susan300

We are looking to go for about eight or nine days. I am interested in a hiking, ziplining and a bit of beach thrown in. From what I understand Manuel Antonio is overbuilt and all the animals have left. Would really be interested in less touristy places Also not interested in spending time in San Jose. I've read several itineraries - one recommending Paos Volcano over Arenal and vice versa. Also is Monteverde worth going as well. Any suggestions would be appreciated. We don't travel luxury style- I would say moderate, but can splurge if it's simply out of this world!
Thanks in advance for your help.

mlgb

Manuel Antonio may be overbuilt but if you want ugly try Jaco. The park is too busy, but it's also the easiest place for tourists with limited mobility to get up close with sloths and monkeys. Whoever told you "all the animals have left" must be trying to sell you on another location. Completely untrue.

Poas is a day trip. If you go the wrong time of day, you'll see nothing (it tends to be fog/cloud shrouded).

If you want something a little more low key you might look into Dominical rather than Manuel Antonio. Hacienda Baru if you don't require air conditioning. Same animals as at Manuel Antonio, they also have a fairly safe zipline operation.

http://www.haciendabaru.com/

volcanogirl

MA has one of the highest concentrations of animals in their park. They are fairly tame though due to so much interaction with tourists. I can't imagine that all the animals have left. If you don't want touristy, you could take a look at the Osa - amazing wildlife there and feels off the grid. Arenal has hiking and ziplining. You might like someplace like Arenal Observatory Lodge or Silencio del Campo. There's a lot more to do in that area than there is around Poas. Monteverde has nice hiking and ziplines. We liked Fonda Vela there. Good place to see quetzals as well.

RAC

Plent of animals and tourists in Manuel Antonio.

Arenal Observatory Lodge is excellent for hiking and animals, and it is very remote. Not terribly expensive.

You could also do something like Sarapiqui plus a Caribbean beach.

You can zipline virtually anywhere in Costa Rica.

susan300

If you say the animals are still there, I believe you guys. It's just that I heard that about two years ago. Regarding Osa, that is very out of the way right- tough to get to?What in your estimation is a good itinerary for first timers in about 8-9 days?
thanks

qwovadis

In a couple of weeks in winter to beat the rain

www.servicecarrental.com www.mapcr.com from $200/wk

works well for me...route

xandari.com around your flights Poas Dokaestate.com

arenal.net tabacon.com monteverdeinfo.com fondavela.com

skytrek.com best zip

Hotelvillacaletas.com nice for beach then go to

Costaverde.com Penthouse CV2 all animals have not left MA

Lots will be on your porch overlooking the park.

www.tripadvisor.com/members/natureguide best guide

Go on down to Osa bosquesdelcabo.com or lookout-inn.com

Back up to SJ... find my cheapest flights down on spirit.com

Happy Planning!

mlgb

Really Arenal and Manuel Antonio are fine for a first visit!

As far as Arenal be aware that the volcano is quiet, no lava trails at night. A lot of the web pages don't make this obvious.

I was happy with Arenal Observatory Lodge, lots of hiking trails on the property as well as free morning guided walks. They also have their own horses which look to be in excellent shape unlike poor Don Lulo's. However, I was luck to have perfect weather with a clear view of the volcano from my room at White Hawk villa (up the hill but you'll be able to park near your room). You will want to stay for a few nights to make the dusty bumpy road worthwhile. AOL is near the hanging bridges but if you stay at AOL I"m not even sure it's necessary to go over there. On the way out of Arenal I spent a night on the La Fortuna side and visited the waterfall and one of the cheaper hot springs complexes.

RAC

There are countless options. I would recommend buying a guidebook, reading it in depth, and seeing which places sound like a good fit.

First timers' really don't need to have anything different than third time visitors--it really depends on what YOU want to see. There's no single sight or destination that you would be foolish to leave off, nothing like going to Barcelona and not seeing a Gaudi building.

It partly depends on your appetite for planning.

