Please Help with Last Minute Planning!!!
 

3 couples are looking to book a vacation to Costa Rica for mid December. We realize that we sort of late in our planning and also don't have much time to do research so are asking for help on this forum that's been very helpful to us before. We're looking to spend a week there and would like to have luxurious accomodations (private villa or resort) We'd like to spend some some time on the beach (diving preffered but not required) and also experience the rain forest and nature that CR is so famous for. Is it possible to stay in one place or do we have to switch locations to experience both? WHich area would you recommend? Any suggestions on resorts/villas? Thank you.

Manuel Antonio will have all those things together...it will be busy in December however. If you're going mid-December you may have better luck finding a place than if you were going around Christmas.

For three couples, you could look into renting the three-floor villa at Tulemar if you went to MA (www.tulemar.com). They also have other bunglaows, a few other villas, and a large house you all could rent. My wife and I are actually visiting Tulemar for a few days in about three weeks. There's a private beach which is nice...however diving won't be THAT great on the Pacific side of Costa Rica in my experience.

If you think Manuel Antonio is too "touristy" you may want to look into some place on the Osa Peninsula.

Doubt if Tulemar has openings but worth a try. Type in Manuel Antonio villas and you will get lots of places to check out.

VRBO is a good web site. Flamingo beach has lots of villas and is near diving. Don't think Manuel Antonio has diving anywhere. Here is one example of what is around.... http://www.vrbo.com/45026

Catalina Island and Bat Island is where most of the diving is up there.

Thank you all for your help! One thing that all of us definately want to do is zip lining...is it avialable in MA? Also, in your opinion will we be better off staying in a hotel or a villa? Thank you!!!!

there is diving at manuel antonio.
you'll be lucky to get a hotel there now so villa might be best bet:

http://costa.rica.typepad.com/manuel...ome/index.html

from manuel antonio to monteverde is a max of 4 hours drive.
monteverde is a 'cloud forest' not a rain forest:)

http://monteverde.typepad.com/montev...ome/index.html

At this point, I would take anything you can get. Places are very limited. Tons of things to do around Manuel Antonio including zip lines.

If you end up in Flamingo or Playa Hermosa, etc (in that general area) you could easily go to Rincon de la Vieja for a day and get a day pass at the hotel. They have horseback riding, zip line, tubing, mud treatments, hot springs, and more.

Casa Chameleon in Mal Pais would work for the luxury, beach, nature thing. They can hold exactly 3 couples so it might work for you if they have space. The web site is www.hotelcasachameleon.com. Great place both the hotel and Mal Pais!

If there is diving in Manuel Antonio, it's not going to be very good. Snorkeling is not good in that area either.

Good luck!
Sandy

I would agree, you COULD dive in Manuel Antonio but it would be pretty murky, and a poor diving experience. But if diving is low priority, MA would probably be a good loctation for 3 couples, as would Mal Pais.

If I were you I'd start calling places ASAP. At this late of a date, I'd call instead of email to make sure you get a quick answer...email responses can typically take days at many CR establishments.