bamababe

Shillmac,

It must feel good to be called on so often. you are a wealth of info! My question is : We will arrive in MA (by way of a driver) on Sunday evening ( 6 or so). Should we plan on picking up a few things in SJ or wait until Quepos? Also any suggestions on eating dinner? Any particular place on the way, wait until we get there? i'm not sure how late places are open. Leo is our driver so i'm guessing he may have some idea of where to go but i would like to hear your take.
Thanks
karen

shillmac

Thanks for your kind words, but there are a LOT of knowledgeable people--I get my "tips" from this board as well!

As you said, Leo will know the answer to all your questions. There is a very good supermarket near the airport (up the road from the Fiesta Casino), called Mas X Menos. We do our shopping there, but if you are buying groceries/perishables, I think I'd wait until Quepos. I don't know what is there, but there will be something that will be sufficient for you, I think.

You won't have any trouble finding lots of very good eating establishments in MA, and closing too early won't be a problem for you. That said, you'll probably be hungry if you've just gotten off a flight. Steve and Lisa's is a good restaurant, about an hour before you get to MA. Leo will know about it.

Have a wonderful time! Where else are you going and how long will you be there?

bamababe

Shillmac,

You are right about there being LOTS of knowledgeable people on this site. I have taken advice from almost every post I've read. I have gained a lot of DO"S and DON"TS and I will use them.
We leave next Sunday and will be in MA, then Arenal and back to SJ to leave on June 9. WE are taking our 3 kids for their first time and we are looking forward to it.( except my 8 yo who has seen too many LOST espisodes and is alittle concerned about crashing and having to live in the jungle with the OTHERS). He said he'd rather just drive!
We will be in SJ for 1 1/2 days. what do you recommend to do? We will be staying @ Oriqudeas. Any suggestions on eating will be appreciated too.

shillmac

At Orquideas, you won't be in SJ, but in Alajuela. They have a very good tour organization there. Ask for Wady if you'd like someone to really show you great stuff for a full day.

Really, with your children, I wouldn't advise traveling into the city at all. They would much rather be up at Poas or La Paz Waterfall Gardens. La Paz is particularly a "don't miss" as far as I'm concerned. So much to see and do there. They'll love it! Have fun!

epagana

I think I'm going to jump on the Shillmac bandwagon of praises. I am headed to Costa Rica in June. We are going to be staying in San Jose for 7 out of the 11 days we are there. It appears to me that I probably shouldn't be staying at one place. I am going with my mom who is in her 50's and her two friends. My thought was to have San Jose be our hub of operations and plan our trips around this hub, but on second thought, it seems like I am going to be driving long distances 2-4 hours each way each day. Not sure my mom and her friends would care for that too much. Another concern is should we rent a car? My mother's friends are on a budget. I am wondering what is the best way to see CR. Should we schedule tours and not rent a car or should we rent a car and go on our own? If we use SJ as our hub, what tours or sites would you recommend? My mother is also a chronic asmathic. This too concerns me even though she appears to be fine right now. Hospitals?

shillmac

That's a lot! I can help you with some of it, but more information would be helpful.

My inclination, since you are going to be in San Jose that long, would be to suggest a few tours that will allow you to see the country. Driving around in San Jose is a bit of a nightmare (no street signs, you have to memorize landmarks), and I wouldn't recommend it.

I don't know where you are staying, and that would help as well. Do you have a hotel reservation? If not, let me suggest the Hotel Don Carlos simply because I am familiar with it, and I know they have an excellent tour desk. The guy who arranges all the tours is Juan Carlos. There is a plethora of great daytrips to choose from. Some of my favorites:

Highlights of Costa Rica, Ecoscape Tour group. . full day of some of the best stuff!

Lankester Gardens, Orosi Valley, Irazu Volcano. . .all in one daytrip. Beautiful area.

Poas Volcano/La Paz Waterfall Gardens--excellent choice. La Paz is an amazing place--it's pretty much a "don't miss"!

Arenal Volcano--you can do this in a daytrip, OR even better, have Interbus pick you up and take you up there for 2-3 nights of your stay. It's one of the great locations in the country with lots to do once you are there. The Cano Negro tour is excellent. Lots of good hotels to choose from. We like Arenal Paraiso for its convenient location and moderate prices. You can stay at La Pradera for half that, though, should you need to cut costs a bit.

Manuel Antonio National Park--same deal as Arenal. Arrange for Interbus to take you there for a weekend or a couple of nights midweek. Beautiful park on the ocean--lots of interesting wildlife. Hotels are high off the beach, but some have gorgeous views.

www.interbusonline.com

As for hospital, I'd recommend Clinica Biblica. It is a private hospital, very modern, there in San Jose.

As for renting a car, again, I'd not do it if it meant driving around in town. If you could arrange to stay outside the city, in Alajuela for example (lots of good hotels in that area near the airport), then renting a car and getting around would be much simpler. Certainly do-able. Arenal and Manuel Antonio are both fairly easy drives.

Good luck!