sueger

My husband and I are planning a trip to Costa Rica in April for two weeks. We like the idea of all inclusive on the beach but also want to see more of the country than that..ie the rain forest. Any ideas of where to stay where we could perhaps do tours to see some of the sights? Wondering about the Flamingo resort. We have stayed in places where we have done our own cooking when in Europe, but not sure if that is a good plan in Costa Rica? Also kind of like the idea of not having to cook!!!! Also wondering about the idea of car rental? Any advice would be very welcome...there is so much to look at on the websites that my brain is addled!!

snorkelluvn

Costa Rica is not a country where I would stay in an all-inclusive. Several reasons:1)You want to get out and see all there is to see, so don't want to be tied to a resort and its meals. 2)One of CR's natural resources is its people. It is a safe country with incredibly friendly people, and to experience that, stay in a smaller hotel, go to cafes, etc., etc. Go to a smaller place and chat with the people there. You won't regret it! 3) There are lots of great restaurants, so if you are eating at your AI, you are missing on part of the cultural experience (and some good stuff!!) 4) You visit CR because of nature, and the AIs, because of their size, may have impacted nature more (i.e. less there. Also, the AIs in Guanacaste have been reputed to have more negative impacts on nature, with construction of golf courses, etc. So you are rewarding a concept that is contrary to CR and its low-impact, environmental emphasis.
That said...consider a quick plane flight from the capital to Montezuma, on the Nicoya Pennsinsula. Everything here is walking distance, so you can walk into town, shop at a little store or buy from the artist vendors on the street, eat at some great toes-in-the-sand restaurants, hike to a waterfall, take a boat trip to uninhabited Tortuga Island, or just beachcomb. Take a taxi from the airstrip (about 25 minute flight, 40 minute taxi ride) and then you won't need a car while there. Consider the beautiful Ylang Ylang resort, which does include your meals, but isn't at all like a big AI. Rooms or bungalows are tucked into the jungle, beautiful sculptured pool, monkeys and birds in the trees, garden pathways, rugged beach and cool beach walks. Food is great here, too!

Linda137

You will typically get a free breakfast (often buffet) which carries a person for quite a few hours. Day trips often include lunch so that mostly just leaves finding something for dinner. I wouldn't want to be locked in to having dinner at the same place for two weeks straight, but that is just me. We love fresh fish/seafood so much of our fun is trying a bunch of different restaurants and then going back to the few we really loved.

Have you considered flying to San Jose and then leaving through Liberia or the other way around? That would cut down on your ground transportation - it takes a big part of a day to go from San Jose to the coast and it isn't cheap either. Just doing it once is really something to consider. A week on the coast and a week somewhere else would make a nice trip. Have you bought a good guidebook yet? Might help narrow things down better than going from website to website plus you'll probably want a guidebook to take with you anyway. Skip the cooking - you can easily find reasonable food prices and meals out are part of the fun. We bring a small knife (checked luggage) so we can buy fruit to eat in the room. It's so ripe and tasty compared to what we get back home.

Enjoy your planning!

Deb15July

If you are interested in seeing the Osa penisula, which has some of the best wildlife viewing in the country, you will probably want an AI. Bosque del Cabo is wonderful and has very good food. It is very isolated, but nowhere near roughing it. They have beautifual cabinas overlooking the water...it is at the tip of the Osa, so one side is the Pacific Ocean and the other is Golfe Dolce. This is not a real "beach" location, but you can get to a swimming beach via a long hike or transportation from the lodge.

This area is off the grid, so the lodge generates its own electricity and purifies water for drinking. They have an extensive set of well-maintained trails. They also have other excursions available as well as spa treatments. Many on this board are big fans and repeat visitors. I've only been once, but would love to return.

shillmac

Regarding Flamingo Beach Resort--we make a point to go there every year. We love the Guanacaste area, and FBR has a great pool and beach access to one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. I would NEVER choose the all-inclusive plan as there are several really excellent restaurants nearby. They include breakfast, I believe, which is fine. But the price is fair and the area is good for checking out Guanacaste to the north and to the south.

I could certainly see spending 4-5 nights there for a great Guanacaste experience. Check out the Mega Combo tour and the Palo Verde tour, both offered by Papagayo Vargas Tours.

Another area you should visit is Arenal for the volcano and hot springs (and lots of other attractions as well). It never disappoints!

2 weeks. . . .decide how much beach you want and how much rain forest. The Osa (and Bosque del Cabo in particular) is an excellent place to experience both. Many of us believe the Osa Peninsula will be WAY too touristy in a few years and too developed. Everyone should experience it before that transformation happens.

Guanacaste/Arenal/Osa--it's a good mix. That said, there are literally endless options for a 2 week stay, many of which would include other fabulous areas. It is a country that pulls many of us back again and again, wanting to know and experience every little corner!