Hello,
Here is my plan ( april 29-may 11) :
-Arrival in SJO at 6.30am, flight for MA
-4 nights in MA, Makanda by the sea, studio 9
back to SJO by plane, rent a 4*4
-1 night Arenal : hotel ?
-2 nights Monteverde, Sapo dorado ?

-2 nights Montezuma, hotel ?
-last night at the Peace lodge, our flight leave at 9.30am.
I think it is a little busy, should I skip Arenal or Monteverde ?
I will be 5 mo pregnant so I am a little concerned by the drive Arena-MV. SJO-MV is much better right ?
Thnak you

Your itinerary sounds good but I would caution that the trip from Monteverde to Montezuma is a long one for only 2 nights. It took us about 7-8 hours (took us longer b/c we just missed the car ferry but still would have been around 6 hours, best case). Having said that, we loved Montezuma and the El Sano Banano Hotel.

actually I miscalculate it would be 3 nights in Montezuma. Do you think we should skip Arenal, make 2 MV and 4 montezuma ?
thank you

Definitely! That's too much moving around. OR, you could do Arenal for 2 nights then head down to Montezuma, skipping Monteverde. Arenal to Montezuma is about 6 (if not 7)hours and Montezuma back to San Jose as long. Don't wear yourself out. All the driving will tire you in your delicate condition!

Oh you think that Arenal is nicer than Monteverde ?
We have seen volcanos ( La Reunion, Lanzarote ) but not active ones. I thought Monteverde was nicer because in Arenal, you are not so sure to see the volcano if there is clouds ?
Is Montezuma a good idea ?

Arenal is a very pretty area and there is much to do there even if you can't see the volcano. You probably wouldn't be able to do the hot springs, though. I didn't mean that one was preferable over the other--the two areas are vastly different and really can't be compared--just thought I'd mention some options for your time split.

Sure, Montezuma is a good idea if you want to spend a lot of time at the beach. You will have already been to Manuel Antonio. Montezuma is a very funky little town. Because of your pregnancy, however, you might not feel comfortable climbing to the falls or hiking the Cabo Blanco Reserve. Without those activities, I could see how 4 days there might be a little long.

You could do 2 nights Arenal, 2 nights Monteverde, and then 2 nights in the central valley--there is much to see and do in that area. Poas Volcano and crater (very beautiful with a nice gentle hike), for example; you could stay more nights at Peace Lodge and enjoy the entire area from there--Sarapiqui area; the little towns of Sarchi, Grecia, Zarcero. South of San Jose to Cartago, Irazu Volcano, Orosi Valley, Lankaster Gardens. This entire area is GORGEOUS.

thank you for your advices. You are right, we could do 2 n Arenal, 2 MV and 3 peace logde, and that would avoid us the drive to Montezuma.
I am not too concerned about the hike because I am very trained ( half dome in november )so I sould be OK but more about the driving...
The other alternative is 2 nights MV, 4 montezuma ( or malpais ), 1 peace lodge

Montezuma could be fun for you if you would like to just chill for a few days and do as much or as little as you feel like. The hike to the falls is not strenuous, but over rocks in the river, etc., and could be considered a little perilous due to accidental slipping/falling.

Cabo Blanco Reserve--the full hike over the ridge to the beach is 2 hours each way and, in the heat of the day, extremely strenuous with a lot of uphill. There is a shorter loop that would allow good wildlife viewing, but doesn't take you all the way to the beach and back. Allow 2 hours for the short loop. 5-6 hour for the long hike with 4 hours of hiking (2 hours very strenuous) and 1-2 hours at the beach resting.

You could also check out MalPais/Sta. Teresa beaches as you have mentioned. They are both pretty. While at Montezuma, you could also do the Isle de Tortuga day trip--relaxing! So, yes, I'm sure you could find as much as you wanted with plenty of time to just read a book or swing in a hammock!

Hi -
I am planning our first trip to Costa Rica too - so I can't help you out with your itinerary , but I traveled to Tahiti when I was 5 months pregnant. I would consider skipping bumpy roads if at all possible. I took a motor scooter (there were no cars) around Bora Bora and we had to stop frequently (alot, alot) because it became so uncomfortable. Everybody is different of course, but I would skip Arena/MV for now and come back later with kid(s).

thank you for your inputs. I know it would be safer to skip Monteverde but I am really sad do do so...
It must be really nice...I don't know what to do

My suggestion would be to skip the 4x4 and hire a private transfer. Driving yourself in CR can be a little stressful if you haven't done before. Private transfer will have a informative, bi-lingual driver and they will stop as much as you need on the way. You also choose your departure times. You might be amazed that the cost is pretty comparable to what you will spend on renting a 4x4 + all the insurance that is required. Many companies handle private transfers. Very reputable company is GaiaLink Tours. Contact Ralph at gaialinktours.com and he'll give you a quote. Good choice in MA and Peace Lodge. I would do Arenal and stay at Tabacon or if not available, then Lost Iguana. If you opt not for Arenal, add another night or two on at Peace Lodge.

I second the suggestion about contacting Ralph at Gaialink tours. Check out the website. Just email Ralph and tell him the places you want to visit, the amount of money you want to spend and he will make up an itinerary for you to review. He made all our arrangements, the hotels, the tours and our transportation. I had no worries about emailing hotels, worrying about whether or not my reservations were received, etc. Everything was done for us and our trip couldn't have gone better. I also thought the price was very reasonable. Give them a try.

Sara

thank you, I will check.
I think I am going to follow a pregnant women advice and skip monteverde. A miscarriage would definitely ruin the vacation !
-4 n Manuel Antonio ( fly to go there )
-3 n Montezuma ( fly to go there )
-2 n Arenal drive but no so bad right ?
-2 n peace lodge

What do you think ?

The drive to Arenal is just fine. A little bumpier if you go around the lake, but not enough to cause problems for you, certainly.

My husband and I are also going to CR end of April and I will also be 5 mos pregnant. I am glad to hear someone else is worried about the bumpy roads - my husband thinks I am being ridiculous! We are renting 4x4 and hopeful the roads from SJ to MP will not be too bad. We are staying most of time in mal pais/santa teresa area with first and last nights on the way somewhere in-between. Enjoy your trip!

I think we will fly to Montezuma because the trip is pretty long ( 6 hours ? )
What hotel are you staying in ?

thank you shillmac about your answer. What do you think about this new program ?

I just got back from CR. I would not skip Monteverde as it is WONDERFUL!!

I would have skipped MA and instead went northwest near the Nicaragua border. MA is sooooo damn touristy.

Sorry euripide, you lost me. What new program?

This itinerary looks much better. Your first choice was good, but a bit too ambitious in my opinion and you seemed to be jumping around too much. Your new itinerary seems to have a better flow.

I always hate to see Monteverde cut from a trip, but in your situation, the road is rather bumpy and painfully slow.

Am I correct that you actually have 12 nights? Am assuming you are staying overnight near SJ, for first night?

In Montezuma we much enjoyed the El Sano Banana Beach Bungalows.