Similar to some other posts I've been reading, I'm looking for advice for a first time/honeymoon visit to CA. My fiance and I are looking for a trip that will give us a good feel for what the country has to offer while trying to stay away from the most popular/touristy spots. We also are looking for a mix between adventure and relaxation. Though our want list seems to contain a lot of contrary things, it seems that Costa Rica is a place where that may work. We'll be going in March for two weeks. It seems like trying to check out two or three places makes sense in relation to not wanting too much of the vacation to be made up of traveling.

So far, the places that keep popping up in a lot of other posts in terms of first time visits are Arsenal and MA. Arsenal seems like a good choice, but by the sounds of how popular MA is, I kind of want to find an alternative. I'm super interested in the Osa Peninsula, but am not sure if it makes sense in combination with Arsenal due to the distance between the two.

Any and all thoughts/suggestions are appreciated!

I'd check out Bosque del Cabo (a Fodors favourite) in the Osa Peninsula. With 2 weeks, you can fly down from San Jose, if budget allows, and visit one of the most biologically diverse and untouristed parts of Costa Rica.

Another alternative would be the Nicoya peninsula, which would be closer, and has some wonderful places to stay. Check out Ylang Ylang Resort in Montezuma. We got married there last February and absolutely loved it. We've booked to go back for a week next February.

A combination of Tortuguero, Arenal and Osa sounds perfect.

I just returned from my second visit to Bosque del Cabo on the Osa. As crlover says, it's a great favorite here on the forum and is just a wonderful, beautiful place to get off the beaten track and enjoy nature. BdC is one of my favorite places that I've ever stayed. Arenal is really fantastic as well. I haven't made it to Tortuguero yet, but it's definitely on my list.

www.tabacon.com

www.bosquedelcabo.com

would make an excellent HM combo...

Fly hire a driver or rent a car...

Congrats have fun,

Bosque del Cabo would be my first choice for a honeymoon. It pretty much everything to offer if you want to be out of the hustle and bustle and close to nature. Include Lost Iguana or somewhere nice like that in Arenal and that would be a perfect honeymoon. You can fly between La Fortuna and Puerto Jimenez via Nature Air or Sansa, fairly easy.
I also enjoyed exploring the Dominical area a couple of weeks ago and it's less touristy than some other places. Shelter from the Storm is a great get away and the owners are super sweet. You must have a 4 x 4 there, but recommend a visit to Hacienda Baru, Nauyaca falls, and there are some great restaurants and beaches there. You could drive from there to the Osa if you don't mind a few hours of off and on bumpy roads (not too bad though, just not smooth sailing).

Thanks to everyone for the tips/advice! My fiance and I are starting to narrow things down. I hadn't looked into Tortuguero as much as some of the other areas yet, so I'm going to do some more research on that. I was super glad to hear that an Arenal/Osa combination would work as they are areas that will offer things that we are both looking for.

I'm sure that I'll be posting again soon, when I'm ready to start figuring out the next level of planning for the trip. I feel lucky to have found this forum - it seems like a great way to get tips from people who know what they're talking about!

If you decide to go to Tortuguero, we loved Modesto Watson with Riverboat Francesca Tours www.tortuguerocanals.com
Most tours there are all inclusive with transporation from San Jose hotels, meals, lodging, boat trips excluding only entrance fees into the national park and extra excursions. Modesto will book you at any of the lodges. We stayed at Laguna Lodge for 3 day/2 night package in February and really enjoyed it. There are other more upscale places for a honeymoon, but this was fine for us. Tortuguero gave us the best wildlife viewing on our entire trip.

Hi Hip, can't wait to hear about Shelter from the Storm and Dominical area! Settle back into reality and then send the details!

Maybe not for you since it sounds like you are working with a plan now, but in case others look as well: I think the Caribbean side is overlooked. I had already been to CR so my husband and I honeymooned for two weeks with this itinerary:

Arrive San Jose, stay in Grano de Oro (I highly recommend this, of course)

3 day Pacuare rafting trip (not too difficult and the highlight of our trip, one of the best travel experiences I've ever had) with Rios Tropicales

back to Grano de Oro

rent a car, drive to the Caribbean side (south of Puerto Viejo there are plenty of places to stay: Azania, Shawanda)

for 7 or so days: relaxed on the beach, went to the sloth rescue, took horseback ride on the beach, went on a jungle/waterfall excursion, ate at fantastic little places

3 days: drove up to the coffee plantation areas, rainforest tours, etc.

drove back to San Jose, departed

It was a fantastic, less touristy view of Costa Rica. The beaches on the Caribbean side are fantastic (Punta Uva, for example), the prices are so much cheaper, and there is still so much to do.

Thanks for the further suggestions jlhart...though they are making my decisions difficult again. A Pacuare trip looks like it would be an amazing adventure. I checked out Rios Tropicales and also came across the Pacuare Lodge, which looks terrific.

Punta Uva also looks insane...the country just has too much going on...

I'll keep posting as we make more decisions. Even though it makes it hard, please keep the suggestions coming!

I would definitely go to Arenal; it's our favorite spot. The Lost Iguana is a gorgeous property set a little outside of town. Great jacuzzi tubs on the balconies and wonderful views of the volcano. If you want to raft out of Arenal, we went on the Sarapiqui with Rios Tropicales, and it was great. We just went to Tortuguero for the first time and loved it, but I don't know about a honeymoon there. It's very hot, and most of the cabins have mesh open air windows instead of glass, so not a lot of honeymoon privacy. BdC on the Osa is awesome. I think that Arenal and the Osa would be a great pairing. I would throw in a couple of nights at a very honeymoonish spot like Xandari or the Peace Lodge - very cushy properties with a huge relaxation factor.