karstu

Traveling to Costa Rica this summer for 10 nights with my husband to celebrate our anniversary. We fly into Liberia and out of San Jose. Planning to start at the ANdaz Pappagayo (as we have Hyatt Points to use). Having trouble deciding how to split the 10 days. I was thinking 3 in Papagayo, 3 in Arenal and 4 in Manuel Antonio (the last day we would leave early morning to catch our flight home). Recently I saw a 2 day rafting trip on the Pacuare River via Exploradores so now I was debating skipping Arenal. Any advice is appreciated!

SJOGuy

Welcome to Flyertalk, and congratulations on your upcoming anniversary.

You need to account for travel time too. Costa Rica is a small country with a difficult highway system. Once you get here, you'll see. Papagayo to Arenal will eat up a huge chunk of a day. Arenal to Manuel Antonio will eat up a huge chunk of another day. Your 3-3-4 isn't going to be anywhere near 3, 3, and 4 full days at these places.

PV_Premier

my wife and i (before we were married) did a 6 day trip flying in and out of LIR. we spent 3 nights in Playa del Coco (about 25 miles west of LIR airport) and 2 nights in Arenal. the advice from SJOGuy about allowing plenty of travel time is astute. it took us about 4 hours to drive from LIR to Arenal area and the road is a challenge once you get off the PanAm highway.

we had a great trip though. certainly would recommend Arenal -- lots of neat things to see, and we stayed at a beautiful property -- Arenal Nayara -- that i would highly recommend.

TravelObsessed

I second the Arenal Nayara suggestion... it is quite possibly the most amazing place I have ever stayed.

wackydream

Congratulations on your anniversary!

The above is sage advice indeed - once you get off the Panamericano, the road is pretty awful. My husband, who loves to drive, was initially upset about my insistence on not renting a car and getting transfers from point to point. As we were getting off the Panamerican, our driver turned around and said that the upcoming massage was free. When he dropped us off at our hotel in Monteverde three hours later, my husband quetly thanked me and said that he was very happy to have someone else drive him. I don't know what your plans are for traveling from place to place, but considering the costs of insurance and rental, the transfers made sense for us.

We stayed at Silencio del Campo while in Arenal and loved the individual cottages. Lots of hot springs nearby (you have to pay an entry fee but otherwise its a quick taxi ride).

Webster7

My husband and I are in Costa Rica right now. Near Coco Beach (NW/Pacific Coast near Liberia). Arenal is THE main attraction of Costa Rica. Do not miss it. We spent too much time at the beach (is there such a thing?) and didn't allow enough time for Arenal. Hot springs, volcano, cloud forest, etc. are not easy to find, but beaches are. Everyone told us to get a driver. Even with a driver, it took 5 hrs with no traffic to get from San Jose to Tamarindo (W. Coast), which ate up much of our day. It's all about the activities here. Whitewater rafting, fishing, surfing, zip lining ("canopy tours"), ATV riding, horseback riding, etc. Each activity is best in a different location. Note also that the weather can differ greatly. We were not aware that the beach would be 20 degrees F hotter than San Jose. It's just under 100 degrees today, and sweltering... The volcano area is higher, cooler and rainier. Like 2 different countries, just several hours apart. No matter what, you will love the trip. It's a fascinating, beautiful place..

SJOGuy

Someone mentioned Monteverde above. That road carries things to a whole new level of awful. But in general, it's slow-going getting around here and you have to account for that in planning your time.

SJOGuy

If you're driving yourself, you should always try to be at your destination by dark. That's 5:30-ish year round, give or take 15 minutes or so. It is 5:25 p.m. here right this moment and it's going to get dark very soon. It's one thing if you're in Manuel Antonio, say, and you're driving somewhere there in the evening for dinner, but to be driving after dark is not good idea for a visitor who doesn't know the roads.

LowRoller

I apologize for hijacking the thread but one quick question. I am going to be in Puntarenas in about 3 weeks and was trying to find some nearby hiking (up to a 2 hour drive away). Are there any popular waterfalls or scenic hikes anywhere nearby?

