Head west to the Nicoy peninsula beaches. Nosara has the best beach and friendliest waves for some surfing. Great restaurants tucked away unobtrusively and many choices of accomodations. We stayed at the Gilded Iguana and loved it!

Nosara has an airport and rental car office (Alamo is the one I saw). It seems that MalPais will require an entire day of just travel. Things that look good on the map take much longer.

It would be easier and probably just as cheap to take a flight from San Jose to Nosara or Samara and drive around from there. By all means get a four wheel drive and keep an eye on the right shoulders for washouts!

Thanks fitzpowell, and everyone else.

We have a fly/drive package, so we'll have the rental car the entire trip (no intra-country flights).

I'm thinking something like: San Jose to Arenal to Nicola Peninsula back to San Jose. White water rafting would be at the end.

If we do that, should we use the ferry from Puntarenas to Nicoya, or drive over the bridge and head down the coast? How long would that trip be (To Nosara or someplace like that)?

Thanks for your continued input!

Take the bridge for Nosara/ Samara areas and the ferry to Paquera if you are heading to Montezuma/Mal Pais/ Santa Theresa.