CR Trip Report
Jan 2nd, 2007, 05:04 AM
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CR Trip Report
Well, we made it back and had a wonderful experience. Here is our CR story:
Background: 2 adults/2 kids (12&15). 1st trip to CR over Christmas.
12/23: Arrived @ SJO 11:30 am on schedule; easy flight from MIA. Immigration was a breeze; very efficient. Against better judgment & advice, our car reservation was with Advantage; they quoted such a low rate but then of course with fees, etc. we paid tons more. To be exact, we were quoted $168 and ended up paying over $700! That's another story. Next time, Tricolor. We left with our car and I had my Fodor's book and the driving directions I printed off here from Shillmac for the scenic route to Arenal/La Fortuna. What a beautiful drive through Sarchi, Zarcero, Grecia. The scenery was fabulous. We stopped for our first taste of CR food @ a place called El Mirador just before we got to Zarcero. What a breathtaking view from this little place. It had a small balcony with 2 or 3 tables practically hanging over a valley...food was great & inexpensive too. Continued on and finally arrived @ LaFortuna just at dark. It was a long, hair-raising trip up and down the hills and around the hairpin curves but the sights were amazing and well worth it. We stayed at Hotel Villas Vilma which is a great inexpensive option. It was spotless, simple. Nice pool & hot tub. It was absolutely so quiet in town. There were "Vacancy" signs everywhere. We settled in and then headed into town for dinner @ Don Ruffino's. It was the only place in town with any activity at all. We had a good meal there. Had breakfast at La Choza del Laurel and took a drive up this dirt road through a cow pasture just past Villas Vilma on the left side. It looked like a really nice place to stay...tried to get the name...something like ____ del Volcan. The little cottages were very well kept and had an awesome view. Up early and DH & kids were off to canopy & horseback riding. They loved it. I decided I did not need that stress during vacation since I am afraid of heights. I asked at Villas Vilma for spa recommendations and Evelyn at the desk could not have been more helpful. She booked me @ Arenal Paraiso for an 80 min hot stone massage for $80. This was absolutely heavenly! I have had massages before, but never hot stone; I highly recommend it! Also, during massage, I heard what I now know was the volcano rumbling. I said "is that thunder?" and the masseuse(sp?) said "ci"....maybe she did not understand what I said, but it was definitely the volcano rubling! I liked the look of Arenal Paraiso and would definitely consider it next time. Met back @ hotel & went to lunch at Montana du Fuego (sp?). This looks like a great place too. What a view it would have had if the weather had been clear. We were sitting in their lovely dining room for a late (relatively inexpensive) lunch and the volcano let out this deep, long grumble to let us know it was still there even tho all we could see were clouds...that was cool. After lunch, drove up toward Lake Arenal and poked around, drove up toward Nat'l Geo Observatory Lodge and said "wow, glad we did not stay way out here!...although, I am sure it is beautiful, just not our cup of tea...Ended our afternoon @ Baldi hot springs. Tabacon was sold out. Baldo did not really thrill us..reminded me too much of a run down Disney water park...it did not seem natural. I thought $100 for the 4 of us was excessive. Dinner was at this western-type place just above Montana du Fuego...did not get the name of the place, but it was good albeit strange to see scenery of the "wild west" painted on the walls and hear Alan Jackson singing in the background...are we in CR??? It was Christmas eve and the restaurant was quite dark with lots of candlelight. It also would have had a fabulous view of that elusive volcano if only the weather were clear...
Christmas morning we awoke to full stockings on the kids' beds (nah, they're not too old for that!). Papa Noel found us in CR! Had breakfast for a 2nd time @ La Choza del Laurel which is a great place to sit & watch the birds come eat the bananas, etc. Also they brew the coffee tableside which was nice.
Background: 2 adults/2 kids (12&15). 1st trip to CR over Christmas.
