My husband and I are going to be in Costa Rica for 3 weeks starting the first week of February.
We have booked a B&B in the Tamarindo area for 8 days and 8 days in Drake Bay, Osa Peninsula.
We both love to hike and scuba dive. We have an exta 5 days we are not sure what to do with. Is there an area we shouldn't miss? I have read Osa Peninsula is beautiful but very hot, maybe 8 days is enough? We actually thought of staying longer.
Any information or help would be very much appreciated. We are not big city people, love the quiet, smaller places, don't mind taking local transportation or renting a car(heard that might not be wise)
levi10

Hi, levi - have you considered going to Arenal? We went there last year and loved it. If you like hiking, it's a nice lush area with an active volcano. It also offers hot springs, trips to Cano Negro, ziplines, the Hanging Bridges, etc. Since you're not big city people, this might be a spot you'd enjoy. It would give you a nice balance to your time on the water and has cooler temperatures than other areas of CR.

I second volcanogirl's vote for Arenal. That would offer a terrific contrast to your other locations. Three weeks down there would be heavenly!

Another vote for Arenal! With 5 days, you could spend a few nights near the volcano and a couple of nights on the lake--somewhere like La Mansion. Haven't stayed, but the website looks wonderful!

It's been a couple of years since we were down there but I would also recommend Arenal. It's a very scenic area with lots to do and great weather.

Another place to consider if you want more remoteness is Rincon de la Vieja. We enjoyed both places during our trip.

Driving is no problem except in San Jose. You probably don't need a car in Drake Bay but in Tamarindo, there's lots of places nearby to explore. You can even visit Rincon de la Vieja as a day trip from there but I would recommend staying there at least a night.

Hi Levi10,
Don't be afraid to rent a car. My husband and I (mid 30's) rented one in Feb. 2006 after taking several tours with bad drivers. After riding in two "Tourismo" vans with bald tires, we decided to take our own chances. The Costan Ricans are crazy drivers (passing while driving up hills is normal) and the cars they drive are old and probably wouldn't pass inspection in the US. We drove from Jaco to Poas Volcano, on to Saarchi and down to San Jose. Watch the farm equipment in the road and have a great time! Costa Rica is a beautiful country with gracious people.