jakethecat

With our trip only 2 weeks away, my husband and I still have not decided on a destination within Costa Rica. (We have 7 nights in CR, arriving around noon and leaving a week later in the early morning).

Right now we are leaning towards Osa but have been frustrated to find that most places are out of our price range (we would like to spend no more than $70/night). We are thinking that we could possibly stay at the Corcovado Tent Camp? Does anyone have other recommendations for inexpensive lodging in the area? Is 6 nights too long in one place on Osa? Are there two distinct areas to divide our time? (e.g., are Puerto Jimenez and Drake's Bay accessible to each other and different enough to merit a change in venue?)

Another possibility that we have not yet abandoned is the Montezuma area of the Nicoya peninsula. It is probably crazy to think of dong both, but is it possible to fly to Osa for 3 nights then to Nicoya for 3 nights, or would that be more effort than it's worth?

Thank you for your help with these questions. I'm tempted to just decide once we get to San Jose but that may be folly!

Jennifer

greenfieldhunter

Well- I think the last flight into the the Osa is around 1:00pm. Sansa or 2:00 pm Nature air. You might be able to make the 1:00 Sansa if you carry on your luggage and whiz through customs.

There are a number of places in and around PJ in your price range. Check out the Pearl of the Osa/Iguana Lodge. The owners will be able to assist you if you want to continue down to Carate and the park. The wildlife gets really good about 1 hour by car south of Puerta Jimenez( Montopalo SP? right around Lapa Rios and Bosque del Cabo)You can take a "bus"aka pickup truck or collectivo from Puerta Jimenez down to Carate($8?)or hop a boat across the Gulfo Dulce to Playa Zancudo for a night or 2 .I have not been there because we had such a good time near PJ we did not have time- the gulf is so beautiful and there is a great choice of tours available.

I am sure the Corcovado tent camp is fine but I get the feeling there is a fair amount of traffic through there.(Luna Lodge has been highly recommended if you do make it to Carate)

Personally 1 week on the Osa would be fine by me and depending on your flights you might have to spend a night in SJ. We spent more than a week and plan to return. Some people would find the area too remote and would get bored- Good, they will be gone the next time I visit.LOL
I know nothing about Montezuma but most other posters do.
I do not think that Drake Bay and PJ have very good access to each other and I think since Carate and Drake Bay are similar it might not be worth the effort.

Jessie_

You could look at the Pearl of the Osa. Very bare bones with cold water showers but a very friendly, clean, safe place. The people also own Iguana Lodge which is right next door. I have spent many nights at both places depending on how the budget is going that year. The people that work at the Pearl are a lot of fun and very nice. All the people that stay at the Iguana go to the Pearl for lunch. The food is good. Breakfast is included. The public bar downstairs closes at 9pm so you don't have to worry about it being noisy all night. It is generally not too busy. During the day many people from some of the other lodges such as parrot Bay and Croc bay come down to swim at the beach there.

My only concern about the Osa right now is that the rainy season extends a little longer down there than further north. I would check with Toby or Lauren (owners) on how the weather is. Possibly Isabel will reply also. Last year they went to Nepal around this time because of lower business due to the rainy season. You can also check costarica.com. They have a 15day weather forecast for many areas of the country and it is updated hourly. Keep in mind that frequently the showers and thunderstorms are not all day. At the moment it is 85degrees but with the humidity it feels like 99. It will be hot and humid there.

shillmac

With one week, I'd limit my time to the Osa. It is a wonderful area. For us, 4-5 days was a good length of time, but with only 7 days you really are better off not to switch locations--UNLESS you spend a couple of days around San Jose. There are some very nice areas to explore and the climate is these parts is to die for!

As for Montezuma, that would be a good choice if you really feel the need for a "beach town" with a little nightlife. But difficult to work in with an Osa adventure unless, as you say, you fly everywhere and spend 3 nights each place.

Jessie_

The Carate area is great if you like solitude. A little swimming, a lot of hiking and possibly a little horseback riding will be about it for activities. It is a wonderful place to see Scarlet Macaws.

We have stayed at the tent camp. I was very comfortable there except for the distance of the bathrooms from the tent we were in. It is very dark there and you don't want to have to get up in the night. The food was very good and the people friendly. A surprisingly good breeze off the ocean at night to keep us comfortable. The other problem I had was that the tents seemed awfully close, or at least the one were in had neighbors in what seemed to be spitting distance. Not much privacy because you really want your tent flaps up to catch the breezes. The grounds are very pretty and there were plenty of hammocks to chill out in. Will involve about a 30-45min walk on the beach from the airstrip/end of the road. They have a cute cart and small horse that hauls your luggage.

Molly2

Be aware that there are TWO tent camps with similar names. The Adventure Tent Camp {I think that's what it's called} is not the one that Jessie described. The former is close to Drake Bay.

For about the same price as the very basic Adventure Tent Camp, and a short walk away, is Las Caletas, a very informal lodge located above a beautiful beach where you can swim and snorkle. You won't have the amenities that you will find at the pricier lodges, but you will get all that you are visiing the Osa for - nature, beauty, relaxation. I believe that we paid $60pp per night, including meals and use of kayaks and snorkling equipment. You do have to do a "wet landing" to access the lodge. We were met by people running down the hill to greet us and collect our luggage and white-faced monkeys! Plenty of wildlife can be seen on the grounds and nearby trails, and a number of different tours are offered. They have a web site.

I don't think that 6 weeks is too much time to spend on the Osa!

jakethecat

Thanks to everyone! We booked a Nature Air flight to P. Jimenez and will spend a few nights at the tent camp and a few at Pearl of the Osa. I'll post a trip report upon our return!

Jessie_

Have a great time. While in Carate don't hesitate to walk up the Carate river to Luna Lodge to say hello. Lana is a great person and there are some nice waterfalls you can check out. Terry and Katya at Look Out Inn are very nice also. Don't know the new owners of the other tent camp just beyond the CRE one but if they are like everyone else they will be more than glad to show you the place.

jakethecat

A hitch...I just talked with the Corcovado Tent Camp (in carate). They want $64/night per person. This sounds like a lot to me and we were hoping for something more "budget." We were thinking CR would be an affordable place to visit on my teachers salary but it seems to not be the case. Did we pick the wrong country? wrong part of the country? or wrong lodging options?

Thanks for whatever additional help anyone can provide.