Trip Report - 18 days in Costa Rica!!
Aug 6th, 2004, 06:13 PM
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Trip Report - 18 days in Costa Rica!!
Well, I've started putting my trip report together. Rather than boring you all with 18 days of details, I'm trying to summarize by each destination that we visited, but it's still going to be long! I'll be posting it in pieces on this thread. Here is part 1:
Costa Rica, July 17 - Aug. 4, 2004
Flights - America West Airlines LAX to Phoenix to San Jose
The flights there were on time; however, we had a four-hour layover in Phoenix. A couple friends drove up to the airport and had a few drinks with us, which made the layover less painful. America West does not give free drinks or free movies for this international flight, like some other airlines do. They also offer food for sale, but be forewarned that they will run out of food about 2/3 of the way to the back of the plane. Luckily, we had split a small Pizza Hut pizza at the airport or we would have starved to death! The flight attendants were very apologetic and said that Sky Chef simply refuses to give them more meals to sell, because they don't want any going to waist.
The flight back went okay, except our take off was delayed an hour while we were all in the plane. Apparently, some computer on board didn't start properly, so we had to go back to the gate and reboot it. Then they had to refuel, because we had burned so much fuel sitting on the runway the first time out. Also, if you think you need to use the restroom at all, be sure to do it before the drink and food carts come out; otherwise, you'll be blocked by the cart and will have to wait forever. After the carts left, at least fifteen people were lined up for the bathroom and of course they wouldn't let anyone use the ones in first class. Some kids were even crying because they had to go so bad, so we had to let them all go first. What a nightmare! Due to the delayed take-off, our connection was real tight. Luckily, we were the only flight going through customs in Phoenix, so it was a breeze and we made our connection.
Dollar Rent-A-Car
We were pretty happy with Dollar, although I have a few minor complaints. They were supposed to pick us up at Vida Tropical at 7:30 AM. Around 8:10, we called and they needed directions. They showed up around 8:30 and took us to their office. They sold us on a $12 per day upgrade to a Suzuki Grand Vitara. It was an automatic with a CD player and it looked a little bigger and safer than the Diahtsu Terrios we had originally reserved. The whole process took about an hour, which is a little frustrating, but at least they are thorough. We really liked our Suzuki, except the roof rack whistled loudly if we went over 70kph and it gave off a strong sulfur smell going up hill. We were really glad we had a 4x4, especially when we got detoured through a river of mud outside Montezuma! The return process also took over half-an-hour and they accidentally tried to charge us for "prepaid gas", which we had not signed up for and we had returned it full. They called us a cab back to Vida Tropical, but it never showed up, so they took us to the airport and we took a cab from there. It would have been nice of them to just drive us back to Vida Tropical, since we had just given them over $1000! All in all, I'd probably rent with them again if they still had the best price.
Costa Rica, July 17 - Aug. 4, 2004
Flights - America West Airlines LAX to Phoenix to San Jose
The flights there were on time; however, we had a four-hour layover in Phoenix. A couple friends drove up to the airport and had a few drinks with us, which made the layover less painful. America West does not give free drinks or free movies for this international flight, like some other airlines do. They also offer food for sale, but be forewarned that they will run out of food about 2/3 of the way to the back of the plane. Luckily, we had split a small Pizza Hut pizza at the airport or we would have starved to death! The flight attendants were very apologetic and said that Sky Chef simply refuses to give them more meals to sell, because they don't want any going to waist.
The flight back went okay, except our take off was delayed an hour while we were all in the plane. Apparently, some computer on board didn't start properly, so we had to go back to the gate and reboot it. Then they had to refuel, because we had burned so much fuel sitting on the runway the first time out. Also, if you think you need to use the restroom at all, be sure to do it before the drink and food carts come out; otherwise, you'll be blocked by the cart and will have to wait forever. After the carts left, at least fifteen people were lined up for the bathroom and of course they wouldn't let anyone use the ones in first class. Some kids were even crying because they had to go so bad, so we had to let them all go first. What a nightmare! Due to the delayed take-off, our connection was real tight. Luckily, we were the only flight going through customs in Phoenix, so it was a breeze and we made our connection.
Dollar Rent-A-Car
We were pretty happy with Dollar, although I have a few minor complaints. They were supposed to pick us up at Vida Tropical at 7:30 AM. Around 8:10, we called and they needed directions. They showed up around 8:30 and took us to their office. They sold us on a $12 per day upgrade to a Suzuki Grand Vitara. It was an automatic with a CD player and it looked a little bigger and safer than the Diahtsu Terrios we had originally reserved. The whole process took about an hour, which is a little frustrating, but at least they are thorough. We really liked our Suzuki, except the roof rack whistled loudly if we went over 70kph and it gave off a strong sulfur smell going up hill. We were really glad we had a 4x4, especially when we got detoured through a river of mud outside Montezuma! The return process also took over half-an-hour and they accidentally tried to charge us for "prepaid gas", which we had not signed up for and we had returned it full. They called us a cab back to Vida Tropical, but it never showed up, so they took us to the airport and we took a cab from there. It would have been nice of them to just drive us back to Vida Tropical, since we had just given them over $1000! All in all, I'd probably rent with them again if they still had the best price.
Aug 6th, 2004, 06:15 PM
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(Part 2)
Alajuela - First and last nights
Hotel - Vida Tropical B&B - http://www.vidatropical.com
This is a simple and convenient place to spend your first and/or last night near the airport. It would also make a nice base for day trips in the Central Valley. The owner Jose is currently working on another project, so an American named Bill is running the B&B. Bill has been living in Central America for over seven years. He is very knowledgeable and is a great cook! Until a few weeks ago, he owned and operated a restaurant in Managua, Nicaragua. The B&B is located about five or ten minutes from the airport, which is a $2 cab ride. Bill was very welcoming and had a hot meal for us upon arrival. Only breakfast is included, but Bill will make lunch or dinner for you for $3 per meal per person. His food is very good and you can't beet the convenience. A nice woman named Carmen cooks breakfast and takes care of the housework. She makes an awesome omelet! The B&B also has a pet whiteface monkey named George. I didn't ask, but it seemed as though George has been in captivity his whole life. He is very playful, but watch out for your hair. He likes to get caught up in it if it's long! They have one bedroom with a private bath and I think four bedrooms with two shared baths. The prices are very reasonable. I think it was $30 per night for the both of us. We met several other travelers there who all had interesting stories to tell.
Alajuela - First and last nights
Hotel - Vida Tropical B&B - http://www.vidatropical.com
This is a simple and convenient place to spend your first and/or last night near the airport. It would also make a nice base for day trips in the Central Valley. The owner Jose is currently working on another project, so an American named Bill is running the B&B. Bill has been living in Central America for over seven years. He is very knowledgeable and is a great cook! Until a few weeks ago, he owned and operated a restaurant in Managua, Nicaragua. The B&B is located about five or ten minutes from the airport, which is a $2 cab ride. Bill was very welcoming and had a hot meal for us upon arrival. Only breakfast is included, but Bill will make lunch or dinner for you for $3 per meal per person. His food is very good and you can't beet the convenience. A nice woman named Carmen cooks breakfast and takes care of the housework. She makes an awesome omelet! The B&B also has a pet whiteface monkey named George. I didn't ask, but it seemed as though George has been in captivity his whole life. He is very playful, but watch out for your hair. He likes to get caught up in it if it's long! They have one bedroom with a private bath and I think four bedrooms with two shared baths. The prices are very reasonable. I think it was $30 per night for the both of us. We met several other travelers there who all had interesting stories to tell.
