Hotel Punta Islita & then where...
 

My husband and I are staying at Punta Islita for 7 days and would like to tag on another 5 on either side - I think our choice at Punta describes our travelling style - any other recommendations in CR, Belize, or any other must see places nearby??

samara beach is only 4okm away:

http://costa-rica.typepad.com/playa_...ome/index.html

If you want to see more of Costa Rica while staying within a relatively high level of comfort, you might consider flying from Playa Carillo to San Jose and staying at Xandari resort and spa. That's what we did for our honeymoon last July. Xandari has their own drivers and can arrange easy day trips for you throughout the lush Central Valley region (one of my favorite areas of CR). I would suggest a visit to Volcan Poas, Doka coffee plantation, and La Paz Waterfall Gardens for the hummingbirds. Along the way, you'll pass many picturesque dairy farms and little villages. You can see a list of Xandari's daytrips here: http://www.xandari.com/Activities/daytrips.html
There are probably many other beautiful places to stay in the Central Valley; I only suggest Xandari because it's a bit more upscale and they can arrange all your transportation.

For areas surrounding Punta Islita, you might hire a driver to take you to nearby Playa Ostial where you can see the arribada of giant leatherback turtles. (This depends on the time of year and month you'll be in Costa Rica.)

In any case, Playa Carillo "airport" (really, it's just a big field) is very close to Punta Islita, so you should have no problem flying Sansa or Nature Air to other areas of CR. (I imagine you could also fly to Arenal to enjoy the hot springs and the volcano.)

Hope that helps.

Correction: That should have been Playa Ostional, not Ostial.

I too would recommend some Central Valley time.

We have never stayed at Xandari, although it does get great reviews. We have however stayed at Peace Lodge, which is another suggestion for an upscale comfortable place. Guest of PL have the convenience of exploring the falls and grounds throughout your stay, thus the opportunity of avoiding the crowds of daytrippers. Rooms are incredible, waterfall showers, fireplace, jacuzzi on the balcony, comfy beds. http://www.waterfallgardens.com/lapaz-peacelodge.htm

I also would second the opinion of a few days at Arenal. We stayed at Arenal Parasio, which is by no means in the league as Punta Islita, however rustic and comfortable. You could look at Tabacon Resort or Lost Iguana.

3 nights Arenal, then 2 nights Peace Lodge before flying home.

thanks for the peace lodge rec. - I've been on the internet for days and this is the first time I've seen it - looks wonderful.

we just returned from punta islita. a number of folks had just come from lapa rios - it sounded like a great complement to punta islita.

how was your stay at Punta Islita?

You'll love Punta Islita. It is luxurious and remote. The weather is ideal. It is pretty hilly, which I'm sure you already know, but the spectacular views make it worthwhile (I thought the same about Lost Iguana in Arenal). The beach is rocky and a bit rough, but you can drive about 20 minutes north to Playa Carillo, which is calm, sandy and beautiful. The spa is really great (have a massage on the beach), as is the yoga-lates class (yoga and pilates).

We took some nice hikes around the property, through groves of mangoes. Again, it was hilly, but good for the soul (and butt). Because of our young kids, we kept the activities to a minimum, but other guests were clearly doing a lot - biking tours, kayak tours. All the boys in our group went fishing one morning and caught two small tunas (which the chef Guillermo turned into a fabulous lunch for us - our $400 tuna ceviche!).

Anyway, you're bound to have a wonderful time - enjoy!!