Hello everyone,

My husband and I just got back from CR last Wednesday. I firstly have to say (even though it has been said by many people many times on this board) Costa Rica is beyond beautiful! We could not have asked for a better combination of beautiful surroundings, adventurous activities and relaxing beaches. We were so sad to return to the cold and dry winter of Canada. So here are some thoughts/reviews of various aspects of our trip.

Our itinerary was as follows:
1 night San Jose
2 nigths Arenal
3 nights Playa Hermosa
3 nights Manuel Antonio
2 nights San Jose

Hotel Reviews:

Vista del Valle, San Jose - we stayed here our first night in CR and didn't arrive until around 9pm, leaving early the next morning, so we didn't adequately get to enjoy this beautiful hotel. Because it was pitch black when we arrived we had no idea of the view that awaited us once the sun came up - a lush and dramatically green valley sprawled out before us as we sat on our cabin's porch and just stared in awe. It was love at first sight for us and Costa Rica....would strongly recommend this hotel as well, although it is outside the city.

Arenal Paraiso (Arenal Volcano) - we liked this resort, although the restaurant food really leaves something to be desired. Our superior cabin was quaint and comfortable, and after a long day of horseback riding and canopy tour (review of those activities later!) I have to admit the cable TV (with English channels) was a godsend.

Villa del Sueno (Playa Hermosa) - this was a very elegant boutique hotel with an amazing restaurant and very friendly staff. Also a very relaxing, comfortable place because it is so small (only 14 rooms). A bit of a walk to the beach, but overall we really enjoyed our stay here and would strongly recommend this hotel.

Si Como No (Manuel Antonio) - the luxury, beauty and ecological focus of this hotel really made it stand out among all our hotels on this trip. The staff are very friendly and attentive. We even saw a movie one night in their theatre, which was fun. Another perk was the free shuttle down to the beach and national park - we really appreciated the convenience of this as we didn't have a car. We would stay here again in a second.

Hotel Grano de Oro, San Jose - we stayed here for two nights before leaving San Jose. This is a lovely old house (bigger than it appears - we went exploring and couldn't believe how many rooms there were!) with a fantastic restaurant, some of the best food I've ever tried. In particular, the Grano de Oro Pie was spectacular (it's all about the dessert in the end anyways, right?) The hotel is fairly close to the Central Market and other shopping areas as well. We stayed in a standard room and though small, they are very nice rooms.

Transportation reviews:

Nature Air - we flew Nature Air from SJO - Arenal and later from Quepos back to SJO. Both flights were uneventful and not nearly as frightening as I thought flying in a little plane would be...

Gray Line - we used their shuttles from Arenal to Hermosa and from Hermosa to Manuel Antonio. Very nice buses, air conditioned and relatively roomy. They were usually only half full so that was nice, we could use the extra seats to spread out a little more.

Up next, places and activities!

Enjoying your reviews of Costa Rica.

As I remember you rightfully had a few concerns. Obviously the title to your post, says it all. Welcome home.

Yes dfarmer, we were a little nervous about this trip due to my husband's accident a few months back - he lost part of his leg and now wears a prosthetic. Aside from a few adjustments and taking things a bit more slowly in general, our trip was perfect and we did everything we wanted to do. I remember what you said to me in my post awhile back about my concerns with this situation - you speculated that we would find some peace with this situation during our time away. You couldn't have been more right - at the same time as providing some much needed down time, this trip really reassured both my husband and I that we could still have a fantastic time and that the prosthetic would not be a huge obstacle, just an adjustment.

Places and Activities:

Arenal Volcano area: We spent two days here, and found it to be the perfect introduction to Costa Rica. Spending some time in the country's interior at the beginning allowed us to acclimatize to the country's heat and humidity. It's a really beautiful place, a must on any first time itinerary.

Activities in Arenal:

Horseback riding - the horseback riding was great, especially because the horses were more energetic than most trail ride horses, so we got to run with them a bit (we have riding experience, others on the tour who didn't kept the pace slower). The sights we saw were beautiful, as we were taken through primary and secondary rainforest, through streams and up rocky inclines.

Canopy Tour - the canopy tour in the afternoon was a whole different experience. I am terrified of heights. We did the Original Canopy Tour at our hotel (Arenal Paraiso) and the minute I got to the first platform I started to tear up and hyperventilate. I exagerate not. I was really freaking scared. The guide and my husband were very sweet, telling me I didn't have to do it. But I wanted to do it so badly, partly because the view was spectacular and partly because I wanted to overcome this intense fear I have of heights. So finally Raphael, our guide, suggested hooking his harness to mine so we would go together and he would worry about braking etc and would generally be there to reassure me. So that was what we did. When we reached the second platform everyone cheered because I was the last to go and I think they all thought I would chicken out. We did the rest of the zipline together, Raphael and I. He was the nicest guy (I tipped him $20 and thanked him profusely at the end, because without him, I wouldn't have been able to do it). I am so happy I did that and have shocked all my friends and family who never knew I had it in me, given my phobia! For anyone who is scared of heights (or downright mortally terrified, like me) my suggestion would be to take this tour anyways, and remember you can always get a guide to go with you!

Thank you for this report, Amanda! it caught my eye as my son and DIL went last year on their anniversary (really a honeymoon, as they weren't able to right after twedding) and loved CR, staying. Like you, they stayed part of it at Si Como No, which they loved.
I wanna go!! Meanwhile, i get to enjo it vicariously via trip reports like yours.
Congratulations on your marriage and magical honeymoon. And thanks to you and your husband, for the inspiration of your overcoming a hurdle turns out to be, as you so well put it, not an obstacle but an adjustment.

More activities/places:

Playa Hermosa: We thought this was a very interesting place. Much nicer than nearby Coco, which had more amenities but we thought the beach looked dirty and crowded. Hermosa was very laid back, mostly Costa Ricans on the beach. But we did notice a lot of construction - it was everywhere! This place is going to get very popular in the coming years, I believe.

Things we did:

Palo Verde National Park tour - we did a riverboat tour with Vargas-Papagayo Tours. Firstly, I have to say that this is an excellent company. Carlos, our guide, couldn't have been nicer or more knowledgeable. He provided all sorts of information on the wildlife, the parks system in general, and even the economy of Costa Rica. We enjoyed this tour trememdously. We saw a lot of wildlife and ate a fabulous lunch after.

Sportfishing - this we did because my husband has always wanted to deep sea fish. It really isn't my thing, but we went out with a local guy who was cheaper than most of the charter companies but spoke no English. It was interesting. My husband caught a 35 lb Jack Cravalla fish but we heard later that the fishing in Quepos is much better and if we went again we would do it in Quepos instead.

Other than that, we mostly just relaxed in Hermosa, walked the beach, and hung out by the pool. It was so quiet that the busyness of Manuel Antonio came as quite a shock when we arrived...

Having a fear of heights myself, I feel for you! Tell me, did you overcome your fear and would you do it again?!