You can get taxis in Arenal/La Fortuna; that's what we do. Or you can rent a car and drive yourself. It's easy to get around there, but for the most part things are spread out. Roads are in good shape. The observatory you're referring to is a hotel called AOL - Arenal Observatory Lodge. It's one of the furthest hotels from town and on a rough road but also one of the hotels closest to the volcano and with more wildlife than some of the hotels closer to town. Our favorite is the Lost Iguana. They run a lot of good specials - get a night free, get 40% off, etc.; it's worth checking on if it interests you. We've always been able to get a deal there.

Well, my friend is unable to go with me, so I'm thinking is it okay for me to go solo. I am in my 60's...in very good shape. I have tried to plan a trip to CR for years, but something always falls through. Has anyone out there gone alone or should I try to hook up with a small group. A lot of them are very expensive, but I am open to it. Any suggestions you could offer would be appreciated.
thanks

Deb15 - did you not rent a car if you did the taxi/boat/taxi trip? And how does one know where to get that trip - is it through the hotel? We're going Manuel Antonio/Arenal/Monteverde, and I'm wondering if it makes sense to have a car or not.

OAT has a Costa Rica tour that isn't too expensive. The age group is similar to yours. However you may or may not find a single spot with them.

As long as you are comfortable travelling alone, Costa Rica is as easy as anywhere since English is widely spoken and the tourism sector is highly developed. You can book excursions when you arrive. There may be a few resorts/hotels that cater to couples that are best avoided (Finca Rosa Blanca comes to mind).

Jel, Desafio offers the Jeep Boat Jeep for around $30 per person. That's who we use.

susan, several women on this board have traveled to CR alone. Totally doable if you want to.

jel212,
I just posted info on your other topic so I guess I have ESP...shoulda bought a lottery ticket!

The company we used for the jeep boat jeep was arranged by Jose at Rustic Lodge (a place I highly recommend; we loved our stay there, but it's nothing fancy). I can't remember the name at the moment, but there are several companies that provide this transfer option. They will pick you up at your hotel and drop you at the hotel in your destination.

susan,
You might like Rustic Lodge, it's quite small and Jose is very friendly and helpful. He arranged all of our outings. It is walking distance to town, but also a cheap taxi ride.

where is Rustic Lodge- in what part of Costa Rica?

Monteverde

Does anyone have any experience with Costa Rica Expeditions? Just wondering - they have a questionnaire that is quite extensive. Let me know.

Yes, we used them to go to Tortuga Lodge, and they were excellent. They're known for good food and high quality service. Lots of nice little touches when we went with them, and they're very interested in client feedback. When we landed at the dock, they gave us welcome drinks and introduced a lot of the staff by name. I commented on a recipe I liked, and they got it from the chef and e-mailed it to me, surprised us with a picnic one day, etc. They are more expensive, but if it's in your budget, they do an excellent job. When we left, they gave us another extensive survey to fill out asking about both positives and negatives - they want to know it all, which is a good sign to me.