TRIP REPORT: Monteverde, Arenal, Tamarindo
Dec 10th, 2004, 10:26 AM
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TRIP REPORT: Monteverde, Arenal, Tamarindo
Hola everyone! Just got back from an amazing week in Costa Rica! I have a lot to share in this trip report, so here goes...
DAY 1: ARRIVE SAN JOSE
TRANSPORTATION & LUNCH: Since we arrived at 1:45 p.m., we figured that we wouldn’t get thru customs and get a rental car in time to drive there before nightfall on our own, so we made arrangements to be picked up from the airport and driven in a private van to Monteverde. Cost was $100. It turned out customs only about 5-10 minutes and we carried our bags on instead of checking, so it was much faster. The drive was about 3 ½ hours plus about an hour for a late lunch. Our driver took us to a nice place on the road between SJ and MV called Restaurante Caballo Blanco. We had the seafood platter and Costa Rican Imperial beer! The roads were paved for half of the trip, then after the restaurant, we turned off the main road onto a small dirt road to Monteverde. It felt like we were driving on a cheese grater! The road was very narrow with a drop-off on one side. It was soon dark and we were VERY glad that we weren’t driving.
DAY 2: MONTEVERDE
LODGING: We stayed at El Sapo Dorado < http://www.sapodorado.com/ >, which was a really peaceful place! Low-season rate was $85/night + tax. They gave us a flashlight and took us to our cabin. It smelled of wood and was really clean and nice. There are two huge rooms, a table with chairs and a bathroom with a shower & hair dryer. No TV. No clock, but the front desk was very nice to tell us what time it was anytime we needed. They also did wake-up calls.
DINNER: On the first night, we had a goat cheese appetizer and an amazing ginger/orange soup, also a bottle of red wine, at the Sapo Dorado restaurant. It was candlelit and very romantic!
GUIDED HIKE: On our first day, we were picked up at the hotel promptly at 7:15 a.m. and driven to the Monteverde cloud forest preserve for our 7:30 a.m. guided hike. Our hike leader, Maria, met us with a large telescope that she carried on the tour with us. We thought the preserve was a little hokey because it had stone walkways and it was crowded with other tourists on similar tours. When the guides found a bird, everyone scrambled to set up their telescopes and it was a bit crazy and crowded. But we did see a few quetzals, which were beautiful and we wouldn’t have seen them without our guide. We also saw some monkeys, but we found out later that monkeys are everywhere in CR. After the hike, we were picked up at about 11:30 a.m. and driven to the downtown area. Cost for transport both ways, guide & entrance to the park was $36/each.
LUNCH: We ate a really good "typical CR meal" at Morphos Restaurant, which is in town across the street from the supermarket. Prices were very good, around $14 for two lunches and two fruit smoothie drinks. Downstairs from the restaurant is the tour office where we booked all of our tours and transports. Their Web site is http://www.monteverdetours.com and E-mail is [email protected].
CANOPY TOUR: We did the 2:30 p.m. Original Canopy Tour. Unlike SkyTrek, which picked up people in vans emblazoned with the SkyTrek logo, the Canopy Tour guys arrived in a taxi and we all piled in. The tour was great, however. Our group was about 12 people with 3-4 guides. We did five zip lines, then repelled straight down to the ground, climbed up through a strangler fig, and then did two more zip lines and a final repel to the ground. It was raining during the tour, but we hardly noticed. It was amazing! Such a rush! I have heard that SkyTrek is higher and scarier, but trust me, the Original Canopy Tour was high enough! Very fun, so glad we did this. Tip: If the guides offer to take pictures, let them. I was worried about giving them my new digital camera, but they are experienced in taking pictures and know how to use digital cameras! Their pictures came out better than mine! And they are able to zip out a little ways and then take photos of you standing on the platform and also can shoot pics of you climbing up through the tree. Price was $45/each, including transportation.
DINNER: That night, we ate dinner at Johnny’s Pizzeria, which we were able to walk to from El Sapo Dorado. We split pizza & pasta, delicious! We noticed that the prices at Johnny’s were really good. Think we paid about $45 for an appetizer, two entrees, bottle of wine, incl. tip & tax. Restaurant listings for Monteverde, including the places we visited: http://www.monteverdetours.com/facts...estaurants.htm
DAY 3: ARENAL
TRANSPORTATION: We didn’t want to drive between Monteverde and Arenal, so we opted for the van/horseback/boat/taxi transfer instead. At $65/person this was a great way to turn a travel day into an adventure! We were picked up at 8 a.m. and then driven for about 1 ½ hours to our horses. We had the same driver who picked us up in San Jose. As was the case with this tour company, he was exactly on time. The journey included myself, my boyfriend and two German-speaking girls from Switzerland. We left our bags with the driver and then rode horses for about 2 ½ hours! The Spanish-speaking guide and his 10-year-old son took up the front and rear. We stopped for a break along the banks of Lake Arenal to eat pineapple and watermelon. Our guide supplied bottled water. We were then met by another guide who had a boat waiting & our bags were on the boat. We took a short 20-minute trip across the lake, which included a brief stop at an island where we saw huge orange and black iguanas perched atop trees! We were met by a taxi who drove us to our hotel. Arrival was about 1:30 p.m.
LODGING: We stayed at Volcano Lodge < http://www.arenal.net/hotel/volcano-lodge.htm >. Low-season rate was $70 for one night (incl. tax and breakfast). It was clean and the grounds were very nice. We didn’t use the pool but sat outside on the porch and watched the volcano spurting lava at night!
