stephv

Hello! We are going to Costa Rica for the first 2 weeks of July, and are spending 4 nights at Bosque del Cabo. I am torn over whether to fly or drive there.

After some initial research, I came to the conclusion that driving there is just not the way to go, particularly because of flooding. However, now I am hearing that some new bridges have been built, and that the flooding isn't much of a problem any more, especially up to Cabo Matalpo (sp?).

Let me add that my husband LOVES to drive and has no problem dealing with bad road conditions or crazy drivers. It is primarily the flooding/impassability of the roads that worries me. In addition, I HATE to fly, and try to avoid it when possible.

The hotel said we could do the drive, but I'm wondering if anyone has any personal experience/advice, especially considering that we are going during the Green Season.

Thank you!

shillmac

Haven't done this drive, so can't help you there. I know it is do-able, but most prefer to fly this long distance (8 hrs approx driving time). We will be arriving at Bosque on July 2. Hope to see you there! We are leaving the 5th. We will be traveling using public bus (1st time) and are planning on some 2-3 day stops along the way to enjoy some areas we haven't seen before. The day we arrive at Bosque, we will be coming from Golfito. Still not sure of just how this works, but we will play it by ear! Have a safe trip! Driving would definitely be an adventure. . .and you have the time! What else are you going to be doing? Do you want to use 2 days of your time driving to this one location and back? Of course, there is plenty to see and do along the way, so if you used it as an opportunity to see more of the country, it sounds kind of cool to me! We like driving there, too, now that we have learned how to relax and not fret so!

stephv

Thanks for the reply, I've enjoyed reading your posts. We are just going to miss eachother - we're arriving on the 7th and leaving the 12th. As for the rest of our trip, we haven't finalized anything yet (deciding on Bosque was actually the easy part, I absolutely wanted to go to the Osa).
We're flying into Liberia and (I think) heading immediately to Tamarindo for a few days, because we have friends who are there for the summer. I am hoping to do a day trip to Rincon de la Vieja from here, and my husband and daughter (12 yrs old) want to surf. Any other suggestions?
Then, IF we decide to drive to Bosque, I think we'll head down to the Manuel Antonio area, it's only a 5-hour drive from there.
Or, if we decide to fly to Bosque, I think we'll instead go to Arenal and Monteverde. We're using this fly vs. drive decision as a way of choosing between all the places we'd like to see!
Finally, we're flying out of San Jose, so we'll spend the last couple of nights near there and do some day trips. What's this Overview Tour, or 4-in-1 tour I read about in another message?
Does all this sound reasonable? I'm not used to planning trips in this much detail - usually we just get in the car and decide as we go (with a few ideas in mind of what we'd like to see), but it seems like we need to plan this trip out a little better....Thanks!

karenf

Hi stephy, We went toCosta Rica last July for the first two weeks and did drive to Bosque del Cabo ((from Nosara( and stayed overnight in Quepos).I would not recommend driving.By the way, this was our third trip to Costa Rica and we had driven all over on previous trips. First of all, It is a long drive. There are very long stretches with no gas stations or even towns if you have car trouble. It is not particularly picturesque. Some of the roads are brutal. There was one stretch where the road had been washed away and the locals were all standing.around ready to push us if we got stuck in the stream we had to ford. The road from Puerto Jimenez to Bosque was very bumpy and also involved crossing streams. We got lost three times on the way back to Quepos.I do not think it is worth it to sacrifice two days of your trip driving there. Once you are there you will not use the car.We do plan to go back this year and we plan to fly. We do like driving in Costa Rica but this was just too long and not a rewarding drive in terms of scenery, etc.

shillmac

You're making good progress, and I know you will have a wonderful time. As for the 4-in-1 tour, I'm not sure what that is. I'm thinking it is the same as the Highlights of Costa Rica tour (which I think you can look up online). This one is excellent. I did it with Ecoscape Tours and it includes:

7:00 pick up at your hotel

breakfast at a coffee plantation

Poas Volcano (a pretty good bet early in the a.m.) Very scenic, beautiful crater and also a hike through forest

brief stop along the road at La Paz Gardens (one of the falls is near the road)

lunch at Selva Verde on the Rio Sarapiqui

brief stop at hummingbird gallery for snack and view

Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui where you are transported on a jungle cruise down the river for about an hour--wildlife

souvenir shopping in P. Viejo

return to San Jose through the Braulio Carillo Parque Nacional (about 5:00 p.m.)

You will actually travel through 5 of the 7 provinces including the Caribbean lowlands (near Puerto Viejo)

It's a great day trip, and your time near San Jose just couldn't be spent any better! But, there are a few interesting options:

1 or 2 day Pacuare rafting (your daughter would probably love this). If interested, check out Rio Tropicales website.

tour to Irazu volcano, including the Orosi Valley and Lankaster Gardens

shillmac

stephy,
I'm not sure you really have to plan this out as much as you think you do. Obviously, you would want to take care of your flight reservations to the Osa, but, as for the other locations and activities, you can certainly do any of them as you go If you just have your basic plan in mind, you can arrange as needed. It's probably more fun that way anyway, and a heck of a lot easier! Enjoy!