Aug 6th, 2004, 06:15 PM
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(Part 3)
Montezuma
Getting There - The drive from Alajuela took us about six hours including the ferry ride. The roads from Paquera to Montezuma are pretty bad, but kind of fun in a sick sort of way. They are quite drivable and a 4x4 would only be necessary after a good rain or in the case of a detour through a steep mud river, such as we encountered on the way back because they were paving the main road. When we arrived to the ferry terminal in Puntarenus there was a man full of information insisting on helping us through the whole process. He was helpful, but he obviously worked for tips. We gave him $2 and he wasn't happy with that, so we ended up giving him $3 to make him go away.
Hotel - El Sano Banano Beach Hotel - http://www.elbanano.com
This place is awesome! The little bungalows are located about a fifteen-minute walk down a beautiful beach. You check-in at the hotel's restaurant in town and then they take you to your room by 4x4. After that, you are on your own to get back and forth. They will pick your luggage up in the 4x4 on the morning of your check out, so you don't have to carry it all the way down the beach. The crashing waves in Montezuma were huge and were wonderful to sleep to. It rained almost every morning, before we got up which was also relaxing. Breakfast is included, but you have to do the walk to get there. It is well worth it. I think three nights was perfect here. Any longer and you might get tired of the walk back and forth. The beach walk is beautiful, however I was a little freaked out the first time we did it in the dark. It gets really dark on that beach. They give you a flashlight, but we had smaller brighter lights that we used. The view of the stars at night from your room or the beach is absolutely incredible. I've never seen that many stars before! The beach walk going the other direction is also amazing and if you keep going there is a waterfall, although we never made it that far (7km). The little bungalows are cute and comfortable with an outdoor shower. The shower does not have hot water, but you don't need it. The temperature is perfect. There is a little construction going on right now past the resort, so you occasionally here 4x4s go back and forth with supplies, but it wasn't that bad.
Montezuma Restaurants & Bars
El Sano Banano Restaurant - This was our favorite. The breakfasts are all yummy. You get a choice between a few items including gallo pinto, banana pancakes, etc. We also tried lunch and dinner there and were more than happy. The garlic sea bass was out of this world and the prices are reasonable. They show movies on a decent size screen at 7:30 PM. You must have dinner there to watch the movie. We never did this, but it looked packed in there every night.
Cocolores - Nice ocean view tables available, although we didn't sit there due to the large family with many loud children who were there at the time. We both had fajitas for dinner that night. My husband had steak and I had shrimp. Both were very flavorful and inexpensive. Service was somewhat indifferent, but not bad.
Hotel Montezuma Restaurant - Beautiful ocean view from our table. They are on a deck overlooking the beach. We had the Paella, which requires a minimum of two people. It was huge, full of flavor, and well worth the money; however it could have used a little more seafood and a little less rice. We were even able to add a lobster for just a few dollars. While we were eating, we looked down on the beach and watched some young vacationers get busted for smoking pot on the beach. There were two boys and two girls, who appeared to be Latin and in their early 20s or late teens. The cops gave them a good speech and a ticket and went on their way.
Chico's Bar - This is THE place to hang out for drinks after dinner. I actually think it may be the only place open late in town. This isn't really a dance club, although they play some dance music and people occasionally dance. It's more of a belly-up-to-the-bar kind of place. We ended up staying here until closing all three nights. The bartenders were really friendly and gave us a few free shots. The best part of Chico's is watching the cast of characters that comes through there each night. Both the locals and tourists can be really entertaining, especially when they or you have had a few drinks.
Montezuma Activities
Tortuga Island Snorkeling trip - We booked this through our hotel, but it turned into a disaster. I was picturing a catamaran, but it turned out to be a panga. We all had to through all our stuff into it and then push it down the beach into the water. The captain was then supposed to start the boat and then bring it back for us to all jump in. Well, it didn't quite work out that way. The waves were so high that day that they flipped the boat over before the captain even got in! Everyone's stuff was thrown into the ocean. Luckily, we recovered all our soggy belongings and the only thing of ours that was ruined was a calculator that I had left in the backpack by mistake. Other people had soggy digital cameras and even passports! We had only brought a waterproof camera that day, thank God! Needless to say, the trip was canceled and they refunded our money after my husband helped them flip the boat back over and drag it back ashore.
Montezuma Waterfalls - These are a short walk from town and well worth it. They are not steep waterfalls, but more like ascending layers of rocks. The problem is that they are very slippery and many people try to climb them and then slip and fall. We did not attempt to climb to the upper falls, since I'm a klutz as it is. We went for a wonderfully refreshing swim in the pool at the bottom of the lower falls. I've heard you need to be careful of flash floods here, but all was well the day we went. There were also some nice people from San Jose swimming that day too, who we chatted with a bit.
Drive to Mal Pais / Santa Teresa
We took a drive over to Mal Pais & Santa Teresa to check out that area. The landscape and ocean are beautiful there. We drove south of town a bit and then followed a sign to an oceanfront bar where we had a few beers and enjoyed the scenery. The drive takes about 40 minutes and the roads are really bad, but fun. A 4x4 is recommended for at least the clearance and would be needed if muddy.
Montezuma
Getting There - The drive from Alajuela took us about six hours including the ferry ride. The roads from Paquera to Montezuma are pretty bad, but kind of fun in a sick sort of way. They are quite drivable and a 4x4 would only be necessary after a good rain or in the case of a detour through a steep mud river, such as we encountered on the way back because they were paving the main road. When we arrived to the ferry terminal in Puntarenus there was a man full of information insisting on helping us through the whole process. He was helpful, but he obviously worked for tips. We gave him $2 and he wasn't happy with that, so we ended up giving him $3 to make him go away.
Hotel - El Sano Banano Beach Hotel - http://www.elbanano.com
This place is awesome! The little bungalows are located about a fifteen-minute walk down a beautiful beach. You check-in at the hotel's restaurant in town and then they take you to your room by 4x4. After that, you are on your own to get back and forth. They will pick your luggage up in the 4x4 on the morning of your check out, so you don't have to carry it all the way down the beach. The crashing waves in Montezuma were huge and were wonderful to sleep to. It rained almost every morning, before we got up which was also relaxing. Breakfast is included, but you have to do the walk to get there. It is well worth it. I think three nights was perfect here. Any longer and you might get tired of the walk back and forth. The beach walk is beautiful, however I was a little freaked out the first time we did it in the dark. It gets really dark on that beach. They give you a flashlight, but we had smaller brighter lights that we used. The view of the stars at night from your room or the beach is absolutely incredible. I've never seen that many stars before! The beach walk going the other direction is also amazing and if you keep going there is a waterfall, although we never made it that far (7km). The little bungalows are cute and comfortable with an outdoor shower. The shower does not have hot water, but you don't need it. The temperature is perfect. There is a little construction going on right now past the resort, so you occasionally here 4x4s go back and forth with supplies, but it wasn't that bad.