12/23: Arrived @ SJO 11:30 am on schedule; easy flight from MIA. Immigration was a breeze; very efficient. Against better judgment & advice, our car reservation was with Advantage; they quoted such a low rate but then of course with fees, etc. we paid tons more. To be exact, we were quoted $168 and ended up paying over $700! That's another story. Next time, Tricolor. We left with our car and I had my Fodor's book and the driving directions I printed off here from Shillmac for the scenic route to Arenal/La Fortuna. What a beautiful drive through Sarchi, Zarcero, Grecia. The scenery was fabulous. We stopped for our first taste of CR food @ a place called El Mirador just before we got to Zarcero. What a breathtaking view from this little place. It had a small balcony with 2 or 3 tables practically hanging over a valley...food was great & inexpensive too. Continued on and finally arrived @ LaFortuna just at dark. It was a long, hair-raising trip up and down the hills and around the hairpin curves but the sights were amazing and well worth it. We stayed at Hotel Villas Vilma which is a great inexpensive option. It was spotless, simple. Nice pool & hot tub. It was absolutely so quiet in town. There were "Vacancy" signs everywhere. We settled in and then headed into town for dinner @ Don Ruffino's. It was the only place in town with any activity at all. We had a good meal there. Had breakfast at La Choza del Laurel and took a drive up this dirt road through a cow pasture just past Villas Vilma on the left side. It looked like a really nice place to stay...tried to get the name...something like ____ del Volcan. The little cottages were very well kept and had an awesome view. Up early and DH & kids were off to canopy & horseback riding. They loved it. I decided I did not need that stress during vacation since I am afraid of heights. I asked at Villas Vilma for spa recommendations and Evelyn at the desk could not have been more helpful. She booked me @ Arenal Paraiso for an 80 min hot stone massage for $80. This was absolutely heavenly! I have had massages before, but never hot stone; I highly recommend it! Also, during massage, I heard what I now know was the volcano rumbling. I said "is that thunder?" and the masseuse(sp?) said "ci"....maybe she did not understand what I said, but it was definitely the volcano rubling! I liked the look of Arenal Paraiso and would definitely consider it next time. Met back @ hotel & went to lunch at Montana du Fuego (sp?). This looks like a great place too. What a view it would have had if the weather had been clear. We were sitting in their lovely dining room for a late (relatively inexpensive) lunch and the volcano let out this deep, long grumble to let us know it was still there even tho all we could see were clouds...that was cool. After lunch, drove up toward Lake Arenal and poked around, drove up toward Nat'l Geo Observatory Lodge and said "wow, glad we did not stay way out here!...although, I am sure it is beautiful, just not our cup of tea...Ended our afternoon @ Baldi hot springs. Tabacon was sold out. Baldo did not really thrill us..reminded me too much of a run down Disney water park...it did not seem natural. I thought $100 for the 4 of us was excessive. Dinner was at this western-type place just above Montana du Fuego...did not get the name of the place, but it was good albeit strange to see scenery of the "wild west" painted on the walls and hear Alan Jackson singing in the background...are we in CR??? It was Christmas eve and the restaurant was quite dark with lots of candlelight. It also would have had a fabulous view of that elusive volcano if only the weather were clear...
Christmas morning we awoke to full stockings on the kids' beds (nah, they're not too old for that!). Papa Noel found us in CR! Had breakfast for a 2nd time @ La Choza del Laurel which is a great place to sit & watch the birds come eat the bananas, etc. Also they brew the coffee tableside which was nice.
Jan 2nd, 2007, 06:23 AM
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Oops, I hit the wrong key & posted my message before I was ready..did not proofread or get to edit...sorry.
Christmas day, it was already time to leave LaFortuna. We really did not have enough time to do everything we wanted but had such a long drive ahead we needed to hit the road toward Manuel Antonio. We stopped many times enroute to the coast for directions and my kids handed out small gifts to the kids walking & playing along the roads. They really enjoyed that even tho they thought it was a stupid idea at first. We did have trouble getting on the right road but finally were headed toward Jaco where just before we got there took the signs to Villas Caletas which I had remembered from research as being nice. We drove up this seemingly endless winding road with views that just keep getting better. We kept thinking a security gurard would turn us back since we were not guests. At the top was this beautiful hotel so we parked and got out to look around. The entire drive up the hillside was made out of stones...what a job! We decided to get lunch here and were seated on the absolutely stunning terrace. You could have told me I was in the South of France and I would have believed it! My husband and I both said it was the most beautiful view and scenery we had ever seen in our lives. No exaggeration. Kids were begging to stay in hotel there but our reservations were prepaid so we vowed to come back some day for a stay. Lunch was good. We could see for miles in each direction and then an incredible thunderstorm came up which was interesting to watch and was gone by the time we were ready to leave. Onward South to Manuel Antonio. We stopped briefly @ Jaco to check out the beach & town. It was not impressive at all and I was glad we decided not to stay in this area. To me, the beach was truly unattractive. The drive seemed to go on forever but we finally arrived in MA right around sunset. First impressions were good. Nice town with lots of restaurants and hotels. Great views. However, we did think "what are we going to do here for 5 nights?" We stayed @ Villas El Parque. Town was