costa rica - trip report
 

hello!
returned from costa rica on the 21st, had an amazing time. fortunately, we were a few days ahead of the busiest tourist time so our excursions and tours weren't too crowded.

day 1
slightly ruined by delayed flights, finally made it 4 hrs late to sjo. hired a car/van for transfer to MA, was $125. driver stopped at a little restaurant so we could eat dinner. worth every cent. arrived at Villas Nicolas (3 down) after front desk closed (8pm) so the security guy gave us our key.

day 2
myra, wonderful front desk/concierge/hostess, suggested a few places in the area to eat within walking distance and went over the activities that we could do while staying in MA. she booked all the activities for us and jotted down all the departure times. we ate breakfast at BARBA ROJA (away from MA beach/park), great view, average food, american prices.
in the afternoon we went surfing (none of us have ever surfed) with MASS (MA surf school) $55/3hr lesson, board, rash guard, and refreshments. jorge was a great instructor...caught several waves.
dinner - RICO TICO BAR & GRILL at si como no. good food, american resort prices.

day 3
horseback riding tour with FINCA VALMY TOURS, valentin was our guide. it was a great tour, but be warned...you'll be tired with a sore a$$ at the end of the day. lunch was really good, included with the tour. the views were amazing...the best was the 2nd half of the trip after taking a dip in the little "lagoon", lots of trekking through streams and jungle as opposed to roads and trails.
dinner - BYLKBOS HOTEL (PIZZA BY THE POOL) not really sure what the place was called but it has a sign for pizza and a pool... food was italian, pizza was good, the restaurant is much nicer than it looks at the road entrance. but not authentic tiko by any stretch...i felt like i was in america...good food, resort prices.

day 4
CANOPY SAFARI ZIP LINE TOURS
tiko breakfast was included, beans/rice, eggs, plantains, fruit, coffee etc. it was actually the first tiko food we had...we'd been looking and apparently there is only one place in the area that makes authentic tiko cuisine. anyway, the tour was really fun, the guides were great...a combination of zip lining, hiking, repelling down trees, and "tarzan" swinging. there's a photographer who accompanies the group who takes great photos. didn't see too much wildlife, but wasn't really looking around a lot...
dinner - LA CANTINA (TEAK BBQ) across from costa verde (toward MA beach/park)
julio (the other host/concierge/front desk) called a taxi for us and arranged a ride for us (~$4). now, i don't usually like chicken, i ordered fish, but my friend's chicken was delicious...juicy and tender. yum. again, resort prices, food could have been from america...

day 5
MA NATIONAL PARK TOUR
can't remember which company we went with, but unfortunately wouldn't recommend them. but more than tour company, i think it depends who your guide is. ours was a bit dry, not too chatty, just kinda walked around. go on the tour early, it gets really hot and crowded. we saw lots of lizards and iguanas, a group of white faced monkeys came out while we were on the beach. they were quite bold, with a few walking out towards us. also saw several types of birds, a deer, and sloths.
lunch - ANGEL (away from MA beach/park, towards quepos)
finally, we found the tiko cuisine we wanted. cheapest meal we ate while in MA. walking distance from our villa right next to the market (expensive, but well stocked).
dinner - EL AVION (toward MA beach/park)
walked to the big plane. my food was average, fish sandwich. my friend had the whole red snapper...so good! seasoned well, a bit spicy, tasty... if i were to go back, i'd definitely get the red snapper. my fries were not so good, sandwich was bland. resort prices.

day 6
car service picked us up at 330am from our villa, slept all the way to the airport for a morning flight. road is pretty curvy so i didn't get sick... again, car service worth every cent...
departed from sjo...

oo...we did ask around and end up at a place called THE LOUNGE, apparently the only bar/kind of club type place in the area. the crowd was mostly tourists with a few locals mixed in. it was "ladies night" so ladies were to have free drinks, vodka/fresca...they were really weak...just ended up ordering from the bar. after the bar closes (around 1am) everyone apparently heads over to a dance club in quepos, we left...wasn't that exciting...

anyway, great trip...can't wait to go back... would like to check out other areas...
being that we were 3 girls going to an unknown area we stuck with touristy areas for the sake of safety, but really i think we missed out on the authentic cr experience. the people we met were wonderful...but eveything was extremely westernized/americanized. but for a first trip, it was great... :)

Your observation regarding "Americanization" is right on--and it will be getting more so all the time. But you have to remember you are still in America--Central America! I knew what you meant, though. When you are in places like Manuel Antonio, you have to work a little harder to get the Tico effect. You have to eat somewhere besides all the popular places. Marluna is a good place for authentic Tico food. By the way, the Rico Tico bar at Si Como No is pretty good, even though very Norte Americano, huh? Did you see Oscar, the resident iguana? We enjoyed watching him eat maraschino cherries first time we were there. . .

