My husband and I are planning a trip to Costa Rica in January. We are planning on travelling from Friday 01/04(arriv about 2)-Sunday 01/13(leave about 3), flying in and out of SJO. Our current plan is to rent a car and drive ourselves for the duration(My husband prefers to drive whenever possible.) We are definitely going to do Arenal, potentially Monteverde, and then definitely to a beach (we are currently thinking Manuel Antonio, since it seems quite popular on the boards). As for us, we are both early 30's, and we enjoy being active on our vacations rather than being low-key, so we really want to do a lot of the adventures and tours that are out there. So, our questions are:

1. With the time period we are there, should we try to do all three, or just focus on two(Arenal and the beach)? Either way, what would you suggest for a itinerary in days spent in each and in which order? Is there a beach that you would suggest over Manuel Antonio?

2. Is it safe for us to do all the driving ourselves, with road conditions and the like? Is there anything that should make us rethink our decisions?

3. Is there anything that time of year that is an absolute must? Or anything in general that you would suggest that we definitely do?

Thank you all so much in advance!

Sarah

I forgot to mention that I really enjoy photography, so if there is a must do for an aspiring photographer, would you let me know! Thank you!

Sarah

Hi, Sarah - I can give you a rundown of what we did on our trip last year. It sounds simliar to what you have planned. We flew into SJO and had our driver take us straight to Arenal. It was a very pretty drive, and you could easily drive it yourself. We stayed in Arenal for several days and then had the driver take us to MA. This drive was a little rougher, but still completely doable - just expect some big potholes that you'll have to steer around and a one-lane bridge that you have to take turns crossing. A lot of people drive it themselves, so if those things don't bother you, then go for it. We then went from MA back to SJO the night before our trip and spent the last night in SJO just so we wouldn't have to rush around to catch our flight.

In Arenal, our favorite thing was Cano Negro, and it's a great place to take pictures of the animals. You can also do the Skytrek/Skytram, visit Tabacon or Ecotermales Hot Springs, hike the waterfall, go to the Hanging Bridges, and volcano watch. In MA, you can do watersports like sailing, snorkeling, etc. And go to the park to see all the wildlife - great place to take pictures also, but it doesn't seem as natural as Cano Negro. We didn't love the snorkeling - visibility was pretty poor, but the sailing and the park were nice.

We were there for 9 days and didn't do Monteverde. That drive is supposed to be more challenging, and we felt like we were moving around enough as it was, but I would like to see it someday.

Honestly we enjoyed Arenal a lot more than MA. MA seemed kind of crowded and Americanized to use, but we still enjoyed it; we had good food and amazing views. The beach inside the park is very pretty. Next time I'd be interested in trying a different beach area.

The absolute must for me is Cano Negro. I could go there again and again and would love to go back someday. Our hotels were Lost Iguana, Mango Moon, and Grano de Oro. Happy travels!

volcanogirl: Did you keep the driver for the 9 days, or just used him to drive you between the cities?

Hi, shanghai - we actually had 3 different drivers. We used a different one for each leg of the trip and arranged all of them through the hotels where we were staying. It was pretty convenient; the first one was waiting for us at the airport when we stepped off the plane. They hold up a sign with your name on it so you know who to go with. The other drivers just picked us up at our hotels at an appointed time.

Hi Sarah,

The areas you are considering are terrific choices for the first time visitor to Costa Rica. You probably can work all 3 destinations into your trip, but keep in mind that you'll be doing quite a bit of moving around to get from place to place and each destination has much to offer. We had 3 nights each in Arenal and MA last year and would have been happy with an extra night in both locations. We were able to do and see a lot in each place, but didn't have much time to just veg. It all really depends on how fast-paced you would like to be on your vacation.

I was a bit worried about driving after reading so much about the road conditions and crazy Tico drivers. Driving was an adventure, but not nearly as hair-raising as I feared. The routes between SJO-Arenal-MA are really not bad at all; you just have to be alert. Having said that; I have not made the famous (or should that be 'infamous'?) trek to Monteverde. Many others have, and lived to tell the tale. If your husband is a confident driver, I don't think you'll have much to be concerned about; just remember not leave your belongings unattended in your car.