Drake Bay/Corcovado was an amazing experience for us this past February. We even managed to include a volcano trip.

Here's our trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/community/mexi...-with-pics.cfm

volcanogirl

Most popular itinerary for first timers is MA and Arenal. If that doesn't appeal to you, there are plenty other options. I don't think of the Osa as particularly hard to get to. Once you land in SJO, the Sansa terminal is right next door, and it's about a 1 hour flight to the Osa. A lot of the lodges are pricey, but since you mentioned splurging if it's out of this world, then the Osa definitely fits the bill. The wildlife is absolutely amazing down there. If you can live without the beach, you could do an Arenal/Monteverde combo as well.

susan300

Is it too much to do Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio in 8 days? If you had to pick one over the other which would you do?

volcanogirl

Personally, I would only do two places in that time frame. It really does take a long time to travel around from place to place, and some of the roads aren't in the greatest shape. Arenal is my favorite, so I'd pick it every time for the volcano, natural hot springs, ziplines, Cano Negro tour, waterfall, etc. Monteverde and Manuel Antonio are so different that I think that's just a personal choice. Do you want the beach, or do you want a cooler cloud forest environment? Monteverde was really chilly and rainy when we were there; we had to wear sweatshirts and fleece jackets at night. A lot of people don't expect that in Costa Rica. We saw quetzals there which were amazing and beautiful. Manuel Antonio was really hot when we went with temps in the 90s. We loved hiking in the park and seeing all the abundant wildlife, but the monkeys there know how to open bags of potato chips, and we like a little bit wilder experience. Manuel Antonio is very easy though with lots of hotel and restaurant choices and the beautiful beach inside the park. That's why a lot of people like it. You could pick two and then do a last night near the airport and go see Poas or go to the Doka Coffee Estate.

steviegene

I would also only recommend 2 locations for 8 days. Traveling between destinations eats up a lot of time. We visited Arenal & Manuel Antonio, and had a very nice trip. Sure there are lots of tourists, but I wouldn't call either place "very touristy",

susan300

I will look these up and read more about them. thanks

Deb15July

I haven't been to Manual Antonio for the same reasons you mention, but we went to the Osa instead. We had 10 nights and spent 2 in Monteverde, 3 in Arenal and 3 in Osa. The other two nights were spent in the outskirts of San Jose mid-trip and prior to departure.

They are all great locations, but each could have used an extra day! So...I agree you should limit your destinations to two. If the Osa is appealing you would need to fly, so that adds a little cost.

susan300

Deb15July - can you tell me about Osa and what you did in Monteverde and Arenal?

Deb15July

Susan,
I've only been to CR once, but it is on our list of places to return. There is soooooo much to do there in such a small country and the people are extremely friendly. Several others on this board have been multiple times, so I'm sure they will chime in with additional info too.

We loved Osa, but really enjoyed Monteverde and Arenal too. I wanted to see mammals, and Osa is one of the best places for that. One of the favorites of Fodorites is Bosque del Cabo (frequently refered to here as BdC) which is at the very tip of the Osa Penisula. It is a wonderful place, but off the grid. They generate their own electricity and filter their own water. It's a little pricey, but 3 meals a day, which are quite good, are included and they have quite a few well maintained trails.

We basically stayed on the property during our visit, but they have a few excursions that are available such as surfing, etc. The day we arrived we were sitting on the deck of our cabina, Congo, and a coatimundi jumped on the deck in front of us and ran right past. Of course I couldn't get my camera out in time, so I put it down. A few minutes later here comes another one and clutzy me screwed up with the camera yet again.

We were awakened our first morning around 5:30 AM by monkeys screaming right outside our cabina and the next morning it was the toucans. We also saw scarlet macaws and many other birds, but no cats. They have seen a puma a few times during this past year and there are also some really neat frogs, spiders, etc...outside in case you were wondering.

You can hike the trails on your own or with one of the resident guides. They offer some spa services and the rooms have no phones or TV's.

