General Costa Rica visiting questions

[Cornholio]

I saw the property thread, but I'm just going for 10 days.

What should I see? What should I do? What should I NOT do?

I'm going for 10 days in August (for a variety of reasons that are fixed) with my rather active and in-shape family.

So, who's been?

[kidwoo]

I used to go a few times a year in college.

It was mostly for surfing though.

Nice volcano not too far outside of san jose that's a nice little day trip. Lots of scenic, blue water beaches on the caribbean side once you get past the bannana landscape.

[lemon boy]

watch out for your cornhole dude.

customs can be a bitch.

[Tippster]

Couple of threads on this. Here's a pretty comprehensive one from a year ago: http://tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26038

[robokill1981]

Depends entirely on what you want to do. Surfing, hiking, camping, wildlife, cities, rafting, mountain biking? 10 days isn't a very long time to do everything in Costa Rica, but it's enough time to have a good time doing one or two activities.

I'd suggest Arenal, Monteverde, and the Nicoya peninsula(Mal Pais/Santa Teresa or Tamarindo are safe bets) for a quick trip to hit all of the tourist destinations or 10 days on the Osa peninsual for something quieter, wilder, and more remote. I'm not sure about surfing around the Osa, but you could do that and head north to Dominical for a few days for a pretty solid trip.

The only place I would skip is Jaco. PM me if you have any questions.

[Superstar Punani]

I saw the property thread, but I'm just going for 10 days.

What should I see? What should I do? What should I NOT do?

I'm going for 10 days in August (for a variety of reasons that are fixed) with my rather active and in-shape family.

So, who's been?

Who are you going with? Solo? Significant Other? Buds?

There are two main tourist towns on the Pacific side- Jaco and Tamarindo.
Jaco has more of a singles scene. Spring Break here brings an assortment of hot sluts from Florida who obviously left their sexual inhibitions at Miami airport.

The breaks here such as Hermosa and Tulin are mainly pounding beachbreak with a penchant for snapping boards in half. Not very JONG-friendly if that's what you're looking for.

Around here you can hit up the Canopy Tours, where a guide takes you to the rainforest, straps a harness on to you, latches you on a cable and you get to fly from tree-top to tree-top in an almost Tarzan-like manner. The thrill is magnified by how much Imperial you've had, or how much mota you've smoked.

For something a little more mellow, or if you're with a chick, head on up to Tamarindo about 2 hours North. a little more quiet than Jaco with a better selection of waves. Tamarindo Beach is beginner friendly, and you can also take a boat trip to Roca Bruja (Witchs Rock) or Potrero Grande (Oliie's Point) for some of the best waves in Central America guaranteed to leave you a throbbing boner in your boardies.

If deep sea fishing is your bag, look up Gustavo's Sportfishing in Tamarindo and tell him Punani sent you. $60 for all day fishing trips (He does the Sportfishing and boat trips to a bunch of secret spots depending on swell).

If you really wanna get away from the resort towns, gringos and shit, then head over to Mal Pais. (Haven't been there, but friends who've been there said that the place acts like a natural panty-remover... BYO chick).

I'd stay away from the Volcano shit since everyone I know who went there got fucked over by bandidos in one way or another.

The Carribean side around Salsa Brava is good too, more like a Jamaican feel.. Again that's from word of mouth.

Have fun. Pura Vida

[Long duc dong]

Went to Jaco last summer for 5 days at the end of july. Surfed about 6 hours a day. Playa hermosa was fun but hectic. I actually did break a board there. The beach breaks in Jaco are also fun, but less dangerous. Went to another place called Esterillos(sp?) or something like that which was maybe a 20 minute drive. The town itself was fun too, but we did not party too much due to exhaustion. We wanted to get Boca Barranca, but it never got big enough. We went there one day and surfed knee high slop, before we spotted a suspicious looking log. The thing kept popping up in different places. We could not tell for sure if it was a croc or not, but knee high surf was not worth the risk.

[Cornholio]

Who are you going with? Solo? Significant Other? Buds?

Family and my girlfriend. Got some good chit from this thread and Stoy's from last year (Search function, JONG!).

I'm afraid this trip is going to make me wish I could surf.

[mooseknuckle]

Get the hell out of San Jose as quickly as possible is my best advice. Not worth spending an extra second there unless you want to hit the mercado central to load up on cheap coffee and check things out in general (nice on last day if you have a PM flight out).

I have been there twice (once for 2 wks and once for 1 mth) and never made it to the Carrib side. Since you are going toward the end of the rainy season I would recommend the pacific side and Nicoya. May be in the minority, but I thought Tamarindo and Jaco were dirty and not as enjoyable as other towns (Playa Negra, Concheal and Hermosa to name a few). Wasn't there for the surf scene though. Decent scuba trips from Playa Flamingo (plus good eats at Marie's - mmmmm).

Rafting from Turrialba is cool, but a haul from San Jose and may not be worth the time investment. Same is true for Arenal. Think heading to Nicoya and touring the towns is a nice way way to go. If you go to Arenal first take short northern ferry crossing (name escapes me), head to the shore and start south. If Arenal last, take Puntarenas ferry crossing, head to Mal Pais and go north to the small ferry crossing. Santa Rosa Park and Witches Rock is a good Northern Nicoya destination. Hope this helps.

