OMG (goodness)... My husband and I have spent umpteen hours debating our CR itin... We are intrepid travelers & yet we can't decide... We have 9 nights, not so much worried about budget this trip(husband's 50th). Here's our debate:
Day 1: Arrive, car rental, Finca Rosa Blanca, Heredia?
Day 2: Rafting, Pacuare (company???) lodging: Finca Rosa Blanca
Day 3: Drive to Arenal; thinking about the Observatory Lodge for it's location, location, location. Any other ideas? What should we do this evening? Perhaps a night hike of the volcano?
Day 4: Arenal, what should we do?
Day 5-7 or 8: Should we head to the Papagayo coast and stay at the Four Seasons OR head to Manual Antonio and perhaps try Arenas del mar Beach?
Day 9: Somewhere near the SJO.
Day 10: Depart 3:30PM
A bit about our interests... we love, wildlife (monkeys, sloths), hiking, rafting, NOT the beaten path, 0 star camping OR 5 star accomodation. Any help greatly appreciated.

Your ideas are good ones--2 nights near the airport at the beginning or end (Finca Rosa Blanca a good choice). If you raft, you'd probably want to stay in town, Grano de Oro recommended, for pick up. Doubt the rafting companies pick up at FRB--have you checked into this?

FRB would also be a great place to stay just to allow yourselves to explore that very nice area north of the airport to include La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Poas, and some outstanding little towns: Grecia, Sarchi, even up to Zarcero--beautiful.

Arenal a good choice. Lots to do, and you can decide after you arrive. A "don't miss" is Cano Negro tour. The hot springs are a big treat--either Tabacon or Eco Termales. Also Hanging Bridges and the ziplines. . .

Then on to Manuel Antonio for good wildlife viewing. . .3 days each MA and Arenal--

Have a great time--and Happy 50th!

If you want off the beaten path, I would go to the Osa Peninsula and stay at Bosque del Cabo. You can't beat it for wildlife and getting away from it all. We love Arenal too; the Lost Iguana is our favorite. We haven't rafted yet, but I have my eye on the Pacuare Lodge.

You can go with at least three different rafting companies who run the Pacuare and they all have their own lodges on the banks of the river. I've gone with two of them already: Aventuras Naturales (they also run the Pacuare Lodge and offer other tours) and Rios Tropicales. I absolutely loved AV and Pacuare Lodge - my guide and the staff are just really fun and lovely people - and will definitely go back and raft/stay with them again. I haven't stayed at the Rios Tropicales' lodge.

The third company is Exploradores Outdoors who also have their own accommodations (a tent camp) but I haven't rafted with them yet.

All three companies have pictures of their lodges on their web sites, so you know what to expect when you stay with them.

Aventuras Naturales and Rios Tropicales pick up from all the major hotels downtown (and Exploradores Outdoors probably does so as well) - if you're unsure if they pick up from the hotel you choose, give them a call.

I've not stayed at the Observatory Lodge yet but folks on this forum as well as folks I've met while traveling in-country who have stayed there all rave about the place. I've been on a day hike of the volcano and El Silencio(after a morning horseback ride to La Fortuna waterfall) but not a night hike, having opted instead to visit Tabacon that evening.

In Arenal, there are a ton of activities. You can raft (I've gone with Desafio Adventure Company and would go with them again), bungee-jump, go on canopy or zipline tours, rappel waterfalls, hike, visit La Fortuna waterfall, horseback ride, visit Cano Negro for a wildlife safari (went with Canoa Aventuras), sea kayak, do the hanging bridges, visit the Venado Caves, Sky Tram/Trek, or visit the hotsprings (Tabacon, Baldi, Eco Termales, etc.)

If you want to see wildlife, you can't go amiss with going to Cano Negro and Manuel Antonio NP. White face, spider, howler and squirrel monkeys, bats, iguanas, sloths, caimans, crocodiles, hawks, anhingas, macaws, basilisks, snakes, etc. There's also snorkeling although what you see tends to vary according to the water conditions.

The airport is actually in Alajuela which is a half-hour drive from downtown San Jose, so you can stay in either city and still be close to the airport.

Rios Tropicales picked us up at the Orquideas Inn in Alajuela, so it's possible they'd pick you up at FRB. But, you should call and ask before booking either.

For your first night in Arenal, an evening hike would be a great idea--especially if you're staying at the observatory lodge.

For the next day, a popular combo (you can book each separately) is to do a Cano Negro tour followed by an evening session and dinner at a hot springs.

From everything I've heard, Manuel Antonio is a much better route than the overpriced Papagayo all-inclusives--you can find expensive beach hotels just about anywhere on the planet. There's only one Manuel Antonio.

If you depart at 3:30 pm, you can afford to stay the last night in Manuel Antonio.

I'd recommend an itinerary like this:

Day 1: Arrive, get settled somewhere near or in SJO.

Day 2: Rafting

Day 3: Start out extra early, check out Volcan Poas and then proceed to Arenal Observatory Lodge. Do the late afternoon-early evening hike.

Day 4: Cano Negro tour, followed by stop at Eco Termales or Tabacon for evening session and dinner

Day 5-6: ????

Days 7-9: Manuel Antonio (tour the park, relax on beach, do an estuary tour)

Day 10: Leave about 8:00 am for SJO, arriving about 12:30 or so. Drop off rental car and then proceed to check in.

For the extra days (days 5-6 here) you could:

stay 1-2 extra nights in the Arenal area

stay 1-2 extra nights in Manuel Antonio

stop in between the two for Carara and the Tarcoles crocodile tours

tag on an extra day in the central valley to see the Doka plantation and the La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

Ok, thank you all! We're digesting all of this EXCELLENT information and will post our decisions. Hopefully, for final consultation.