Hello,

We are planning our second trip to Costa Rica for February. On our first trip we saw Playa Hermosa, Arenal, Monteverde & Tamarindo. This time we are thinking of staying 6 nights in Samara & 6 in Manuel Antonio.

We will be taking flights between all destinations and will not have a car. I guess my question is is 6 nights in either place too long. We like to mix in adventurous days of hiking, sightseeing, etc with days of total laziness on the beach.

Thanks, Terri

Six days in Playa Samara would not be too much for me, unless, of course, I had just spent the previous six days at another beach resort. I have not been to Manuel Antonio but I gather that there is more to do there than just the beach. On the other hand, unless you have a car, Playa Samara doesn't offer much more than the beach and some okay restaurants. There is not a lot of hiking or sightseeing. nearby. I guess it's just a question of whether 12 straght days of a similar experince would be too much of a good thing for you. I think only you could answer that question.

Gotta say (and I know others will disagree) that after a weekend at Samara we were ready to move on. The town is small, the nightlife is limited, the beach is so-so. Nearby Nosara offers an additional bonus and you should check it out (we didn't--will be doing that soon, I hope). Playa Carillo just a short distance south is a lovely beach as well--good for an afternoon. I'd go nuts in Samara 4 days, let alone 6! Just me!

As for Manuel Antonio, 6 days would be too long for me there as well. But 4 or 5 is a nice length of time to fully enjoy all the area has to offer--and allow plenty of leisure time as well.

Also, I agree that being without a car in Samara for 6 days wouldn't be a good thing. Manuel Antonio--no problem.

12 days is an enviable amount of time! I think, if I were you, I'd try another destination to go with the 2 you already have. Even if for a couple of nights. Dominical and areas south of there perhaps. Playa Ventanas is a neat place about 30 min. south of Dominical. There are cool caves. I'm assuming you want beach the entire time.

My suggestion would be no more than 3-4 nights at Samara/Nosara, divide the rest between Manuel Antonio and points south. You could rent a car in Manuel Antonio for a couple of days to take yourselves on a little trip south of there for 2-3 days. I think it would add a nice touch to your vacation plans! Good luck! Let us know how it works out for you!

Thanks so much for the information. I kind of thought 6 days at each place would be too much but couldn’t figure out a 3rd place that would be easy to get to. Dominical sounds great but I am concerned about the roads getting to it due to the flooding. Maybe by February they will be OK. Or maybe we would be better off hiring a taxi with an experienced driver to get us there?

Or a different 3rd destination that is easy to get to from Samara or MA?

Thanks again!

Since you are flying everywhere anyway and say you want hiking, why not consider 3 or 4 nights down in the Osa Pen, either Puerto Jimenez or Drakes Bay.

Also another idea would be to go over the Carib side for a few days, Tortuguero Canals to the north are very interesting and different, or beaches to the south.

With 12 nights, you can get a lot of mix to your trip.

I don't think we want to add another flight to our trip. Getting pretty expensive.

Any word on the road conditions from MA to Dominical? Or would a taxi be a good idea?

Any other suggestions of a place close to MA to break up the time?

You might consider a couple of days (at the end of your trip) at La Finca Que Ama--great hotel in the countryside south and west of San Jose about 1.5 hour. Easy to get to from Manuel Antonio. Also, it is close to Turu-Bari Park, which might be fun for you.