NorCalTingo

I agree with most of the above. If you're going to be in Arenal and Papagayo, I'd suggest skipping Manuel Antonio. I've been there many times but it's a long drive to and from for a trip like yours, and the park is overrated. It has some nice beaches, but you'll get that at Papagayo. The animal life around Arenal is about as good as MA. Make sure to do a Canopy Tour (zip line) near Arenal for some fun and the best views of the area. The drive around Lake Arenal on the paved roads is nice.

I highly recommend going to La Paz Waterfall gardens the day before your departure, along with a trip to Poas Volcano. Yes, LaPaz is for tourists, but it's very well done. You'll probably enjoy it more than MA, given the other places you're going, and you can stay close to the airport when you do that trip. Poas is the prettiest volcano in CR, but try to go their before 11am because it often gets cloudy after then. If you stay in a nice place near the airport (Hampton?), your hotel can probably arrange this day trip with some advance notice.

I think Monteverde is very nice. The last hour getting there is on a bad road, but it's okay, even without 4wd-big buses do it. I recommend Selvadura as the best place to spend a day. It has the best butterfly garden, humming bird garden, canopy tour, and suspension bridge walk. There are other little things to do around Monteverde for parts of another day.

With the exception of the last part of the road to Monteverde, the roads you'll be on are fine.

Do not attempt to drive in the San Jose area. The lack of signage and road names, and crazy drivers will make it a rough time for anyone not familiar with that arena.

NorCalTingo

I recommend going to LaPaz (see above) for the best waterfalls near Puntarenas, and you can also do a pleasant hike/walk around Volcan Poas in the same day trip.

Puntarenas used to be a popular tourist spot for Ticos coming from San Jose, before the roads were paved. Now, it's not a nice place to spend time, except within the one or two nice (chain) hotels in the area. The sand and the water at the area beaches isn't good.

There are nice beaches to the south. Playa Hermosa would be the first good one that you come to, and you can watch the surfers-usually on medium-to-big waves. The best beach for walking will be Esterillos-it's about 6 miles long-don't swim near the river mouths because of rip currents and an occasional lost crocodile. Or you could drive a little farther south to Manuel Antonio. The walk through the MA park totals only about 2 miles, but you'll see nice little beaches and some animals. When you get to beach #2, watch out for the White Face monkeys=-they will try to steal your food!

If you want more adventure, you can do a white water rafting tour on the Rio Savegre. They do daily pickups in Quepos.

The roads south of Puntarenas are good, and relatively easy to navigate, so travel times can be based on an average speed of 50-70kph.

There is a nice ferry ride from Puntarenas over to Paquera. You can walk, or bring a car on the ferry. There's not much to do in Paquera, but it's a nice trip over and back between islands, and a cute little town. I think there are tours to some of the little islands near Paquera. If someone mentions continuing to drive over to Mal Pais, or the park near there, don't bother. The rough road to get there isn't worth the trouble.

NorCalTingo

The hotel will offer various tours. The nearby beaches are pretty, but there's no waves and good snorkeling is within just a few areas. I think the trips from there to Arenal will be a very long day without enough time in Arenal/Fortuna. Instead you can go to Rincon de la Vieja (volcano and park), sunset catamaran sailing/snorkeling tours, maybe a canopy tour (I haven't been there).

Once you get away from the hotels at Papagayo, you will be in a different world-more like the "real Costa Rica". If you have a car, there are nice beaches to the south. Playa Coco and Playa Hermosa are popular with ex-pats. They have decent beaches, a bit crowded sometimes, plenty of a night-time scene, by CR standards. Lame compared to Cancun and similar.

Some of CR's best snorkeling is at Playa Ocotal, and you can stay there on the beach at Los Alamendros. Playa Conchal is pretty, and with decent snorkeling.

Area roads are good enough and the signage is usually good if you have a good map (the one with the Toucan on the front, available at Amazon).

Our favorite beach town in CR is Samara, about 2 hours south of Papagayo. Lots of info online. Just ask me if you want specifics.

