Hi all - I've been obsessively reading the posts in anticipation of our June trip to CR (1st timers)! Thanks for all of the info - can anyone recommend an English speaking driver to take my family from SJO to MA (Tulemar)? I know that some of the CR experts on this site have used the same drivers repeatedly. We arrive at SJO on a Wednesday afternoon at 1:40 pm.
Also, if there are any suggested stops we should make on our way to MA - please advise! Thanks! Jenn

You can try Leo Rodriguez at [email protected] He may already be booked but then he would give you other recommendations and I am sure others will post here soon too. We loved Leo three yrs. ago. We still e-mail on occasion and he states his business keeps flourishing. Pura Vida

I'd definitely recommend a stop at the Rio Tarcoles; you peer over the bridge and see some great big crocs.

I used Leo Rodriguez 2 weeks ago. He is very nice, speaks excellent English and knows all the sights to see. However, based on my experience, he might substitute another driver at the last minute.

We just made that same trip in April - SJO to Tulemar. I used a driver I found on the Banana Azul guest house website, and he was great - but I'm not sure how many people are in your family? He has a car that would comfortably seat 3, maybe 4 (one up front) in addition to him. I don't know, maybe he has a larger vehicle too? It's worth asking.

His name is Manuel Acuña and his phone is 506-8-332-8726 and email [email protected]. He gave us a great rate and was very reliable - we used him both ways. We also learned a lot about the country in the 6 to 7 hours we spent with him in total.

We did stop at the Tarcoles Bridge - which I'm glad we did - but I had read about possible robberies. So, we didn't spend much time there and I didn't leave my backpack in the backseat. I just read another posting from someone who just lost their bags to theft - so if you stop be cautious.

Usually if you have a driver, they will stay with the bags and the car so you can go take a peek.

jwell, if you can't find a specific driver, we've had good luck just contacting our hotels to get one for us.