I am working on planning a trip for mid November for myself and 2 or 3 friends (all ladies in our 30's). We will be staying in Arenal and Monteverde and then heading for the beach. We will have a 4x4 rental and will be driving back to San Jose when we are done.<BR>Which beach area would you recommend and why? Can Quespo be done as a day trip from Jaco easily?<BR>We will probably do rafting and a canopy tour from Monteverde or Arenal unless I find better prospects from the coast. <BR>Thanks for your help.<BR>Aileen<BR>

Both are larger tourist beach towns with lots of hotel and dining choices and not too much difference in driving time from Monteverde. You can make a day trip from Jaco to Quepos. If you choose Jaco, check out the Cancion del Mar hotel, perfect for a group like yours. You prob don't need a FWD where your're going. Good luck, you'll have fun!

Hey gals,<BR>I am also planning a trip in mid November for myself, a gal of 40. I have it on good authority that Tamarindo is the place to go. Let's meet for some fish Tacos.<BR>Terry

Tamarindo in November is great, the trees are green and blooming and there are few tourists. It is also smack in the middle of turtle nesting season. As the 1000 lbs. Leatherback Turtle lays her eggs in only in a handful of beaches in the world this is not to be missed! Tamarindo is around 2 hours from Arenal. If you do not have a car then you can take a Grayline shuttle bus from Fortuna. <BR>As for Tacos.. stop by the Taco Stop on the main road to Langosta, they serve great tacos, enchiladas, nachos, etc, at very reasonable prices.

I am a 32 year old woman and just came back from Costa Rica with my fiance. First of all Arenal is amazing. You only need about 2 or 3 days there. We did not go to Monteverde but met many people who did and were very disappointed. From what they said, it was a waste of trip to go there. Quepos/Manuel Antonio is beautiful. I would definitely do more than a day trip there. We were there for 5 days and enjoyed the beautiful beaches, great nightlife, white-water rafting, canopy tour, hiking, etc. We didn't make it to Jaco Beach but heard wonderful things about it. We also spent 5 days in Tamarindo which was honestly the most beautiful place on earth. The sunsets are glorious. It's a cool, sexy, fun surfer town. Lot's of hot guys....good shopping, cute beach clothes. Don't miss it. In Arenal, stay at Tabacon Lodge. In Quepos, stay at Costa Verde in room A12 (great view) or Si Como No. In Tamarindo, stay at Capitan Suizo in a bungalow.

Another vote for Tamarindo. For all the reason others have listed, plus Tamarindo is much prettier than Jaco! I do disagree about about the 4X4 though. Although it's not totally necessary, it would be MUCH more comfortable and safter on the Monteverde road!

Yes, you can easily get to Quepos/Manuel Antonio on a day trip from Jaco. However I'd suggest you drop Jaco from your itinerary and spend the time AT Manuel Antonio. Or better yet, work both MA and Tamarindo into your schedule. I've been to both beaches and both are wonderful.<BR>