Osa Penisula or Quepos?
 

We are two couples in our late 20's who have never visited Costa Rica before. We want something authentic but not too basic. We hate the idea of anything too over populated and touristy, so originally looked Iguana Lodge in the Osa. After reading postings on this site I feel like there's NOTHING to do there. We DO want waterfalls and rapids and tree canopy rides. Is Quepos the place for us? And should we look at Tulemar or Mariposa? We don't care about nightlife, but we do want to be near a few nice restaurants... Thanks for any advice!

Sarah,<BR><BR>I'd recommend the Manuel Antonio/Quepos area. Yes, it is kind of touristy, but there's so much stuff to do and so many restaurants, shops, etc, that it probably won't bother you too much. I know that rapids and canopy tours are definitely available there, waterfalls most likely close by. Not sure about Tulemar or Mariposa... check out Hotel California if you get a chance. You get a lot of bang for your buck there and the views are great.<BR><BR>Best,<BR>Sean

We took our family last year to Costa Rica. Stayed in Quepos. It is very beautiful. We did not stay at the hotel Mariposa but inquired and took a tour there and it is definately beautiful. The view is spectacular. Would surely stay there if we went back to Quepos. Parque Nacional Manuel ANtonio is one of the most beautiful beaches you'll ever see. People in Costa Rica are very friendly and the food is very basic mais very tasty.

Hi,<BR><BR>From reading your post, it sounds like Quepos might be better for you. We were just in Osa, and it's not really a place to &quot;go out&quot; to a restaurant for dinner (at least on the Carate side -- don't know about Drake Bay). You would most likely stay at a lodge and have your meals there.<BR><BR>Also, I'm not sure about this, but you will probably have to get your rapids fix (I assume you want to go white water rafting?) in the San Jose area....<BR><BR>Have fun!

I am an Osa lover but it is not for everyone. After going down to CR for ten years I have seen the touristy stuff and just go for relaxation now.<BR>Manuel Antonio is busy and touristy but it is a great place. Plenty of things to do. 2 choices of rivers to raft (check out Rios Tropicales web site), rainforest, monkeys, iggies, bars, etc. If it gets to be too much you can head south to the Dominical area.<BR>Tulemar Bungelows are very nice, Hotel Calif is great, and there is a place called Hotel del Mar Playa Espadrilla. It is just off the beaten path but still adjacent to Manuel Antonio. They have a web site. I haven't stayed there but have heard some good things about it from someone who was there about 2 weeks ago. They recommended it highly.<BR>

Hi Sarah,<BR><BR>We recently got back from the MA/Quepos area. I can't stop dreaming about it. I'm serious. It's the back drop to my dreams every night. It's a great place. We stayed at Hotel California for 3 nights and Villas Nicolas. HC was great--very accommodating staff and the hotel owner is a really interesting person. We really enjoyed our stay there. It is a little off the main road so it was pretty quite. Nice views from the second and third floor rooms. We did not see any monkeys or toucans there, but it was rife with birds. The rooms are nice, but spar, and are air conditioned. I would definitely recommend HC. A very welcoming hotel.<BR><BR>Villas Nicolas was nice too. The rooms overlook the jungle and we could hear the ocean from our patio. If you stay there, make sure you ask for a mid level room or you will hear street and pool noise. The views aren't as good, but they are more peaceful. The little bar restaurant there was very good and the owner, Denis was very kind. Overall it was a good experience. However we found the staff at HC to be somewhat more welcoming.<BR><BR>HC booked a canopy tour for us. It was fun. You should defintely do it for the experience. We did not river raft (coming from CO you think we would have made this a priority) but heard from some folks we met down there that it was the best thing we did. HC also booked a Sunset Sail cruise for us. Very nice. We saw dolphins and either porpoises or small whales (I guess porpoises are small whales). We also snorkeled, but it was a little lame. <BR><BR>We took cabs everywhere rather than driving which was not a problem at all and very cheap. We visited Nacional MA and it was great. Lots to see and a stunning beach. <BR><BR>I hope this helps. I'm envious, but go and have fun.

Sarah,<BR>You're right about Iguana Lodge. But please do your homework on Casa Corcovado Jungle Lodge, located on Drake Bay of Osa. It is a remote, secluded lodge in the primary rainforest, on the Pacific beach. There's plenty of things to do for people who wants to avoid crowds: Corcovado Park hikes, trip to Cano Island Wildlife Reserve, the waterfall, boat trips thru mangroves, scuba diving &amp; snorkeling, kayak, horseback, birdwatching tours. What they do NOT have though is whitewater rafting, resort-type restaurants and nightlife is very limited. Now consider this: Quepos is overcrowded - it is a tourist paradise because of easy access &amp; developed infrastructure. If you were 19-year old couples looking for fun - I would say: go there! But you indicated a different objective. The only place to get authentic rainforest exposure in Costa Rica is Osa. <BR>Regards. Oleg