St Lucia vs Costa Rica

sk2342

I think this is my first time posting on this board  but read it almost every day!

I am in desperate need to determine our honeymoon spot and by the title of this post I am sure you can see what I am stuck between. I never thought costa rica was going to be a final contender but they have beautiful hotels and we will prob do a few nights in one area and a few in another. I want a 5 star resort with top of the line amenities an dwe have found a few in Costa Rica that could work.

As for St lucia, I have heard great things about the Sandals La toc resort. Love that it caters to adults and has more of an upbeat party feel. The only downfall is there is 0 gambling and my FI requested that, but said he would live without it if the place was fun...

I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences. we plan on going for 10 days maybe more if needed. I want to make the right decision and I am getting nervous about making the "final" decision!!

thanks!

LaFemmeRousse

We had a good experience in Costa Rica, although not on our honeymoon!  I've never been to St. Lucia so I can't compare the two- is there anything specific you were wondering about for Costa Rica? 

We weren't really in luxury resorts while we were there.  We flew into and out of San Jose but split most of our time between three areas- Monteverde, Arenal, and Manuel Antonio.  It was a very active trip with lots of hiking, kayaking, zip lines, etc.  We had a little bit of rain almost every day but it didn't really negatively impact us.  Costa Rica has excellent tourist infrastructure, but I found it lacking a bit in "cultural" activities.  What time of year are you thinking of going?

sk2342

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_st-lucia-vs-costa-rica?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:8f7e7047-f0ff-4b60-8d9c-0814dbac39c8Post:1c498eb1-4ac4-47b1-977c-93c936b93b31">Re: St Lucia vs Costa Rica</a>:
[QUOTE]We had a good experience in Costa Rica, although not on our honeymoon!  I've never been to St. Lucia so I can't compare the two- is there anything specific you were wondering about for Costa Rica?  We weren't really in luxury resorts while we were there.  We flew into and out of San Jose but split most of our time between three areas- Monteverde, Arenal, and Manuel Antonio.  It was a very active trip with lots of hiking, kayaking, zip lines, etc.  We had a little bit of rain almost every day but it didn't really negatively impact us.  Costa Rica has excellent tourist infrastructure, but I found it lacking a bit in "cultural" activities.  What time of year are you thinking of going?
Posted by LaFemmeRousse[/QUOTE]
end october into november is when we are going so it is  the rainy season.. when u say "cultural" what do u mean? i really want to relax and sit by the pool/beach most of the day and maybe have a romantic dinner, horseback ride on the beach and maybe a day tour. i do not think we want to consume oureselves in the excursion part

LaFemmeRousse

By cultural I mean things like great museums, public art, street festivals, music, exceptional local cuisine, etc- the things that make a specific place memorable and set it apart from other places.

To be honest, if you're not at all interested in the excursions/adventure piece, I might not go to Costa Rica.  I think there are more beautiful beaches elsewhere and the best things about the country were beyond the ocean.  Not to say the beaches there weren't nice, though!  If you want beachy and do decide to do Costa Rica, don't bother with Monteverde and Arenal.  Manuel Antonio is nice, and there are other coastal areas I haven't been to- hopefully someone else will chime in

tranjuliet

I'm going to Costa Rica for my honeymoon this December...but more for the adventure and less for the beaches.

But...I have a gambing FI as well...and if you want gambling and beach, I suggest Aruba, DR, St. Marteen or US Virgin Islands.

CKen11

I agree with 2 pp that if you want to relax on the beach and not explore the destination CR is not for you. The beaches is St Lucia would be so much better and there are plenty of luxury hotels. If you want amazing luxury then Jade Mountain is the one to look at. Also Calabash Cove. But at these kind of luxury resorts you're unlikely to get the party feel you would at Sandals.