Montezuma Restaurants & Bars
El Sano Banano Restaurant - This was our favorite. The breakfasts are all yummy. You get a choice between a few items including gallo pinto, banana pancakes, etc. We also tried lunch and dinner there and were more than happy. The garlic sea bass was out of this world and the prices are reasonable. They show movies on a decent size screen at 7:30 PM. You must have dinner there to watch the movie. We never did this, but it looked packed in there every night.
Cocolores - Nice ocean view tables available, although we didn't sit there due to the large family with many loud children who were there at the time. We both had fajitas for dinner that night. My husband had steak and I had shrimp. Both were very flavorful and inexpensive. Service was somewhat indifferent, but not bad.
Hotel Montezuma Restaurant - Beautiful ocean view from our table. They are on a deck overlooking the beach. We had the Paella, which requires a minimum of two people. It was huge, full of flavor, and well worth the money; however it could have used a little more seafood and a little less rice. We were even able to add a lobster for just a few dollars. While we were eating, we looked down on the beach and watched some young vacationers get busted for smoking pot on the beach. There were two boys and two girls, who appeared to be Latin and in their early 20s or late teens. The cops gave them a good speech and a ticket and went on their way.
Chico's Bar - This is THE place to hang out for drinks after dinner. I actually think it may be the only place open late in town. This isn't really a dance club, although they play some dance music and people occasionally dance. It's more of a belly-up-to-the-bar kind of place. We ended up staying here until closing all three nights. The bartenders were really friendly and gave us a few free shots. The best part of Chico's is watching the cast of characters that comes through there each night. Both the locals and tourists can be really entertaining, especially when they or you have had a few drinks.
Montezuma Activities
Tortuga Island Snorkeling trip - We booked this through our hotel, but it turned into a disaster. I was picturing a catamaran, but it turned out to be a panga. We all had to through all our stuff into it and then push it down the beach into the water. The captain was then supposed to start the boat and then bring it back for us to all jump in. Well, it didn't quite work out that way. The waves were so high that day that they flipped the boat over before the captain even got in! Everyone's stuff was thrown into the ocean. Luckily, we recovered all our soggy belongings and the only thing of ours that was ruined was a calculator that I had left in the backpack by mistake. Other people had soggy digital cameras and even passports! We had only brought a waterproof camera that day, thank God! Needless to say, the trip was canceled and they refunded our money after my husband helped them flip the boat back over and drag it back ashore.
Montezuma Waterfalls - These are a short walk from town and well worth it. They are not steep waterfalls, but more like ascending layers of rocks. The problem is that they are very slippery and many people try to climb them and then slip and fall. We did not attempt to climb to the upper falls, since I'm a klutz as it is. We went for a wonderfully refreshing swim in the pool at the bottom of the lower falls. I've heard you need to be careful of flash floods here, but all was well the day we went. There were also some nice people from San Jose swimming that day too, who we chatted with a bit.
Drive to Mal Pais / Santa Teresa
We took a drive over to Mal Pais & Santa Teresa to check out that area. The landscape and ocean are beautiful there. We drove south of town a bit and then followed a sign to an oceanfront bar where we had a few beers and enjoyed the scenery. The drive takes about 40 minutes and the roads are really bad, but fun. A 4x4 is recommended for at least the clearance and would be needed if muddy.
Aug 6th, 2004, 07:38 PM
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Great report! I am especially interested in the part about Montezuma. It's fortunate that you didn't lose more on that {almost} snorkling tour! El Sano Banano sounds perfect! Did you happen to visit the Cabo Blanco Reserve?
Aug 6th, 2004, 08:37 PM
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LA,
Wonderful report! And very informative. I enjoyed the part about the guy "offering assistance" in Puntarenas at the ferry. First time we were there, we got similar help. I wonder if it was the same guy?! He had to tell me I owed him money. . .I thought he was just being helpful! Didn't see him last time we were there (in March). Ok. . tell us more!
Wonderful report! And very informative. I enjoyed the part about the guy "offering assistance" in Puntarenas at the ferry. First time we were there, we got similar help. I wonder if it was the same guy?! He had to tell me I owed him money. . .I thought he was just being helpful! Didn't see him last time we were there (in March). Ok. . tell us more!
Aug 6th, 2004, 10:23 PM
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Molly2,
To answer your question about Cabo Blanco... No, we didn't get to go there. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, which were our only two full days there. Maybe next time! I forgot to mention that we totally loved the laid back feel of Montezuma and would totally go back there again!
To answer your question about Cabo Blanco... No, we didn't get to go there. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, which were our only two full days there. Maybe next time! I forgot to mention that we totally loved the laid back feel of Montezuma and would totally go back there again!
Aug 6th, 2004, 10:43 PM
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(part 4)
Manuel Antonio / Quepos
Getting There - The ferry ride and drive from Montezuma took us about 8 hours, including a detour outside Montezuma, a stop for lunch in Jaco, and another detour before Quepos. We got to the ferry just in time before it left, so we didn't have to wait for it at all. Luckily, there was no line since it was a Wednesday morning. The line when we arrived on Sunday looked like it would take all day! Jaco looked like the reincarnation of Hell and we couldn't get out of there fast enough. Our lunch at some Mariscos restaurant wasn't that good and was overpriced. The detour outside Quepos was due to a collapsed bridge; however, they send you way out of the way to avoid having all the traffic go through the center of town. We later learned that you could just go around the detour sign and follow the other cars and cut off a lot of time. We went that way coming back and it was much quicker. The bridges between Jaco and Quepos are old and creepy to say the least, but they do the trick!
Hotel - Villas Nicolas
We were in 11Up and the view was fabulous. The deck was huge with an L shaped couch, two chairs, a rocking chair, table, and hammock. The room was adequate and had plenty of ventilation. The rooms are a good value in comparison to similar accommodations in the area. They have a nice pool and there is a small restaurant/bar by the pool, which serves breakfast in the morning. The breakfast is not included, but it is tasty and fairly priced. During the high season, I believe the bar is open in the evening, but it was not open while we were there. There is a hot tub, but it doesn't work. There was a cute dog and a cute cat that would sometimes come up to our balcony to hang out with us. The cat even ran in our room and tried to cuddle up with us on our bed, but I had to boot her out since she probably has fleas or who knows what. There are several restaurants nearby and Si Como No has Internet access next door.
Manuel Antonio / Quepos Restaurants and Bars
El Gran Escape (Quepos) - We had a hard time locating this place, but it was worth the trouble. They have a variety of choices and our meals were delicious. Slightly annoying was the man outside who insisted on having us pay him to "watch" our car for us. We only had about 200 colones on us (about 50 cents U.S.) and he wasn't happy with that. We told him we would give him more when we came out of the restaurant. We could see him from where we sat and he left about half way through our meal! A buddy of his with a nightstick in hand seemed to take over that street, but he never approached us for more money. I wonder what happens if you don't pay them??
La Cantina across from Costa Verde hotel - We thought this place was over-rated. The food was the blandest of any we ate on our trip and a bit overpriced. I got devoured by mosquitoes, probably because we sat at a table close to the jungle and it had just rained. The service was painfully slow and uninformed, but pleasant. The margaritas were decent and the rocking chairs are a nice touch. The "band" consists of two guys singing reggae music karaoke style over a synthesizer.
