Hello all! We are planning our third trip to CR in December . I was wondering if anyone has suggestions as to where to go. In our previous trips we have been to Manuel Antonio, Arenal (twice) Tamarindo beach house, Nosara beach house, white water rafting on the Pacuare, Sooooo..... I know that many will say the OSA peninsula, but flying there is really not is our budget. We will be renting a car and will have 14 days in CR. We would like to get a beach house for one week of the trip somewhere and just relax.... but where? Anyway, we welcome any suggestions and would love to hear about your favorite spots in Costa Rica!! Thanks in advance.

Have you thought about the Caribbean side of the country with a tour up to Tortuguero followed by renting a place around Puerto Viejo or Cahuita for a week? I love Tortuguero, lots of wildlife there, much less expensive than the Osa lodges, very different part of the country with all rivers and canals, no roads. Dec. isn't turtle season, but IMO it's very worthwhile even w/o the nesting turtles.

We use Modesto Watson for our Tortuguero trips and stay at Laguna Lodge, going via boat each way. He will arrange pick-up at a few San Jose hotels or you can meet him at the dock in Moin.

http://www.tortuguerocanals.com

I haven't been to Puerto Viejo yet, but lots of postings on it if you do a search.

We really liked Tortuguero as well; the canal environment is really unique, and we saw loads of wildlife there. Monteverde is another nice change of pace; it would give you the chance to see the cloud forest.

You could also add in the Sarapiqui region with stays at Selva Verde or La Selva. Lots to do around this area - very reasonable lodging rates.

Caribbean, Sarapiqui, Monteverde, Central Valley, Savegre/Chirrippo--lots of choices.

Have you considered the Osa Peninsula? It's considered the "wild west" of Costa Rica, and still retains it's rugged beauty. Life is simple here, and you will enjoy spotting many animals. Corcovado National Park is a favorite destination for wildlife lovers. And there are plenty all-inclusive lodges that make your stay in the Jungle comfortable.

Pura Vida,
Ballardo Diaz
Jungle Guide - Osa Peninsula, Corcovado National Park, La Amistad Park
[email protected]

I love the Carribean side but not my first choice in December. Have you thought about driving to Dominical/Uvita area, spending a few days, then down to Osa? That would be my recommendation. If you could drop the car in Puerto Jimenez and fly back to San Jose that would be ultimate.

Thanks so much for all of your suggestions. I have a few more questions.. To volcanogirl and RAC - Do you think that Monteverde is a lot different from Arenal? We will probably do arenal again for a couple of days, so I wondered if Monteverde was somewhat the same.

Hipvirgochick, what do you think of Dominical as a destination for our week long beach house?

I was thinking about maybe doing a few days on the Carribean side , a few days in Arenal or Monteverde and then a week in Dominical or Uvita in a rental house. However, we are still very open to suggestions!! Any comments? The Osa still seems SO expensive to stay in the lodges for four people!!

I think your itinerary sounds pretty good. Dominical is getting lots of rave reviews lately. You might check out Shelter from the Storm; hip and tully can give you good info. on that area.

Monteverde is different from Arenal; it's much cooler and more of a cloud forest environment. We went there really just to hike in the reserves and to see quetzals, which was really amazing. We did a night hike at Hidden Valley and saw a lot of neat wildlife like sloths, a fox, porcupine, agouti, and coatis. We saw howlers and toucans during the day. We did a zipline up there too. It's a good pairing with Arenal. Fonda Vela is a nice place to stay - check out their new junior suites.

Arenal is still my favorite though.

Arenal and Monteverde can be very similar or very different, depending on how you choose to spend your time there. Monteverde is more about wildlife and ecological experiences--plus it has the quetzals. For non-birders, a quetzal may not seem like a big deal, but there is nothing like seeing one in flight. And the cloud forest is a very unique experience.

The food is also much better in Monteverde/Santa Elena, and both towns are less cheesy than La Fortuna.

Dominical would be a great spot if you have a car and are willing to go out and explore. There is great hiking, horseback, beaches, day trips. Have you thought about renting a house in Osa? Would save some cash...maybe Casa Bambu at Matapalo.

There are affordable places in Drake Bay on the Osa.