Costa Rica Advice Please!

KatieJL121

Hey everyone!  My fiancé and I have decided to go to Costa Rica for our honeymoon in June (as long as FI is able to get off work…if not, then we will be going later on in the year).  We will probably be there for about a week, but we would like to split the trip up into 2 different regions.   
We are definitely going to Arenal for a few days.  I’ve been doing some online searches for hotels and found the Tabacon Resort and Arenal Nayara Resort.  Both seem really nice and in a good location, but I noticed that the Nayara is a little more expensive.  I was wondering if anyone has ever been to both and can tell me the major differences between the 2 and which one is better?  Or…even if you’ve just been to one, I’d still love to hear about it—good and bad! 

Also, we have not yet decided on another region, so if you have any suggestions I’d love to know.  We would prefer to be near a pretty beach but not too secluded…although we like to relax, we also love to do activities and experience the area.  We’ve considered doing an all-inclusive but some of them have bad reviews so it’s not an absolute must.

So far, our must-see and must-do activities are hike to the volcano, canopy/zip-line tour, get massages, and see any other wildlife/nature possible!  Anything else we should consider?   

Thanks in advance and sorry this is so long!  We’re still in the beginning stages of planning J        

jrtool4

I spent a month in Costa Rica taking a semester abroad (over Dec break).  The big thing is the roads are HORRIBLE>  What ever you do, make sure you get transfers, don't drive it!
seriously!

phillychica85

I also spent a semester abroad in Costa Rica and will chime in with some recommendations and do's and don'ts later, but I will say that as long as you have a 4 wheel drive, and both or at least one of you is very tough when it comes to driving, you can certainly handle doing the driving yourself. Many people do. However,  keep in mind though that you will be there during the rainy season so roads that are normally doable do have the high potential to become undoable. And being on your honeymoon you def. don't want to run into any bad incidents like that.

With that said, there is a shuttle bus service I highly recommend. It's called interbus, www.interbusonline.com and basically it's between a 8-16 passanger van and has routes all over the country-i.e. San Jose to Arenal, Arenal to the Guanacaste area (the beaches on Pacific side). It's very inexpensive (compared to American prices) and also very safe and reliable. It's mostly tourists that use it so it's very well known and reputable. I forgot to mention that it goes from hotel to hotel and most of the larger hotels are generally included in pick up and drop off points.

WhereIsK

I second the PP about the roads being horrible.  I was also there for a month a number of years ago.  I visited the Tabacon resort near Arenal, but I did not stay there.  I stayed down in the town of La Fortuna.  I enjoyed my time in Arenal and would definately rec going there.  If I were planning your trip I would say to go to Quepos and visit Manuel Antonio.  Its aNational park, so there is wildlife and beaches.  Monkeys are everywhere.  If you have any questions, I'd be happy to help.

KatieJL121

Thanks for the advice ladies!  We definitely do not plan on driving while we are there, so the interbus just might be the way to go for us...thank you Phillychica85 for that recommendation!  I will look more into that very soon.  I would also love to hear your other recommendations and do's and don'ts when you get a chance but there is no hurry.

WhereIsK, I know you mentioned that you didn't stay overnight at the Tabacon resort but when you visited it, did you think it was nice, clean, friendly, etc.?  And which hotel did you stay in?  I'd also love to hear more about the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area if you don't mind!  Would you recommend it over Guanacaste?

Thanks again for all of the advice!          

phillychica85

I loved visiting the region of Arenal. Although since I was studying abroad, I didn't have the financial means to stay at Tabacon so we only went there one evening to eat and do the hot springs. With that said, I HIGHLY recommend staying there since after all it would be your honeymoon. The grounds were absolutely stunning and the waters amazing. We talked to people that were staying at the hotel and they all seemed favorable towards the rooms and hotel staff.  Although there are other hot springs in the area that charge less, the experience is not the same and some are more "fake" than real (the waters). I am not familiar with Nayara but Tabacon is a name that is truly becoming universal in terms of how well known it is.

Our hotel was in the town of La Fortuna (there is not really a town of Arenal, it's more just the name of the volcano). I do recommend visiting the town of La Fortuna. It's there where you'll meet the locals, the Ticos as they're known, and they're some of the kindest and friendliest people I have ever met. It's also where you'll find some of the best homecooked foods at the cheapest of prices. Be sure to try a casado-in Spanish it means married but in food jargon, it basically is a meal which includes rice and beans, a plantain, and your entree type dish. I miss them a lot!

Manuel Antonio is great, although I would avoid Quepos. It's really overrun with sufers, backpackers, etc. It's almost a bit seedy. However, due to the time that you'll be visiting, I'd be more inclined to avoid doing Manuel Antonio and instead say visit the Guancaste region. Although rainy season affects all of Costa Rica, it's not as bad in Guanacaste which is truly a dry and arrid region. So whatever rain you would get there pales in comparison to the rest of the country. When we went to Guanacaste, we stayed in the town of Tamarindo, but anything up there is really nice. There's a lot of things to do in addition to swimming and relaxing poolside lol.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you end up doing Guanacaste for your other region, more airlines from the US are flying directly there instead of going through San Jose. So you could get transfers to the Guanacaste hotel and then just do Interbus to get to Arenal. San Jose is obviously more convenient for Manuel Antonio. But do keep in mind that although Costa Rica is a very small country, since its roads are so bad, distances that would normally here only take a small amount of time, are often double there.

