Expert in Costa Rica wanted?

Question

I have never been to Costa Rica and want to surprise my partner and take him to Costa Rica at the end of Feb 2007. I did a quick research online for places to see and came up with a draft itinerary. Can a Costa Rica expert check this out for me and make suggestions?

Trouble is I've only got 10 days and I don't know which bits to leave out in order to shorten the trip without losing out too much... And would you reccommend hiring a car? Is it safe to drive? Is it feasible to do this itinerary simply by driving from one place to another? And any ideas of where to stay? We love nature and the sea. Please help.

Itinerary
1.London - San Jose
2.Santa Rosa
3.Rincon de la Vieja
4.Arenal
5.Monteverde
6.Monteverde
7.Tortuguero
8.Tortuguero
9.Puerto Viejo – Cahuita
10.Puerto Viejo – Cahuita
11.Porto Jimeneze – Osa Peninsula – Corcovado
12.Porto Jimenez – Osa Peninsula – Corcovado
13.Manuel Antonio
14.Manuel Antonio
15.San Jose – London

Thanks,
Vas

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

I can answer amny of your questions as I have been there many times and loved it. But I cannot possibly answer this question in one sitting. E-mail me and we can chat and I can give you specifics.

MIKE

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Mike has emailed me various times with a lot of info and pointed me towards the right direction. Very much appreciated. Thanks, Mike!

Many thanks to all others who answered my question.

Answer 2

arenal is a nice town,tourist place,the volcano there is always active,,since your leaving in feb.,the tourist season will have slowed and it will be much dryer on the pacific coast,,san jose is very large and conjested,the air stink's,its cooler and wetter there,email me if ya wan't,,ya must see montazuma

Answer 3

I went to Costa Rica on my honeymoon. We loved it. We stayed in a resort on the west coast at Playa Conchal (recommended by my hairstylist who is from Costa Rica). The west coast is amazing - the beaches are fantastic. I'm not sure of all of the places that you noted, but you should make sure that you go there. I understand that the east coast in general is less safe than the west coast.

We did go to Arenal - you may want to plan 2 days there, it's unbelievable. We only spent one day, and wished we had spent longer.

Answer 4

Hi Vas. Most tourists rent a car without a problem. Just don't drive at night, only during daylight. Get a good map too! About your itinerary, I would do it like this:

1. London - San Jose (although the airport is SJO, it is located in Alajuela, not San Jose - yes, funny).
2. Overnight in a hotel near the airport (jet lag won't let you drive).
3. Arenal
4. Arenal
5. Monteverde
6. Monteverde
7. Jaco - Carara National Park
8. Manuel Antonio
9. Overnight in a hotel near the airport (or something else in between)
10. Tortuguero
11. Tortuguero
12. Puerto Viejo - Cahuita
13. Puerto Viejo - Cahuita
14. Overnight in a hotel near the airport
15. San Jose - London

I rearranged the towns so that you would visit all the ones on the Pacific first, and then all the ones on the Atlantic (Caribbean) last, because it would be a very long drive to go from the Pacific to the Atlantic and then back. Osa Peninsula is very remote and hard to access, so I would skip it (you just can't do everything in two weeks). I also skipped the first two places that you mentioned.

I hope you have a great trip!

Source(s):

Costa Rican.

Answer 5

I do business in Costa Rica (San Jose) and the country is safe. Your itinerary has three volcanos; are you a volcano fantatic, otherwise you may want to see other destinations? Also, you have listed places from the top to the bottom of the country. That's a lot of territory to cover considering Costa Rica has the absolute worst roads in all of Central America. They are bad, beleive me. It's okay to drive, just know there are no signs, no such thing as street names and maps are only generalized. You'll get to where you want to go -- don't worry -- I just do not want you to be disappointed.

Please start with this WEB site, it's a Costa Rica governemnt reference and then go to the bottom and start to follow some of the tourism links. Hope this is helpful; if not then please feel free to email me. If you do, tell me the kind of activity you and your partner like to experience (i.e. beach, rain forest, golf, fishing, etc) and I'll try to point you in the right direction. Have a good trip regardless!

http://infocostarica.com/government/government.html

Answer 6

I wouldn't try it. You will be spending all your time driving. I would do only a couple of regions. There is so much to see in each region. We stayed in Playa Conchal / Quanacaste coast region for 7 days and visited Rincon which was two hrs away, but geographically not very far. The roads aren't exactly direct. We will be going back to see the cloud forest and volcanoes. and the next time,Caribbean coast. Take it slow, and relax appreciate what you see and each other. I wont do you any good to rush there anyway, It's Costa Rican time!!! Don't forget jet lag! Pura Vida!

Answer 7

Costa Rica is a small country with many mountainous areas. This tricks foreigners thinking they can drive a distance of 100km in only one hour. For ten days you’ll have to set your priorities. You mention you love nature and the sea. Therefore let me suggest the following:

1. Arrival, overnight in San Jose
2. depart to Tortuguero,
3. in Tortuguero
4. From Tortuguero go to Arenal, do a white water rafting tour on the way.
5. in Arenal
6. continue to Rincon de la Vieja, overnight at a mountain lodge
7. depart to the beach: Flamingo, Tamarindo, Playa Panama.
8. at the beach.
9. back to San Jose
10. San Jose- London


Since this will be your first time in the country I don’t suggest renting a car. Roads are made for Costarican drivers, leave the hassle to them. At every place I have mentioned there is an activity to do. We will be more than glad to help you out find lodging and the transport services along with suggestions on activities you shouldn’t miss. Contact us: [e-mail] we will cordially give you any further information at no charge.

Source(s):

http://www.travelinparadisecr.com/
http://www.costaricatravelabout.com/