EternalTourist

My boyfriend and I are planning on going to Costa Rica at the end of the month (last minute, I know).

We don't have any plans that are set in stone but what we were thinking about is:
Day 1:
-Arrive in Liberia
-Travel to Arenal

A couple of days in Arenal, Monteverde and then travel to the Pacific Coast (Nicoya) for a couple days.

Are there any other "don't miss" things to do in the Arenal area aside from the hanging bridges, the volcano and a day tour to Cano Negro?

We were also thinking about Monteverde for a day to see the cloud forest and to do a coffee tour. How far is this from Arenal?

Is it worth going to the Poas Volcano?

Do you recommend a specific rainforest/canopy tour company? There seem to be so many, I'm kind of overwhelmed. We do want to do the zip lines, but we also want to see wildlife and experience the rainforest.

For the voyage to the west side, a friend recommended Montezuma, but I haven't been able to find too much information on it. Any thoughts?

shillmac

So much depends on how much time you have. You didn't mention a week, 10 days, etc. Or I overlooked it. . .

Rule of thumb is 2 places, one week. Definitely Poas is out of the way. If you have 7 days, I'd stick to Arenal (Skytrek ziplines is there and also the ziplines on the Arenal Paraiso property get great reviews) and the Pacific Coast.

Monteverde is difficult to get to and out of the question as a daytrip. You really need at least 2 nights there, 3 is better. So if you have 10 days, sure, you would enjoy Monteverde.

Also, I'd recommend NOT traveling all the way to Montezuma (too far from your Liberia base). There are some very nice beach areas right there within an hour of the airport. Why go 5-6 hours away? You'll have more time at the beach, less time on the road.

Check out Playa Hermosa, Playa Coco, Playa Ocotal area (30 min from LIR) or Flamingo/Potrero/Conchal/Tamarindo/Playa Grande areas--an hour and 15 minutes (more or less) from the airport. LOTS of hotel choices in these areas.

It IS the high season and CR is now quite the world class destination--you might not get the hotels you want at this very late date, but if you aren't too particular, should be able to find something both at Arenal and on the Pacific Coast.

Sounds like a fun trip--enjoy!

EternalTourist

Thanks for your advice!
Sorry I didn't mention it in the original post, we'll be in CR for 9 days.

We were thinking of spending the majority of our trip inland (Arenal, maybe Monteverde)...and then go back to the coast for the last couple days.

As for Paos, is it worth traveling a day (longer?) to get there? Is the experience similar to Volcan Arenal and the Hot Springs?

I agree that spending a day traveling to Montezuma may be a waste, considering there are nice beaches close by. Of the beaches you mentioned, do you recommend one above the others? Is it possible to wander from town to town, or are these areas very secluded (and require driving)? We want a relaxing time, maybe try our hand at surfing...I think we can do this anywhere =)

Thanks so much for your help!

guanacaste

if ur flying into Liberia then head for Ocotal or Playa Hermosa- 35 mins drive from the airport.
or go straight to La Fortuna/Arenal and then finish your trip on the beach.
Montezuma is too far to go!

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

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

shillmac

Poas is nice, but not worth driving to from Liberia! If you COULD, it would be nice to fly into San Jose and out of Liberia. Then you could visit Poas on the way to Arenal. Have you booked airfare yet?

If so, then don't worry about it. Poas isn't that big a deal, just nice to see if it is on your way or if you are hanging out in the area for a day or so.

Guanacaste's suggestion of beaches is good--30 min. from the airport. Further south about an hour are the beaches of Potrero, Flamingo, Brasilito, Conchal--then another 30 min. south are the beaches of Tamarindo, Playa Grande, Playa Negra, Playa Avellenas, etc. They are in little clusters.

You can get to the Flamingo/Potrero area from the Hermosa/Coco Beach area by taking the Congo Trail through the country--not such a bad drive and can get you from one beach cluster to another in 30 minutes. There are a couple of nice little restaurants in Potrero, several in Flamingo, and Camaron Dorado in Brasilito is very hard to beat. Flamingo and Conchal are 2 of the prettiest beaches in the country.

It would be fun for you, I think, to spend a few nights (3) at Arenal, then head on over to the beaches of Guanacaste. While there, set aside a day to tour through Parque Nacional Rincon de la Vieja, north of Liberia. Hiking, horseback, ziplines, mud baths, the huge waterslide down the mountain. There is a big day tour called Buena Vista MegaCombo (or something like that) that presents all of that in a day package. It would be a fun day for all of you. Expensive, but fun! As we always tell ourselves. . .100 years from now, what difference will it make?

EternalTourist

Thank you all for your advice! I think we will veto the Montezuma exploration.

Do you have any recommendations on where to stay in Arenal or Playa Hermosa areas?

Should we pre-book our tours? We definitely want to do the Cano Negro tour as well as the hanging bridges, canopy tour, etc...

Is 3 nights in Arenal enough, or do you recommend 4? Do you think we have time to fit in another area before heading north...maybe Manuel Antonio for 2 nights and then the beaches for 3?

guanacaste

In Hermosa Id recommend El Velero, right on the beach:

http://costa.rica.typepad.com/playa_...osa/index.html

In La Fortuna I like Arenal Lodge. No need to book tours in advance. Aventuras, Desafio and Sunset Tours are all good operators in La Fortuna:

http://costa.rica.typepad.com/la_for...una/index.html

EternalTourist

We were thinking about trying to squeeze in a coffee tour. Any ideas on where or how to do this?