Hello! Thanks to everyone on this board for all the terrific info! Hoping now I can get some additional input. I am going to CR in Februrary with my husband and we have booked 4 nights at Casa Chameleon in Malpais and 3 nights at Punta Islita. PI looks gorgeous but I'm rethinking it now as it seems a little too relaxing, secluded etc. We are now thinking of flying from Tambor to San Jose and then to PJ to do the Oso for 3 nights... was thinking of staying at Bosque del Cabo (they have avails)...my question is: Do you think 3 nights is enough there and is it worth all the extra flying? We are super excited for the Malpais section of the trip as Casa sounds amazing and the town(s) and surfing excellent. I should mention we are both in our 20s and looking for good surf, swimming, sun and fun yet not touristy beach towns. Another option would be to move over to Montezuma for the 3 nights but I'm worried that might be too long is a small area and we could day trip there from Malpais. Sorry for the lenght here but any input is much appreciated!

One last thing... we are also considering going up North to Playa Hermosa (El Velero?) or Tamarindo (Sueno del Mar?)...I see Tamarindo is not highly recommended here as it is so developed which is why we were thinking of Playa Hermosa. Thanks again for any and all suggestions!

youve chosen probably my 2 fave small luxury hotels in CR!!
Forget Tamarindo, Mal Pais is way funkier, better surf and Punta Islita isnt far from Samara or even better Carillo.
Montezuma is cool, no surf but beautifull waterfall- Amor de Mar is a great place to stay- and Hermosa is quite a trek and Guanacaste in Feb is dry, very very hot and full of the ´dumb a** tourist´army.
Forget Tambor, in the middle of nowhere, you could be in any resort in the world, caters mainly to cruise ship types.


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Thanks for the reply Guanacaste! I was a little worried Samara and Carrillo were difficult to get to from Punta Islita. The PI website talks about exploring other beaches but didn't mention Carrillo or Samara by name. Would you recommend having a car? We were thinking of driving there from Malpais so we could hang on to the car if needed. We do plan to fly back to San Jose though. Thanks again for the help!
PS - your blog is extremely helpful and I love all the pics!

thx glad you enjoyed it.
in CR you just point the camera and voila youve got great photos

Punta Islita to Carrillo is less than 1 hours drive, El Sueno Tropical is where I stay, lovely restaurant and gardens.
In fact between PI and Carrillo there are some lovely small beaches perfect for exploring by car.
as everybody here in CT and frequent visitors know, the roads here are ****
but its probably easier and more convenient to have a car in thaty area, tho shuttles are plentiful and relatively cheap and i like to take my ice box drink cold beers on the journey and let the driver worry bout the roads.
Csa Chameleon is one of the best places to eat on that coast BTW

p.s¨keep an eye out for Flea from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, he has a house in Mal Pais.
When i was there in Sept Jude Law was there.
Its becoming very hip, like Tamarindo should be but isnt!!

Bosque del Cabo is amazing. Everyone should go once! 3 nights is fine--we did that the first time and it was time to explore all the trails, do 2-3 guided "events" and relax on the verandah plenty as well!

On the other hand, I'd love to visit Punta Islita sometime! We LOVE Malpais, you will, too. Amor del Amar in Montezuma is, as Guanacaste said, a lovely hotel/grounds, but no AC and it will be hotter than h--- in February!

I vote you fly to BdC--it's your best bet to really experience true jungle--and tons of wildlife! AND it isn't easy to find availability there! We're going back in March and have had it booked since April. I know that some people already have December, 2007 booked there--also since April!

Thanks Shillmac for the feedback! We are now leaning towards Bosque del Cabo but Punta Islita is still in the running...decisions, decisions. We're thinking if we do PI though we might do 1 night at Sueno Tropical so we can stay at Carrillo first... thanks everyone for your input!

One last question...do you think 7 days is too long to stay in the Mal Pais/St. Teresa area?

i think 7 days in Mal Pais is too long, Santa Tersa is almost the same beach!

Asa shillimac says Amor de Mar doesnt have AC so if u go to Montezuma, so it will be hot!

I, too, think 7 days is too long. 4 at most. . .and oops. . yes, that's Amor de Mar--thought something looked funny when I typed it! Makes more sense the correct way! Great little hotel, though. . .can't swim because of the rocky beach, but there is a great tide pool and beautiful grounds. .

Hi
Am also thinking about a 2 hotel itinerary in mid-Feb for my 2nd trip there.
Was in Costa Rica last July & did San Jose, Poas & some nature reserves nearby.
Then went to Manuel Antonio for 3 days & was bitten on the leg by a monkey at the beach! We were supposed to stay at Gaia. It was still a building site, so we quickly turned tail & stayed at Tulemar Bungalows. Gorgeous views, beach charming but small, although nice to be able to eat lunch on it (slow service!) & friendly place to stay, although I didnt like the decor........
This time with a week to travel, am thinking of Punta Islita for a few days, then Flor Blaca or Casa Chameleon in Malpais.
We are middle-aged, hip, vegetarian couple, who like comfort & style. No surfing or fishing!
Waiting for replies from different upscale hotels, but interested to read about other ideas.
What do you recommend as most stylish in Costa Rica?
How long does it take to drive from Punta Islita to Malpais?
Thanks for advice!