onchidella

My sister and I (both females in our early 20's)are booked into Pueblo Real (condos) in Quepos for 7 nights Feb18-24. We're planning to bus from SJ to Quepos (flights arrive 9am(18th) and leave 6pm (25th)), all the info I've read says book bus tickets in advance but you can't on-line of by phone and we want to travel the day we arrive. We don't mind taking a non-direct bus (in fact might possibly enjoy it). Any suggestions?

Also I would love to see a volcano (the geography more than the spouting lava), is it possible to bus a day trip or overnight to Arenal, Poas or Irazu easily? or rent a car for 2 days? or should I just leave it for another trip? or spend the last night in SJ and do a trip to Poas or Irazu in the morning and be back by 3pm for 6pm flight?

Activities I want to do: SCUBA diving (snorkling for sister), canopy tour, mangrove kayak, see crocodiles. Any thing we should or shouldn't do or places we should or shouldn't go?

Basically, I am a biologist, interested in animals/plants/trees, amature photographer, like hiking, swimming, SCUBA diving, biking.

She is willing to do all of the above things but would be happy spending much of the time sprawled on the beach

Thanks for any suggestions!

shillmac

Rather than the public bus, have you thought about traveling on a smaller turismo bus (very safe and much quicker) like Interbus?

www.interbusonline.com

About $30 per person one way. Kind of expensive, but sure saves some time. We've used the public bus a few times, but never upon arrival when we felt we needed to buy tickets in advance. So I can't be of much help there. If you do travel by public bus, try to pack light and keep your luggage where you can see it at all times. Sometimes the luggage that goes underneath is gone by the time you arrive, especially with the nondirect buses.

Arenal is too far for a trip out of Quepos, but couldn't you stay in or around San Jose (near the airport perhaps) at the beginning or end of your trip? If all you can manage is that last day, then certainly you have time to go to either Poas or Irazu. I'd suggest Poas as it is easier to get to from the airport area and easier to return from (not having to navigate the city). Get there very early, by 8:30 or so, for best viewing. Then head over to La Paz Waterfall Gardens (about $25 per person) for a couple of hours of walking delight--butterfly conservatory, hummingbird gallery, and lots of falls. Come back by the Doka Estate Coffee Plantation for the 1:30 tour, then right on into Alajuela by 3:00. Very do-able, and a nice way to spend your last few hours in the country.

Be sure to plan another trip, because as a biologist, you surely need to get up to Monteverde and lots of other places besides the beach where you can really indulge your personal interests! It's a wonderland for nature lovers!

onchidella

Thanks for the reply, The interbus needs a hotel to pick-up from and drop off to, does anyone know of one near a market or museum in San Juan we can do with our lugage (backpacks) in tow as we'll have ~3-4 hours free? How about a drop off hotel in Quepos? we'll need to take a taxi to the place we're staying but is there some place that's central?

I think we'll be doing Poas as you described, it sounds like a good way to get a wide variety of things done in short order.

shillmac

El Gran Hotel Costa Rica in downtown SJO--at the Plaza de la Cultura across from the Teatro Nacional.

Also, have you checked to see if they pickup at the Hampton Inn near the airport?

tully

They do pick up at the Hampton Inn & Garden Court Hotel, just select 'Rio Segundo' for the starting point. After you select your start & stop points (Quepos) it will give you a list of about 15 hotels in Quepos you can select from.