!st time, how many days in CR?

Old Sep 22nd, 2004, 10:19 AM
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!st time, how many days in CR?

I know many of you will say there will never be enough time....but for our first trip, what would you say is the minimum amount of time need to see the highlights of Costa Rica? Then, saying that, what do you consider to be the highlights of CR? I know I've read on this forum that one can have a similar (or even better experience) by going to smaller out of the way places. I guess what I am looking for here is a tour director but not actually hiring a tour director. Any suggestions.
Thanks.
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Old Sep 22nd, 2004, 12:07 PM
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I would say a week would be my minimum and you should not plan to see more than 2 destinations. The most popular itinerary (for a good reason) is Arenal for 2 days and a beach/jungle area for 4 days. Manuel Antonio is the most popular beach/jungle destination.

You need to give us some indication of what your interests are in order to suggest some smaller out of the way places
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Old Sep 22nd, 2004, 02:06 PM
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Iza is correct. 2 locations is good for one week. If you have 10 days, check out 3 different places. Travel time between locations is the reason you can't do more. You'd be spending all your time on the road and very little time at your destinations!

The Caribbean side is very nice if you want to experience a little different culture--more Jamaican, laid back there--beautiful beaches.

Monteverde and the cloud forest is a good location if you have more than a week--or if you'd prefer it over Arenal.

Guanacaste and its beaches is a wonderful part of the country and is near the Rincon de la Vieja park, also very nice to explore.

The southern Nicoya Peninsula is a great area, but takes time to get to and from because of distance and a ferry crossing--definitely worth your time if you have more than a week.

For birding, the cloud forest and mountains down around San Gerardo de Dota (south of San Jose) are fabulous--Trogan Lodge and Savegre Lodge. Wonderfully cool here!

Tortuguero in the northern Caribbean area is accessible by boat or airplane, and you explore the area by boat while there.

The central valley all around San Jose is wonderful for day trips and you can see and do SO MUCH if you are willing to base yourself in that area for 3 days or so. That puts you within a day trip of Poas Volcano, La Selva Biological Station and Selva Verde lodge, Rio Sarapiqui and the jungle cruise, white water rafting on the Pacuare, several wonderful little towns that really shouldn't be missed--Grecia, Sarchi, Zarcero, etc, Irazu Volcano, Lankaster Gardens, the Orosi Valley, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, the list is endless!

And, of course, the Osa Peninsula is a wonderful place if you have four days or more to fly down there and back.

If you have a week, most people will suggest Arenal and Manuel Antonio. If you can throw in more time, take your pick!

The central valley, Arenal, and ANY beach location will definitely give you the highlights of Costa Rica. If you could manage 10 or 11 days, that is exactly the itinerary I would suggest!

At any of these locations, you can find wonderful small hotels and restaurants that will give you a good feel for life in Costa Rica. When you get your itinerary set up, everyone will be happy to tell you their favorites!

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Old Sep 22nd, 2004, 03:53 PM
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Iza and Shillmac: Thank you for your response.
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Old Sep 22nd, 2004, 04:12 PM
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I wasn't finished and somehow it posted the above message.
Anyway, as I was saying, thank you for responding. I guess I should have given more info. on my first post. We will be staying at least 2 weeks, I just wasn't sure if that was long enough or if I needed to add on more time.
That was good info. Shillmac about being limited not so much by distance, but by travel time. I guess unless you've been there is it difficult to relate because I tend to think in U.S. travel and road conditions.
Iza, you said that I should indicate our interests. Well, mainly it is to just see things and places. We are 58 and 65 yrs. old so some of the "fun" things might be too challenging. We are able to do moderate hikes, we are not into serious bird watching, or baking on the beach. Historical sites and beautiful scenery is what we are looking for, as well as quaint out of the way places. Also, I can speak a fair amount of Spanish. I don't want to spend a lot of time in places where there are too many tourists, but at the same time I do want to feel safe. I have more questions but I will stop for now.
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Old Sep 22nd, 2004, 07:13 PM
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webecca,
It helps to have more information! Here are some additional suggestions--near San Jose. Again, this area surrounding the city is a treasure house of interest!

Cartago--the old capital of CR and its basilica. You can do it on a day trip that takes you from San Jose to Cartago to Vulcan Irazu to Lankester Garden and the Orosi Valley.

Part of that day trip should include the ruins of the oldest church in CR (1600's, I believe) at Ujarras. Nearby is Lake Cachi and dam. Both are in the Orosi Valley area. This is a very nice way to spend a day and your drive will take you through beautiful country, rolling fertile hills, tidy little towns and some magnificent vistas over the valleys.

Not far from this same area (although it would need to be another day) is Guayabo National Monument. This is an archaelogical dig site where you can do moderate hiking. Pre-Columbian, I believe. Sorry, I didn't mean it to sound as if your hiking would be Pre-Columbian ! It is near Turrialba, another interesting town. You access this route through Cartago as well, only in a slightly different direction. You MIGHT could do both of the above in a day if you left by 6:00 a.m., but I wouldn't recommend it.

If you are interested a day trip to this area, you might want to look into a private driver for the day. He would be a wealth of information and would make the entire tour easier so you could relax and enjoy without worrying about wrong turns. Another thing is the climate in central Costa Rica--near perfect!

I also think you would enjoy the Manuel Antonio area because the National Park there is very nice, no climbing, nice wide path, and you could see a good bit of wildlife. The tour takes you alongside some pretty beaches. I'd recommend a tour guide, but you could return and walk through yourself the next day just for enjoy it more.

In addition, Vulcan Arenal and Tabacon Hot Springs you would enjoy. The hot springs are just incredibly beautiful.

If you are up for a long day, but one in which you would experience a lot, check out the Highlights of Costa Rica tour online or search for it on this forum. It covers a lot of ground and shows you some of the best parts of the areas north of San Jose.

We are in our 50's and like to be pretty active, but these are some of the more relaxing things we have done and enjoyed tremendously.
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