My girlfriend and I are in the process of planning two weeks in Costa Rica at the end of August. We then spend 3 nights in New York on the way back to the UK.

We've booked our flights, but nothing else, and having read lots of excellent advice on this forum have some ideas of the places we'd like to visit (probably a combination of Turrialba for White Water rafting; Arenal and Monteverde for volcano and cloud forest; Osa Peninsula and then beaches somewhere on the Pacific side, possibly Manuel Antonio or nearby).

We would be really grateful for any advice on the following two things:
- firstly does the itinerary look about right to enable us to see some highlights in 2 weeks? where in particular on the pacific coast would you recommend for the best beaches? (we're interested in surfing - though are very much beginniners - snorkelling/diving; sailing and just generally chilling out with beautiful scenery and wildlife). We like to 'get away from it all', in small and quiet resorts, but if we don't have a car, don't want to be completely isolated. We figured that we probably didn't have time to also go to the Caribbean coast this trip - having read about it, it sounded really different and interesting, but we figured we couldn't fit everything into one trip!

- secondly, how would you recommend we get around? Assuming we fly to Osa, we're not sure whether to hire a car and drive ourselves for the rest of the trip, whether to arrange private transfers (i.e. hire a car and driver) (we have a friend who works for a specialist latin america tour company who may be able to help us arrange something), or whether to use the interbus or local buses.

We are both in our late twenties. We like to be quite independent on holiday, and like the freedom that comes with having your own car, but we have heard that the roads, particularly around Monteverde, can be quite tough going at times, and that lots of people think hiring a car and driver takes the stress out of things. Similarly, we don't mind travelling by bus, although given the limited time we have, and the fact that for this trip we're not on a really strict budget, we wonder whether local buses are just too slow!

Any advice on either the itinerary or transport options would be hugely appreciated! Thanks very much in advance.

You can get by easily without a car in the Osa and also Manuel Antonio, for Arenal & Monteverde it's doable but probably easier to have a car in those two as they are less convenient to get from place to place. If you don't want to drive though, Interbus or a private driver would be fine to get you around and then you could just rely on taxi's.

If you keep the rafting part of your trip and the Osa (which I think is the best and would budget a minimim of 4 nights) then that would, in my opinion, leave you a reasonable amount of time to spend in 2 more areas out of the three (MA, Arenal & Monteverde). You may get lucky around the MA area if the conditions are right but for the most part CR isn't known to have great snorkeling/diving. You could do the surfing at MA or on the Osa at Cabo Matapalo.

Hi Toby,

Tully's been to Costa Rica many times and has great advice to offer. I can only hope to follow in her footsteps (currently looking to make my 3rd visit down there)! ;-)

Here's my take on things:

You may need to stay your first and last nights somewhere near the airport depending upon your international flight times so be sure to factor this into your overall itinerary if applicable.

Most of the places on your list are worthy of 3 to 4 nights each. So as tully suggests, you may need to drop one location from the list. I have not been to Monteverde, but I have visited Arenal, MA, and the Osa Peninsula. They all have a great deal to offer.

We've rented a vehicle for both of our trips to CR and really enjoyed the added flexibility this provides. It's true that road conditions are highly variable, and you definitely need to drive defensively at all times, but the roads weren't nearly as bad as I feared they would be. Granted, I have not made the bumpy drive to Monteverde, but driving around both Arenal and MA (and between the two) was seriously not bad at all.

On the Osa Peninsula, most people have transfer arranged by their hotels. There aren't that many places you can really drive to anyway...

If you generally enjoy driving, I say go for it. If you feel uncertain or don't want the extra responsibilty of having to find your way from point A to point B, I'd go the private driver route to maximize your time since you aren't on a tight budget.

As tully has already mentioned, CR is not really notable for snorkeling or diving. Surfing is readily available in many locations and there are lots of pretty beaches (although if you are expecting white sand like the Caribbean you may be disappointed). I thought the beaches in MA national park were very pretty, and I also really liked the pacific beaches of the southern Osa (although that area is <i>not</i> safe for swimming!). Beautiful natural scenery and wildlife encounters are pretty easy to come by all over the country!

You may want to check into annual rainfall patterns for the end of August. Travelling during the green season usually works nicely, but September and October are the rainiest months in some portions of the country.

You've got some great choices on your list! Happy planning and have a wonderful time!

You might want to check out Witch's Rock Surf Camp's website. Even if you don't make your way up to Tamarindo, it might get you acquainted with some of your options re surf lessons in CR. Beginner group lessons are very popular and look like a lot of fun.

Are you flying in and out of SJO or LIR? LIR puts you fairly close to the Pacific beaches and SJO puts you within a few hours of the Caribbean coast. Once you look at what kind of weather to expect in the various areas, you'll have a better idea of where you want to focus your time. Lots of choices, huh? That's why many of us keep going back.

Hi Tully, CMerrell and Linda,

thanks so much for all the really useful advice - you guys really are experts! This forum is so helpful in planning a trip, we are really grateful to you.

We're very reassured by what cmerrell said about driving - particularly around Arenal and MA and the Pacific Coast it doesn't sound too bad. Are there any rental companies people particularly recommend? I assume we need a 4WD given that we are going in the green season?