Volcanogirl has already offered some terrific activity suggestions. The ones she has listed are among the most popular. I would agree that Cano Negro is a must in Arenal. The national park in Manuel Antonio is the star attraction in that area. We enjoyed both areas immensely. There are a lot of wonderful, fun things to see and do.

Photographic opportunities abound everywhere. Between the gorgeous scenery, variety of different types of eco-systems, and bountiful wildlife, its a photographer's dream come true. You will love it!

cmerrell is right; you will have wonderful photographic opportunities throughout your trip. If you do go to Manuel Antonio, be sure to stop at the Rio Tarcoles - huge crocs live under the bridge, and we got great photos of them. I sent some of the pics to my co-workers, and they were all asking - is this in a zoo? No one could believe you could see such amazing things just driving down the road. We got amazing pictures of Arenal too; the volcano has a tendency to appear and disappear in a cloud bank, so just have your camera ready so you can get some good shots. I think you will have a wonderful time.

Thank you so much for your advice. I think we are going to get a car and go to Arenal and Manuel Antonio (save Monteverde for another time). So, do you think we should try to head out to Arenal right from the airport, or should we stay the night and wait for Saturday morning? Also, should we stay in San Jose the night before we fly back, or can we head back from Manuel Antonio in the morning? Finally, should we allocate the same number of nights to Arenal and MA, or should one receive more attention?

Thank you again!
Sarah

Once you leave the airport and collect your rental car you will only have a couple of hours daylight, so probably better to stay near the airport (Villa Bonita is a pleasant, small, affordable hotel, 5 min away). However, for your departure I see no reason why you can't leave MA early and skip spending the last night in SJO.

This gives you 8 nights between Arenal and MA, so I think if you still want to do 3 in Arenal, 2 in Monteverde and 3 in MA, you would be fine. With a car, you have the flexibility of when you want to leave, except for the road to Monteverde at night (from what I hear). If you do decide to skip Monteverde, I think a 4/4 split would be good. With a car, you have the advantage of exploring areas that are 1+ hours drive, and still have your home base.

Hope this helps!

Hip, we are in agreement again! When we were in CR, it was getting dark around 5:30, and personally based on the time you get in I would stay the first night in SJO. We stayed at the Grano de Oro and really liked it. Since you have a late flight leaving CR, I think you'd be fine to drive back to SJO the morning of your flight. I'd give more time to Arenal than to MA just because I love Arenal. In MA, we really just did the park and spent a day snorkeling/sailing, but I think it would depend on if you're beach people or volcano people if that makes sense. Arenal offers a lot of activities if you want to be really active, which we did. Have a great trip.

Hi Sarah,

Hipvirgochick and volcanogirl offer good advice (as usual ;-) ). Orchideas Inn is another popular hotel choice close to SJO for your first night. You'll see it mentioned a lot here.

Here's another suggestion for you to consider: On our trip last year, we arrived in SJO around 2:30 p.m. We picked up our rental car and headed to the Peace Lodge for our first night(approx 1 hour drive). The next day, we spent the morning/early afternoon exploring the La Paz Waterfall Gardens (on the grounds of the Peace Lodge) and then continued on to Arenal. La Paz is a great place to visit. The grounds are gorgeous, the series of natural waterfalls are spectacular, and they have lots of great attractions onsite (butterfly house, hummingbird garden, serpentarium, ranarium, aviary...). You could also plan to get up bright and early and head over to Poas Volcano for a chance at viewing the crater before the clouds roll in for the day. Poas is ~20 to 30 minute drive from La Paz. The Peace Lodge is a bit pricey, but quite luxurious (some feel its a bit over the top, but we thought it was the perfect place to spend our first night in the country; nice large rooms with some great amenities and drop-dead gorgeous views from the balconies). From La Paz to Arenal is ~3 hour drive.

