Eliminiate Arenal from Itinerary ???
 

I know many will think I am nuts but I am considering not including Arenal in our travels bc of the length of time it will take to travel from their to Manuel Antonio. My husband does not want to be in a car for 5+ hours and I do not want to take a small plane.

I was thinking perhaps we could add in some other destination in closer proximity to M.A. that would require less travel time. We both LOVE beaches, food, and adventure. Is there some where on the way to M.A. that you can suggest we stop instead?

Would you consider breaking up the trip by staying in the Central Valley for a couple of nights? You could raft the Pacuare, go to Poas, visit the Doka Coffee Estate, etc. I think part of the fun of CR is going to places that are completely different from one another.

Hmmm...Well, Arenal is a really cool area so I would recommend including it, but I do understand where you're coming from. The drive is a nice one and if you take Interbus it's a van, so a little more spacious than a car, and comfy.

On our first trip to CR we just went to Manual Antonio for the reasons you listed and it was great! There is so much to do right there. One thing I wish I had done from there is stay at Rafiki Safari Lodge for a night, we stopped there on the way to rafting on the Savegre and it looked like a great place.(Check out Trip Advisor reviews as we didn't actually stay there). We came back from that trip excited about CR and wanting to explore more of the country on future trips which we have been doing. I don't like to jump from place to place on vacation. So we just take one or two places each trip and then come back again for more!

Hi, I would spend one night in San Jose and do the Poas or Irazu tour, this way you get to see an amazing and active Volcano. Then head on over to Manuel Antonio and you'll have a ton of options for tours:
zipline
horseback riding
sunset cruise tour

Hope this helps,
Marina K. Villatoro
http://travelexperta.com

Well, gee, yes you can get the volcano (sort of) other places, but not those fabulous hot springs. I like the idea of breaking the trip up with a couple of nights somewhere in between--if you have the time. Whatever you decide, you won't go wrong.

Will add my agreement that it is a nice drive. Somehow it seems different there than a 5 hour drive in these parts!

If you are driving, the area around Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui is another option. It is about a 2 hour drive north of San Jose. There is a very nice eco-lodge there (Selva Verde) and also at least one more upscale hotel (Sueno Azul). I spent a night at Selva Verde and liked it a lot. The reasonable price included 3 meals, a rafting trip and guided nature hike. Arenal is about a 90 minute drive from this town.

There are 2 Puerto Viejo's in Costa Rica, so do not confuse the Sarapiqui town with the Puerto Viejo that is near Limon.

I understand your concerns about 5 hours of driving. If your vacation time is limited, I think it makes more sense to spend time enjoying yourself at fewer locations than to spread yourself thin trying to see everything.

Selva Verde and the Central Valley are both splendid options. Selva Verde is closer to Rios Tropicales's operations center than San Jose, if you have your own car.

What we did was to stop at Tarcoles for a night between Manuel Antonio and Arenal. The two big attractions there were Carara NP and the croc safari.