Barba Roja - Excellent food and reasonably priced. We had margaritas, nachos, and fish dinners and everything was great. We got bit by a lot of mosquitoes there too. The service got better with the more Spanish we tried to use. This place is worth a visit.
Hotel Byblos Casino and Bar - This is across the street from Barba Roja. We tried our hand at some black jack but quickly lost $20 each in their tiny casino. I don't think they shuffle their deck, which is a little shifty. The open-air bar has several pool tables, has reasonably priced drinks, and plays decent music. We hung out for a while with some people we had met on the beach that day from North Carolina.
Manuel Antonio Activities
Playa Espadilla - Free beach outside the park
We spent an afternoon relaxing at this beach and met some nice folks from North Carolina. The beach is pretty busy, but people watching can be fun and the local restaurants will bring drinks out to you. I had a few wonderful Pina Coladas garnished with fresh flowers. The water was nice, but not clear. It started to sprinkle lightly a few times, but nothing substantial.
Manuel Antonio National Park - We hired a guide, William, at the gate. We went on the tour with a nice American family of four. William was great at spotting things we would have never seen and his telescope really helped us see things up close. We saw white face monkeys, 3-toed sloths, Jesus Christ lizards, land crabs, a rainbow cricket (or grasshopper?), spider and frog eggs, birds, and that rodent that looks like a squirrel without a tail (can't remember its name). I'm sure there was more, but I can't think of it. We kept hearing howler monkeys, so William took us up a steep, muddy, trail to find them, but no luck. That trail was a bit of a work out! After the tour, we went back to Playa Manuel Antonio with the family from our tour. Playa Manuel Antonio is an incredibly beautiful beach, with nice warm and calm waters. I could have stayed there forever, but it looked like a storm was moving in, so we left after a little while. I would definitely recommend hiring a guide for the park. You won't see much on your own
Manuel Antonio / Quepos
Getting There - The ferry ride and drive from Montezuma took us about 8 hours, including a detour outside Montezuma, a stop for lunch in Jaco, and another detour before Quepos. We got to the ferry just in time before it left, so we didn't have to wait for it at all. Luckily, there was no line since it was a Wednesday morning. The line when we arrived on Sunday looked like it would take all day! Jaco looked like the reincarnation of Hell and we couldn't get out of there fast enough. Our lunch at some Mariscos restaurant wasn't that good and was overpriced. The detour outside Quepos was due to a collapsed bridge; however, they send you way out of the way to avoid having all the traffic go through the center of town. We later learned that you could just go around the detour sign and follow the other cars and cut off a lot of time. We went that way coming back and it was much quicker. The bridges between Jaco and Quepos are old and creepy to say the least, but they do the trick!
Hotel - Villas Nicolas
We were in 11Up and the view was fabulous. The deck was huge with an L shaped couch, two chairs, a rocking chair, table, and hammock. The room was adequate and had plenty of ventilation. The rooms are a good value in comparison to similar accommodations in the area. They have a nice pool and there is a small restaurant/bar by the pool, which serves breakfast in the morning. The breakfast is not included, but it is tasty and fairly priced. During the high season, I believe the bar is open in the evening, but it was not open while we were there. There is a hot tub, but it doesn't work. There was a cute dog and a cute cat that would sometimes come up to our balcony to hang out with us. The cat even ran in our room and tried to cuddle up with us on our bed, but I had to boot her out since she probably has fleas or who knows what. There are several restaurants nearby and Si Como No has Internet access next door.
Manuel Antonio / Quepos Restaurants and Bars
El Gran Escape (Quepos) - We had a hard time locating this place, but it was worth the trouble. They have a variety of choices and our meals were delicious. Slightly annoying was the man outside who insisted on having us pay him to "watch" our car for us. We only had about 200 colones on us (about 50 cents U.S.) and he wasn't happy with that. We told him we would give him more when we came out of the restaurant. We could see him from where we sat and he left about half way through our meal! A buddy of his with a nightstick in hand seemed to take over that street, but he never approached us for more money. I wonder what happens if you don't pay them??
La Cantina across from Costa Verde hotel - We thought this place was over-rated. The food was the blandest of any we ate on our trip and a bit overpriced. I got devoured by mosquitoes, probably because we sat at a table close to the jungle and it had just rained. The service was painfully slow and uninformed, but pleasant. The margaritas were decent and the rocking chairs are a nice touch. The "band" consists of two guys singing reggae music karaoke style over a synthesizer.
Barba Roja - Excellent food and reasonably priced. We had margaritas, nachos, and fish dinners and everything was great. We got bit by a lot of mosquitoes there too. The service got better with the more Spanish we tried to use. This place is worth a visit.
Hotel Byblos Casino and Bar - This is across the street from Barba Roja. We tried our hand at some black jack but quickly lost $20 each in their tiny casino. I don't think they shuffle their deck, which is a little shifty. The open-air bar has several pool tables, has reasonably priced drinks, and plays decent music. We hung out for a while with some people we had met on the beach that day from North Carolina.
Manuel Antonio Activities
Playa Espadilla - Free beach outside the park
We spent an afternoon relaxing at this beach and met some nice folks from North Carolina. The beach is pretty busy, but people watching can be fun and the local restaurants will bring drinks out to you. I had a few wonderful Pina Coladas garnished with fresh flowers. The water was nice, but not clear. It started to sprinkle lightly a few times, but nothing substantial.
Manuel Antonio National Park - We hired a guide, William, at the gate. We went on the tour with a nice American family of four. William was great at spotting things we would have never seen and his telescope really helped us see things up close. We saw white face monkeys, 3-toed sloths, Jesus Christ lizards, land crabs, a rainbow cricket (or grasshopper?), spider and frog eggs, birds, and that rodent that looks like a squirrel without a tail (can't remember its name). I'm sure there was more, but I can't think of it. We kept hearing howler monkeys, so William took us up a steep, muddy, trail to find them, but no luck. That trail was a bit of a work out! After the tour, we went back to Playa Manuel Antonio with the family from our tour. Playa Manuel Antonio is an incredibly beautiful beach, with nice warm and calm waters. I could have stayed there forever, but it looked like a storm was moving in, so we left after a little while. I would definitely recommend hiring a guide for the park. You won't see much on your own
Aug 7th, 2004, 06:43 AM
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Great report so far! I had been second-guessing myself about booking the non-stop flight from LAX to SJO on TACA, vs. the AW one thru Phoenix, but now I don't feel so bad.
Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule.
Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule.
Aug 7th, 2004, 10:39 AM
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America West wasn't really THAT bad. I've suffered worse flights on other airlines. Our four hour layover was by choice, since the only other option gave us about 50 minutes to catch our connection. Given America West's on-time record and the fact that they only have one flight a day to CR, we didn't want to risk it.
Aug 7th, 2004, 05:11 PM
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LA, it sounds like you did not book your tour of MA from the hotel. So you just showed up at the Park & hired a guide? How much did it cost? There will be 5 of us so I am concerned about costs. You said you went to Playa Manuel Antonio after the guided hike. So did you bring beach stuff with you on the hike, such as towels, water, sunblock, etc. I would like to do the same thing...guided hike in the morning, then stay at Playa Manuel Antonio for the remainder of the day. But that means carrying our beach stuff with us on the hike. Does the park provide beach mats or chairs? Thanks!