very quiet and the hotel even quieter. Accommodations were clean & simple. No luxury. Furniture did not make the most of the space. The only thing on the lovely balcony was a hammock. Other seating would have been nice. Again, lots of vacancy signs in town...maybe not the most popular places, but definitely availability in town. Headed for a brief drive to check out the beach (we were glad we stayed up in town & not by the beach...liked the atmosphere up in town much better). Stopped @ Cantina for drink & then on to El Avion for dinner. It was a good meal. Beautiful setting. Next day was dedicated to relaxing & surfing on MA beach. Beach was nicer than Jaco; but do not go expecting white sand and clear Carribbean waters. No seashells. Son rented board for $30 entire day. Waves were not great tho. Lots of people on beach selling stuff; a bit of a nuisance but they were polite and quickly left when you said "no thanks". Lunch @ open air rest closest to Nat'l park...not that great and it literally took 2 hours for a basic lunch. Service was slooowwww...Dinner was @ Barba Roja which was one of our favorite spots. Food great & view awesome. Next day MA Nat'l park. We hired a guide @ $20/pp which enhanced our visit 100%. He showed us so much we would have missed. His name was Minor and he was very personable and professional. He carried a large scope (as all the guides did) so we could view & photograph things we would have surely missed. Sloths, monkeys, iguanas, bats, birds of all sorts. The only thing I think we would have spotted on our own would have been the monkeys. We HIGHLY recommend getting a guide unless you are an expert. Also, go early. The park was full by late morning and the line was super long. People were not allowed in until other people left...We left the park & went to Ronny's for late lunch. What a great place! I did not realize how nice the view would be. Vowed to come back for sunset.
Next day, decided to venture off to Dominical since surf in MA was disappointing. Headed about 44km south on this bumpy dirt road - took 1.5 hours. The bridges were unbelievable! Dominical made us feel like we were back in a commune in the 60's! Just a small bohemian surf town. Lots of tents & hostels. Surf was strong. Board was $10 for whole day. Hung out & surfed for a couple hours then left for late lunch @ roadside soda. Back to MA for sunset @ Ronny's & dinner @ Cantina. Next am was whitewater rafting which I was not thrilled about but since I had chickened out of canopy tour, I had to go. Bus took us down same dirt road about 1/2 way to Dominical. Then up into the woods. Then they loaded us into this other hummer-type open air truck for another 40 minutes up & up toward Rafiki Lodge (can't believe how far out that place is!!!). Finally we arrived at our rafts and began Class II/III trip down for 17 km. It was not too rough; my son fell out but no one else did. We had an awesome guide named Fabian. Saw lots of wildlife...monkeys, tucan, tons of birds. Midway we took brief hike to beautiful waterfall for swim. All in all, it was a great experience.
Next day, time to drive back to San Jose...can't believe 5 nights in MA went so quickly. Stopped @ Marriott Los Suenos to check it out (hubby works for Marriott-rates there were $425--ouch!) Again, long hair-raising trip over the mountains but the natural beauty made it so worthwhile. Stopped to see 13 crocs @ a bridge on the way. Stayed final night at San Jose Marriott--what a beautiful property. Super friendly staff close to airport but seems a world away. Highly recommended if you need to stay in San Jose for a night. Early flight home with no delays @ airport.
Overall: We saw soooo much. Every day was a new adventure and something to see. Not your average beach vacation. We are so glad we rented a car; we would have missed so much if we did not have one. But, on the other hand, the driving was extreme. You must be an alert driver who is not easily distracted or nervous.
We were disappointed not to see the volcano @ Arenal but understand that chances are only about 50% to see it. We still had a full experience there and felt like we got to see another side of CR. Probably should have had another night there, but my son could not wait to get to the beach & surf. People were so friendly and were very understanding of our poor attempts to speak Spanish. They truly seemed to appreciate our business. I did not feel unsafe. We did take precautions and did not wear jewelry and kept car doors locked at all times. We paid for parking when possible and in Dominical, stayed next to car. Did not leave anything in car. Heard other travelers say someone came into their room while sleeping...that was somewhere in a remote part of CR.
HOTELS: I booked these places based mostly on word of mouth, tripadvisor and price. I would probably stay elsewhere next time. They were not bad in any way, there are just so many unique lodging options to choose from. We had originally booked Hotel Mono Azul in MA an I changed to Villas El Parque because I wanted a view and also thought we would have additional space. We did have a small kitchen and DR and LR. We stopped at Mono Azul and really liked the atmosphere...I think my kids would have enjoyed it more there. It looks like an awesome choice for families. Also, overall, we found the food & drinks less expensive than expected while the tours and activities were pricey. Crowds were not nearly what I expected during Christmas. 12/26, 27, etc. things started picking up. We NEVER had a wait for a table in a restaurant. Also a note, breakfast was included in our hotel in MA but once we discovered Cafe Milagro, we passed on the "free" breakfast as we enjoyed the Cafe much more. The only place that was truly crowded was Manuel Antonio National Park. All in all this was a good first taste of Costa Rica. I realize we stuck to the "touristy" spots but that is what we felt comfortable with for a first visit. I would like to check out the Carribbean side & some of the less touristy areas on future visits. Sorry this is so long! Thanks to all for your advice and assistance in planning! It was so helpful!
