Help with getting around costa rica!
Replies: 6 - Last Post: Nov 9, 2012 11:12 AM Last Post By: SoloHobo
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Help with getting around costa rica!
Hi. Me And a friend need some help with getting around in Costa Rica! We are currently volunteering at a sea turtle project in San Miguel (close to Playa Coyote) on the Nicoya Peninsula. Our closest bus station is Jicaral! Seing as we have 3.5 weeks of travelling after the project is finished, we had these huge plans of visiting first Samara and Nosara, then Mal Pais/Santa Teresa and Montezuma, then Manuel Antonio, then Cahuita and Puerto Viejo, and finally Monteverde and Arenal. Buuut people say it is really difficult getting around these places, and that we may have to cut out Nosara/Samara, and focus on the southern peninsula instead. Anyone have any idea how to get around from these places, and maybe recommend a certain route(ie where to begin and end)? Or recommend a place online where we might find our questions answered? In advance thank you! Best Emilie and Silje1
Is your interest beaches and surfing, or do you want to see the nature, wildlife and national parks? With 3.5 weeks, you have time for both coast but that is a lot of moving around. I would forget Manual Antonio, and Samara/Nosara, the nicest beach and scene on the Pacific is Mal Pais area. On the Caribe side, its Pt Viejo and beaches south are best for lodging. Cahuita is a nice 1 nighter.But the Osa-Corcovado is the highlight of the country, work your way there via Playa Dominical and allow a week at least when all said and done.
2
http://www.thebusschedule.com/cr/there's no reason why you can't visit the places you listed. take a look at the bus schedule and you can figure it out.
on some of the more difficult bus routes, you might consider the shared van shuttle. it's hotel to hotel service in a 12-passenger, air-conditioned van and averages around $40 per leg, more or less. check here http://www.anywherecostarica.com or here http://www.shuttlebus.co.cr and also http://www.easyridecr.com for transport information to and around the puerto viejo area, you can also check http://www.puertoviejosatellite.com
from montezuma, you can get the water taxi to jaco and take the bus from there to quepos.
for 3.5 weeks, figure 7locations max. but you will probably need to spend your last night near the airport.
for the places you have listed, i would go in this order: southern nicoya peninsula, manuel antonio, monteverde, arenal, puerto viejo
3
If you are currently in Costa Rica, just ask around at your hostel, or project, or manager of your hotel, or anyone you run into while in town eating.4
I think we want a mix Of both nature and beaches. But we want beaches with a bit of flavour to it! The problem with Corcovado though is that is is very difficult to get there and it is expensive! How can one do Corcovado on a budget?? I could easily cut Manuel Antonio if Corcovado happens, because it is nature ish too! Thanks guys for all your help!!5
The expensive part of Corcovado, for me, was the water taxi and the guide. Getting there, eating etc wasnt bad at all. It was well worth the splurge by budget traveling standards. It is a beautiful park and I could not believe how much wildlife was moving around in the middle of the day there. It is, or should be, a must do for anyone that has any interest in the natural world. When I was down there I was talking about it in hostels and whatnot and ended up having about 6-7 other people follow me down there because of how stoked I was on it. They all had an amazing time.Would you go to Egypt and not see the pyramids? France and no Eiffel Tower? No Taj Mahal, no Tikal, no Corcovado?
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if you want to hike the loop, which you have time for, and well worth it, is one plan in itself, or you can head to Carate and enter on day trips or hike without a guide to Sirena and back, though you need to time with the tides for river crossings and have reservations/permits for Sirena, arranged in Pt Jimenez.If you want to go to the park as a day trip via boat, then Drake Bay is best. A great way to get there is via Sierppe, getting to Sierrpe can be done via Shuttle Osa from Manual Antonio/Quepos, or via bus to Uvita/Palmar Sur and taxi to Sierrpe, then boat down river from Sierrpe to Pacific and down coast to DB...a blast in itself.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2147724
