Central America - Costa Rica - Rainforest and Beach

Hey everyone!

I'm working on a trip to Costa Rica with my mom in June of 2014. I know it's a long way out but we'll be doing this on a budget and I'm trying to gauge how much it might cost us/how much we'll need to save. Right now we're looking at going to the Monteverde/Arenal area to do ziplining, hike the rainforest/cloudforest, and see the wildlife. I like the looks of the Treehouse Hotel (http://treehouseshotelcostarica.com/). From there we want to go to the Puntarenas area to do to beach/surf stuff. Not sure where to stay there, yet.

I'm open to suggestions on where to stay for relatively cheap (nothing unsafe or run-down, though!) and specific cities to visit (that might be better than what I said above). Also, what is the best way to get around? I've heard about hiring drivers to get to/from the airport. What are your thoughts on that? Or shuttles? I've heard renting a car might be more hassle than it's worth. True?

Are there any specific companies or organizations that you would recommend to hook-up with for ziplining and hiking? Or surf lessons?

Any and all suggestions are welcome!

I think a good guidebook would be useful for you at this point. It would answer a lot of questions you have.

Two nationwide tourist shuttles:

Interbus
www.interbusonline.com

Gray Line
www.graylinecostarica.com

Both operate 15-seat minivans that pick people up at hotels and shuttle them to other tourist destinations around the country. It's less expensive than hiring a private driver or renting a car. It costs more than taking public buses, but is a lot more comfortable too. Once you get to your destination, you can take taxis. Many tours will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel too.

The point I always try to stress to people is that Costa Rica is a small country with an awful highway system. It takes longer than you think to get from place to place. People think they can see the whole country in a week or two. It's not possible.

You don't say how long you'll have. The classic first-time itinerary is Arenal and Manuel Antonio. It gives you a nice mix of volcano and beach. Both places have a ton of activities. Both also have a complete range of accommodation, from very cheap to very expensive. There's something for every budget

I think a good guidebook would be useful for you at this point. It would answer a lot of questions you have.

Two nationwide tourist shuttles:

Interbus
www.interbusonline.com

Gray Line
www.graylinecostarica.com

Both operate 15-seat minivans that pick people up at hotels and shuttle them to other tourist destinations around the country. It's less expensive than hiring a private driver or renting a car. It costs more than taking public buses, but is a lot more comfortable too. Once you get to your destination, you can take taxis. Many tours will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel too.

The point I always try to stress to people is that Costa Rica is a small country with an awful highway system. It takes longer than you think to get from place to place. People think they can see the whole country in a week or two. It's not possible.

You don't say how long you'll have. The classic first-time itinerary is Arenal and Manuel Antonio. It gives you a nice mix of volcano and beach. Both places have a ton of activities. Both also have a complete range of accommodation, from very cheap to very expensive. There's something for every budget

Since Arenal is not doing much presently, I suggest that quite a bit of travel can be saved by substituting Poas Volcano for Arenal (and one can also hit La Paz waterfall nearby as well), with only a short detour from the route between San Jose airport and Manuel Antonio.

The OP is looking at a trip two years from now, so who knows what Arenal's activity will be then? I'd also suggest that the Arenal area has a lot of enjoyable activities that don't focus on the volcano.

Thank you for these tips! I will start looking into your suggestions.

I'm not sure where you're looking to go in the Puntarenas area, but normally I wouldn't recommend the city as much of a tourist destination.

I find Costa Rica a lot more touristy now compared to the 80's. A fair amount of crime, too, that you have to watch out for. I have no problems driving in Costa Rica, but some people aren't quite up for it. Roads can be horrid in some areas, and they like to put speed bumps out in the middle of nowhere, that can be quite hazardous.