We had a 3:30 p.m. flight leaving SJO for home, and made the drive that morning from Manuel Antonio. It took us about 3-3.5 hours. You'll need to leave early to allow for unexpected delays and to make it to the airport 3 hours in advance of your flight, but it is do-able.

In terms of how to divide your time, I would probably go with the 50/50 split. I think there may technically be a broader range of activities readily available in Arenal, but I would have been happy to spend a couple of days in MA nat'l park to enjoy the hiking trails and beautiful beaches. However, if you are going to give an extra day to one location over the other, I would donate it to Arenal.

Hope this helps. Enjoy the planning process; that's part of the fun in my opinion!

I 2nd cmerrell's advice on that first night at La Paz. That's a great idea!

I would "third" that choice. We're staying at the Peace Lodge for the first night of our upcoming trip. We liked Grano de Oro a lot, but this trip we wanted to get outside the city and see the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. cmerrell, you asked when we were leaving - THIS Saturday - yippee!

smi, I think the Peace Lodge would be a great choice for you like cmerrell suggests; you get in early enough that you could head there and still see the grounds. Excellent idea!

This has been so helpful. Thank you. I think we are going to do the Peace Lodge for the night we get in and then explore La Paz in the morning before heading to Arenal. Then I think we are going to spend 4 nights in Arenal, and then 4 nights in MA (possibly 5/3, after we debate what activities we want to do).

Volcanogirl, would you recommend both Lost Iguana and Mango Moon? Anyone else have a hotel that they rave about?

In Arenal, is it possible to go someplace at night if the lava is not flowing in the side you are staying?

I wish January were here already!

Sarah

Hi, Sarah - we loved Lost Iguana. We had a luxury suite on the second floor, and it had a wonderful balcony, with two rocking chairs and a jacuzzi. We sat out there every night watching the lava flow and loved it. We also had a small refrigerator in the room where we could keep cold drinks and snacks. There's an open air restaurant with volcano view and a nice small pool area. The grounds here were very pretty - nice landscaping, flowers everywhere, ponds, hummingbirds - loved it. If you get a first floor room, they have outdoor showers. It's a neat place. I liked it that it was removed from town because it was really quiet and peaceful.

For Mango Moon, I would say your experience there probably depends on which room you get. We didn't love our first room - a lot of the rooms share a balcony, and we were wanting a private balcony. But we got upgraded (for free!) to a really nice upper balcony king suite that had its own balcony, and we loved it. The hotel is really nice - kind of a small boutique hotel with gorgeous views; they have a great breakfast bar area that looks out on the ocean, and the monkeys come by to eat the mangoes right off the trees. I would stay there again, but would be particular about which room I got because people walk back and forth to get to the pool area. The pool is small but very nice, and they have a small beach at the base of the hill that took us about 20 minutes to reach. Hope this helps. Probably more info. than you wanted to know - LOL. One thing about Mango Moon - their toilets can't handle paper - not sure if that's common in CR but it took a little getting used to. It's probably not a big deal to most people, but it took us by surprise.

Both hotels booked all of our tours for us, as well as private drivers, so that made it really easy and convenient for us.

Hi Sarah,

I'm glad you decided on the Peace Lodge. I think you'll really enjoy the grounds. Truly beautiful place!

For lava viewing at Arenal, there is a road that basically circles around the volcano, running up out of La Fortuna, past the hotels you've probably read about here; Arenal Paraiso, Tabacon, Lost Iguana, Arenal Observatory Lodge... So there are various potential viewpoints available. The bigger issue will be weather as the volcano is frequently socked in by clouds. Actually getting to see the lava flow is not guaranteed. There was a tropical depression hovering over the area when we were there, and we never did see the lava. We did get to see the entire cone for a few hours one of the afternoons, and very impressive it was! Even if the volcano does not cooperate, Arenal/La Fortuna is a really terrific area to visit! The scenery is beautiful and there's so much to do there. I would really love to go back.