Let me know if you have any more questions. Although I haven't been back since I studied there, I can't wait to take the FH one day!

[Deleted User]

We are staying at the Magic Mountain in Arenal for part of our CR honeymoon. Check out their honeymoon package!
Its not quite as fancy as teh Tabacon- but i think it is pretty nice for the price, and we are on a budget
http://www.hotelmagicmountain.com/en/special-packages.html

dah424

KatieJL - I am looking into Costa Rica for June as well, but have heard it is the beginning of the rainy season - have you heard the same or any more info as to how much rain that might mean???

KatieJL121

Ok..I'm having problems with TK website lately and it just ate my post so I'm sorry if this posts more than once!  I've been having to copy and paste from Word just in case!  Anyone else having these problems??  Anyway...

Phillychica85, thank you sooo much for taking the time to give me all the great advice!  J I’m glad to hear you think the Tabacon is nice and worth a stay.  Meeting the locals and trying their food is something we would love to do.  Anytime we travel internationally we really like to experience the area, so La Fortuna sounds great for that!  Isn’t that where a popular waterfall is located also?  Do you think it is worth a visit?  And do you know which zip-lining tour in the Arenal region is the best?  I’ve heard a lot about Sky-Trek.  Also, the Guanacaste region sounds great if there’s less rain and flights are more convenient.  About how long do you estimate it would take if we took the interbus from Guanacaste and Arenal?


Elahenara, the Magic Mountain hotel looks nice too!  When are you going and do you plan on doing an activities or excursions while you’re there?  I like hearing what others have planned also. 

Dah424, I have heard that it’s rainy season in June.  The ladies on this post mentioned that as well.  I’m not really sure how much rain that means though (hopefully not TOO much!  Haha).  I plan to visit a book store later this week to get some reading material on Costa Rica, so I should get a better idea of climate and weather during the summer months…if I find anything significant, I’ll let you know.  As of right now, we are planning on going in June right after the wedding, but we might have to postpone our honeymoon for a few months depending on my fiancé’s job.         

dah424

Katiejl - let me know if you find out anything w/ the rain - I really want to go to Costa Rica but would hate rain the whole time - such a decision!!  I have heard of people going in August and September which is prime rain season that had no real problems - just a few afternoon showers.

jendawn80

I'm just seeing this thread now...I check every once in awhile for posts about Costa Rica! My fiance and I have done a lot of research and we're also going in the beginning of June.  We've planning on staying at Arenal Nayara for 4 nights and then either the JW Marriott or a new AI called Rio in the Guanacaste area for 3 night.  I have 2 friends who just got back from honeymoons CR so they've given us a lot of advice.   One stayed at the Springs Resort in Arenal which looks awesome, but is a more pricey. 
I've heard the roads aren't that good either, but they rented a car and drove into La Fortuna everyday from their hotel in Arenal without any problems.. They used a rental company called Vamos.  Good luck!
I'm also a bit worried about the rainy season, but I think because it's just the beginning that it isn't too bad....

dah424

so we will all get rained on together!  I am looking at the Paridisus in Guacamente - I have heard great things!!

phillychica85

Yes, there is an awesome waterfall in La Fortuna and it's def. worth a visit!  I wasn't aware of it before going there, but my friends were and one day we hiked there from the town. I can't remember if Tabacon is nearer to the waterfall than the town itself, but from la Fortuna it was a couple of long miles. A friend and I actually took a taxi back which was a saver since we were exhausted by that point. It's amazing because you hike very high up, only then to climb down these "steps" to get to the base of the falls. We were allowed to swim at the bottom when I was there, I'm not sure if that is still the case.

I should mention that taxi service in the La Fortuna is not bad or too expensive so it's not too big of a deal to have your hotel call you one. The bigger cities, (San Jose) seemed to be the only ones to use a meter (maria), in the smaller areas like La Fortuna the cab drivers usually set a rate.

As for traveling times between the two areas, I would estimate between 5-6 hours. The actual time often has to do with traffic, road conditions. I know at least one one interbus trip we took did stop at a rest stop area. It seems a bit long but it's always nice when you're not doing the driving and also not with 40 other people so you can relax a bit more.

I also did a canopy zip-line tour when we were in Arenal although I'm sorry but I can't remember the name of the company. I know that many there tout themselves as being the official ones, but the one we went with was the first one established in the Arenal region. it was one of the best things I did when in Costa Rica since it was so unlike me, i.e. doing something like bungee jumping. I loved it and never felt more exhilirated lol.

The semester I was in Costa Rica was during its dry season, although the amount of rain that occurs during rainy season or the "green" season really depends on the region of the country you're in. For instance, when I visited the Caribbean side, we were there during the official dry season but there had been terrible flooding only weeks before because of rain. There are some pluses to going in the green season including less crowds, better rates on some things.

