Travlelogue: Costa Rica (Arenal/La Fortuna, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio)
 

We picked up a lot of great tips for our trip to Costa Rica on the message boards and had a fantastic time! Highlights were relaxing in the hot springs around La Fortuna, spying a giant stick insect on a night walk in Monteverde, watching fantastic sunsets over the ocean from our balcony in Manuel Antonio, and sitting on the park's beach while spying Capuchins around us in the trees. We took a gazillion photos and wrote a very extensive trip report which we posted on www.hitherandthither.net (the travelogue is linked in the column on the right). It's quite long, but whether you read or skim it, hope you enjoy!
Happy traveling!

PS--If you stop by, say hello!

Great report and pictures...thanks for sharing!

Your travelogue is great! I love all the details - thanks for sharing! And your pictures are wonderful. It sounds like a perfect trip.

What a wonderful travelogue! I really enjoyed all your details, sounds like you had a fantastic time. I've heard about the free hot springs at Arenal, but haven't stumbled upon them - yet.

Your photos are excellent, such great variety. Thanks for sharing.

Wow, after reading your trip report I sure am hungry and there's nothing in my house as tempting as the food and drinks you described! Sounds like you had a wonderful time. If I ever get back to Costa Rica, I'd like to try out the hot springs you visited.

What a beautifully written travelogue and gorgeous photographs. Thank you so much for taking the time to share. I have four weeks to go and your recount has me beside myself!

Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful trip, beautiful photos AND amazing travelogue! I sure wish I could have been that creative and organized when I first started traveling. So glad you enjoyed beautiful Cista Rica!

I loved your travelogue and your pictures are amazing! Thanks for sharing.

Again, another wonderful trip. I have your blog in my favorites!

Very nice travelogue. I like your Website too, what program are you using?

I loved, loved, loved reading your trip journal and savoring your photos. We are going to Arenal and Manual Antonio this spring and reading of your experiences was helpful and enticing.

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the nice feedback! Monica, we're using Google Blogger's basic layout--to which we learned how to add a third column. I've also heard good things about WordPress.

Great travelogue. I have forwarded it to our travel buddies. I checked out some of your other travels--how great that you have them so wonderfully documented and saved. I see you were married at the Firestone vineyards. The Firestones are one of Akron's(where I have always lived) famous families and the winery often visits Akron for tasting parties and fundraisers.

Later last night, I was pondering how beautiful your blog was and wondering how you got the website set up. Knowing that it was a google blogger website is great to know.

Do you put your notes onto the website as you go or after you get back home?

Thanks for your post! I've added your blog to my favorites, as well.
I am curious about the hot springs, I would like to try to find them myself. Any hints you could give would be great. You were in Arenal Park traveling back toward Montana de Fuego? Looking at my map it seems like you may have been between Arenal Kioro spa and Campo Verde? A path under the bridge... Now I wonder how great of a detective I can be?

Great blog and photos, really liked the style and honest, down to earth style. Thanks for posting!

As far as the location of the hot springs--there is a video posted on youtube that shows the spot. I believe it is across the street from the Tabacon parking lot.

At Manuel Antonio, you mentioned people trying to get you to park. Is there a way to recognize the correct place that we should park?

Linda is right--the entrance is across from Tabacon. Both of our books mention "the hot springs under the bridge," so I don't feel like I'm giving too much away: just after the parking for Tabacon, heading toward the lake; you can walk down from either side to the springs under the bridge.

Traveler 2005--there didn't seem to be a true official lot. We drove all the way up to the park entrance and then turned around to follow what looked to be official signs, I think it was the left after the Marlin. It turned out that we found a lot with a shed where they make the signs; the lot belonged to a hotel to which we paid 3000 colones. A young man told us we needed to pay and he seemed to stay with the lot all day. I felt slightly more comfortable with the hotel lot, but there was parking all along the road. The prices seemed to all be the same, so I would just drive up around the park first so that you get a sense of distance and decide from where you'd be fine walking.

Thanks again, everyone!!

I really enjoy reading your travelogue and looking at your fantastic pictures. Thanks for sharing!