I'll be in Tamarindo at the end of August for a week, and would like to take a few days trips to the usual attractions (Monteverde, volcano, zipline, etc). I'll be traveling by myself and am not comfortable renting a car. Could you recommend a tour operator?
Those guys can provide you with transport, other than that....I am sure whatever place you are staying at can give you suggestions as well
since you are landing in LIR (I imagine) the best volcanoes for you would be Arenal (must see) and Rincon de la Vieja (not so visited, requires you to be able to walk quite a bit through the trails, nothing ridiculous but depends on your particular situation)
SDF_Traveler
Aug 12, 11, 7:41 am
I highly recommend interbus to get around. However, they do not pick-up at airports. For LIR, catch a hotel shuttle to the Hilton Garden Inn and schedule your pickup there.
For SJO, catch a shuttle to somewhere like the Holiday Inn Express and use that as your pickup point.
Interbus will deliver you to your hotel.
There is a zip-line operator near Tamarindo I enjoyed that picks up at Tamarindo Hotels called the Pinilla Canopy Tour. Good Company, Great Guides, and they went out of their way to get me some incredible photos. When it was my turn to go down the line, I'd give them my camera and they'd take great video and stills.
Prices will vary depending on where you purchase. If you contact Pinilla Canopy directly and pay them there, that is the cheapest option. I booked online and paid almost twice the cost, but one lives and learns. On the other hand, I also had the benefit of a licensed travel agent that assisted me (cupotico).
In my following message, I've posted the Costa Rica travel agents I've done business with and like, along with links to their websites.
For a Volcano - I highly recommend Arenal, but I would do it as an overnight trip at minimum. Interbus goes there, about a 3 hr drive from Liberia. The volcano is an incredible sight if there are no clouds, especially at night. There are many more tours/activities in the Arenal / La Fortuna area.
Here's a picture of Arenal from the hotel I stayed at.
I'd also suggest a day pass, including meals, at Tabacon Hot Springs:
Hot Volcanic Springs @ Tabacon
http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq145/sdfimage/tabacon-1.jpg
Pool Bar at Tabacon:
http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq145/sdfimage/tabacon-14.jpg
Enjoy!
SDF_Traveler
Aug 12, 11, 7:48 am
Hello friends,
I'll be in Tamarindo at the end of August for a week, and would like to take a few days trips to the usual attractions (Monteverde, volcano, zipline, etc). I'll be traveling by myself and am not comfortable renting a car. Could you recommend a tour operator?
Many thanks in advance, Liz.
For my bookings I've used both Anywhere Costa Rica and Fortuna Welcome.
For Arenal / La Fortuna specific bookings, I'd suggest Fortuna Welcome to book hotels and activities. However, for ground transportation to/from the area, I would book it via Interbus.
Anywhere Costa Rica will also sell you travel via Interbus at a reasonable rate. Interbus is a shared van / shuttle service and is reliable in my experience.
I've seen some agents try to push "private transfers", but there is no need to pay $$$ for the private transfer when Interbus can get you there.
SDF_Traveler
SDF_Traveler
Aug 12, 11, 8:43 am
since you are landing in LIR (I imagine) the best volcanoes for you would be Arenal (must see) and Rincon de la Vieja (not so visited, requires you to be able to walk quite a bit through the trails, nothing ridiculous but depends on your particular situation)
Hola wolfie_cr -
You've been a great source of information for me in the past. Rincon de la Vieja is on my list when I go down next year.
They're also building a new airport terminal at LIR that is supposed to open in December. In March I entered at SJO for the first time in a couple of years (been using LIR for entry/exit) and saw many improvements at SJO, including the new Immigrations & Customs area downstairs.
The new Liberia airport looked like it was coming along well back in March:
Supposed to be finished in December - I'm looking forward to the new Liberia Airport Terminal.
wolfie_cr
Aug 12, 11, 4:26 pm
holy smokes, I had no clue it was that advanced (or that big ), I hope they have the AC ready by January, if not .....
that airport was there since I was 5 , went by it every time my family went to our yearly vacation to playas del coco
lot of places in Guanacaste are probably unrecognizable to me these days
working from home and flying to remote places are weird ways to lose contact with your immediate vicinity :D
speaking of which, have you watched the 'love in the wild ' show in NBC
I really want to find out what beach they went to the last time, it looked like the usual little town where no tourists go
Jaimito Cartero
Aug 12, 11, 4:31 pm
Tamarindo was a dusty little beach town the first time I went there in the late 80's. Stayed at the only nicer hotel there (Best Western at the time, I think), had nice little pastries at a place down the street, and there were a few cabinas around that rented for $10 or so a night.
It took quite awhile to get there from San Jose, 6 or 7 hours if I recall right. And the dirt road for the last part was pretty horrid.
SDF_Traveler
Aug 12, 11, 5:42 pm
Tamarindo was a dusty little beach town the first time I went there in the late 80's. Stayed at the only nicer hotel there (Best Western at the time, I think), had nice little pastries at a place down the street, and there were a few cabinas around that rented for $10 or so a night.
It took quite awhile to get there from San Jose, 6 or 7 hours if I recall right. And the dirt road for the last part was pretty horrid.
Still takes a good 6 hours from San Jose, but it was too touristy for my tastes. Had a great time and some good oceanfront meals.
SDF_Traveler
Aug 12, 11, 6:13 pm
holy smokes, I had no clue it was that advanced (or that big ), I hope they have the AC ready by January, if not .....
that airport was there since I was 5 , went by it every time my family went to our yearly vacation to playas del coco
lot of places in Guanacaste are probably unrecognizable to me these days
working from home and flying to remote places are weird ways to lose contact with your immediate vicinity :D
It looks quite large and the demand is definitely there. I'm looking forward to the new facility with A/C.
Runway is still a bit bumpy, but it depends which way you start your take-off roll from as to whether you hit the big bumps.
The next logical step would to build a taxiway along the runway. Currently you have to taxi to the end of the runway and do a u-turn if departing on Runway 07 -- the opposite end 25 is a quick taxi from the terminal.
Traffic is way up at LIR and the existing 'outdoor' terminal is bursting at the seams. Delta normally runs a 757 in while most other operators use 737 variants. It's common to see Canadian carriers & charters at LIR as well other regional carriers like TACA regional.
I am the same -- work at home, fly off to other destinations, and one day I'll be driving around town and see something new to only to be told it's been there for 2 yrs. :D
oceangirl
Aug 15, 11, 6:25 pm
Many thanks for the wonderful ideas! I will fully report when I return from surf camp!
wolfie_cr
Aug 15, 11, 7:46 pm
Many thanks for the wonderful ideas! I will fully report when I return from surf camp!
SLAMS COMPUTER AGAINST DESK ,looks outside window..........rain rain and rain (it was pretty dry actually for over a month, this is normal just now)
I can almost do surfing in my backyard :p
HAVE FUN and post pictures :cool:
(use all appropriate caution with your passport/money and stuff like cameras etc )