[Tippster]

Puerto Viejo (the town where the Salsa Brava surfbreak is) rocks. So different than the rest of the country thanks to the Jamaican influence (they were brought in to work the Cocoa plantations.) Go visit a dude named Joonie Brown. He makes the fantastic driftwood/seashell/found object mobiles you see around town. He made us a custom one with some stuff we'd found washed up on one of the Black Sand Beaches there - it still hangs in our bedroom.

[kidwoo]

Puerto Viejo (the town where the Salsa Brava surfbreak is) rocks. .

We never had any problems there but most of the folks we ran into seemed way more sketched about getting things stolen in Cahuita and Peurto Viejo than on the west side.


We just made sure we left our rental truck empty and rolled down the windows whenever we had to leave it.





.........damn.......now I'm getting all nostalgic about salsa......that wave is so fun

[mnflyfish]

I second the advice on a trip to Monteverde. We stayed at El Sapo Darado. It is beautiful, and provides gret hiking and exploring for your "fit family". It can be an adventure to get there and you will be going towards the end of the rainy season so I would contact a few lodges in the area to see how difficult it will be to get there. I would also encourage you to visit Manuel Antonio Park in Qupeos(sp?) One of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. Watch your lunch though, we had left ours on a beach towel only to get robbed by some monkeys.

San Jose has great night life but not a great spot for a family trip. In addition to the above, Costa Rica has some of the best fly fishing for Tarpon and Rooster Fish in the world. You can do the deep sea thing on both coasts, and there are countless lodges that cater to the fishing. It seems like every week on ESPN2's salt water Sunday someone is in Costa Rica fishing. Check it out and get some ideas if you are interested.

Now I'm not a terribly religious person but it might also be a good experience for your family to attend a Sunday service. I'm a Luthern from Minnesota but found a Catholic service in a very devote, spanish speaking country pretty interesting. Might be worth the time if you get the chance.

Above all have fun, it's been a number of years since I've been there and after seeing some pictures of a friends trip the country is chaning rapidly, and nt for the better. The first time I was there the entire country had just 9 holes of golf, now it's starting to look like any other Caribbean destination. So get out of the city and enjoy and take it in.

Good Luck,
Jay

[shmerham]

Human botflies suck.

[RawkFingrl]

i spent a few days at Playa Dominical and it was awesome. small mellow beach town with enough restaraunts and bars to keep you entertained.
great surf apparently... i took my turns on the long board and watched the more competent locals tear up some pretty big waves. i did a zip line tour at a reserve not far from there which was fun. then we rented a car and drove up to monte verde and hung at the hot springs and did a canopy bridge tour and saw the volcano go off a little bit. amazingly beautiful but very touristy there. glad we only stayed 2 nights there and 6 in dominical.

[rudy]

With the amount of time you have I probably wouldn't bother with the Carribean side. It cool and different from the Pacific side but a bit of a bus ride and not really worth it if you are only there for 10 days IMO. Was a big fan of Manuel Antonio for hiking and abundance of "wildlife". Dominical, Motezuma and Tamarindo are all cool towns. After hitting up the Carribean side and Monte Verde we basically started up north and worked our way down the coast stopping at towns along the way. Hard to go wrong.

[assgasorgrass]

Thread hijack:

We are flying into Liberia next week for 14 days for our honeymoon. Going to start off with a week, give or take in the Tamarindo area. Trying to solidfy lodging and have it narrowed down to Capitan Suizo Bungalows ($$$$), El Jardin de Eden ($$$), or the Hotel Resort Diria(?) with the Sunset Ocean View Room ($$$1\2). Anyone with any experience with any of these hotels?

[pde20]

Did honeymoon there in March/April. 13 days spent there total, and since I am not an avid surfer and wanted nothing to do with the spring break scene on the pacific coast we hit up a few slightly out of the way places, though it was a touch more spendy as a result.

1. Two days in the central valley NOT in San Jose, i.e we were staying at a pimp coffee plantation/spa/resorty place in the hills above town. We slept and had sex.

2. Went to monteverde. Gringo bus ride up there takes four hours, mostly because you are onthe interamericana (main highway through all of Central America) and it is a shit show. Monteverde is very chill...cool and cloudy as the name "clouforest" would suggest. Canopy tours are cool...I wish I had been supremely blazed... and if you dig on the ecology thing it is nice, but not much in the way of nightlife.

3. Went down to the Osa Peninsula. It was hot as hell but a really cool place that has seen very little of the development that the central pacific coast has in abundance. We stayed at a tent camp: http://www.laleonalodge.com/ right on the beach right next to Corcovado which is a large rainforest national park. for the first 4-5 days. I don't know how enjoyable getting here would be in the rainy season. then we moved to Matapalo http://www.encantalavida.com/about.htm which is a chill little expat community with zero "development" aside from some mid to high end loges, but good surfing, ranging from beginners breaks that I was on up to the board snapping shit which i enjoyed watching...super close in beach breaks good for oggling the bros out there. Lodging at matapalo tends to be expensive though there are a few rental houses that you might be able to get at a good rate if you are w/ your family. again, little to no nightlife.