Christmas day, it was already time to leave LaFortuna. We really did not have enough time to do everything we wanted but had such a long drive ahead we needed to hit the road toward Manuel Antonio. We stopped many times enroute to the coast for directions and my kids handed out small gifts to the kids walking & playing along the roads. They really enjoyed that even tho they thought it was a stupid idea at first. We did have trouble getting on the right road but finally were headed toward Jaco where just before we got there took the signs to Villas Caletas which I had remembered from research as being nice. We drove up this seemingly endless winding road with views that just keep getting better. We kept thinking a security gurard would turn us back since we were not guests. At the top was this beautiful hotel so we parked and got out to look around. The entire drive up the hillside was made out of stones...what a job! We decided to get lunch here and were seated on the absolutely stunning terrace. You could have told me I was in the South of France and I would have believed it! My husband and I both said it was the most beautiful view and scenery we had ever seen in our lives. No exaggeration. Kids were begging to stay in hotel there but our reservations were prepaid so we vowed to come back some day for a stay. Lunch was good. We could see for miles in each direction and then an incredible thunderstorm came up which was interesting to watch and was gone by the time we were ready to leave. Onward South to Manuel Antonio. We stopped briefly @ Jaco to check out the beach & town. It was not impressive at all and I was glad we decided not to stay in this area. To me, the beach was truly unattractive. The drive seemed to go on forever but we finally arrived in MA right around sunset. First impressions were good. Nice town with lots of restaurants and hotels. Great views. However, we did think "what are we going to do here for 5 nights?" We stayed @ Villas El Parque. Town was very quiet and the hotel even quieter. Accommodations were clean & simple. No luxury. Furniture did not make the most of the space. The only thing on the lovely balcony was a hammock. Other seating would have been nice. Again, lots of vacancy signs in town...maybe not the most popular places, but definitely availability in town. Headed for a brief drive to check out the beach (we were glad we stayed up in town & not by the beach...liked the atmosphere up in town much better). Stopped @ Cantina for drink & then on to El Avion for dinner. It was a good meal. Beautiful setting. Next day was dedicated to relaxing & surfing on MA beach. Beach was nicer than Jaco; but do not go expecting white sand and clear Carribbean waters. No seashells. Son rented board for $30 entire day. Waves were not great tho. Lots of people on beach selling stuff; a bit of a nuisance but they were polite and quickly left when you said "no thanks". Lunch @ open air rest closest to Nat'l park...not that great and it literally took 2 hours for a basic lunch. Service was slooowwww...Dinner was @ Barba Roja which was one of our favorite spots. Food great & view awesome. Next day MA Nat'l park. We hired a guide @ $20/pp which enhanced our visit 100%. He showed us so much we would have missed. His name was Minor and he was very personable and professional. He carried a large scope (as all the guides did) so we could view & photograph things we would have surely missed. Sloths, monkeys, iguanas, bats, birds of all sorts. The only thing I think we would have spotted on our own would have been the monkeys. We HIGHLY recommend getting a guide unless you are an expert. Also, go early. The park was full by late morning and the line was super long. People were not allowed in until other people left...We left the park & went to Ronny's for late lunch. What a great place! I did not realize how nice the view would be. Vowed to come back for sunset.
Next day, decided to venture off to Dominical since surf in MA was disappointing. Headed about 44km south on this bumpy dirt road - took 1.5 hours. The bridges were unbelievable! Dominical made us feel like we were back in a commune in the 60's! Just a small bohemian surf town. Lots of tents & hostels. Surf was strong. Board was $10 for whole day. Hung out & surfed for a couple hours then left for late lunch @ roadside soda. Back to MA for sunset @ Ronny's & dinner @ Cantina. Next am was whitewater rafting which I was not thrilled about but since I had chickened out of canopy tour, I had to go. Bus took us down same dirt road about 1/2 way to Dominical. Then up into the woods. Then they loaded us into this other hummer-type open air truck for another 40 minutes up & up toward Rafiki Lodge (can't believe how far out that place is!!!). Finally we arrived at our rafts and began Class II/III trip down for 17 km. It was not too rough; my son fell out but no one else did. We had an awesome guide named Fabian. Saw lots of wildlife...monkeys, tucan, tons of birds. Midway we took brief hike to beautiful waterfall for swim. All in all, it was a great experience.