NIGHT HIKE: We were picked up for our night hike of the volcano at 3:40 p.m. by a van that picked up several other couples. On our way, we pulled over and all got out of the van to see a TUCAN in the tree! A short way down the road, we got out of the van again to see MONKEYS playing and hanging upside down in trees by the side of the road! The hike was very easy and mostly consisted of stopping every few minutes to listen to our guide tell us about leaf-cutter ants or other things in the rainforest. As in MV, there were other tour groups on the same hike. The hike ended at a look-out spot where all the tours went and our van was waiting with a cooler of fruit juice drinks. As night fell, we saw lava streaming down the sides of the volcano even though the top was covered in clouds. Then we hiked down a little ways to see a green lagoon, which was mostly just a dark lagoon b/c it was dark by then. At about 6:30, we left and went to the hot springs. The tour company usually takes people to Baldi Hot Springs, but we requested the Tabacon Hot Springs and paid more to go there. Cost for the hike & hot springs was $39/each.
HOT SPRINGS: Definitely recommend Tabacon Hot Springs < http://www.tabacon.com/home_i.html >! My boyfriend says this was his absolute No. 1 favorite part of the trip. Cost is $29 all day or $19 after 7 p.m. However, this price was included for us in the cost of our hike. I believe you can also do a combo package of the Original Canopy Tour and hot springs for $45, which is another good deal. Note that if you don’t bring your own towel to the hot springs, it’s a $10 deposit to use one of theirs. It’s another $10 deposit for a key to a locker. I’d also recommend bringing some rubber slippers that you can wear in the water. Some pools have pebbles, rocks on the ground and others are man-made and feel better on bare feet. The pools also differ in temperature with some being VERY hot, some being lukewarm and others being ICE cold! There is a maze of walkways and we had tons of fun exploring all the pools, especially the remote ones!
Then we parked at the wet bar. Try the B.B.C. – Bailey’s, Banana & Coconut! Yum! The bartender said 2-for-1 happy hour was at 9 p.m., but by that time we were tired and decided to grab dinner. The burgers & chicken sandwiches at the main restaurant were yummy. There are free shuttles that depart at 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., but we were mistakenly told 10 p.m., so we took a $5 taxi back to the hotel. When we got there, the clouds cover on the volcano had moved and we could see the most amazing eruption! Lava literally spewing out of the cone!
DAYS 4-6: TAMARINDO
TRANSPORTATION: We had reserved an automatic 4x4 at National, but came to find out that the service is operated by Dollar, who didn’t get the message that we needed an automatic, so they only had manual! That sucked b/c we had to pay a higher price for the automatic but then I was forced to drive instead of my boyfriend. So if you NEED an AUTOMATIC, definitely call ahead and make sure they have one for you. Also, I’d recommend getting maximum insurance coverage and renting a 4x4. The guy at the rental agency said the roads from La Fortuna to Tamarindo were all paved. Well, yes. But they were FULL of potholes and stretches of rocky unpaved crap that had us flying, slamming on the brakes and bumping around like crazy. The rental agency guy said the trip should take us about 3 ½ hours. It took us more than 6 hours. http://www.natcar.com/
LODGING: After the horrible car ride, it was such a joy to arrive at the most amazing and peaceful place on the whole trip! We stayed at Casa Rosa < http://casarosabeachhouse.com/ >, which consists of a main house and two attached beach-front studios. The studios have very high ceilings and a ceiling fan, which kept the rooms very cool. Lying on the bed, you can hear the waves crash on the beach, amazing. The main room has a large king-size bed and a small single bed, bedside tables, a main dresser, two wicker chairs & a TV with HBO. The bathroom has a large shower. There also is a kitchenette that has a small fridge, coffee maker, toaster, plates, water classes, coffee mugs, wine glasses & utensils. Our key ring had a key to the studio, key to the outside gate and another key to the kitchenette so you could lock your valuables in this inner room for safety. Outside, there are two hammocks & four padded beach recliners that you can wheel out to the beach. Casa Rosa is right next to Hotel Capitan Suizo < http://www.hotelcapitansuizo.com/indexhtml.html >, so you can go next door for dinner, the bar or to organize tours. At the hotel, I saw a huge lizard and monkeys up close! Out front, the beach is wide and white and very nice. It’s at the southern most part of Tamarindo beach away from all the clutter of the town, so it really is the BEST location. Low-season rate at Casa Rosa was $75/night (incl tax) and our hostess, Sonja, was amazing and had lots of good restaurant recommendations.
FOOD: On our first night, we ate at Zullymar, a great beach-front, open air restaurant. I had garlic shrimp. YUM! Later that night, we walked over to Hotel Capitan Suizo for drinks – more BBCs! The next day, we walked to town along the beach and ate breakfast at the beach-front Nogui's, also known as Sunset Café. Great prices and fantastic local, laid-back atmosphere. My favorite dish was granola & bananas with milk. Entire breakfast was $12, including tip. On our second night, we ate at Hotel Capitan Suizo. It was OK but expensive, closer to U.S. prices. On our last day, we ate breakfast at Sunset Café again and had tacos and burritos for lunch at Gil’s Place, which was laid back and very cool. For dinner that night, we walked into town and ate at Portofino Restaurante-Pizzería, which featured great pizza with good prices and a festive atmosphere.
SURFING: On our first night, we wandered into town and found a surf store that offered us a 2-hour lesson for $20/each, including board rental & wet suit. Their classes were at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Our instructor was a Spanish guy who was very good! He taught us how to lay on the board, paddle & stand up. Then, he helped everyone catch waves and told us when to get up and where to stand on the board. Fun!
SHOPPING: Tamarindo was the only place where I did any shopping. There were shops all along the main street in Tamarindo, but I liked the ones around the town circle best. Also, prices were better there. A tip: Look everywhere before you purchase. I bought a cute pipe at the fist store I went to for $16 then found it nearly everywhere for only $5. Yup, I got ripped off! Other good things to buy include Costa Rican cigars and unique shell and/or beaded jewelry.
MASSAGE: There are really good prices for this here! One place was advertising 1 hour for only $40! Or, for $80, you could get 1 hour with TWO people working on you! Unfortunately, many places take only cash. Keep that in mind.
