Hi We are adventurous, fun, (30 year old) singles planning a coed trip for four whom have never been to CR and don't typically travel to same local twice. Feb 25-March 7

We have 10 nights 11 days.

Night 1- San Jose (eat and drink)

Day & night 2&3- Early toward Monteverde and Arnel Mountain area. (Horseback, Hot springs, See Volcano and do some hiking around Monteverde, btw is there a coffee plant around here?)

Where should we stay? Looking for moderate hotel, B&B or boutique like hotel. Planning on two nights here while we visit these two spots Monteverde and Arnel Mountain area. Should we stay in La Fortuna or Santa Elena? Can we cab or bus to see volcano at night one day if we stay in St Elena vs. La Fortuna area?

Day 4&5 Head to Guanacasta region. We want to take some surf lessons and see great beaches that have a fun enough night life but relax also and not be overrun with a touristy feel.
Thinking about two nights and days around Tamarindo or beaches around Playa Samara? Other suggestions. If we are in a busier area around Tamarindo we would probably like our hotel or B&B to be more tranquil then.

Day 5&6 Head South Nicoya perhaps to MalPaiz or Montezuma area? Suggestions on cool places to stay similar to above description.

Day and Nights 7&8 Head to Manuel Antonio (Canopying here and Beach it too I think) -suggestions on places to stay here?

We have 1 more day or night to add somewhere, any suggestions on where to add a day?

Final Day 10 Back in San Jose go home day 11

Any helpful tips would be greatly appreciated!!

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/community/fo...#ixzz0dDvysRVq

I replied on your TA thread, but will say the same here. Way too much time on the road for the amount of time you have.

You can't really do Arenal and Monteverde in two days; most people stay at least three nights in Arenal and two in Monteverde. There's a long bumpy road to get to MV, not worth going unless you can spend two nights there, and there's so much to do in La Fortuna/Arenal that you really need to spend some time there to experience it. Agree with hip that you're moving around too much. Check out Silencio del Campo and Fonda Vela to see if they're the kinds of places you're looking for. In MA, check out Mango Moon. Villas Nicolas, Costa Verde, and La Posada are popular too.

Agree - you are trying to do too much. It looks like beaches are your top priority so choose either Arenal or Monteverde, but not both. It's not possible to do daytrips to one another.

We liked Arenal Paraiso outside of LaFortuna and Arco Iris Ecolodge in Santa Elena.

3 days Arenal

www.arenalparaiso.com

overnite

www.monteverdeinfo.com Bel Mar

3 days www.tamarindo.com www.hotelcapitansuizo.com

Finish

www.manuelantoniopark.com www.costaverde.com CV2

Cheap car rental www.carrentals.com out of SJO

Have fun,

Thanks this is very, very helpful and why I posted!!

Maybe we will do this then as a revised itinerary which adds days everywhere(any comments apreciated):

Day 1 San Jose just a night and venture out early AM (we get in late anyway to SJO)

Days 2-3 days around Arnel, Day 4 around MV
(I heard there is a five hour, horseback, taxi, boat tour of both MV and Arnel.)

Days 5-7 Nicoya Peninsula Area What do you think about between Samara Beaches and Montezuma and MalPais area?

I hear the Tamarindo area is not that great and beaches are not too pretty? We want to be able to see beautiful beaches, surf a little, have a great place to relax and stay for the money and have some night life but don't need a college spring break scene really.

Day 8-9 Manuel Antonio

Day 10 and leave on day 11. Stay in San Jose b/c we leave in late afternoon from SJO

I think you are wasting your time to go to MV for only one night. It will take you 1/2 day travel to get there, leaving you 1/2 day for all its great activities.

I suggest staying that night in Arenal - plenty to do there to keep you busy - hanging bridges, Cano Negro boat tour, zipline, hiking, thermal springs.

Tamarindo experiencing contamination in the water again. Rethink that one! If it is really surfing you are interested in, choose Arenal, Monteverde (2 nights), the rest of your time at Malpais, southern Nicoya.

I agree with all of the above. Spend longer in Arenal (DONT MISS the hanging bridges. There's a great zipline right at Hotel Las Lagos).

when in Arenal there ONE night club - if you are there on a Fri or Sat, go! It was so much fun and packed with locals and tourists. It was funny to see the 20-30 somethings who work at your hotel show up and dance it up at the club. They don't get going until 10 pm and after though. Check out my blog to read reviews etc for places in Arenal and Manuel Antonio - things to do, places to eat etc, It is amazing.

www.hollywoodwannab.blogspot.com