Definitely conscious we may be trying to pack too many places in. Is it possible to raft in other parts of the country (perhaps around Arenal?) rather than make a side trip to Turrialba? I had heard nice things about Turrialba in its own right - and thought it might be a chance to see a different type of scenery, and stay in a nice lodge etc - but given our limited time do you think its worth visiting?

The advice on snorkelling and diving is really helpful too - there sounds to be so many other wonderful things to do. I had heard though that Cano Island with the marine reserve is one of the best places if we did want to dive, though special permits are needed?. Do you think it would be worth specifically trying to build that in, and for example stay at a lodge on the western side of the Osa peninsula, near Corcovado? I know that many people on this forums are huge fans of Bosque del Cabo, which does sound wonderful, but had thought Cano Island, and indeed Corcovado park, might be less accessible from there. I know though that the wildlife spotting at Bosque is wonderful and had the impression its possible to surf from there (though dangerous for swimming?)? Is that right??

Finally, looking at other itineraries on this forum I've noticed that people sometimes drop Monteverde - I guess because of long-ish driving times. I'm conscious its a different rainforest climate etc from Osa - would you recommend seeing both? Wondering whether missing monteverde would give us more time on the coast somewhere, for example. So many choices!

Sorry for taking up your time, and for all these questions. Hope to be able to help other travellers too and maybe post a trip report afterwards!

Toby

The 3rd beach near BdC (down the trail) is fine for swimming, the first 2 are for sufers mainly. I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about Cano, I think the Pacific churns up a lot of sediment so maybe some days it's great and others not - if you were going to stay near Drake's Bay, I'd pick a place you'd be happy with regardless, so if Cano isn't so great you won't feel too let down. I've yet to fit in Monteverde in my trips, may one day, may not....it's a cloudforest so yes, different than the Osa. I think it gets dropped sometimes just due to the travel &amp; road, I wouldn't go unless you could give it 3 nights, maybe a min of 2 nights. If you do the Osa, I myself would give MA a pass and pick somewhere else, maybe do the Drake's Bay side then over to Puerto Jimenez for BdC (you can fly from Drake's to PJ).

If you're the type that likes to get away from it all then Manuel Antonio may not be for you; it's a nice area but quite developed.

We had friends that took a surfing lesson at Bosque del &Ccedil;abo and loved it, so it is possible to get some surfing in there.

Hi Toby,

I've heard the same mixed reviews as Tully regarding snorkeling/diving at Cano. I think it just depends on the day and conditions. Her suggestion to split time between Drake Bay and Pto Jimenez would be fun for a truly 'off-the-beaten-track' vacation.

Regarding the rental car, yes, you'll want a 4WD for the clearance if for no other reason. Some people really like to rent from Tricolor. I've rented from Europcar and Elegante and had good experiences with both.

I think you can raft out of Arenal, but I don't know how that compares to the Pacuare or Reventazon. If you think making the trek to Turrialba will take too big a chunk of time, you can also have the rafting companies pick you up in San Jose for a day on the river(although I've also heard the Turriabla area is nice!).

Monteverde seems to be a place that also gets mixed reviews. Some people absolutely love it, and others are not as impressed. The long, bumpy road to get there may have something to do with it. I also wonder if the wildlife junkies end up being disappointed. Although there is undoubtedly some cool flora and fauna to see there, many report fewer animal sightings in that area. I don't speak from personal experience, but just from things I've read. I would love to visit that area sometime to see what it's all about!

Don't sweat the decision making process too much. Costa Rica is chock full of amazing destinations so you're bound to have a great trip whatever you decide. The Osa Peninsula alone should make you a lifelong Costa Rica devotee! ;-)

bookmarking

We just returned from CR in May and truly loved our time there.

One place that is off the beaten track and is on the way from Arenal to Monteverde is a little B&amp;B called Satya, named for it's Spanish hostess. She and her husband Ignaki are wonderful hosts. We only planned one night on their organic coffee plantation, but it was such a wonderful visit, we stayed with them a bit longer. The guest rooms are very private, beautifully built with outside sitting areas, hammocks, with their own entrances and full baths.

Ignaki designed the house and it was built by local builders from a town not too far away and of local materials.

He and Satya are wonderful hosts. They have made a wonderful home for their 13 year old son in Costa Rica.

Ignaki's English is excellent. He is Spanish, but was educated in the UK.

Don't miss Satya's homemade breakfast with incredible jams and spanish tortilla. It's the perfect breakfast to get you started on a trek through the Monteverde Cloud Forest! (Which, incidentally, we are glad we didn't miss!)

Ignaki's fervor for his land and the coffee drew us into his love for this place. Their porch in the mountains has a view all the way to the sea of Nicoya on a clear day.

The photos on their website do not do this place justice.

Also, they welcomed our children with open arms.

They are located in San Rafael, just about 8 km from Santa Elena on the way from Arenal.

We did drive from Arenal to Monteverde and while the road was not paved, the lack of traffic was a treat. It did not take nearly as long as we expected and was better marked than we thought. 4 wheel drive is a great idea. Since you're from the UK, keep in mind that they drive on the right down there!

www.satyabb.com

Enjoy!

Mom23rugrats