Next day, time to drive back to San Jose...can't believe 5 nights in MA went so quickly. Stopped @ Marriott Los Suenos to check it out (hubby works for Marriott-rates there were $425--ouch!) Again, long hair-raising trip over the mountains but the natural beauty made it so worthwhile. Stopped to see 13 crocs @ a bridge on the way. Stayed final night at San Jose Marriott--what a beautiful property. Super friendly staff close to airport but seems a world away. Highly recommended if you need to stay in San Jose for a night. Early flight home with no delays @ airport.
Overall: We saw soooo much. Every day was a new adventure and something to see. Not your average beach vacation. We are so glad we rented a car; we would have missed so much if we did not have one. But, on the other hand, the driving was extreme. You must be an alert driver who is not easily distracted or nervous.
We were disappointed not to see the volcano @ Arenal but understand that chances are only about 50% to see it. We still had a full experience there and felt like we got to see another side of CR. Probably should have had another night there, but my son could not wait to get to the beach & surf. People were so friendly and were very understanding of our poor attempts to speak Spanish. They truly seemed to appreciate our business. I did not feel unsafe. We did take precautions and did not wear jewelry and kept car doors locked at all times. We paid for parking when possible and in Dominical, stayed next to car. Did not leave anything in car. Heard other travelers say someone came into their room while sleeping...that was somewhere in a remote part of CR.
HOTELS: I booked these places based mostly on word of mouth, tripadvisor and price. I would probably stay elsewhere next time. They were not bad in any way, there are just so many unique lodging options to choose from. We had originally booked Hotel Mono Azul in MA an I changed to Villas El Parque because I wanted a view and also thought we would have additional space. We did have a small kitchen and DR and LR. We stopped at Mono Azul and really liked the atmosphere...I think my kids would have enjoyed it more there. It looks like an awesome choice for families. Also, overall, we found the food & drinks less expensive than expected while the tours and activities were pricey. Crowds were not nearly what I expected during Christmas. 12/26, 27, etc. things started picking up. We NEVER had a wait for a table in a restaurant. Also a note, breakfast was included in our hotel in MA but once we discovered Cafe Milagro, we passed on the "free" breakfast as we enjoyed the Cafe much more. The only place that was truly crowded was Manuel Antonio National Park. All in all this was a good first taste of Costa Rica. I realize we stuck to the "touristy" spots but that is what we felt comfortable with for a first visit. I would like to check out the Carribbean side & some of the less touristy areas on future visits. Sorry this is so long! Thanks to all for your advice and assistance in planning! It was so helpful!
Jan 2nd, 2007, 07:03 AM
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A great trip report. I think you understand now why so many of us keep going back. We keep finding out about things that sound so neat that we just have to! For about 10 years we never went back to the same place twice. For the last 4-5 we have finally been revisiting some places to see the changes. There are a few places that we have to go back to every year now and sometimes twice a year. I have seen so much that I just want to go down and relax and just enjoy being there now. We have lots of friends so it is nice. We still go to at least one or two new places every year.
We enjoy places like Rafiki and Arenal observatory lodge because they are really out there.
The drive between Alajuela and Arenal is beautiful. A little longer that way but well worth the effort if you have the time.
Happy New Year.
We enjoy places like Rafiki and Arenal observatory lodge because they are really out there.
The drive between Alajuela and Arenal is beautiful. A little longer that way but well worth the effort if you have the time.
Happy New Year.
Jan 2nd, 2007, 10:49 AM
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So good to hear you had a great time, tinamidon! Weren't you the one with the friend who didn't think CR was so great? LOL! You can probably see why it isn't for everyone, but oh my, hard for me to understand!
There are some really cool, more out of the way places that you would enjoy--and getting the main attractions "out of the way" and checking out those places is truly a grand adventure! We've been a bit slower than most in seeing all there is to see because we just never could resist returning to our favorite places--and people--every single time. So we did revisiting right from the beginning, adding 2-3 new places each time. Still more to see and do! We especially enjoy getting into the areas where there are fewer North Americans and other visitors--becoming harder and harder to find those places!
So glad you had a good time--welcome home!
There are some really cool, more out of the way places that you would enjoy--and getting the main attractions "out of the way" and checking out those places is truly a grand adventure! We've been a bit slower than most in seeing all there is to see because we just never could resist returning to our favorite places--and people--every single time. So we did revisiting right from the beginning, adding 2-3 new places each time. Still more to see and do! We especially enjoy getting into the areas where there are fewer North Americans and other visitors--becoming harder and harder to find those places!
So glad you had a good time--welcome home!