Aug 7th, 2004, 06:16 PM
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kwoo,
When we were there a month ago, the hotel provided towels for us to take to the beach (Hotel California, others probably do the same). At the park entrance, there is a little stand where you buy your ticket ($7 per person). There were several guides over to the side waiting to be hired (among them was the one we had last year when we booked a tour through Si Como No). So it's that simple. We carried our towels in a backpack. I get the name of the beaches mixed up (among other things
), but there are a couple of beaches inside the park that seemed popular when we were there on a Saturday--it was busy. Try for a weekday if you can!
Playa Manuel Antonio is, I think, the beach outside the park where the vendors are. There are always beach chairs on that beach. They do pick them up at 5:00 p.m. and put them away. Last year we were asked to pay a thousand colones for a couple of chairs--probably scammed on that one. This year that didn't happen.
Probably the tour price is the same as last year--$39 per person. You might could talk them into a price break for 5 people. Worth a try! Also worth the price, I believe. You just don't see as much on your own.
Yes, put some sunscreen in your back pack and water. You'll want to start your tour fairly early (by 8:00 would be good) because it lasts about 4 hours. That would leave you plenty of time on the beach. If memory serves, they served us juice and fruit on the guided hike.
When we were there a month ago, the hotel provided towels for us to take to the beach (Hotel California, others probably do the same). At the park entrance, there is a little stand where you buy your ticket ($7 per person). There were several guides over to the side waiting to be hired (among them was the one we had last year when we booked a tour through Si Como No). So it's that simple. We carried our towels in a backpack. I get the name of the beaches mixed up (among other things
), but there are a couple of beaches inside the park that seemed popular when we were there on a Saturday--it was busy. Try for a weekday if you can!Playa Manuel Antonio is, I think, the beach outside the park where the vendors are. There are always beach chairs on that beach. They do pick them up at 5:00 p.m. and put them away. Last year we were asked to pay a thousand colones for a couple of chairs--probably scammed on that one. This year that didn't happen.
Probably the tour price is the same as last year--$39 per person. You might could talk them into a price break for 5 people. Worth a try! Also worth the price, I believe. You just don't see as much on your own.
Yes, put some sunscreen in your back pack and water. You'll want to start your tour fairly early (by 8:00 would be good) because it lasts about 4 hours. That would leave you plenty of time on the beach. If memory serves, they served us juice and fruit on the guided hike.
Aug 7th, 2004, 06:31 PM
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Hi LA. Thanks for a great trip report! I was trying to figure out which of the hotels or BB's in MA are within walking distance to other hotels, restaurants and maybe a convience store-type place. We're going in '05 and planning on staying at Makanda, however, I would also like to avoid renting a car. Any observations that you had on this would be helpful. Thanks.
Aug 7th, 2004, 06:34 PM
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Hi Kwoo!
We did hire our guides right outside the entrance to the park. There is a parking lot just outside the park. I forget how much they charge, maybe $1000 colones, which is just over $2.00. The guide cost us $20 each, plus $7 each for park admission. Other people we met paid a lot more to book through their hotels. Also, you can get a deal if you have kids. A family we talked to paid $50 for both parents and their two kids, plus park admission.
As far as the beach goes, we did bring our beach stuff with us on the hike. I wore my bathing suit with a light weight pair of capris and lightweight hiking shoes for the hike and then brought a bathing suit cover up to throw on after our swim. We just stuffed everything into one daypack which my husband wore for the hike. I think we brought two cameras, a pair of binoculars, one beach towel, sun screen, bug spray, my bathing suit cover up, and our reef shoes (which we didn't need). We also brought one bottle of water, but I wish we had brought two.
Most of the hike is really easy, wide, flat, trails. We only got a little sweaty on that muddy steep trail William took us up (we didn't see most people going up there) and there is one hill past the beech that is about 150 meters long or so, which can be mildy taxing. There are other steeper trails to more beaches and scenic lookouts, but we didn't have enough time to venture on to them. The guides don't cover those trails. I'm glad I did not wear sandles, mainly due to the extra trail we went up. The other woman in our group was in Tevas and was regreting it. The main trail would be fine in sturdy sandals.
To answer your question, I would bring your beach stuff with you, because it's a pretty long walk back out of the park from the beach. However, you are aloud to come and go all day if you like.
Also, be sure to bring exact change for the park admission. They couldn't give us change, so the father of the family in our group lent us the money and we dropped it by his hotel later in the day. In addition, bring some extra change for the men that help you across the small water way right before the park entrance.
Oh yeah, there are no chairs, umbrellas, or vendors of any sort in the park. The free beach outside the park has all that good stuff, but more people and it's not as pretty.
We did hire our guides right outside the entrance to the park. There is a parking lot just outside the park. I forget how much they charge, maybe $1000 colones, which is just over $2.00. The guide cost us $20 each, plus $7 each for park admission. Other people we met paid a lot more to book through their hotels. Also, you can get a deal if you have kids. A family we talked to paid $50 for both parents and their two kids, plus park admission.
As far as the beach goes, we did bring our beach stuff with us on the hike. I wore my bathing suit with a light weight pair of capris and lightweight hiking shoes for the hike and then brought a bathing suit cover up to throw on after our swim. We just stuffed everything into one daypack which my husband wore for the hike. I think we brought two cameras, a pair of binoculars, one beach towel, sun screen, bug spray, my bathing suit cover up, and our reef shoes (which we didn't need). We also brought one bottle of water, but I wish we had brought two.
Most of the hike is really easy, wide, flat, trails. We only got a little sweaty on that muddy steep trail William took us up (we didn't see most people going up there) and there is one hill past the beech that is about 150 meters long or so, which can be mildy taxing. There are other steeper trails to more beaches and scenic lookouts, but we didn't have enough time to venture on to them. The guides don't cover those trails. I'm glad I did not wear sandles, mainly due to the extra trail we went up. The other woman in our group was in Tevas and was regreting it. The main trail would be fine in sturdy sandals.
To answer your question, I would bring your beach stuff with you, because it's a pretty long walk back out of the park from the beach. However, you are aloud to come and go all day if you like.
Also, be sure to bring exact change for the park admission. They couldn't give us change, so the father of the family in our group lent us the money and we dropped it by his hotel later in the day. In addition, bring some extra change for the men that help you across the small water way right before the park entrance.
Oh yeah, there are no chairs, umbrellas, or vendors of any sort in the park. The free beach outside the park has all that good stuff, but more people and it's not as pretty.
Aug 7th, 2004, 06:42 PM
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Just to clarify, Playa Manuel Antonio is inside the park. Playa Espadilla is the free beach outside the park. Playa Espadilla Sur is the south end of the free beach, but inside the park.
Lauralis,
Villas Nicolas, Si Como No, and El Byblos seem to be in the middle of the main road. I didn't really take note of which other hotels were right near there. I remember Costa Verde was a little further down.
Lauralis,
Villas Nicolas, Si Como No, and El Byblos seem to be in the middle of the main road. I didn't really take note of which other hotels were right near there. I remember Costa Verde was a little further down.
