Is 8 days enough for Costa Rica?
Oct 24th, 2001, 04:25 AM
#1
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Is 8 days enough for Costa Rica?
It's me again on that never ending quest for information which you Fodorites are so great at providing. We have eight days for a trip and are thinking about flying to San Jose, renting a car and driving to Lake Arenal for a few nights and then over to Tamarindo for the rest of the trip. Honest opinions if this is "do able" in the limited time we have without being exhausted would be appreciated. Also is Tamarindo built up and touristy more on the laid back quiet side? Thanks folks.
Oct 24th, 2001, 04:57 AM
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Barb, I think that your plan will work fine. Just keep in mind that, depending on your flight schedule, you will probably have to spend the first and last night of your vacation in San Jose area. The drive to Volcan/Lake Arenal is about 4 hours from San Jose and then you are looking at another 4-5 hours from there to Tamarindo. You should not be driving after dark in CR and it gets dark at 6pm. <BR>Tamarindo is a bit touristy (there is a bunch of gift shops and restaurants in the "center" of the village) but I wouldn't say it is built up. If you are still thinking about staying at Capitan Suizo, it is in a very quiet part of Tamarindo and you will find it very laid back. We loved it there. <BR>Look for my trip report that I posted here in August (e-mail me if you cannot find it and I will e-mail it to you). We had 2 weeks in CR: the first week we split between Manuel Antonio and Osa Penninsula, the second week, we spent two nights at Arenal and 4 nights in Tamarindo. We drove from San Jose to Arenal then to Tamarindo and then back to San Jose. Another option for you would be to fly (that is what we did the year before, when we had 8 days in CR and weren't that comfortable driving in a foreign country). <BR>
Oct 24th, 2001, 06:51 AM
#4
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Hi Barb, <BR> <BR>8 days is definitely enough. My husband and I did a similar trip last Thanksgiving and had a blast. Iza's comment about having to stay in the San Jose area is true. You really don't want to be driving at night and you should really consider renting a 4x4. If you are going to pick up at the airport, keep in mind that most of the car rental places close pretty early (around 5-6pm) which is why we chose Budget (the only one open 24h). <BR> <BR>Also, if you are going to the Tamarindo area and are looking for something secluded and nice try the Playa Azucar (Sugar Beach) Hotel. We had a stunning view from our room and were surrounded by wildlife constantly.
Oct 24th, 2001, 07:51 AM
#5
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Thanks for your responses! Iza, nice to hear from you again. For some reason I'm having trouble finding your trip report now so if you would email it to me that would be great. Trying to remember the name of the hotels you recommended near San Jose. Lelia, thanks for the Playa Azucar recommendation. It also looks great but I don't see any mention of a pool. Do they have one? Thanks again!
Oct 24th, 2001, 04:10 PM
#6
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If you drive 5 minutes South from Capitan Suizo amd take a right after the Cala Mar Hotel project you'll find Punta Langosta and Sueno del Mar and my favorite Villa Alegre. Have you seen www.tamarindo.com? It is a very good resource. I hope I haven't made this more difficult, but I had to share this jewel with you. Kat
Oct 25th, 2001, 05:42 AM
#7
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As for your car rental, you might want to consider Adobe Rent-A-Car. We've used them 6 times and never had a problem. They meet you at the airport gate as you get off the plane. Sometimes the car is at the airport, sometimes they take you to the office (if it's late) which is only 2 minutes from the airport. They will also pick up your car at your hotel (at least they do for us when we stay at Orquideas Inn)on your last day, which is great not to have to worry about it if you have an early flight out the next day.
Oct 26th, 2001, 04:18 AM
#9
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Thanks for the new info. that I will be sure to check out. Iza, I know I'm asking you alot of questions but I'm wondering if you had to chose between Manuel Antonio/Osa or Lake Arenal/Tamarindo areas which ones you would choose. Considering our time, we can't do both. But now I'm hearing from people that we should definitely go to Manuel Antonio. Argh! Just when I think I've got things figured out.... Thanks again!