[CascadeCrudSkier]

I backpacked around Costa Rica for about a month two years ago, you'll have a blast wherever you go.

I'd really recommend coming back to San Jose a day early and finishing your vacation with a trip down the Rio Pacuare. It's the best river I've ever been down and it's really the best way to end your trip. For starters, it's on the Caribbean side of the country so you'll get a different perspective if you've been on the Pacific(which I'd recommend). The scenery is awesome and the river was more exciting than any I've been down in WA, ID or CO.

I went with a company called Rio Tropicales that I really liked but there are several in San Jose that will pick you up in the morning and have you back by the early evening.

I liked Tamarindo much better than Jaco, plus if you want to surf I found it much easier for a surf jong.

Go surfing at least once and go for a canopy tour.

I really liked the town of Montezuma on the Nicoya Peninsula. Cabo Blanco wildlife refuge is a short distance away, and there are several waterfalls that are outside the town that are worth checking out. Some friends and I had a blast hiking around the falls while seeing Howler monkeys and doing stupid stuff on rope swings. The town itself is kind of a tourist trap but if you enjoy the sights outside of town it can be a cool place to spend a day or two.

[huckasoreass]

Thread hijack:

We are flying into Liberia next week for 14 days for our honeymoon. Going to start off with a week, give or take in the Tamarindo area. Trying to solidfy lodging and have it narrowed down to Capitan Suizo Bungalows ($$$$), El Jardin de Eden ($$$), or the Hotel Resort Diria(?) with the Sunset Ocean View Room ($$$1\2). Anyone with any experience with any of these hotels?

I've eaten at the Diria--fancy place, right in the middle of Tamarindo, which can be good and bad. Beginner surf out front and the locs may play afternoon games of soccer right there on the beach. But Tamarindo itself, though small, can be pretty hectic and dirty, depending on what you're after. For a bit of an escape from it, take a ferry or swim across the estuary (watch out for crocs) and check out Playa Grande. A world apart (a great place to get married, although you already did that). You won't find good beach hotels, but just set back are Hotel Bula Bula and a couple of other really nice, quiet places with great food. Watch/carry your valuables everywhere. It sucks to have your cameras and passports stolen.

[assgasorgrass]

Thanks. We got 3 nights at the Diria for a major down time relax destress time. The rest we are going to wing it. Will check out Playa Grande. Sounds like Tamarindo is a lot like Quepos proper. We have a 4X4 rented, well a Daihatsu Terios, so will definitely be mobile to check out the different beaches and parks. Going to use the Punani fishing code as well.

[mooseknuckle]

I went with a company called Rio Tropicales that I really liked but there are several in San Jose that will pick you up in the morning and have you back by the early evening.

I also had a good experience with RT. I did an overnight trip that was very cool if you have the time. RT owns a sweet structure in the middle of nowhere that they stop at for the overnight portion. The Pacuare is very fun.

[alto]

If in Jaco, avoid the Beetle bar, unless you really like hanging out with prostitutes and cops who love hanging out with prostitutes. This is actually kinda hard to avoid anywhere in Jaco. Maybe why SuPu likes it.

Montezuma rocks, so does Mal Pais.

[Tippster]

I also had a good experience with RT. I did an overnight trip that was very cool if you have the time. RT owns a sweet structure in the middle of nowhere that they stop at for the overnight portion. The Pacuare is very fun.

I did that too! Little camp in the middle of the jungle was AWESOME. Did they take you to the waterfall?

We got nearly 12" of rain overnight and they threatened that we'd have to walk out. We begged the guides to wait and see if any other boats came down river and we could join them

Hairiest Raft Trip EVER. Class V's all the way, maybe higher. One of the other companies lost a German tourist and thought him drowned. We searched for him for an hour until he came walking back up the river - he'd hit his head and was so woozy he couldn't swim for a while, so got swept downriver for about a mile.

Goddamn that was a fun day.... and the water is WARM.

[mooseknuckle]

I did that too! Little camp in the middle of the jungle was AWESOME. Did they take you to the waterfall?

We got nearly 12" of rain overnight and they threatened that we'd have to walk out. We begged the guides to wait and see if any other boats came down river and we could join them

Hairiest Raft Trip EVER. Class V's all the way, maybe higher. One of the other companies lost a German tourist and thought him drowned. We searched for him for an hour until he came walking back up the river - he'd hit his head and was so woozy he couldn't swim for a while, so got swept downriver for about a mile.

Goddamn that was a fun day.... and the water is WARM.

Yep, I think our group went to the same waterfall. The one they took us to one where you could dive off a 12 ft or so ledge into the pool below. Lots of fun indeed. We played soccer with the guides at a nearby field that night and killed Imperials.

The water is very warm...almost too warm.

Can't imagine how hairy the rapids were on your day 2. They were Class IV/V when I was there and that was the biggest water I had ever been in. Bet the walk out would have been a bitch as the place is completely isolated. That Geman guy sounds pretty lucky...