Aug 7th, 2004, 07:31 PM
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LAFadeAway, thanks for your detailed response. Did you have to pay the guides in cash? If so, can we pay them in U.S.dollars? Since there aren't any vendors inside the park, what did you do for lunch that day?
Aug 7th, 2004, 07:44 PM
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LAFadeAway,
I'm glad to know that the tours are less expensive at the entrance. Wish I had known last year! Do you recall a third beach inside the park that is not accessible during high tide? If so, were you able to go there?
I'm glad to know that the tours are less expensive at the entrance. Wish I had known last year! Do you recall a third beach inside the park that is not accessible during high tide? If so, were you able to go there?
Aug 8th, 2004, 06:21 AM
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Laurelis, We stayed at Makanda last year without a car. Short hike to the main road, but steep. Make sure and bring a flashlight because it's really dark at night. Many restaurants choices at the top of the hill. We caught the bus and bought pop/beer/snacks at a grocery store in Quepos. I don't remember whether there were convenience stores within an easy walk or not. Jean
Aug 8th, 2004, 01:28 PM
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There is a convenience store at the bottom of the hill, across from the beach, named Christ Mart. They claim to have everything you need (including items not on display). We stocked up on beer and rum there, although they are much pricier than the stores in Quepos.
Kwoo, I think you can pay the guides in either U.S. Dollars or Colones. They had a cashier that handles the transactions, but it might be a good idea to bring exact change, just in case. Also, if there are only a couple of you, they may make you wait a few minutes until they can add a few more people to your group.
As far as lunch goes... We ate breakfast before we went to the park and started our tour around 9:30. We left the beach around 2:00 or so, because it looked like it was going to storm and then had some excellent NY style pizza, next to the ATM up the hill.
Shillmac,
There is a total of five beaches:
Playa Espadilla - outside the park (free)
Playa Espadilla Sur - first one you see in the park
Playa Manuel Antonio - second one in the park (very beautiful and most swimable)
Playa Puerto Escondido - There is a marked trail leading to this one, although we didn't go (I've heard it's much less crowded, I kind of wish we went). I've heard it can be covered at high tide.
Playa Playitas - This is beyond Playa Puerto Escondido and only accessible at low tide.
Kwoo, I think you can pay the guides in either U.S. Dollars or Colones. They had a cashier that handles the transactions, but it might be a good idea to bring exact change, just in case. Also, if there are only a couple of you, they may make you wait a few minutes until they can add a few more people to your group.
As far as lunch goes... We ate breakfast before we went to the park and started our tour around 9:30. We left the beach around 2:00 or so, because it looked like it was going to storm and then had some excellent NY style pizza, next to the ATM up the hill.
Shillmac,
There is a total of five beaches:
Playa Espadilla - outside the park (free)
Playa Espadilla Sur - first one you see in the park
Playa Manuel Antonio - second one in the park (very beautiful and most swimable)
Playa Puerto Escondido - There is a marked trail leading to this one, although we didn't go (I've heard it's much less crowded, I kind of wish we went). I've heard it can be covered at high tide.
Playa Playitas - This is beyond Playa Puerto Escondido and only accessible at low tide.
Aug 8th, 2004, 02:55 PM
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(Part 5)
Arenal / La Fortuna
Getting There - This drive took us about six hours, although we spent about an hour of that time getting ourselves lost! Several people had suggested different routes to us. We looked at the map and decided to go Hwy 34 to Hwy 3 to Atenas and then we were going to try to take the road just past Atenas North to Palmares, then west on the toll road to San Ramon, then north to Fortuna. Well the first time we got on the road north after Atenas, we missed a spot where our road turned off to the right. We ended up doing a circle and back on Hwy 3 again! The second time, we bared right somewhere we weren't supposed to and ended up on the road toward Grecia. We looked at the map and figured that way would take us to the toll road as well. Wrong! It takes you under the toll road, with no access. So... we ended up driving to Grecia, then Sarchi, then Naranjo and back to the toll road. I know many people visit those towns on purpose, but we (hubby) were a little too frustrated to do enjoy them at the time. Getting directions to the toll road in Naranjo was quite an adventure in Spanish! Once we were back on track, the rest of the drive was pretty easy. The road up to Fortuna is a bit windy, but very scenic. It rained for the last hour or so, but it didn't slow us down too much.
Hotel - Arenal Paraiso
It was pouring rain when we arrived, but luckily the entrance to their lobby was covered. At first the man behind the desk said he couldn't find my reservation. I was about to go out to the car to get the confirmation, when he said he was just joking! All the staff at this hotel was very friendly to us and quite helpful. The room (deluxe) was large and clean with air conditioning and cable t.v. (mostly in Spanish, except Cinemax). We really appreciated the a.c. since we didn't have it at the last two hotels. The view of the volcano was spectacular. About an hour after we arrived, the rain stopped, the clouds blew out, and the volcano was in perfect view with lots of lava/boulders running down it. Wow! We thought we would have to wait a day or two to see that if we were lucky. We watched the volcano for a good hour or so until the clouds came back and then we went to dinner. Later that night, around 1:00 AM the front desk called us and the volcano was back out and putting on a show. The amount of lava that night was amazing! We didn't see it again until our last night there and it wasn't nearly as intense as the first night. The hotel has a few pools filled with spring water in varying temperatures. The warmer pools are cloudy due to the minerals in the water (I believe). The swim up bar is nice, but expensive. We only had breakfast at the restaurant, which is a really good buffet with made to order omelets. They even let us fill up to-go boxes to take to the lobby while waiting on our Cano Negro tour, because we though we were running late that morning. On a side note, we had a really large, ugly, scary, hairy, spider on our back deck one morning before breakfast. We decided to leave him alone, thinking he would leave while we were gone. Wrong! When we came back to the room, we discovered that the maid had swept him into the room. There he was right by our bed, with a bunch of lint stuck to him. Brad scooped him up with a piece of paper and took him outside. He carefully removed as much lint as possible and then dropped him off in the woods. So, be sure to watch out for bugs in your room (anywhere in C.R.)! I can't imagine what would have happened if that thing bit either of us.
Restaurants / Bars
Las Brasitas - Mexican restaurant at the West end of Fortuna. This place mainly concentrates on fresh grilled meat dishes, although I had a delicious vegetarian burrito. My husband had some chicken dish that he absolutely loved. The margaritas were also very good. The restaurant was very popular, for good reason, so we had to wait a few minutes to be seated.
El Novillo - Steakhouse on the right hand side, heading from Arenal Paraiso toward Tabacon hotel. This place was amazingly good, considering their really reasonable prices! My husband and I each had soup, black bean for me and chicken for him. Both were excellent. Then, I had the garlic sea bass and he had black pepper steak. We both loved our meals. He says it was the best steak he had in Costa Rica. The restaurant has a very casual open-air setting, with plastic tables and chairs, but it's absolutely worth a visit and very convenient to Arenal Paraiso and Montana de Fuego.
Tabacon Hot Springs - We had grilled cheese sandwiches and fries at their swim up bar in the main pool. They were actually pretty good and not too expensive. They actually made for a perfect light meal while enjoying the hot springs. They also have happy hour from 7 - 9 PM at the bar at the far end of the springs and from 9 - 10 PM at the main swim up bar. During happy hour, you get two drinks for the price of one plus an extra dollar.
