Monkey Park?
 

Anyone know where this is or how to get there? We're driving from Arenal to Tamarindo.. Not sure which road we'll take.. But is it on the way? (Price?) Thanks!

You'll pass it on the way in to Tamarindo--when you are almost there. We went this past summer, and I'm thinking it is between Belen and Huacas. Huacas is where you turn left to drive the last few kilometros into Tamarindo. Delightful place. Holding the babies was such a treat--it is a rehab center of sorts.

This sounds fascinating! Does anyone know the exact name of the place so I can do a bit more research? Thanks.

I wondered too, as my kids will be near there at Playa Conchal in a few weeks. Re: the exact name, I believe it is simply called "Monkey Park" and is on the on the main road leading from Belen to Tamarindo/Flamingo. Please post if you find out any more information (hours, etc).

Yes, it is Monkey Park. It is on the right side of the road between Belen and the little town of Huacas (where you turn left to go to Tamarindo). We went there late in the day (around 3:30 or 4:00) and it was open. I don't know how late, but probably closes by 5:00 since it gets dark early. They're probably open by 9:00. It is worth a visit. I have a couple of photos taken there if you'd like to see them, let me know.

It is around 5 km from Playa Conchal. The best part of the monkey park is the butterfly house. I shot two rolls of film, some of the most amazing flowers I saw in Costa Rica were in the butterfly house, hundreds of butterflies

FYI, it's only open from 1pm to 4pm. We got there right at 4, so we missed out... :-( Next time...

Thank you, DCMalia. A "little" detail like that makes a big difference!

Can anyone tell me approx. how long the drive is from Arenal to Tamarindo and if it's a difficult drive. My girlfriends and I are debating if we could drive it ourselves or not. I should mention that we will be in Costa Rica during the rainy season.
BTW- DCMalia, my mother and I had the pleasure of your company in Tamarindo at the Casa Rosa. Small world.

No, it isn't a difficult drive. The road around the lake is potholed and you'll need to go slowly, but the route is generally an easy one to follow. Having to stop for directions is part of the fun! You girls can handle it and will feel SO smart and competent afterwards! Get a fairly early start--it should take you around 4 hours.

Hey TheIvoriesGirl, small world! I just uploaded my pics to ofoto but I keep leaving your mom's card at home... so I'll get the link to you guys this weekend. You could also e-mail me seperately re the pics or the drive from Arenal to Tamarindo ([email protected]). Don't think we told you guys how horrible it was... We had rented an automatic so Dave could drive but they ONLY had manual cars, so I had to drive! Ugh. I didn't want to drive. And I think he was a little annoyed that he couldn't drive... The roads out of Arenal were really great, paved and wonderful and we started to wonder if we really did need to get the 4x4 that we had rented... UNTIL I HIT a massive pothole and a stretch of HORRIBLE unpaved roadway. That became the norm... Good for a while, then HORRIBLE for a while and you have to swerve ALL OVER the road to avoid pot holes... It was VERY slow going. I had to pay attention to the road nonstop. And of couse Dave kept pointing out things to miss, go this way, go that way... UGH UGH UGH. Think we definitely needed the drinks that night when we finally arrived. We left La Fortuna around 10:45/11 and didn't arrive at Casa Rosa until 5:30/6. It was beyond horrible. My opinion would be that if you are with a group of gals, hire a private van to drive you all. Think you can get one for 5 at a cost of $125 for all of you. Goodluck! I totally want to go back soon also... :-)