Oct 26th, 2001, 05:27 AM
#10
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Barb, <BR>It is really hard to decide between the two and it really depends on what you are looking for in your vacation. <BR>The area around Manuel Antonio is more lush and the views are spectacular. It is more touristy and developed than Guanacaste. Guanacaste is much more laid back and quiet. <BR>If you are going in the dry season Guanacaste/Tamarindo area probably will not be green. If you are going in the rainy season, you can count on better weather in the Tamarindo area and more rain in Manuel Antonio and Osa Penninsula. <BR>One thing that I really missed in Manuel Antonio and at Lapa Rios is easy access to the beach. In Tamarindo, most hotels (esp. Capitan Suizo) are either directly on the beach or in very close proximity to the beach. In Manuel Antonio you have to take the bus or taxi to get to the beach and most hotels sit high on the hills (affording beautiful views but no beach access). <BR>Tamarindo is more laid back and I felt that I could totally relax when I was there. It was wonderful to just be able to walk out onto the beach to watch beautiful sunsets, to walk to town along the beach. <BR>Manuel Antonio is much more expensive, crowded, built up and busy than Tamarindo or Osa. <BR>As to Osa Penninsula, I am very glad we went there and saw it. It is really spectacular but I would not return there. The extremely remote feel of the area bothered me. A lot of other posters here loved it and would be very happy to go back there, I did not enjoy it as much as other places in CR. <BR>As to Arenal area, I liked it very much, although some people don't care for it that much. Even though we were not able to see the volcano, I found the area very nice - it felt a bit like an underdeveloped mountain resort - something like upstate New York in the Adirondacks 30 years ago. <BR>I personally would love to return to Arenal and Tamarindo and although I liked Manuel Antonio too, I am not as tempted to go back there again. That of course is only my personal opinion. I hope you will hear from some other Fodorites who will help you make the choice. <BR>Also try to search for some older trip reports here. There were some very good and helpful ones in the past. <BR>
Oct 26th, 2001, 05:50 AM
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Hi Barb, <BR> <BR>Yes the Playa Azucar has a small pool but it's beautiful. It actually sort of dissappears off of one end so that you can swim up to the edge and have a view of the sun setting into the ocean - trust me, it's breath taking! The food was really good there too. We went deep sea fishing (we chartered a boat in town) and brought in 3 of the 6 dorado (dolphin fish) and they cooked it up for us 6 different ways. I think we paid $3. for the vegetables. They were really great.
Oct 26th, 2001, 09:34 AM
#13
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Wow, lots of food for thought. I'm going to have to send all you guys virtual flowers! Time to put up the feet, have a glass of wine and chill out reading all this great info. I'll stop asking so many questions now and get down to business. Hope you all have a great weekend! I'm sure I'll be back here...... 
Nov 3rd, 2001, 06:23 AM
#14
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Barb,in case you do have to spend your first and last nights near the San Jose Airport, I would recommend staying at Vida Tropical (www.vidatropical.com)in Alajuela. For $30, owner Jose Pelleya will pick you up at the airport, provide a clean room for the night and a home-cooked breakfast the next morning. Rental car companies will even deliver your car to his place.
Nov 12th, 2001, 01:15 PM
#16
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Barb:<BR><BR>Just returned from CR with a tour (Adventures Abroad) --- make sure to rent a 4x4. Once you get off the inter-American highway, many of the roads in CR are pothole havens. And in some circumstances (in Tamarindo, for instance) the roads are unpaved. <BR><BR>Relative to some other areas in CR, Tamarindo is more "built up" and headed more so in that direction. However we stayed in the Tamarindo Dirio (one of the bigger hotels) and even there, I'd have to described it as fairly laid back.
Nov 27th, 2001, 03:38 PM
#17
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We rented an economy size car from Dollar for $87 a week and were just fine. While theoretically, it may take take 2 1/2 hours to Arenal, practically, that is unlikely. Its a two-lane highway, and you often get stuck behind slow trucks, where passing is just not safe for awhile because of the curves. This was true of driving generally, watch the potholes. Still, although a 4 X 4 might have been nice, we save a few hundred dollars that was put to other good uses (like overtipping the wonderful people of Costa Rica).<BR><BR>In 11 days, we stayed at the wonderful and charming Grano De Oro in San Jose (great dinner), moved to the Finca Rosa Blanca (stunning) and, from there stayed at Arenal one night, returned to the Finca to rest, and then drove the 3 1/2 hours to Manuel Antonio in the am for a stay of six nights, drove back, and stayed near the airport our last night. We were well rested, and did not feel like we did too much at all.<BR><BR>I note, however, that we missed our plane because we got lost trying to find the Dollar location (we rented in the city, but returned to the airport) which had moved. Thus, those posters who have highlighted the convenience of having your vehicle picked up are right on.
Dec 3rd, 2001, 09:31 AM
#19
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Hi all, Thanks for all of the wonderful info regarding thelifestyle of Tamarindo, airport area inns for the arrival and departure days and the driving tips. My boyfriend and I are taking out first trip to CR at the end of Jan. and we are excited and anxious at the same time! We are both surfers and hikers and are considering the following plan--if anyone can comment I would be stoked!! We are planning to arrive in San Jose Int'l and drive onto the volcano for a night and hike around there (we do not know where this volcano is, the town, or anything), then move onto Playa Grande for 8 days and back to San Jose. Any recommendations for the route &/or stops to Playa Grande??? We are staying at the hotel Las Tortugas. We are mostly interested in surf and hiking and wildlife and want more privacy than nightlife. Does this sound alright? What are the hidden dangers of driving? Is it recommended that we fly into Tamarindo instead since this is our first trip to CR? Sorry for all of the questions but I am a beginner here!! I would totally appreciate any info anyone can pass along!! Anyone hear about Las Tortugas or PasaTiempo?<BR><BR>Thanks again,<BR><BR>Paige