Arenal / La Fortuna
Getting There - This drive took us about six hours, although we spent about an hour of that time getting ourselves lost! Several people had suggested different routes to us. We looked at the map and decided to go Hwy 34 to Hwy 3 to Atenas and then we were going to try to take the road just past Atenas North to Palmares, then west on the toll road to San Ramon, then north to Fortuna. Well the first time we got on the road north after Atenas, we missed a spot where our road turned off to the right. We ended up doing a circle and back on Hwy 3 again! The second time, we bared right somewhere we weren't supposed to and ended up on the road toward Grecia. We looked at the map and figured that way would take us to the toll road as well. Wrong! It takes you under the toll road, with no access. So... we ended up driving to Grecia, then Sarchi, then Naranjo and back to the toll road. I know many people visit those towns on purpose, but we (hubby) were a little too frustrated to do enjoy them at the time. Getting directions to the toll road in Naranjo was quite an adventure in Spanish! Once we were back on track, the rest of the drive was pretty easy. The road up to Fortuna is a bit windy, but very scenic. It rained for the last hour or so, but it didn't slow us down too much.
Hotel - Arenal Paraiso
It was pouring rain when we arrived, but luckily the entrance to their lobby was covered. At first the man behind the desk said he couldn't find my reservation. I was about to go out to the car to get the confirmation, when he said he was just joking! All the staff at this hotel was very friendly to us and quite helpful. The room (deluxe) was large and clean with air conditioning and cable t.v. (mostly in Spanish, except Cinemax). We really appreciated the a.c. since we didn't have it at the last two hotels. The view of the volcano was spectacular. About an hour after we arrived, the rain stopped, the clouds blew out, and the volcano was in perfect view with lots of lava/boulders running down it. Wow! We thought we would have to wait a day or two to see that if we were lucky. We watched the volcano for a good hour or so until the clouds came back and then we went to dinner. Later that night, around 1:00 AM the front desk called us and the volcano was back out and putting on a show. The amount of lava that night was amazing! We didn't see it again until our last night there and it wasn't nearly as intense as the first night. The hotel has a few pools filled with spring water in varying temperatures. The warmer pools are cloudy due to the minerals in the water (I believe). The swim up bar is nice, but expensive. We only had breakfast at the restaurant, which is a really good buffet with made to order omelets. They even let us fill up to-go boxes to take to the lobby while waiting on our Cano Negro tour, because we though we were running late that morning. On a side note, we had a really large, ugly, scary, hairy, spider on our back deck one morning before breakfast. We decided to leave him alone, thinking he would leave while we were gone. Wrong! When we came back to the room, we discovered that the maid had swept him into the room. There he was right by our bed, with a bunch of lint stuck to him. Brad scooped him up with a piece of paper and took him outside. He carefully removed as much lint as possible and then dropped him off in the woods. So, be sure to watch out for bugs in your room (anywhere in C.R.)! I can't imagine what would have happened if that thing bit either of us.
Restaurants / Bars
Las Brasitas - Mexican restaurant at the West end of Fortuna. This place mainly concentrates on fresh grilled meat dishes, although I had a delicious vegetarian burrito. My husband had some chicken dish that he absolutely loved. The margaritas were also very good. The restaurant was very popular, for good reason, so we had to wait a few minutes to be seated.
El Novillo - Steakhouse on the right hand side, heading from Arenal Paraiso toward Tabacon hotel. This place was amazingly good, considering their really reasonable prices! My husband and I each had soup, black bean for me and chicken for him. Both were excellent. Then, I had the garlic sea bass and he had black pepper steak. We both loved our meals. He says it was the best steak he had in Costa Rica. The restaurant has a very casual open-air setting, with plastic tables and chairs, but it's absolutely worth a visit and very convenient to Arenal Paraiso and Montana de Fuego.
Tabacon Hot Springs - We had grilled cheese sandwiches and fries at their swim up bar in the main pool. They were actually pretty good and not too expensive. They actually made for a perfect light meal while enjoying the hot springs. They also have happy hour from 7 - 9 PM at the bar at the far end of the springs and from 9 - 10 PM at the main swim up bar. During happy hour, you get two drinks for the price of one plus an extra dollar.
Aug 8th, 2004, 02:56 PM
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(Part 6)
Arenal Activities
Arenal Hanging Bridges - These are located up a road on the right hand side, just over the bridge at Lake Arenal. It took about 25 minutes to get there from Arenal Paraiso. The entrance fee is $20 per person and we thought it was worth the money. They give you a map before you enter the park. The 3km main trail is really well maintained, with cinder blocks built into the ground that you walk on, so it's not muddy. I think there are around fifteen bridges total and about half are long suspension bridges. Each one has a sign showing its height and length. The suspension bridges are really high up and they wobble when you walk on them, so they can be a little scary at first. The views from them are spectacular and the canopy along the trail is lush and beautiful. We kept hearing howler monkeys and sure enough there was a whole family of them at the end of one of the suspension bridges! They were right above us howling really loud!! We watched them for quite a while. Seeing them so close up was worth the $20 alone. Most of the trail is pretty easy, but there is one 200-meter stretch that climbs up to the top of a waterfall. The climb was a little tiring but well worth it. There is another trail that cuts through the middle of the park for "birding", which we did not do. Near their entrance, they have one of the nicest bathrooms I saw in all of Costa Rica! Unfortunately, I took my hat off to splash water on my face and accidentally left it there. I realized what I had done the next day, so we went back to look for it, but they said they never saw it. I really loved that damn hat too!
Cano Negro tour - We arranged this tour through our hotel. They use a company named Paraiso Tropical or something like that. Our van was almost an hour late picking us up! We had watched several nice air-conditioned buses pick up other people for Cano Negro and then our little bitty "Tourismo" van pulled up. They crammed 12 passengers, a guide (Ed), and the driver into this tiny and hot van. Our group consisted of the two of us, a couple from the Netherlands, a couple from Missouri and a British family of six (4 daughters) who currently live in Indiana. On the way there, our driver stopped at a restaurant that breeds iguanas in the river next to their restaurant. You could stand on their deck and hand feed lettuce to iguanas. There were hundreds of iguanas varying from babies to some that were several feet long. All were very friendly and beautiful. Next, we pulled over to view a small 3-toed sloth up in a tree that the driver obviously knew would be there. In Los Chilles, we stopped at a small restaurant to pick up some coolers containing our lunch that we would eat later. The British man asked if they had any vegetarian food, since three of his daughters were vegetarians. I went ahead and chimed in that I don't eat meat accept seafood too. Our guide explained that we should have all told them that when we made our reservations, but he would see what he could do. Luckily, the restaurant was able to throw together a big salad for those of us that wouldn't be eating chicken.
