(Costa Rica Question) Tamarindo Beach to Arenal?
Sep 3, 2006, 5:16 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2003
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(Costa Rica Question) Tamarindo Beach to Arenal?
Family vacation of a lifetime (hopefully) is 9 days away. Trying to finish up some last minute planning before a heavy week or work.
Two pressing things...anyone know about how long I might expect a van to take to get from Tamarindo Beach up to the Arenal Volcano area? What are roads like?
Dummy me knows nearly nothing about power adaptors for Latin America. Europe I got taken care of. Costa Rica I'm clueless. What adaptor will I need for a notebook (converter not necessary...just adaptor)? Providing a link would be much appreciated as I'm a visual learner.
Thanks so much!
Two pressing things...anyone know about how long I might expect a van to take to get from Tamarindo Beach up to the Arenal Volcano area? What are roads like?
Dummy me knows nearly nothing about power adaptors for Latin America. Europe I got taken care of. Costa Rica I'm clueless. What adaptor will I need for a notebook (converter not necessary...just adaptor)? Providing a link would be much appreciated as I'm a visual learner.
Thanks so much!
Sep 4, 2006, 8:05 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Washington, DC
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When looking for electric adapters, this page is your friend. As it indicates, CR uses the same plug and power standards as the US.
As far as the road from Tamarindo to Arenal, it's about 3.5 hours. Stay near the speed limit - the police love to write speeding tickets. (Actually, they like to fine you in cash without writing the ticket, but it's the same difference). Don't hesitate to stop at the little restaurants called Sodas near the road. We had many a delicious lunch for 4 for about $12-$15, including beer.
Have fun! CR is great.
As far as the road from Tamarindo to Arenal, it's about 3.5 hours. Stay near the speed limit - the police love to write speeding tickets. (Actually, they like to fine you in cash without writing the ticket, but it's the same difference). Don't hesitate to stop at the little restaurants called Sodas near the road. We had many a delicious lunch for 4 for about $12-$15, including beer.
Have fun! CR is great.
Sep 5, 2006, 9:04 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2000
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The roads are OK. Some sections are gravel. Expect potholes as well. The roads around Tamarindo are rougher but conditions to improve as you move away from the coast. I had a four wheel drive jeep but I'm sure I could have made the trip in a car. The roads are all two lane and slower traffic in front of you (trucks) can impede progress. It took me about 5 hours but that was with at least an hours worth of stops on the way. As long as time isn't a consideration, it's an enjoyable trip.