KarenInFl

We're still deciding where to spend our holiday break but are seriously considering Costa Rica (is it too late to book - heard it's high season then). I've read through countless messages and my head is spinning! However, it sounds like an awesome place to visit. Our family (kids 13 and 16) are adventurous and love the outdoors so we're looking for zip lines, rafting, hiking, etc (we live on the Gulf coast so beaches aren't a priority). We'll probably rent a car - how's driving in CR? Though we usually rent homes/condos from owners I'm thinking a hotel might be a better choice for this trip since I can get area info. and book tours from them, not to mention have a restaurant available so I don't have to cook and wash dishes on my vacation! So, I'm ready for any suggestions - where to go, stay, visit, eat, etc. I look forward to hearing from you!

volcanogirl

Hi, Karen - I think you would love the Arenal area and the Osa Peninsula. Arenal/La Fortuna has the active volcano; we stayed at the Lost Iguana and could sit on our balcony each night and watch the lava flow - it was really amazing. There's also natural hot springs like Tabacon, a wildlife river tour on Cano Negro, where we saw monkeys and caimans and sloths, as well as loads of birds, and there's the Sky Trek ziplines which are really popular. The Hanging Bridges is a nice nature walk.

The Osa Peninsula is still relatively undeveloped, and it's amazing. Check out Bosque del Cabo - you can go on amazing hikes, surf, waterfall repel, go to the animal sanctuary, etc. It's getting pretty late to be booking for December, so I'm not sure what kind of availability you'll find - lots of people book a year ahead - CR is becoming that popular. Let us know if you have any questions - this board is really helpful.

KarenInFl

Thanks, volcanogirl. Yes, I was afraid that we may be planning this too late but have decided that even if things don't work out for December, we WILL visit Costa Rica soon (this may become our summer trip - early June). Another concern was that we'll only have a week - take out 2 days for travel and we're left with 5 days for fun. After reading all the posts I don't think that's nearly enough time to explore all the cool places I've read about. Meanwhile, I will continue to gather all the great advice and will put it all to good use . . . eventually!

volcanogirl

Yes, you should definitely go; based on what you've said about your family, I think you guys would love it. Regarding driving, driving from SJO to Arenal is really common; I don't think you would encounter any problems, as long as you don't attempt to drive it in the dark - things are not always well-marked, so you wouldn't want to get lost at night, but driving it during the day is entirely doable. Most people do rent a car for use in Arenal/La Fortuna. If you don't want to drive, you can hire private drivers through the hotels and then take taxis once you're in town. There's also a popular shuttle service called Interbus you can check out.

Driving to the Osa is not something I would want to do personally - long drive over some rough roads; you can take intercountry flights on Sansa or NatureAir pretty easily from SJO.

Also, there's a spot called the Peace Lodge that's fun for a night or two - not that far from Arenal, and it has 5 beautiful waterfalls on the property that you can hike to. June would be a good time to go; we usually go in July. Even though that's rainy season, we've never been terribly bothered by the weather - just some afternoon showers. Hope you make it there because you would love it. This board is full of people that keep returning year after year.

shillmac

Maybe a couple of nights near the airport or in San Jose to include white water rafting one day on the Pacuare. Then I'd head straight to either Arenal or Manuel Antonio for the rest of the time. You could do the white water either at the front or back end of your trip.

For assistance with finding suitable lodging at this late date, you should contact Pat Hewitt and www.lovecostarica.com

He is a travel specialist, and if anyone can find some availability for you, it would be him. I'd not waste another minute before contacting him.

To best help you, he'll need to know arrival/departure times. But for starters, get in touch with him and let him assist you with your next steps.

Hope it works out! You'll have a great time!

shillmac

Excuse me, meant to say "Pat Hewitt AT www.lovecostarica.com