BANKS/ ATMs/ CASH: The ATMs suck, none of them worked for us anywhere in CR until the very last day, which meant that I missed out on a massage. Boo! Note that the banks have very long lines! Most places take either U.S. dollars or colones or a combination. Note that it’s hard to use large U.S. bills, so you should bring smaller bills or change them. Traveler’s checks can only be cashed at banks, but then you have to wait in the long line. We went to the main bank in Santa Elena and the ATM didn’t work for me. In Tamarindo, the ATMs are at the bank, at the Best Western Vista Villas and at a small funky store across the street from the pizza place near the town circle. The is a great ATM upstairs at the San Jose airport that gives you either colones or U.S. dollars.
DAY 7: SAN JOSE
TRANSPORTATION: We arranged for the shuttle from Sansa < https://www.flysansa.com/ > to pick us up in front of Casa Rosa at 5:30 a.m. They were on time and it cost only about $5. Our shuttle driver then became the air traffic controller, bag checker & & ticket collector. And, yes, they did weigh our bags! Must be under 25 pounds. We packed light, so that wasn’t a problem. Basically, I put all of our heavy stuff into our backpacks that they didn’t weigh and only light clothes and stuff in our carry-on bags. It worked like a charm! There were 7 people on our 6:20 a.m. Sansa flight, including the pilot and co-pilot. Note that while you don’t have to be at the airport 2 hours before take-off, but you do need to be there with enough time to check in and get your bags weighed! Some guys showed up after were were all onboard and came out to the runway and tried to argue with the captain, who was sitting in the plane, to let them board. He said no and sent them back. Haha! The views were great from the plane, so bring your camera! The flight took about 30 minutes and we landed in San Jose at about 7:15 a.m. Cost was $71/each.
AIRPORT / DOWNTOWN / SHOPPING: After we landed, we had some time to kill before our 1 p.m. flight to the U.S., so we paid our $26 departure tax and caught a $12 taxi to downtown San Jose for breakfast. We went to a cute place and had some typical food: eggs, rice, beans. We then walked around a little, but it was so dirty and we were afraid of our bags getting stolen, so we took a $5 taxi back to the airport and instead went shopping at the Café Brit store. They currently have a special where you can buy 6 bags of coffee or chocolate candies for $6 each and get 2 free. You also can get 2 bottles of Costa Rican coffee liquor for $15. If you forgot to buy these things or if you’d rather buy gifts from the Internet at home, check out < http://www.cafebritt.com >. In the separate duty-free liquor store at the airport, you can buy 3 bottles of Costa Rican rum for $20.
WHAT TO BRING: Hiking boots & slippers. Swim suit & towel. I loved having my camelback. Definitely binoculars! Note that there are American electric outlets in most hotels, so if you brought an iPod, you could charge it. Flashlight is helpful. We especially loved our headlamp. I brought Advil & pepto but never used it. We brought rain jackets but never used them (still think it’s a good idea to have them in Monteverde though).
HAVE FUN!!!
DAY 1: ARRIVE SAN JOSE
TRANSPORTATION & LUNCH: Since we arrived at 1:45 p.m., we figured that we wouldn’t get thru customs and get a rental car in time to drive there before nightfall on our own, so we made arrangements to be picked up from the airport and driven in a private van to Monteverde. Cost was $100. It turned out customs only about 5-10 minutes and we carried our bags on instead of checking, so it was much faster. The drive was about 3 ½ hours plus about an hour for a late lunch. Our driver took us to a nice place on the road between SJ and MV called Restaurante Caballo Blanco. We had the seafood platter and Costa Rican Imperial beer! The roads were paved for half of the trip, then after the restaurant, we turned off the main road onto a small dirt road to Monteverde. It felt like we were driving on a cheese grater! The road was very narrow with a drop-off on one side. It was soon dark and we were VERY glad that we weren’t driving.
DAY 2: MONTEVERDE
LODGING: We stayed at El Sapo Dorado < http://www.sapodorado.com/ >, which was a really peaceful place! Low-season rate was $85/night + tax. They gave us a flashlight and took us to our cabin. It smelled of wood and was really clean and nice. There are two huge rooms, a table with chairs and a bathroom with a shower & hair dryer. No TV. No clock, but the front desk was very nice to tell us what time it was anytime we needed. They also did wake-up calls.
DINNER: On the first night, we had a goat cheese appetizer and an amazing ginger/orange soup, also a bottle of red wine, at the Sapo Dorado restaurant. It was candlelit and very romantic!
GUIDED HIKE: On our first day, we were picked up at the hotel promptly at 7:15 a.m. and driven to the Monteverde cloud forest preserve for our 7:30 a.m. guided hike. Our hike leader, Maria, met us with a large telescope that she carried on the tour with us. We thought the preserve was a little hokey because it had stone walkways and it was crowded with other tourists on similar tours. When the guides found a bird, everyone scrambled to set up their telescopes and it was a bit crazy and crowded. But we did see a few quetzals, which were beautiful and we wouldn’t have seen them without our guide. We also saw some monkeys, but we found out later that monkeys are everywhere in CR. After the hike, we were picked up at about 11:30 a.m. and driven to the downtown area. Cost for transport both ways, guide & entrance to the park was $36/each.
LUNCH: We ate a really good "typical CR meal" at Morphos Restaurant, which is in town across the street from the supermarket. Prices were very good, around $14 for two lunches and two fruit smoothie drinks. Downstairs from the restaurant is the tour office where we booked all of our tours and transports. Their Web site is http://www.monteverdetours.com and E-mail is [email protected].
CANOPY TOUR: We did the 2:30 p.m. Original Canopy Tour. Unlike SkyTrek, which picked up people in vans emblazoned with the SkyTrek logo, the Canopy Tour guys arrived in a taxi and we all piled in. The tour was great, however. Our group was about 12 people with 3-4 guides. We did five zip lines, then repelled straight down to the ground, climbed up through a strangler fig, and then did two more zip lines and a final repel to the ground. It was raining during the tour, but we hardly noticed. It was amazing! Such a rush! I have heard that SkyTrek is higher and scarier, but trust me, the Original Canopy Tour was high enough! Very fun, so glad we did this. Tip: If the guides offer to take pictures, let them. I was worried about giving them my new digital camera, but they are experienced in taking pictures and know how to use digital cameras! Their pictures came out better than mine! And they are able to zip out a little ways and then take photos of you standing on the platform and also can shoot pics of you climbing up through the tree. Price was $45/each, including transportation.
