimes those uninvited guests make their way inside. <BR><BR>If you'd prefer to stay someplace other than Tabacon, then I'd suggest two other places that are well located to the Arenal Volcano and to Tabacon (if you do want to experience the waters, it costs $17 to enter and then another $5 (???) to rent a towel/locker in the changing rooms). We ate lunch at the Montana de Fuego --- food was okay, but it's all about the view. They are directly across the road from the Volcano (assuming it's a clear day as we had). I'd suggest opting for the junior suite cabins (versus standard) as those appear to have best views of Arenal. This hotel is 2 miles down the road from Tabacon and another couple from the town of La Fortuna. There's nothing going on in La Fortuna, but it's a place to go eat when you're in the mood for simple local fare versus the more pricier menu at most of these hotels. Another place I'd consider is "Hotel Los Lagos" --- drove by it and they say there's hot springs on their property. Certainly Tabacon is the most known for their waters, but this may be a pleasant alternative.<BR><BR>