Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Eight days in Costa Rica

My husband and I went to Costa Rica during our 2003 Christmas vacation. We heard that it is a beautiful country with gorgeous beaches, lush rain forest, and impressive mountains. We discovered that this is true and that there is much more that adds to the country?s charm. We traveled to the Arenal volcano; enjoyed the warm and inviting water at the beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park; hiked in parks; saw monkeys, iguanas, and sloth; and ate a lot of great fish fresh from the ocean. We can wholeheartedly recommend this trip, and if anyone is interested, here are the details.

We arrived late at night and took a taxi ($12) to the Comfort Hotel conveniently located 10-15 minutes from the airport ([email protected]). The hotel provides a free shuttle bus leaving once an hour but it runs only until 10 pm. Getting a taxi at the airport is safe and efficient; there is an official taxi stand right by the exit from the arrivals hall that accepts payment in US Dollars. We exchanged dollars for colons later at the hotel.

The next morning we took the hotel shuttle back to the airport where we picked up our rental car ? an unassuming stick shift Toyota Yaris which, in spite of its many dents all around and about 100,000 miles on the odometer, negotiated the mountainous terrain without any problems. This 8-day uneventful rental from Thrifty cost $330 (all kinds of fees almost double the initial announced rate).

Our first destination was the Arenal volcano. The drive takes 3.5 to 4.5 hours, depending on the route; we chose the ?cultural? via Sarchi (see http://www.arenal.net/map-to-arenal.htm). Sarchi is a great place to buy souvenirs and the drive is indeed scenic and enjoyable, with small picturesque towns along the way. Upon arrival to Hotel Los Lagos (tel. (506) 479-9126 and (506) 479-8000, fax: (506) 479-8009, http://www.hotelloslagos.com/Index-e.htm) we realized that because of the light rain that started when we passed a nearby town of La Fortuna, the volcano itself was completely immersed in clouds. This was our only disappointment of the entire trip ? the weather was perfect throughout the rest of our travels. The drizzle continued throughout the evening, nevertheless we enjoyed the hot springs and the thermal pool with a wet bar and went to bed early to rest up for the 5 hour drive to the Pacific Coast the next morning.

Our destination was Manuel Antonio ? a wonderful small National Park protecting a several mile long stretch of beautiful coastline, adjacent rain forest, and arguably the best beach in the country. The park is closed on Mondays. Since only 800 people are allowed in the park simultaneously it makes sense to arrive early. If you are interested in detailed explanations and small creatures, you can hire a guide ? they carry telescopes with tripods. We were satisfied with the telephoto lens of our camera and saw monkeys, sloth, raccoons, and iguanas. We walked the trails for a couple of hours and then enjoyed the beaches. There are several different wide beaches in the park with varying colors of off-white fine sand, natural shade, and amazingly warm and clear water. We spent three nights at Hotel California (tel. (506) 777-1234, fax (506) 777-1062, www.hotel-california.com). It is located on a high hill above the ocean with a great view. Nicely appointed rooms cost $120 - $150 per night depending on the time of year. There are all kinds of activities and excursions that are offered at all area hotels, including Canopy Tours, water rafting, sports fishing, etc. A nearby town of Quepos offers limited entertainment and several decent restaurants; fresh fish (tuna, mahi-mahi, dorada, sea bass) is extremely good and inexpensive.

After Manuel Antonio we headed back to the central region, where we stayed at the newly opened hotel La Finca Que Ama located near the town of San Pablo de Turrubarres (tel. (506) 419-0110). The hotel is small and comfortable, it is built into the slope of a beautiful canyon, and you feel more like a friend who came to visit for a few days rather than a paying guest. There is a main house with reception, kitchen, dining room, and other services. The suites are in five small houses, two per house that cost $150 per night in peak season and you can learn all of the details from their website http://www.costaricafinca.com/index1.htm. However, the website cannot do justice to the unforgettable view from the shady porch, to the truly gourmet dinners, and to the warm atmosphere created by the owners. La Finca Que Ama is the only hotel in the vicinity of the new Turu-ba-ri Park (www.turubari.com). The park is only 15 minutes from the hotel and its attractions include a tropical forest, gardens, a Canopy Tour, a Sky Ride, a butterfly farm, and an old bamboo grove. We explored for an entire day (a very generous buffet lunch is included in the itinerary), and we returned to the comfort of a Jacuzzi in our hotel suite convinced that the park is well worth the admission price of $55). The next day, we lounged around the pool and the shady terrace enjoying fruit fresh from the trees and local coffee until early afternoon. We then drove back to the Comfort Hotel for our last night in Costa Rica and the flight home.

General comments: Costa Rica is quite close to the Equator, consequently day and night are pretty much 12 hours each. In December the sun rises around 6 am and it is pitch dark at 6 pm and it makes sense to rise with the sun. Surprisingly, we felt comfortable day and night in T-shirts, shorts, and sandals ? the heat of the tropical sun is nicely moderated both on the coast (because of the ocean) and in the mountains (because of elevation). Most roads in the country are narrow, and we would not recommend driving at night, especially in the mountains, particularly if you do not know exactly where you are going. Many tourists prefer to hire drivers/guides with a minibus for 6 to 12 people. This option is quite affordable as well. The country itself is relatively poor, but it is friendly and clean. The tourist industry is now the number one export (overtaking coffee and bananas), and we felt very welcome indeed. Costa Rica feels (and truly is) safe, you can pay everywhere with a credit card, the gas stations are quite numerous and in general, driving around the country is a pleasant experience. The last tip: bring along a bunch of single dollar bills for tips (pun intended).

Feel free to e-mail your questions to [email protected].