DINNER: That night, we ate dinner at Johnny’s Pizzeria, which we were able to walk to from El Sapo Dorado. We split pizza & pasta, delicious! We noticed that the prices at Johnny’s were really good. Think we paid about $45 for an appetizer, two entrees, bottle of wine, incl. tip & tax. Restaurant listings for Monteverde, including the places we visited: http://www.monteverdetours.com/facts...estaurants.htm
DAY 3: ARENAL
TRANSPORTATION: We didn’t want to drive between Monteverde and Arenal, so we opted for the van/horseback/boat/taxi transfer instead. At $65/person this was a great way to turn a travel day into an adventure! We were picked up at 8 a.m. and then driven for about 1 ½ hours to our horses. We had the same driver who picked us up in San Jose. As was the case with this tour company, he was exactly on time. The journey included myself, my boyfriend and two German-speaking girls from Switzerland. We left our bags with the driver and then rode horses for about 2 ½ hours! The Spanish-speaking guide and his 10-year-old son took up the front and rear. We stopped for a break along the banks of Lake Arenal to eat pineapple and watermelon. Our guide supplied bottled water. We were then met by another guide who had a boat waiting & our bags were on the boat. We took a short 20-minute trip across the lake, which included a brief stop at an island where we saw huge orange and black iguanas perched atop trees! We were met by a taxi who drove us to our hotel. Arrival was about 1:30 p.m.
LODGING: We stayed at Volcano Lodge < http://www.arenal.net/hotel/volcano-lodge.htm >. Low-season rate was $70 for one night (incl. tax and breakfast). It was clean and the grounds were very nice. We didn’t use the pool but sat outside on the porch and watched the volcano spurting lava at night!
NIGHT HIKE: We were picked up for our night hike of the volcano at 3:40 p.m. by a van that picked up several other couples. On our way, we pulled over and all got out of the van to see a TUCAN in the tree! A short way down the road, we got out of the van again to see MONKEYS playing and hanging upside down in trees by the side of the road! The hike was very easy and mostly consisted of stopping every few minutes to listen to our guide tell us about leaf-cutter ants or other things in the rainforest. As in MV, there were other tour groups on the same hike. The hike ended at a look-out spot where all the tours went and our van was waiting with a cooler of fruit juice drinks. As night fell, we saw lava streaming down the sides of the volcano even though the top was covered in clouds. Then we hiked down a little ways to see a green lagoon, which was mostly just a dark lagoon b/c it was dark by then. At about 6:30, we left and went to the hot springs. The tour company usually takes people to Baldi Hot Springs, but we requested the Tabacon Hot Springs and paid more to go there. Cost for the hike & hot springs was $39/each.
HOT SPRINGS: Definitely recommend Tabacon Hot Springs < http://www.tabacon.com/home_i.html >! My boyfriend says this was his absolute No. 1 favorite part of the trip. Cost is $29 all day or $19 after 7 p.m. However, this price was included for us in the cost of our hike. I believe you can also do a combo package of the Original Canopy Tour and hot springs for $45, which is another good deal. Note that if you don’t bring your own towel to the hot springs, it’s a $10 deposit to use one of theirs. It’s another $10 deposit for a key to a locker. I’d also recommend bringing some rubber slippers that you can wear in the water. Some pools have pebbles, rocks on the ground and others are man-made and feel better on bare feet. The pools also differ in temperature with some being VERY hot, some being lukewarm and others being ICE cold! There is a maze of walkways and we had tons of fun exploring all the pools, especially the remote ones!
Then we parked at the wet bar. Try the B.B.C. – Bailey’s, Banana & Coconut! Yum! The bartender said 2-for-1 happy hour was at 9 p.m., but by that time we were tired and decided to grab dinner. The burgers & chicken sandwiches at the main restaurant were yummy. There are free shuttles that depart at 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., but we were mistakenly told 10 p.m., so we took a $5 taxi back to the hotel. When we got there, the clouds cover on the volcano had moved and we could see the most amazing eruption! Lava literally spewing out of the cone! DAYS 4-6: TAMARINDO
TRANSPORTATION: We had reserved an automatic 4x4 at National, but came to find out that the service is operated by Dollar, who didn’t get the message that we needed an automatic, so they only had manual! That sucked b/c we had to pay a higher price for the automatic but then I was forced to drive instead of my boyfriend. So if you NEED an AUTOMATIC, definitely call ahead and make sure they have one for you. Also, I’d recommend getting maximum insurance coverage and renting a 4x4. The guy at the rental agency said the roads from La Fortuna to Tamarindo were all paved. Well, yes. But they were FULL of potholes and stretches of rocky unpaved crap that had us flying, slamming on the brakes and bumping around like crazy. The rental agency guy said the trip should take us about 3 ½ hours. It took us more than 6 hours. http://www.natcar.com/
LODGING: After the horrible car ride, it was such a joy to arrive at the most amazing and peaceful place on the whole trip! We stayed at Casa Rosa < http://casarosabeachhouse.com/ >, which consists of a main house and two attached beach-front studios. The studios have very high ceilings and a ceiling fan, which kept the rooms very cool. Lying on the bed, you can hear the waves crash on the beach, amazing. The main room has a large king-size bed and a small single bed, bedside tables, a main dresser, two wicker chairs & a TV with HBO. The bathroom has a large shower. There also is a kitchenette that has a small fridge, coffee maker, toaster, plates, water classes, coffee mugs, wine glasses & utensils. Our key ring had a key to the studio, key to the outside gate and another key to the kitchenette so you could lock your valuables in this inner room for safety. Outside, there are two hammocks & four padded beach recliners that you can wheel out to the beach. Casa Rosa is right next to Hotel Capitan Suizo < http://www.hotelcapitansuizo.com/indexhtml.html >, so you can go next door for dinner, the bar or to organize tours. At the hotel, I saw a huge lizard and monkeys up close! Out front, the beach is wide and white and very nice. It’s at the southern most part of Tamarindo beach away from all the clutter of the town, so it really is the BEST location. Low-season rate at Casa Rosa was $75/night (incl tax) and our hostess, Sonja, was amazing and had lots of good restaurant recommendations.
