Central America - Costa Rican honeymoon

Ok, I have read and read on here but want to make a thread based on our specific trip and get specific advice. I am going to be a little vague here so this thread can help build the trip.

We are getting married June 23rd and want to go to CR for our honeymoon. We are focusing more and more on waiting a couple weeks, leaving July 7th and coming back July 14th. We are a little worried about it being the rainy season or more the "green" season as people call it so we are looking primarily at the Guanacaste/Nicoya region because of less rain apparently but are flexible on location. Jaco, Corcovado peninsula, etc. assuming it wont be too rainy, but I think those areas get more rain than the north during that time. We live on the coast of NC so we are used to the sun most of the say but a brief hard rain, then sun. I hear this is how the Nicoya area is so thats fine.

Basically we want a really nice beach specifically and preferably more deserted than populated. We would like options on things to do and see; wild life, beaches, maybe jungle, maybe zip lining, ATV trails, etc. I am an avid offshore fisherman so we would like to charter a boat one day and run offshore.

We will probably rent a house through VRBO as we are not keen on the all inclusive places or as I call them "compounds".

Thats the history and now for the questions (I am trying to keep this short).

1. Any suggested exact areas to focus on and why? We like deserted or more "local" type places, not the touristy places.

2. Should we fly into SJO and make the drive to save the money or fly into LIR to have a shorter drive?

3. We are planning on renting a car, I hear an SUV is necessary, is this true?

4. Should we rent the car for the week? Is there any point? If not, should we consider a bus to the house/area then taxi? Need info.

5. Anything I have planned so far that is not advised? (ie. are we going to get rained out and should we plan on ditching the trip till next "high season"?)

Thanks!

time is money, fly into LIR and forget about the long drive

SUV nice but not required

june/july normally not that bad but this is the tropics, if it rains...well you went on vacation to Costa Rica :)

Corcovado is definitively out of the beaten path (I have been there only a couple of times) ...if you want remote/few people in , thats the place to go

however that is ONE HELL OF A DRIVE from LIR, dont be fooled by the size of the country, driving from Liberia to Corcovado is a good 8 hr drive (may be more depending on where exactly)

Anyone have any more advice. Probably going to fly into LIR and stay further north.

I thought Flamingo Beach was beautiful, and there are many condos that are walk-out to the beach (but perhaps a bit pricier).
From there, Playa Conchal and other beaches are a short drive (if you want to stay on Playa Conchal, the Westin, Reserva Conchal [http://www.reservaconchal.com/], etc., have direct beach access; but you can drive a few hundred yards along Playa Brasilito, park at or drive over a very short hill, and gain access).
If you want clean and comfortable, inexpensive, and in a funky beach town, look at La Carolina Condos (http://www.lacarolinacondo.com/) in Brasilito (2 km from Flamingo). Lots of beach dining options, nice town. This one (Hotel Conchal, http://www.conchalcr.com/) advertises as "close to Conchal" but is in Brasilito, so you still have to walk (or drive) the <1 km to Conchal beach. It gets good reviews.
The above places are within 1 hour of LIR.
I would avoid Tamarindo (it seemed to me like Coney Island).
BTW, the new terminal at LIR is open; nice and easy access to the area. I recommend Solid rental car there (office at the nearby Hilton Garden Inn, shuttle); be sure to check your credit card (Visa?) for collision coverage (CDW waiver), which will lower your costs significantly. (Get a letter from the cc company and bring it with you, even if you have already gotten the price; they might want to see it, although we didn't need it.) You only need a small sedan, which will probably end up being cheaper than shuttles, taxis, etc.

I thought Flamingo Beach was beautiful, and there are many condos that are walk-out to the beach (but perhaps a bit pricier).
From there, Playa Conchal and other beaches are a short drive (if you want to stay on Playa Conchal, the Westin, Reserva Conchal [http://www.reservaconchal.com/], etc., have direct beach access; but you can drive a few hundred yards along Playa Brasilito, park at or drive over a very short hill, and gain access).
If you want clean and comfortable, inexpensive, and in a funky beach town, look at La Carolina Condos (http://www.lacarolinacondo.com/) in Brasilito (2 km from Flamingo). Lots of beach dining options, nice town. This one (Hotel Conchal, http://www.conchalcr.com/) advertises as "close to Conchal" but is in Brasilito, so you still have to walk (or drive) the <1 km to Conchal beach. It gets good reviews.
The above places are within 1 hour of LIR.
I would avoid Tamarindo (it seemed to me like Coney Island).
BTW, the new terminal at LIR is open; nice and easy access to the area. I recommend Solid rental car there (office at the nearby Hilton Garden Inn, shuttle); be sure to check your credit card (Visa?) for collision coverage (CDW waiver), which will lower your costs significantly. (Get a letter from the cc company and bring it with you, even if you have already gotten the price; they might want to see it, although we didn't need it.) You only need a small sedan, which will probably end up being cheaper than shuttles, taxis, etc.

Thanks for the help. I will probably be booking on an AMEX Blue and I think they have coverage. But ill check.

Northwest Costa Rica / Guanacaste is considerably less rainy than the Meseta Central (San José and vicinity), the south and certainly than the Caribbean coast, where it can rain a lot, to put it mildly.

Take some US $20 bills, clean with no tears or torn edges (which will not be accepted) and et sme Colones at the LIR ATM or nearby, but not too many as you will find them difficult to get rid of and people prefer a harder currency. As I just posted elsewhere, I can recall when the US Dollar was ₡7.50 per US dollar; today, it is ₡503.920 to the dollar...

Your AMEX will work fine at resorts, not so much at smaller merchants (who prefer VISA or MasterCard). Watch your valuables; as was discussed in another recent thread, leave your passport in the safe at the hotel, take a photocopy (I have photocopies of ours e-mailed to myself on GMail with a catchy and singular keyword), and be very watchful of valuables. Unlike many years ago whe one could window-shop in downtown San José at midnight, wander the beaches and park anywhere without fear (though Limón was already becoming a bit iffy), today you need to be quite aware of your surroundings and theft possibilities. (In San José today, they will slash your tires on occasion as you exit the rental car office near SJO and later, when you stop and someone stops to offer "help", they will basically help themselves - to what you own).

Go to LIR and rent a car there; stay at the HGI the night prior to departure or other place if your flight departs early. You do not want to be driving in CR at night if you are not familiar with the road hazards. (I've been going there for nearly fifty years and have led tour groups there.)