Next time you go back, get back on Fodor's and you'll get all kinds of advice about how to get a better feel for the country. Within a 50 mile radius of San Jose, there are so many little towns (and great things to see and do) that will let you know for sure you're not in Kansas anymore!

And there are places like La Carolina--fabulous staff, but no English--and no electricity-- an absolutely amazing experience. It's that spirit of adventure that keeps us going back time after time. We don't mind a little "homestyle" occasionally, but it wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable if we didn't dig a little deeper and experience the real thing!

It helps to have a few friends there, too, as it is so interesting to visit in their homes, dine together in THEIR cocinas, play bingo on Sunday afternoon in the salon at the iglesia, etc. One of the best ways to find ways to immerse yourself in the culture (should you wish to do so) is to go down and study Spanish for a couple of weeks and do a homestay. Great experience! Anyway, sorry to ramble so much! I just hear you saying that you wanted a bit more--and you can get it! You just have to be a intentional about it these days. :)

Thanks for the trip report--I know you girls had fun. You said "amazing"--there just isn't a better word! :)

I'm reminded of one of my earlier trips to CR in the early 90's. When we
arrived in the early evening after checking into a B&B in Escazu, I insisted we find a 'local' spot for some bocas to get that Tico effect right away. We found such a spot but you can imagine our disappointment when an American band showed up and played American tunes in English. Ugh!
You're right, Sillmac. We must search a bit harder these days.

going to costa rica for 50th birthday in January. be there for 5 days in flying into san jose. want adventure, relaxation a reasonable price. can anyone help?

You may need to stay the first and last nights near the airport depending on your arrival and departure times, but I'd suggest a couple of nights at Arenal and a couple of nights in the Caribbean lowlands near Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui. Both have very reasonable lodging and great opportunities to relax, explore, be adventurous, enjoy wildlife--your call.

Arenal--active volcano, 3 hours from airport; ziplines, Hanging Bridges, national park, volcano hiking, hot springs (very nice), La Fortuna falls, Cano Negro day trip (up north on the waterways--very good)

Hotels: La Pradera, Arenal Paraiso, Montana de Fuego, Arenal Lodge, Arenal Observatory Lodge

Sarapiqui Area--a couple of hours from Arenal and a couple of hours from San Jose--you could enjoy a slow jungle cruise down the Sarapiqui for wildlife viewing (wouldn't want to do that AND Cano Negro, though). One of the best things to do is spend a morning (or 2) at La Selva Biological Station having a guide take you through. We did the guided tour one morning, then I returned the next morning for a birding tour with the same guide. Good (and reasonable) hotels in the area are Selva Verde and La Quinta de Sarapiqui.

No beaches included in this itinerary, but Costa Rica is known more for its interior treats (rainforest) anyway.

Two other alternative:

Manuel Antonio National Park (rainforest meets the beach)--good wildlife, tons of hotels in every price range (check out Villas Nicolas, Costa Verde, Hotel California for reasonable prices, nice ocean views, good values). You can also horseback ride, kayak, visit the mangroves, etc. But the park itself is the main draw--it's closed on Mondays.

You could combine a couple of days in the central area (airport area--LOTS to see and do very nearby, such as Poas Volcano, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Doka Coffee Estate tour, lots of little colonial towns such as Grecia, Sarchi, Zarcero). . .combine all that with a couple or 3 days at Manuel Antonio.

You have LOTS of choices--drives everyone nuts trying to decide how to choose! Good thing is: it's all wonderful.

If you want a cloud forest experience, then combine Arenal volcano area with Monteverde Cloud Forest for 5 days. . .

Hope this helps just a little--almost anyone who has visited Costa Rica several times could put together about 20 different (and fabulous) itineraries for your 5 days! :)