[Deleted User]

We are going in May of 2011>
We're staying 3 nights in Arenal and 4 in Guanacaste
(I work for a tour company, so i am getting a discount- so excited!!) i am also getting private trasnfers from the airport and between cities too

in guanacaste we're going to just mainly relax, but in arenal we're going to do a whole bunch of stuff- the zip lining, the hot springs, the horseback riding.

the off season in costa rica isnt like monsoon season, so i wouldnt worry too too much about the rain

[Deleted User]

Also- if you are looking for a more jungle-y area near arenal/guanacaste you can try monteverde- theres birds and monkeys and such

KatieJL121

Wow...everything sounds so amazing!  I wish we could go right now!  lol.  The more that I read online about the "green" season, the better I feel about the rain situation, especially for the month of June with it being at the beginning of the season.  I keep reading (and from what Phillychica85's great advice says also!) that it varies from region to region but is typically sunny in the mornings with heavy rain for just a short period of time in the afternoons, then it clears up a bit after cooling everything off.  This makes me feel better to know that it's not necessarily raining all day every day....as long as the sun comes out some while we're there I'll be happy!  I figure this way it would be best to plan excursions for the morning if possible.  I am also happy about the cheaper prices for low season!

Elahenara and Jendawn80, it sounds like you all are basically planning on doing the same thing we are...relaxing at a beach for a few days, then visiting Arenal with lots of fun!

We definitely want to see some howler monkeys!!  lol.  FI and I have decided that's at the top of our list also.  For those of you who have been there before, what are the best areas for seeing the wildlife?  Will we see monkeys, exotic birds, etc. near any particular beach areas or Arenal?  Also, I keep hearing good things about Monteverde and the huge Sky Trek in the cloud forest...do you think this is worth a visit?  I have no idea how long it would take to get from one place to another and if we'd even have time to stay there as well, but I'm just curious. 

I bought a Fodor's Costa Rica 2010 book yesterday so I'll be reading it while I work 3rd shift tonight, and I'll let y'all know if I find any more good info!!!       

    

[Deleted User]

If you're staying in the same basic area of the country, ie arenal, monteverde, guanacaste- then you are basically looking at 3.5-4.5 hrs between places, mainly because the roads are so bad.

LanaLeeOSU

Hello!
We just got back from Costa Rica last month - and reading the posts makes me want to go back!
Here are some things and places that I loved! As well as some tips
- Invest in the Lonely Planet Costa Rica book (the one with the monkey on the front). This did not lead us wrong - and EVERY tourist in Costa Rica had this book.
- Driving - get a GPS unit. Well worth the $10/day charge. We are the adventure type and loved having a car of our own. Honestly I thought we were going to die when we took the shuttle from the San Jose Airport to Budget - Stop signs across a major interstate are "optinal" BUT out of San Jose - you will be fine. The freedom of a car is WELL WORTH IT!
- Visit www.therealcostarica.com great website.
- Lake Arenal area - Villa Decary is a GREAT bed and breakfast in Arenal. Owned by Dan and Suzy (Americans) they put you up in great clean rooms with hot water with amazing breakfasts and did a great job of recommending places to visit. The hot springs are in this area - I suggest not going to Tabacon ($75 per person. More of a water theme park) but go to Eco Thermales ($30ish/person) A fantastic place to go while it's rainy. Be careful in La Fortuna - have heard about thefts in this area.
- Waterfalls - Rio Celeste is a beautiful blue - and where we got engaged... well worth the drive down an extremely rough road. Stay at La Carolina Lodge - Monica is great! Ride horses, get a guided tour to the falls, have 3 home cooked meals by candlelight.
Beaches - Samara is a fun place - Tree House Inn is on the beach. Hotel Playa Negra - Thatched roof huts with a great resaurant right on the beach. Playa Santa Theresa - Blue Surf Sanctuary. If we go back - this is the place we would stay much longer. 100 yards from the beach - beautiful lodging and in a town that is full of surfers.
Overall- you will enjoy your time in Costa Rica - we did... and just writing this, I want to go back!
We stayed 10 days - but could stay there much longer. Let me know if you have any specific questions - i'll be happy to give you our whole itinary or anything else!

Happy Traveling!

jendawn80

Yay, I'm so excited...my fiance has been working out the details and package with a TA and is ready to put down the deposit!!
We're flying from Jacksonville, FL to San Jose and then going straight to Arenal for 4 nights and staying at the Arenal Nayara (which includes breakfast in the room every morning!) and then 4 nights at the JW Marriott in Guanacaste.
He wants to rent a car too...I'm a little nervous about what some people were saying about the taxis..I get easily sick and have a sensitive stomach, but hopefully I'll be ok and pack some good meds (I'm a pharmacist..hehe).  
I can't wait to see the monkeys and other wildlife...We're also doing the skytrek  tour and I'm not sure what else he's planned. 
We're going from June 1- 9. 
Thanks for all the advice girls!  I'll definately have to get the lonely planet book :-)
Jen

[Deleted User]

You honestly should be flying in and out of Liberia airport, not San Jose. Its much closer.