Just thought I had to take the time to post as I had used this site extensively before our trip. Where to begin.. we are a couple in our forties and we have travelled extensively particularly in Mexico and cruising. I can honestly say I was blown away by Costa Rica and this property. The week we were there Nov 22-29 they went from 50% occupancy to 80% because of Thanksgiving and seemed to handle it very well. The food was varied and all al a carte restaurants had good selection. The reservation systemis a bit of a pain, however, my husband is up at 6 am walking every morning so he did all the reservations and he said it wasn't an issue. We did find the hotel tours booked very quickly, decide early if you can which ones you want to do. The pottery town tour was extremely popular. We rented a car for $40 for the day and felt very safe driving to Tamarindo and stopping all along the roadside. The roads are as stated BAD... We did do the tour to Buena Vista Logde-it is fun to do the zip line. We were there over the full moon and had the incredible good luck to see a leatherback lay eggs. This was by far the most amazing natural wonder I have ever experienced. I was however horrified the next morning to find out the eggs had been dug up as the locals enjoy them as a delicacy, oh well my husband hunts here in Canada so I guess I relate. The best part of this holiday, however, had to be the nature of the people. I had read this on this site, however, until you experience their genuine sincerity, you can't believe it. I would strongly recommend this destination to anyone. We are now planning to return again as we were unable to do Arenal/Monteverde and Tabacon. I have absolutlely no question we will return.Post if you have specific questions about the resort... we also golfed, if you have golf questions.

Thank you, jbro!
My son and daughter in law will be at this property for 4 nights in mid-December. So, we are glad to read you enjoyed it!
Questions: roads "bad" in what way? Potholes? What kind of car did you rent ?
Did you do any of the AI included hotel tours, and which did you enjoy (horseback riding, etc)? Did your room have airconditioning, and did you need it? Weather--humid? Thank you in advance, for your time in replying, and for writing the trip report.

Hi, we are considering Playa Chonchal for a small family outing - 10 of us, 4 adults, 5 19 - 23 years olds (hardly adults) and one 14 year old. Do you think the resort would have enough variety for our group?

any suggestions for 50's, 20's or teens?


Thanks.

Sorry I took so long to post, the only problem with travelling at the end of November is dealing with Christmas when you come back. We had very good experience with all the tours/excursions offered through the hotel. Horseback riding was very fun,the horses are very tame. We did the sunset cruise although the sky did not exactly co-operate, it was very interesting as the boat takes you past islands where there are pelicans'nesting. Our neighbours did their newest tour to Pottery Town (Santa Cruz) They thought it was the best one as they got to see the pottery being made. We did the Monkey Park on our own, but this is also offered by the hotel. I would also recommend this even though I don't like zoos. What was great there was the butterfly house. I think they have over 30 species of butterflies and you can take amazing pictures up close. I wanted to do the bird watching tour but left the booking too late. I strongly recommedn you go to the activity centre as soon as you get there and try to map out your activitites for the week. I know this seems awfully type A for a holiday but the week goes by very quickly and the tours book up very fast. I think there was something for every age group there, although teens might find the nightlife lacking, the disco seemed a little slow while we were there, I know some teens took a cab into Tamarindo were I guess it is alittle wilder at night. If you are going to rent a car, get the upgrade, we had a Toyota Corolla and the potholes were overwhelming. We tried to drive to Playa Grande and we had to turn around.Get the upgrade for a 4 wheel drive. It would be worth it. Also yes all rooms had wonderful airconditioning (a little cold but certainly easy to control) and the humidity had really subsided by the last week of November

Some may wonder why a few people mention the roads (potholes) and how terrible they are; others say it isn't so bad. In part, this is because some folks never drive on any type of surface other than well maintained freeways. Others live in rural areas and aren't so horrified by a few ruts and potholes.

But in Costa Rica, the highway condition (like other things) is determined partly by the rainfall. Those who travel during the month of November are going to see the roads in much worse condition just after the rainy season has ended and before repairs have been made. During the dry season, roads are repaired to some extent. At the beginning of the rainy season, May or June, there will be fewer potholes to contend with! Also, heavy truck traffic plays a significant part.

jbro: So glad you had a good time at Conchal. It is a fun place, and the area is one of our favorites in the entire country. The little pottery making town is Guayitil and is actually a few kilometers down a country road from Santa Cruz. It doesn't get much mention on Fodor's, but, as you say, is a very interesting place to visit. I bought a few pieces there a couple of years ago--solid green pieces with clay rims and little clay lizards/frogs/monkeys playing on the rim. The smaller pieces can be purchased for around $20 and make wonderful gifts! Easier to pack up and bring home than the larger pieces as well!