3 Weeks in Costa Rica

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barbadossecret1
barbadossecret1

Hi,

We will be spending three weeks in Costa Rica and are looking for some recommendations on where best to visit. We have been travelling alot of the last couple of months so we are looking to visit no more than four places in Costa Rica. We will be arriving in the country from Nicaragua- not sure of the exact border crossing just yet.

Where would people recommend? We would like to take in one of the volcanoes. We are also looking to spend some time relaxing on the beach. Our preference would be to stay on the Pacific coast if possible though we have read that Tortuguero on the Carribean coast is really good to spot some turtles. What do people in general recommend?

Also, it looks like we will be in Costa Rica for Semana Santa. We have read that alot of businesses close from the Thursday until the Saturday with alcohol sales also being prohibited. Where would be the best place to be for Semana Santa? Will there be processions and other things going in Costa Rica for it or will it be very quiet? Bare in mind that for Semana Santa we would want to be in the east of the country as we travel to Panama from Costa Rica a few days later.

Any tips or suggestions that anyone may have would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

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wiremu
wiremu

lets see if i can pick through your questions:

  1. if you are coming from nicaragua, you can fly into costa rica or come by bus. if you come by land/bus/boat, there are really only two places to cross the border: penas blancas and los chiles. penas blancas is the most popular and easiest although you may encounter long lines. los chiles means a long trip across lake nicaragua to the town of san carlos and from there, a boat/taxi to los chiles.

  2. volcanoes - there are at least 100 volcanoes in costa rica so visiting a volcano is pretty much anywhere you go. rincon de la vieja and arenal are two of the most popular, both national parks.

  3. people, in general, recommend all sorts of things. there are beaches on the pacific side where you will not see another living soul - playa jobo, playa cuajiniquil - and then there are beaches where there are lots of people - tamarindo, manuel antonio - and everything in between.

  4. whether you will see turtles in tortuguero depends on what time of year you are there. even without seeing turtles, tortuguero is an amazing place.

  5. good luck with semana santa. some businesses close, some don't. it may not be possible to buy alcohol from thursday to saturday. this was changed last year but i think it was changed back. i dont drink much so really not paying attention to this. getting a place to stay at the beach will be nearly impossible during this week. the best place to be would be in the mountains somewhere. arenal, maybe or turrialba or the sarapiqui area.

  6. there will be processions in some places - larger towns and the cities - but not elsewhere.

  7. depending on how you leave for panama - by air or by land - and where you are going in panama, it may not matter where you are your last few days in the country. you can get to panama from either coast - but if you are taking the ticabus, that goes the west coast.

here are some websites that may be helpful:
www.govisitcostarica.com
www.costarica-nationalparks.com
www.tortuguerovillage.com
www.arenal.net
www.nicoyapeninsula.com
www.puertoviejosatellite.com

Edited by: wiremu

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ruz
ruz

Hi,
we have been in CR a few weeks ago, so we can't give you tips for semana santa, but you mentioned tortuguero, which is a great place for wildlife spotting. We have done a really nice boat trip there on which we saw plenty of animals like monkeys, caimans, sloths, iguanas and a wide variaty of birds by paddling along small rivers in a kayak. However how much you see depends very much on the guide you go with. So if you decide to do this tour ask at the tortuguerro info center for Rafael Alfis. He is a very knowledgeable guide, who is doing a great job.
hope you'll enjoy your trip

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maricel2888
maricel2888

Head the beach during Semana Santa, is nearly impossible, everyone is going to be there, hotels are full as well as beaches, if you try to make a reservation today, you will not find space.
In this case, I think you can visit the mountains, national parks, volcanoes are a good option.

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barbadossecret1
barbadossecret1

Apologies for the delay in replying on this and thanks to you all for your responses.

Looking forward to visiting Costa Rica. It all sounds great! Tortuguero sounds like a must!

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solohobo
solohobo

With 3 weeks, you have to visit:

Corcovado- Southern Zone near Panama
Tortuguero- Caribe side
Cano Negro- Near Nica Border Los Chiles
Celeste Waterfalls- Near Liberia
Rincon- Near Liberia

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