willtraveldude

I'm thinking of this trip though Costa Rica over a six day period. San Jose, Monteverde, Jaco, and back to SJ. I'm wondering if this is doable over a short trip (wish I had more time) and how easy it is to drive it. I'm comfortable driving in other countries as long as the roads are in pretty good shape and I'm not hanging off the side of a cliff.

I'm also wondering what the Jaco area is like. I've heard Manuel Antonio is getting overly touristy and really just want a quiet time on a beach with some good seafood. Wish I had time for Arenal, but the gods of time are not on my side. If Monteverde is too far off the track, is there another rainforest / cloudforest nearer to the SJ to Jaco drive? I want to fly to SJ as opposed to Liberia because I enjoy exploring modern Latin American cities to get a taste of the a country's real culture

qwovadis

www.monteverdeinfo.com www.hotelbelmar.net

is the best although

www.landsinlove.com Los Angeles Cloud Forest

is a little closer would still go for MV...

www.backyardhotel.com nice chill hotel on beach close to Jaco

www.costaverdeinn.com nice place to explore the city from

in Escazu the nicest area closer to the airport...

www.servicecarrental.com nice cheap rentals...

pretty doable in the time your have...

www.mapcr.com good map important...have fun,

hsmithcr

Let's start with the last thing first: "I want to fly to SJ as opposed to Liberia because I enjoy exploring modern Latin American cities to get a taste of the a country's real culture"
This doesn't make a lot of sense to me. San Jose is a modern Latin American city but it doesn't really reflect the country's real culture any more than Miami reflects the culture of Florida. It is a part of it, certainly, but not the real deal. Actually, Liberia IS more the real deal.

If you fly into Liberia, you can visit one of the north Pacific beaches - Brasilito (little town, laid back) Tamarindo (more upscale, busy, expensive, good night life) or others and then visit Rincon de la Vieja National Park or Miravalles National Park, do a boat tour of Palo Verde National Park, among other things. There is a rainforest, cloudforest at Miravalles and you can even visit the geo-thermal electric plant there.

If you fly into San Jose, why Monteverde and not Arenal?

And Jaco is not on my list of favorite places although others like it. I think it is scummy with lots of tourists looking for, um, well, a "date" and a fair amount of drugs.

You will be fine driving and with your short time, is probably the best way to get around.

Now, as for that six days - does that include your "travel" days - coming and going - is it really four days?

cmerrell

Does your 6 days include travel to and from Costa Rica? If so, you'll want to factor that into your itinerary. Most people recommend spending a minimum of 3 days in each location so you're not just continually moving from place to place. Driving is definitely do-able. The road conditions can be highly variable, but if you are a safe, alert driver, you should enjoy the experience. Just be prepared to get lost once or twice (roads are frequently not well marked), and plan your driving for daylight hours...

MA is fairly touristy, but we enjoyed it on our first CR visit. I have not personally been to Jaco, but the general consensus here seems to be that it's rather lacking in charm. I did not find MA to be lacking in charm, but it does have a different feel than places that are more off-the-beaten-track.

I definitely wouldn't focus too much of your short time on San Jose. It does have a few decent museums and places for shopping/people watching, but the capital city is not what makes Costa Rica a special place, imo. The true charm and magic of CR lies in it's forests, beaches, mountains, wildlife, and small towns.

willtraveldude

Thanks @hsmithcr. Those are some great tips. Our time doesn't include travel, so we'll have six days in country. Tell me more about Liberia, Miravalles, and Brasilito. You've peaked my interest. That's why I'm on this forum, I know nothing and want to learn.

colibri

Brasilito is a quiet town, short walk to beautiful Playa Conchal. There are some very good restaurants and sodas in town, not far from Playa Flamingo. We stayed at Hotel Conchal when we were volunteering with the Brasilito elementary school, only 10 rooms, can arrange any tours such as ziplining, catamaran, mangrove tour near Tamarindo.

http://conchalcr.com

We flew in/out of Liberia, stayed with friends in town for a few days before heading to Brasilito. It was the annual spring fiesta so we went to hear the bands in Central Park, saw the tope (horse parade), bullfights (no bulls harmed). I agree, if you are looking for a taste of local life, Liberia is a better bet than San Jose.