FOOD: On our first night, we ate at Zullymar, a great beach-front, open air restaurant. I had garlic shrimp. YUM! Later that night, we walked over to Hotel Capitan Suizo for drinks – more BBCs! The next day, we walked to town along the beach and ate breakfast at the beach-front Nogui's, also known as Sunset Café. Great prices and fantastic local, laid-back atmosphere. My favorite dish was granola & bananas with milk. Entire breakfast was $12, including tip. On our second night, we ate at Hotel Capitan Suizo. It was OK but expensive, closer to U.S. prices. On our last day, we ate breakfast at Sunset Café again and had tacos and burritos for lunch at Gil’s Place, which was laid back and very cool. For dinner that night, we walked into town and ate at Portofino Restaurante-Pizzería, which featured great pizza with good prices and a festive atmosphere.
SURFING: On our first night, we wandered into town and found a surf store that offered us a 2-hour lesson for $20/each, including board rental & wet suit. Their classes were at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Our instructor was a Spanish guy who was very good! He taught us how to lay on the board, paddle & stand up. Then, he helped everyone catch waves and told us when to get up and where to stand on the board. Fun!
SHOPPING: Tamarindo was the only place where I did any shopping. There were shops all along the main street in Tamarindo, but I liked the ones around the town circle best. Also, prices were better there. A tip: Look everywhere before you purchase. I bought a cute pipe at the fist store I went to for $16 then found it nearly everywhere for only $5. Yup, I got ripped off! Other good things to buy include Costa Rican cigars and unique shell and/or beaded jewelry.
MASSAGE: There are really good prices for this here! One place was advertising 1 hour for only $40! Or, for $80, you could get 1 hour with TWO people working on you! Unfortunately, many places take only cash. Keep that in mind.
BANKS/ ATMs/ CASH: The ATMs suck, none of them worked for us anywhere in CR until the very last day, which meant that I missed out on a massage. Boo! Note that the banks have very long lines! Most places take either U.S. dollars or colones or a combination. Note that it’s hard to use large U.S. bills, so you should bring smaller bills or change them. Traveler’s checks can only be cashed at banks, but then you have to wait in the long line. We went to the main bank in Santa Elena and the ATM didn’t work for me. In Tamarindo, the ATMs are at the bank, at the Best Western Vista Villas and at a small funky store across the street from the pizza place near the town circle. The is a great ATM upstairs at the San Jose airport that gives you either colones or U.S. dollars.
DAY 7: SAN JOSE
TRANSPORTATION: We arranged for the shuttle from Sansa < https://www.flysansa.com/ > to pick us up in front of Casa Rosa at 5:30 a.m. They were on time and it cost only about $5. Our shuttle driver then became the air traffic controller, bag checker & & ticket collector. And, yes, they did weigh our bags! Must be under 25 pounds. We packed light, so that wasn’t a problem. Basically, I put all of our heavy stuff into our backpacks that they didn’t weigh and only light clothes and stuff in our carry-on bags. It worked like a charm! There were 7 people on our 6:20 a.m. Sansa flight, including the pilot and co-pilot. Note that while you don’t have to be at the airport 2 hours before take-off, but you do need to be there with enough time to check in and get your bags weighed! Some guys showed up after were were all onboard and came out to the runway and tried to argue with the captain, who was sitting in the plane, to let them board. He said no and sent them back. Haha! The views were great from the plane, so bring your camera! The flight took about 30 minutes and we landed in San Jose at about 7:15 a.m. Cost was $71/each.
AIRPORT / DOWNTOWN / SHOPPING: After we landed, we had some time to kill before our 1 p.m. flight to the U.S., so we paid our $26 departure tax and caught a $12 taxi to downtown San Jose for breakfast. We went to a cute place and had some typical food: eggs, rice, beans. We then walked around a little, but it was so dirty and we were afraid of our bags getting stolen, so we took a $5 taxi back to the airport and instead went shopping at the Café Brit store. They currently have a special where you can buy 6 bags of coffee or chocolate candies for $6 each and get 2 free. You also can get 2 bottles of Costa Rican coffee liquor for $15. If you forgot to buy these things or if you’d rather buy gifts from the Internet at home, check out < http://www.cafebritt.com >. In the separate duty-free liquor store at the airport, you can buy 3 bottles of Costa Rican rum for $20.
WHAT TO BRING: Hiking boots & slippers. Swim suit & towel. I loved having my camelback. Definitely binoculars! Note that there are American electric outlets in most hotels, so if you brought an iPod, you could charge it. Flashlight is helpful. We especially loved our headlamp. I brought Advil & pepto but never used it. We brought rain jackets but never used them (still think it’s a good idea to have them in Monteverde though).
HAVE FUN!!!
Dec 10th, 2004, 03:22 PM
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A couple edits:
Volcano Lodge in Arenal had a hair dryer but Casa Rosa in Tamarindo did NOT. (These are v. important details to a woman!)
Other things to bring include INSECT REPELLANT, sun screen and - this is soooo important - a TRAVEL ALARM CLOCK!
(My boyfriend & I use our cell phones for the time and don't wear watches so we never knew what time it was! While that can be nice during a vacation, it was annoying when we needed to be out front at a certain time to catch a shuttle or wake up early to catch a flight! If you bring a travel alarm clock, you can pack it away until the times that you really need it!)