NorCalTingo

One of our favorite hikes, about 2-2.5 hours drive north and east from Puntarenas is Rio Celeste. The photos of it look photo-shopped, but that's what it really looks like. The drive there is a bit long, but mostly pretty. The hike is rugged. It's less than 5 miles round-trip, but there's lots of tree roots to navigate, some steps, a bit slippery in spots, even a few cables attached to the hillside to help you get down the steeper parts. But it's the real deal-not a touristy spot at all. You'll see older and not-so-fit people able to do the hike, but it's not easy. Make certain to bring some kind of a camera, but keep it protected in case you slip on something. We put our point-and-shoot camera in a small, see-through, waterproof Pelican case from REI (~$17).

On the beach near Puntarenas, along the main road, get a "Granisado" (sno-cone) with 2 or 3 milks. A "Churchill" is even better. You can drive on the new highway to the fruit stands near Orotina-the best selection in CR.

karstu

Thank you all for your responses! We really wanted to see all 3 areas, Pappagayo, Areanl and Manuel Antonio in our 10 days. Do you all feel it is too much to cover? We would consider hiring a private driver so we could enjoy the scenery and stop along the way. I see there are also reasonably priced flights. Does anyone have input? In Arenal I was trying to book Nayara, however only their "adults only" springs property is available (may splurge anyway), in Manuel Antonio I am torn between Gaia and Tulemar. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

NorCalTingo

In addition to all the info above... Here's the scoop on Manuel Antonio. Just so you know, my wife was born in CR and her family used to travel to MA for vacations, camping, beach, etc., The first place I ever went to in CR was MA, and we go there about every other year because of the beaches. So, we definitely have a fondness for the area.

The park... you will see lots of guides at the entrance soliciting their services, they're nice, most speak enough English, and they know where to find things in the park. I think you pay around $25 for a group of 2-5 people. You also pay $10/person (Ticos pay $2) to enter the park, and you walk along a smooth gravel path that's about 10 feet wide. Long ago this was one of the roads to the camping areas (no longer allowed). The total length of the path is about 1/2 mile and it ends at a nice little beach.

The guides will stop 4 or 5 times to point out a sloth, maybe a howler monkey or two, an iguana, a few spiders, some plants and trees, and maybe something else. They go very slow along the path. I think the tour lasts 45-60 minutes. You will see many groups, but it doesn't feel too crowded. At the end of the path you pay the guide a tip (10-20% is plenty) if you want, and they say good-bye to you. You will then walk another 50-100 meters to the beach area, and now you will likely see White Face monkeys all over the place, sometimes as close as a few feet from you. Now you know why the guides go so slowly during their tour.

The little beach is nice, many people swim there after their tour, but beware of a slight undertow if the waves are bigger than 2 feet. The monkeys in the area are entertaining, and are good at stealing food out of your daypack or off your table. No beer is allowed anywhere inside the park.

If you want, you can continue on another path that takes you around the point of land, and in this light forest you might see more WF monkeys, and some other small animals. You will pass by some nice scenery and then you end at a small river. You can pay the guy a few dollars to take you across. It's funny because most of the time the guy just walks in the water, pushing the boat across the 20 meters. Now you are at the south end of the main beach, about 200 meters from where you entered the park.

The main beach is about a mile long. It's rather busy at the south end (where the park entrance is, and the road from Quepos ends). Here you can learn to surf on the small, safe waves, enjoy the sand, get something to eat, etc. As you go northward, towards the hotels you mentioned, it gets less busy. We usually stay at Karahe, which is in the quiet part of the beach. In this area you are likely to hear Howler Monkeys. One night we saw an anteater, and another time we saw a group of Squirrel Monkeys up close. The far north end of the beach is a little rocky, and the surfing is better there. FWIW, the north end is where gay people like to hang out. If you're offended by that, just so you know. If you're like most Ticos and other people, nobody cares, and everyone is nice.

The sunsets at MA are very picturesque, partly because there is an island near the center of your photo. The restaurants are among the most expensive in CR (not counting the 4* resorts), but most of the food and service are just average. There are many options available, but none except El Gato Negro stand out for us.

There are private bus companies that take people between the major tourist areas in CR, like Arenal, Monteverde, MA, somewhere in northern Guanacaste, San Jose, etc. I think they charge $40-$70pp each segment. The buses hold 20-30 people and are reasonably comfortable and have AC.

The hotels around Papagayo are wonderful in their own way, but you will have the chance to enjoy the "real Costa Rica" after you leave there.