CR Help in finalising my itinerary
 

We are going to CR in Feb.Please help me to finalise my itinerary.
We are already booked for:
2 nights San Jose
2nights Rincon de la Vieja
3 nights La Fortuna.
From here my choices are:
1.Monteverde for 2 nights ( we are also booked later in the tour in Savegre Lodge)
2.1 night in Villa Lapas, Carara. The reviews of this hotel are very mixed. How is the birding?
Then on to Manuel Antonio for 3 nights.
3.Take an extra day in La Fortuna and do a day tour to Sarrapiqui.
At the end of our tour we are boked in Tortuguero and PV/Cahuita.
One further question, can anyone comment on the Cerro Chato hike in Arenal?

Birding at Villa Lapas and area is good. You have a wide variety of habitats in a small area. We have not stayed there for several years but when we were there [three different times] the rooms were simple but clean and the food good.

If you are going to Savegre I suggest you not visit Monteverde.

Do you have any other specific birding questions? I would be happy to offer some suggestions.

Where are you staying at Rincon?

cheers

Jerry

From reading various birding reports the birding around Villa Lapas is excellent. Carara birding is excellent also along the lagoon trail.

Thanks for your responses.
gannetmusic, We are staying in Hacienda Guachipelin. Hoping to do some hiking in the National Park. Have you done the trail to the blue lake?

The blue lake is beautiful!!!

http://costa.rica.typepad.com/photos...delaveija.html

Eluned-I'm curious, how did you come to the decision to stay at Hacienda Guachipelin? We will be visiting the Rincon area in Aug. and I can't seem to make a decision as to where to stay.

capecodgal I chose this lodge purely because it is close to the entrance to the park.
A general ? Where to find best rates on hotels in CR