Volcano Lodge in Arenal had a hair dryer but Casa Rosa in Tamarindo did NOT. (These are v. important details to a woman!)
Other things to bring include INSECT REPELLANT, sun screen and - this is soooo important - a TRAVEL ALARM CLOCK!
(My boyfriend & I use our cell phones for the time and don't wear watches so we never knew what time it was! While that can be nice during a vacation, it was annoying when we needed to be out front at a certain time to catch a shuttle or wake up early to catch a flight! If you bring a travel alarm clock, you can pack it away until the times that you really need it!)
Dec 13th, 2004, 11:24 AM
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Shillmac - Thank you so much for all of the pre-trip advice! You and others on this board were a huge help and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.
Calinurse - Speaking only of Tamarindo, I have to say the actual beach wasn't as nice as, say, Kailua beach on Oahu, where I grew up. The sand in Hawaii is finer, softer, whiter and cleaner. That said, the entire experience of being in CR was so completely different. Many of the vegitation was familiar to me - hybiscus, orchids, papaya, pineapple, sugar cane, ginger - but it was more wild in CR. Everywhere I looked, there were familarities and I thought, that house or that street could be in rural Maui or Oahu's North Shore... but it seemed, in Costa Rica, that everything was ... "raw" or just more "wild."
Calinurse - Speaking only of Tamarindo, I have to say the actual beach wasn't as nice as, say, Kailua beach on Oahu, where I grew up. The sand in Hawaii is finer, softer, whiter and cleaner. That said, the entire experience of being in CR was so completely different. Many of the vegitation was familiar to me - hybiscus, orchids, papaya, pineapple, sugar cane, ginger - but it was more wild in CR. Everywhere I looked, there were familarities and I thought, that house or that street could be in rural Maui or Oahu's North Shore... but it seemed, in Costa Rica, that everything was ... "raw" or just more "wild."
Dec 15th, 2004, 01:05 AM
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To dcmalia: thanks for a great and detailed trip report. I particularly liked that you quoted prices whenever possible. We were in CR last month and are familiar with prices in general, but it is always helpful for planning future trips to get more data points.
To CaliNurse: I agree with the original poster that the beaches in Hawaii are better than Tamarindo beach. My opinion is the beaches in general that I saw in CR were not comparable to Hawaii. So, if beaches are your primary focus, head to Hawaii. As a side note, I've been to Bali twice, and none of their beaches were as nice as those in Hawaii, in my humble opinion. But, I did not go to Bali for the beaches
To CaliNurse: I agree with the original poster that the beaches in Hawaii are better than Tamarindo beach. My opinion is the beaches in general that I saw in CR were not comparable to Hawaii. So, if beaches are your primary focus, head to Hawaii. As a side note, I've been to Bali twice, and none of their beaches were as nice as those in Hawaii, in my humble opinion. But, I did not go to Bali for the beaches
Dec 15th, 2004, 10:36 PM
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To DC Malia and CP Dad,
DCMalia, again, mahalo for your detailed trip report. I like that you provided all kinds of details, not just the glowing, positive ones.
My son and his wife, who love Kauai, just arrived in CR. They will be going to Manuel Antonio and Playa Conchal. They know, based on info from this forum, that the snorkeling will be nowhere as good as at Kee Beach, for example. I can hardly wait to hear about their trip. Of course, they (or I, if they're busy with their three young children) will post on this forum. All I know so far, is that getting thru customs at SJO was a breeze (my son said much easier than in England) and that Xandari's villas and property (in Alajuela) are stunningly beautiful
DCMalia, again, mahalo for your detailed trip report. I like that you provided all kinds of details, not just the glowing, positive ones.
My son and his wife, who love Kauai, just arrived in CR. They will be going to Manuel Antonio and Playa Conchal. They know, based on info from this forum, that the snorkeling will be nowhere as good as at Kee Beach, for example. I can hardly wait to hear about their trip. Of course, they (or I, if they're busy with their three young children) will post on this forum. All I know so far, is that getting thru customs at SJO was a breeze (my son said much easier than in England) and that Xandari's villas and property (in Alajuela) are stunningly beautiful
Dec 16th, 2004, 01:45 PM
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Hi - Great trip report. Clear, concise, and fun to read.
A couple of questions: did you pick up your rental car in LaFortuna/Arenal and return it in Tamarindo? We are thinking of doing a one way rental but so often they are so much more expensive.
Also, we are arriving San Jose airport around the same time you are and thinking of driving to the Arenal/Tabacon area. Does it get dark early? Are the roads well marked enough that we could do it? We'd be driving from probably 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm.
A couple of questions: did you pick up your rental car in LaFortuna/Arenal and return it in Tamarindo? We are thinking of doing a one way rental but so often they are so much more expensive.
Also, we are arriving San Jose airport around the same time you are and thinking of driving to the Arenal/Tabacon area. Does it get dark early? Are the roads well marked enough that we could do it? We'd be driving from probably 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm.
Dec 17th, 2004, 09:43 AM
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Great Information! We are thinking of doing the horseback trip from Monteverde to Arenal in early April with our 2 kids (9 and 12) who are good riders. What tour group did you use? Were the horses good? Was it a good way to spend the day - views, birds, etc.? Thanks
Dec 17th, 2004, 02:46 PM
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Hey guys, thanks for the comments, I'm glad you liked my report!
In answer to twoinluv's questions:
(1) We rented a Toyota Rav 4 Auto from National via www.natcar.com for 1 day with maximum insurance coverage (LDW/SLC/PAI/0D) for $97. We actually picked it up at the Alamo rental office in La Fortuna. Note they didn't have the automatic we had asked for, so we had to take a manual! Ugh! The plan was to extend our reservation to two days or longer if we wanted to drive up and down the Pacific coast to other beaches near Tamarindo. As it turned out, the drive was SO MISERABLE and awful that by the time we arrived at Casa Rosa in Tamarindo and heard the waves and felt the peacefulness of the beach, we wanted nothing more than to just get RID of the car! We drove it back to downtown Tamarindo and dropped it off at the Alamo office there (open til 6 p.m.) but had to pay more because we forgot to fill it up with gas and just wanted to get rid of it! Don't think there was a separate charge for dropping it off at a different location.
