missyw22

Ok, so after much back and forth we have finally decided to do our honeymoon in Costa Rica the first week of May! We have reservations for 3 nights at Nayara in Arenal and then will go to Arenas del Mar in Manuel Antonio for 4 nights, finishing our trip in SJO as we have an early morning flight out. (not planning to spend much time there besides sleeping and getting up for our flight at 7am) We are in our early 30s and have traveled throughout the world, we enjoy activities but are also looking forward to some romance and downtime. My questions for everyone:

1. Would you recommend hiring a driver for all 3 transfers we will have (SJO to Arenal, Arenal to MA and MA to SJO) or would you do some with flights or perhaps rent a car for the whole week?

2. What activities are the best to do in both locations?

3. Which Hot Spring do you think is the best?

4. Are there any recommendations specific to our hotels you could provide us?

5. Anything else you think might be good for us to know or helpful to make our trip wonderful?!?

Thank you in advance for your help and guidance, I very much look forward to hearing back from all you pros out there!!

volcanogirl

I wouldn't bother flying since those are areas that are pretty easy to get to. We hire private drivers through our hotels when we book them. If you're adventurous, a lot of people like to drive. We stayed at Nayara recently - it's a good pick for a honeymoon. Not sure if they are still doing construction, but just in case, I'd request a room away from the construction. They were doing a lot of building when we were there. Tabacon and Eco Termales are both nice hot springs; Tabacon is more elaborate and Eco Termales is less crowded and more intimate. We liked the chicken dinner at Eco Termales. Other good things to do in the Arenal area are ziplining at Sky Trek, the Cano Negro tour or Penas Blancas river float, hiking the Hanging Bridges, visiting Proyecto Asis animal rescue center, and hiking the waterfall and swimming at the base. Nayara has very good food; Don Rufino is a good restaurant if you want to go into town. In Manuel Antonio, be sure to take a guided tour of the park and enjoy the beach inside the park - very pretty there. The Damas mangrove tour and horseback riding with Finca Valmy are also popular. We enjoyed sailing, but I'd pass on the snorkeling next time due to the sediment in the water. Good restaurants are Cafe Agua Azul and Ronny's Place. Also like Cafe Milagro, Barba Roja, and Salsipuedes.

Arenalbotanical

I'd rent a car and do Baldi as a hot spring visit while in Fortuna.
If you are in Fortuna take the 30 minute ride to Nuevo Arenal and eat at The Gingerbread house for dinner or a bit further, toward Rio Piedras, to Cafe y Macadamia, if it's only for lunch.(before 5 pm)
Those two are the best anywhere around these parts.
Don't bother with reservations this time of year. Just go-look and stay.Relax. Pura Vida.

ParkerSunshine

I would highly recommend hiring a driver so the stress of driving and/or flying is eliminated. PLUS you get to see so much more of this beautiful, diverse country while driving. I used Wilson Rojas [email protected] and have continued to recommend him to people over the years and everyone comes back so happy with him -- he will tell you about his country as he drives you through it, even stopping to show you things along the way.

MFNYC

We did a similar trip. We decided to not rent a car and go with a driver for the long legs. We also used Wilson. He is great, and can help with your planning as well. He and his wife, Elsy are responsive, and knowledgeable., with everything from which excursions to take to which restaurants to eat in.

If you are looking for a place to stay near the airport for your last night, I can recommend Casa Bella Rita. It's a delightful b&b, and the owners, Steve and Rita are the best. Steve will even prepare a homemade dinner for you, at a minimal fee (the ribs are excellent). Steve even drove us to the airport (at no fee) but can also arrange for a cab, if he's busy.

volcanogirl

Our favorite hotels for a last night are Xandari and Grano de Oro. Grano de Oro has an excellent restaurant on site. If you stay there, I'd request a garden room.

ShellD

We've used Wilson as a driver as well and I'd recommend him as well! Another option is to have a driver take you to your locations, and then rent a car while you're in Arenal. We've done that just to have the flexibility while you're there. We found Mapache to be very reasonable in that area. They dropped off and picked up the vehicle at our hotel.

I'd also second staying at Xandari for the last night, if you're going to be there for any length of time. It's a beautiful hotel on a great property! I'd love to go back for a two night stay just to soak up the atmosphere a bit more.

volcanogirl

Shell, you and I always like all the same places!

mangoemily

I would recommend having a car, at least while you are in Manuel Antonio. I say this because Arenas Del Mar is very secluded so you would definitely want a car because it is not easily accessible walking wise to the main road, and I know taxis charge a lot to drive to and from that resort. In Arenal, definitely do the hot springs, both Baldi and Tabacon are great, Tabacon is more expensive. Both of options for full or half day passes with a buffet included if you wish. Sky Adventures and Pure Trek, are really fun and have great reviews - zipline and canyoning/rappelling.
There is also a place called the Mirador, I don't really remember.. but it has a restaurant and is really close to the volcano with great views!
In Manuel Antonio I would recommend ziplining - Canopy Safari is great, they have 10 ziplines, two rappels, a butterfly garden and serpentarium. You should also check out white water rafting, so much fun! I like Amigos Del Rio - years of experience, safe, and the guides make the trip exhilarating and fun! Breakfast and lunch is included, plus you get to stop and see a waterfall. I also recommend a Sunset Sail tour.. you get to relax on the boat, drinks and food included, go snorkeling, and they take you out to try find dolphins! Their are so many restaurants to choose from in Manuel Antonio - my favorites are Cafe Milagro (breakfast, lunch or dinner), Cafe Agua Azul for lunch, Kapi Kapi - very nice and romantic and Ronnie's Place is the best sangria and great sunset views. Enjoy your trip!

mlgb

You can walk along the beach from Arenas del Mar to Manuel Antonio park, or take a taxi for about $10 OW. So no, you don't need a car there. Just enjoy the grounds. You may find that after one visit to the park, you won't want to leave Arenas del Mar!