We flew from SJ to Osa on Sansa and back on Nature Air just to be able to compare prices and flights. Our trip down was much more pleasant because the weather was good, there were no stops, and we were the only ones on the plane. On our return flight we had to stop in Drake Bay and the plane was almost full (it was a little bigger than the plane on the way down). We hit some turbulence and the air wasn't working well, so I had some difficulty with air sickness.

More on Arenal and Monteverde later!

volcanogirl

Check out the Bosque del Cabo website and their video; it will give you a good idea of what the Osa is like.

Monteverde has good hiking, some nice wildlife, ziplines, and night hikes. We liked the one at Hidden Valley.

susan300

I'm a little confused about Arenal.. there's the volcano, the lake and isn't there an observatory? Are all these within close distances to one another. If you are not staying close to these areas, is there transportation to get Arenal? I'm seeing a lot of hotels about 4-10 miles away. Please advise.

Deb15July

susan,
Loved Hotel El Silencio del Campo, but you will need a taxi or car to get into town. The food on site is pretty good and they have their own hot springs and spa. It is very nice with gorgeous grounds, but low key...not a resort by any means. You can see the volcano very well, but please be aware (because we weren't) that the top is frequently shrowded in fog and it currently is inactive. It's an easy walk (practically next door) to several Hot Springs, most notably Eco Termales which is a favorite on this board.

We didn't venture up to AOL because my understanding is that it is quite a bumpy ride. Many think it's worth staying there, but I think most would make that decision based on the availability of lava flow sightings. Many others on this board like Lost Iguana, but it's a little more pricey. It's close to the lake and hanging bridges but further from town.

We didn't do the volcano hike due to weather and also were not able to hike down to the waterfall because I was concerned about slippery steps since I'd recently had a broken foot. We did spend one day on a trip (lunch included) to Cano Negro which is up near the Nicaraguan border. One of my husband's favorite things on our trip was the jeep boat jeep (really a van) transportation from Monteverde to Arenal. You drive for about an hour, stop for snacks and drinks and then take a boat ride across the lake and then another shorter van ride into Arenal. They pick you up at your hotel and drop you at the hotel in Arenal. This method of transport cuts about an hour off driving the whole way since it eliminates the part that goes around the top of the lake.

Check TripAdvisor and the map at the link below and post any more specific questions you may have!

http://www.arenal.net/maps/arenal-map-print.jpg

mlgb

I think it's important to keep in mind that you will find lots of birds (including toucans), monkeys, racoons, butterflies, frogs, snakes, coati mundi & sloths nearly anywhere you stay, but for some of these (frogs and snakes) it's easier if you have a good guide. Monkeys seem to be creatures of habit and make their rounds on a schedule. It isn't necessary to go to Osa to see these. The animals that are harder to see, ie cats and tapir, even the people that go to Osa rarely see! On the other hand, there is apparently a semi-tame margay at AOL. For crocs, you don't need to make an excursion beyond the infamous Tarcoles Bridge on the way from Arenal to Manuel Antonio.

As far as volcanoes, Arenal has the classic cone shape. It is often shrouded in fog & cloud, especially at the top. It occasionally puffs some steam. Poas you can drive nearly to the top, and peer into the crater. It is often shrouded in fog & cloud, especially at the top. It occasionally puffs some steam.

On the Pacific coast, you aren't going to find white coral sand, beaches are wider at low tide, and there can be dangerous riptides and currents (not to mention crocs) so if swimming is important you want to read about which beaches are safe for that. Eg the beach inside the Manuel Antonio park ($10 admission per day) is nice for swimming, but at the right times you can also swim for free at the adajent public beach.

Hiking, waterfalls and ziplines are everywhere. Some of the larger properties have their own onsite trails as well as guides. Ziplines vary in speed and you don't really want to know about accident rates. Pick a good operator.

I do recommend doing a coffee tour (Doka was good) somewhere during your visit.