Going to Costa Rica! Anyone ever been? Need some help!

[remphish1]

Who has been, any recommendations?

 

I am going in January

 

I would like to visit Anotonio Manuel Park

Guanacaste

Arena Volcano (Tabacon Grand Spa looks sweet!)

 

Any sugesstions, did you drive, how are the roads? Any hotel recommendations?

 

Thanks!

 

[lost highway]

Manuel Antonio is really cool.

 

If you go a little further south towards Dominical you can stay at this little place called Hacienda Baru. It has been about ten years since I visited but it was a lot quieter, and less populous around there. The Hacienda has their own tours/tour guides and you can walk a half mile from your cabana and see empty beach.

 

Get the hell out of San Jose as fast as you can unless you know someone who knows there way around. There are a lot of smooth operators that will lift the wheels off a Yankee's rental car before they realize what's happened.

 

I hear the Caribbean side is really cool, and has a different vibe. I've never been on that side of the country though.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Bring Imodium.

Just kidding, have a really good time. Never been but I have traveled to Thailand, the Philippines, Italy and France, and it's always great to travel abroad. Wish I could do it more often.

[remphish1]

Manuel Antonio is really cool.

 

If you go a little further south towards Dominical you can stay at this little place called Hacienda Baru. It has been about ten years since I visited but it was a lot quieter, and less populous around there. The Hacienda has their own tours/tour guides and you can walk a half mile from your cabana and see empty beach.

 

Get the hell out of San Jose as fast as you can unless you know someone who knows there way around. There are a lot of smooth operators that will lift the wheels off a Yankee's rental car before they realize what's happened.

 

I hear the Caribbean side is really cool, and has a different vibe. I've never been on that side of the country though.

 

I will only be in San Jose for an hour or two tops..

 

Thanks for the tips!

[choo-choo-charlie]

Beautiful country. Spent my honeymoon there. If you get a chance, I highly recommend ziplining above the treetops. You get the tropical vibe, but there's a lot of lush, dense forest, plus you can see wildlife (monkeys and birds) and the ocean. Pretty much the coolest thing ever.

[remphish1]

Beautiful country. Spent my honeymoon there. If you get a chance, I highly recommend ziplining above the treetops. You get the tropical vibe, but there's a lot of lush, dense forest, plus you can see wildlife (monkeys and birds) and the ocean. Pretty much the coolest thing ever.

Yeah that is a top priority

[worldrecordplayer]

We spent almost 2 weeks there in July several years ago. Never set foot in San Jose. When we got there we spent one night in a beautiful asian style villa/hotel outside the city, can't remember the name, then flew down to Manuel Antonio for several days. Then had a driver take us up to the cloud forest, Monteverde. That was fantastic, but don't do the drive on your own. Spent a few days there. I think we did the zip line up there. Then we ended in a rented house just off the beach in Tamarindo. Great trip.