(2) We didn't do the drive from SJ to Arenal, so I really couldn't say on the signs. I'd agree with Rufus that it generally gets dark around 6 p.m. (or 5:30, it seemed really early to me). And I would also agree with him that you should NOT drive in the dark! That was the reason we went with the private van... We didn't want to worry about it, be in a rush, or have to drive at dark. The company we booked the van through is Desafio (they also have an office in Arenal): http://www.monteverdetours.com and E-mail is [email protected]. The officer manager I e-mailed with is Janet. It was $100 for 5 people. Think there are also public buses and shared shuttles.
In answer to mtnparks:
(1) The horseback trip was great! Totally loved it. The tour group we used is associated with the one mentioned above, Desafio. You can check out their trip on their Web site: http://www.monteverdetours.com and E-mail Janet at [email protected] The cost was $65/person and we took the LAKE TRAIL. That is very important because other tour groups offer a cheaper trip ($60/each) but take a mountain trail that I've heard horror stories about because it's really hard on the horses. Supposedly, the lake trail is much better for the horses. The trail was flat and wide and so I would agree with that assertion.
(2) About the horses, they looked good and healthy. They all had horse shoes. Note the bridles didn't have a bit, but the horses obeyed hand and heel commands well. The saddle is like a western, but without the horn. At the end of the trip, I asked our guide (who spoke only Spanish, so another girl on the trip translated) about the frequency of trips. He said they have about 35 horses and usually keep the groups small, about 8 people. Our trip was 4, plus the guide and his son. They said they only do one trip a day, and the horses are allowed to freely walk back along the trail to the stable, with the guide and his son riding along with them. He said the horses don't work 2 days in a row.
(3) Good way to spend the day? YES!!! That was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me and my boyfriend, we loved it! It was a great way to get an adventure while also traveling. Wonderful, totally recommend! The views were great - We rode up a little hill to get a great vantage point to take pictures at, then went back down to the lake trail. The trail wound along the lake, so there were many beautiful views across the lake at the volcano, which was mostly covered in clouds. However, on the horseback portion, we didn't see any animals other than the pigs. Once, our tour guide stopped us and pointed in the tree, all excited, saying something in Spanish! We all gathered and looked - It was a squirrel! Ha! On the boat ride, pulling over to see the orange & black iguanas was AMAZING!
FYI, I have pics of my trip if you are interested... I took shots of everything! E-mail me at [email protected] and I can send you a link to my ofoto album.
Cheers everyone
In answer to twoinluv's questions:
(1) We rented a Toyota Rav 4 Auto from National via www.natcar.com for 1 day with maximum insurance coverage (LDW/SLC/PAI/0D) for $97. We actually picked it up at the Alamo rental office in La Fortuna. Note they didn't have the automatic we had asked for, so we had to take a manual! Ugh! The plan was to extend our reservation to two days or longer if we wanted to drive up and down the Pacific coast to other beaches near Tamarindo. As it turned out, the drive was SO MISERABLE and awful that by the time we arrived at Casa Rosa in Tamarindo and heard the waves and felt the peacefulness of the beach, we wanted nothing more than to just get RID of the car! We drove it back to downtown Tamarindo and dropped it off at the Alamo office there (open til 6 p.m.) but had to pay more because we forgot to fill it up with gas and just wanted to get rid of it! Don't think there was a separate charge for dropping it off at a different location.
(2) We didn't do the drive from SJ to Arenal, so I really couldn't say on the signs. I'd agree with Rufus that it generally gets dark around 6 p.m. (or 5:30, it seemed really early to me). And I would also agree with him that you should NOT drive in the dark! That was the reason we went with the private van... We didn't want to worry about it, be in a rush, or have to drive at dark. The company we booked the van through is Desafio (they also have an office in Arenal): http://www.monteverdetours.com and E-mail is [email protected]. The officer manager I e-mailed with is Janet. It was $100 for 5 people. Think there are also public buses and shared shuttles.
In answer to mtnparks:
(1) The horseback trip was great! Totally loved it. The tour group we used is associated with the one mentioned above, Desafio. You can check out their trip on their Web site: http://www.monteverdetours.com and E-mail Janet at [email protected] The cost was $65/person and we took the LAKE TRAIL. That is very important because other tour groups offer a cheaper trip ($60/each) but take a mountain trail that I've heard horror stories about because it's really hard on the horses. Supposedly, the lake trail is much better for the horses. The trail was flat and wide and so I would agree with that assertion.
(2) About the horses, they looked good and healthy. They all had horse shoes. Note the bridles didn't have a bit, but the horses obeyed hand and heel commands well. The saddle is like a western, but without the horn. At the end of the trip, I asked our guide (who spoke only Spanish, so another girl on the trip translated) about the frequency of trips. He said they have about 35 horses and usually keep the groups small, about 8 people. Our trip was 4, plus the guide and his son. They said they only do one trip a day, and the horses are allowed to freely walk back along the trail to the stable, with the guide and his son riding along with them. He said the horses don't work 2 days in a row.
(3) Good way to spend the day? YES!!! That was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me and my boyfriend, we loved it! It was a great way to get an adventure while also traveling. Wonderful, totally recommend! The views were great - We rode up a little hill to get a great vantage point to take pictures at, then went back down to the lake trail. The trail wound along the lake, so there were many beautiful views across the lake at the volcano, which was mostly covered in clouds. However, on the horseback portion, we didn't see any animals other than the pigs. Once, our tour guide stopped us and pointed in the tree, all excited, saying something in Spanish! We all gathered and looked - It was a squirrel! Ha! On the boat ride, pulling over to see the orange & black iguanas was AMAZING!