When we arrived at the boat dock, we were all relieved to see that we had a modern looking, covered, comfortable, spacious boat. We notice that some of the groups from the bigger busses looked really crowded in their boats. Our driver was very professional and had a great eye for spotting wildlife. Ed was a good guide who was full of knowledge. We spotted more wildlife here than anywhere else in Costa Rica. We saw lots of white face monkeys, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, 2-toed and 3-toed sloths, Jesus Christ lizards, Great Egrets, 2 types of King Fishers, and many other species of birds. We also saw a Mexican parrot snake hanging out on a dead looking tree over the water. It actually jumped into another tourist boat and then slithered back out (side note: that boat actually contained the family we had done Manuel Antonio with!). They all freaked out, but it wasn't poisonous. Our guide, Ed, actually jumped out of our boat onto the tree and tried to catch the snake to show us up close. He wrestled with it for a while, but it almost bit him so he gave up. He got scratched up by the tree pretty bad! After watching wild life for about an hour, we pulled up to the shores of the river on a ranch and they set up lunch. We filled our plates and then sat back in the boat to eat. Lunch was delicious! We had rice, with some corn and small veges in it, chicken for the meat eaters, salad, sliced cheese (that weird white Costa Rican cheese), tomato slices, beans, tortilla chips, and fried plantains. We all had as much as we could eat and there was plenty left over. They also had a cooler full of bottled water and soda for us. I forgot to mention that they also gave us some fresh cut watermelon earlier in the boat ride. After lunch we did a little more sight seeing and then headed back to Los Chilles. In town, we hung out at the restaurant for about 30 minutes for beers or sodas. Then, back into the hot and crowded van for our two-hour ride back to Fortuna. That ride was very uncomfortable, but our driver was great. He successfully avoided cows, dogs, people on bikes, and a large out-of-control truck.
Tabacon Hot Springs - We opted to go at 7:00 PM one night, so we could get the cheaper admission of $19 each. We actually felt the three hours we spent there was enough, so we were glad we had waited until 7:00 PM. The place was probably the most crowded, tourist filled place in Costa Rica. Although, once we were in the springs it wasn't that crowded because everyone was spread out all over the place. We tried out at least ten or so springs and the boiling hot river. Sitting under that waterfall is awesome! As touristy as it is, this place is still worth a visit at least once in your life. Be sure to dip in the Cold Pool too. It's quite refreshing! After checking out all the springs for a while, we bellied up to the main swim up bar for grilled cheese and happy hour. The prices really weren't as bad as we expected, although higher than most of Costa Rica.
Arenal Activities
Arenal Hanging Bridges - These are located up a road on the right hand side, just over the bridge at Lake Arenal. It took about 25 minutes to get there from Arenal Paraiso. The entrance fee is $20 per person and we thought it was worth the money. They give you a map before you enter the park. The 3km main trail is really well maintained, with cinder blocks built into the ground that you walk on, so it's not muddy. I think there are around fifteen bridges total and about half are long suspension bridges. Each one has a sign showing its height and length. The suspension bridges are really high up and they wobble when you walk on them, so they can be a little scary at first. The views from them are spectacular and the canopy along the trail is lush and beautiful. We kept hearing howler monkeys and sure enough there was a whole family of them at the end of one of the suspension bridges! They were right above us howling really loud!! We watched them for quite a while. Seeing them so close up was worth the $20 alone. Most of the trail is pretty easy, but there is one 200-meter stretch that climbs up to the top of a waterfall. The climb was a little tiring but well worth it. There is another trail that cuts through the middle of the park for "birding", which we did not do. Near their entrance, they have one of the nicest bathrooms I saw in all of Costa Rica! Unfortunately, I took my hat off to splash water on my face and accidentally left it there. I realized what I had done the next day, so we went back to look for it, but they said they never saw it. I really loved that damn hat too!
Cano Negro tour - We arranged this tour through our hotel. They use a company named Paraiso Tropical or something like that. Our van was almost an hour late picking us up! We had watched several nice air-conditioned buses pick up other people for Cano Negro and then our little bitty "Tourismo" van pulled up. They crammed 12 passengers, a guide (Ed), and the driver into this tiny and hot van. Our group consisted of the two of us, a couple from the Netherlands, a couple from Missouri and a British family of six (4 daughters) who currently live in Indiana. On the way there, our driver stopped at a restaurant that breeds iguanas in the river next to their restaurant. You could stand on their deck and hand feed lettuce to iguanas. There were hundreds of iguanas varying from babies to some that were several feet long. All were very friendly and beautiful. Next, we pulled over to view a small 3-toed sloth up in a tree that the driver obviously knew would be there. In Los Chilles, we stopped at a small restaurant to pick up some coolers containing our lunch that we would eat later. The British man asked if they had any vegetarian food, since three of his daughters were vegetarians. I went ahead and chimed in that I don't eat meat accept seafood too. Our guide explained that we should have all told them that when we made our reservations, but he would see what he could do. Luckily, the restaurant was able to throw together a big salad for those of us that wouldn't be eating chicken.
When we arrived at the boat dock, we were all relieved to see that we had a modern looking, covered, comfortable, spacious boat. We notice that some of the groups from the bigger busses looked really crowded in their boats. Our driver was very professional and had a great eye for spotting wildlife. Ed was a good guide who was full of knowledge. We spotted more wildlife here than anywhere else in Costa Rica. We saw lots of white face monkeys, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, 2-toed and 3-toed sloths, Jesus Christ lizards, Great Egrets, 2 types of King Fishers, and many other species of birds. We also saw a Mexican parrot snake hanging out on a dead looking tree over the water. It actually jumped into another tourist boat and then slithered back out (side note: that boat actually contained the family we had done Manuel Antonio with!). They all freaked out, but it wasn't poisonous. Our guide, Ed, actually jumped out of our boat onto the tree and tried to catch the snake to show us up close. He wrestled with it for a while, but it almost bit him so he gave up. He got scratched up by the tree pretty bad! After watching wild life for about an hour, we pulled up to the shores of the river on a ranch and they set up lunch. We filled our plates and then sat back in the boat to eat. Lunch was delicious! We had rice, with some corn and small veges in it, chicken for the meat eaters, salad, sliced cheese (that weird white Costa Rican cheese), tomato slices, beans, tortilla chips, and fried plantains. We all had as much as we could eat and there was plenty left over. They also had a cooler full of bottled water and soda for us. I forgot to mention that they also gave us some fresh cut watermelon earlier in the boat ride. After lunch we did a little more sight seeing and then headed back to Los Chilles. In town, we hung out at the restaurant for about 30 minutes for beers or sodas. Then, back into the hot and crowded van for our two-hour ride back to Fortuna. That ride was very uncomfortable, but our driver was great. He successfully avoided cows, dogs, people on bikes, and a large out-of-control truck.
Tabacon Hot Springs - We opted to go at 7:00 PM one night, so we could get the cheaper admission of $19 each. We actually felt the three hours we spent there was enough, so we were glad we had waited until 7:00 PM. The place was probably the most crowded, tourist filled place in Costa Rica. Although, once we were in the springs it wasn't that crowded because everyone was spread out all over the place. We tried out at least ten or so springs and the boiling hot river. Sitting under that waterfall is awesome! As touristy as it is, this place is still worth a visit at least once in your life. Be sure to dip in the Cold Pool too. It's quite refreshing! After checking out all the springs for a while, we bellied up to the main swim up bar for grilled cheese and happy hour. The prices really weren't as bad as we expected, although higher than most of Costa Rica.