FYI, I have pics of my trip if you are interested... I took shots of everything! E-mail me at [email protected] and I can send you a link to my ofoto album.
Cheers everyone
Dec 17th, 2004, 07:02 PM
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We just got back from CR, Arenal, Monte Verde area. We also had a similar response when we encountered a squirrel, aparently they are somewhat rare in the area. Great trip, excellent report. Best to all.
Dec 27th, 2004, 09:41 PM
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dcmalia or anyone-
In regards to driving yourself or hiring a driver/shuttle, which is better?
My group of 7 will be flying into Liberia next week and had planned to drive to Tabacon-at night. Then we'd eventually drive from Tabacon all the way back to Tamarindo. I'm starting to wonder if we should hire a shuttle for that long drive back to the Pacific coast.
Would you know of any services off the top of your head? We're certainly up for adventure but I think some people in are group are worried about breaking down. Also, we leave out of Liberia at 8:30, arriving from Tamarindo so there's concern that we'd have to leave VERY EARLY!
Thanks for reminding us all about the travel alarm clock. My boyfriend and I are the same-no watches and only cell phones! I'll also report back on my visits to restaurants and bars you recommended. Thanks a bunch!
In regards to driving yourself or hiring a driver/shuttle, which is better?
My group of 7 will be flying into Liberia next week and had planned to drive to Tabacon-at night. Then we'd eventually drive from Tabacon all the way back to Tamarindo. I'm starting to wonder if we should hire a shuttle for that long drive back to the Pacific coast.
Would you know of any services off the top of your head? We're certainly up for adventure but I think some people in are group are worried about breaking down. Also, we leave out of Liberia at 8:30, arriving from Tamarindo so there's concern that we'd have to leave VERY EARLY!
Thanks for reminding us all about the travel alarm clock. My boyfriend and I are the same-no watches and only cell phones! I'll also report back on my visits to restaurants and bars you recommended. Thanks a bunch!
Dec 28th, 2004, 07:36 AM
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I'd advise against driving from Liberia to Tabacon at night. This road goes around Lake Arenal and tends to be very rough. Please try to rearrange your plan! Driving from Tabacon back to Liberia is no big deal--in the daytime. Just wouldn't think of doing it at night. And I've driven a lot of places in Costa Rica at night!
Tamarindo to Liberia is a little over an hour. You would need to leave there by 5:30 a.m., I believe.
If you are interested in Transfers, check out Interbusonline.com. They can take you between both places. You'll find their schedule on their website as well as prices.
Tamarindo to Liberia is a little over an hour. You would need to leave there by 5:30 a.m., I believe.
If you are interested in Transfers, check out Interbusonline.com. They can take you between both places. You'll find their schedule on their website as well as prices.
Dec 28th, 2004, 08:21 PM
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Thank you shillmac. As I just stated in another post, we've decided to hire someone else to do the night driving, with the hopes that they'll be more experienced. We're booked at Tabacon starting that evening therefore we really can't change the reservation to try and arrive the next day.
As for Tamarindo to Liberia for our return home, I'll look into your suggestion of Interbusonline. I'll keep everyone posted!
As for Tamarindo to Liberia for our return home, I'll look into your suggestion of Interbusonline. I'll keep everyone posted!
Jan 1st, 2005, 03:58 PM
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Ginger,
Sounds like you guys have already taken care of your transportation plans? I was in Hawaii for the holidays & just got back to my computer... Anyway, DEFINITELy take a private van for the night part. As for driving from Tabacon to Tamarindo - That is a matter of preference. If you are a large group, you could all talk and hang out during the trip, asking your driver to stop whenever you want. OR, you could drive and stop yourself. It seemed to me that being driven was so much more enjoyable than driving myself over the bumpy roads, but that is just my opinion...
Note that the van we were driven in (and several others we saw on the road that looked similar) had two of the row seats facing each other, which makes it a good travel option for large groups because you can all face each other and talk during the ride. You'd want to check with whoever you book the transportation with to see if that is how their vans are set up, of course.
For some good options, check out this transportation database:
http://www.monteverdetours.com/mttd.asp
We booked our private van through the tour company that runs that site.
Good luck! Have fun!
Malia
Sounds like you guys have already taken care of your transportation plans? I was in Hawaii for the holidays & just got back to my computer... Anyway, DEFINITELy take a private van for the night part. As for driving from Tabacon to Tamarindo - That is a matter of preference. If you are a large group, you could all talk and hang out during the trip, asking your driver to stop whenever you want. OR, you could drive and stop yourself. It seemed to me that being driven was so much more enjoyable than driving myself over the bumpy roads, but that is just my opinion...
Note that the van we were driven in (and several others we saw on the road that looked similar) had two of the row seats facing each other, which makes it a good travel option for large groups because you can all face each other and talk during the ride. You'd want to check with whoever you book the transportation with to see if that is how their vans are set up, of course.
For some good options, check out this transportation database:
http://www.monteverdetours.com/mttd.asp
We booked our private van through the tour company that runs that site.
Good luck! Have fun!
Malia
Jan 2nd, 2005, 06:16 PM
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Hi Malia-I'm printing out all of this thread to keep with me on our trip starting tomorrow.
We have 2 full days at Tabacon.One day for lounging and drinking in the hot springs and the other day we thought we would do a canopy tour. I read that you did one in Monteverde but have you heard how it is at the the Tabacon resort? You may not get this in time before tomorrow afternoon but just in case....
Know anyone else going down from the 3rd until the end of next week? It would be fun to meet other Fodorites!
We have 2 full days at Tabacon.One day for lounging and drinking in the hot springs and the other day we thought we would do a canopy tour. I read that you did one in Monteverde but have you heard how it is at the the Tabacon resort? You may not get this in time before tomorrow afternoon but just in case....
Know anyone else going down from the 3rd until the end of next week? It would be fun to meet other Fodorites!
