Will be leaving for CR in 3 days. I'm having some last minute changes in our itinerary and would like some help. What to do, where to stay, is it too long/short for one place? activities? where to dive? our idea of a vacation is 70% activity and 30% relaxation. we like a mixture of jungle, hike, snorkeling, diving, and a little bit of relaxation. it's our first time in costa rica. we've decided not to drive. should we do the pacific/beach side first? we plan on spending no more than $60 for hotels. we would like to stay at places that are in the center of town as we are not driving, so we need places to be easily accessible. we are not party people, early 30's. should we add monteverde to our trip? any suggestions would really really help. thanks in advance.
day 1: arrive san jose, stay at alajuela (stay at mango)
day 2: alajuela to montezuma (flight's at 2pm...a little too late for my taste)
day 3: montezuma (what to do there?) (hotel los mangos or hotel aurora?)
day 4: montezuma ( " " " " ) ( " " " " " " )
day 5: montezuma to manuel antonio (stay at vista serena hostel)
day 6: manuel antonio: dive/snorkel (vista serena hostel)
day 7: manuel antonio: hike (what else?) (vista serena hostel)
day 8: manuel antonio: some kind of tour (vista serena hostel)
day 9: manuel antonio to arenal (flight from quepos) (arenal backpacker resort)
day 10: arenal: what to do? (arenal backpacker resort)
day 11: arenal: what to do?
day 11: arenal: what to do?
day 12: arenal to tortuguero (we'll probably use a packaged tour)
day 13: tortuguero
day 14: tortuguero to san jose
day 15: fly home
well you have 14 days(dont count in and out days)-so 4 spots is doable, for the most part figure 1 day between spots.
try to keep flexibility in your plans so you can stay if you like or move on if you dont.
diving best to worst-NW catalinas islands Playa del Coco, SW Drake Bay, Mid pacific-MA, caribe coast PV. so you could do your diving at MA.
Montezuma-has waterfalls, national parks, some animals, nice seashore, surfing around the corner at Mal pais,etc
Manual Antonio-is more high end, small crowded park, beautiful coastal scenery and beaches, rafting, etc(may want less time here)
Arenal-tons to do for the outdoor person-hike, raft, hot springs,waterfalls, big lake, volcano, try to get up to Cano Negro-river border area for wildlife(extend time here)
Tortuguero-lowland mangrove swamps and lots of animals, very wild place, limited activities.
I would do beach spot last for R and R after all your adventure.
Try Tortugero-Arenal-Montezuma-MA=this will also put you only 4 hrs from the airport at the end.
enjoy
I'm jealous of your trip. Motezuma is a sweat little village. The point of CR is to relax though (Montezuma especially), so don't expect too much action. Los Mangos is a very rustic little hotel, but have an open mind and it's great. Nice location and cheap. In Montezuma you should spend one day on Turtle Island. Book a trip at Lucy's across the street from Los Mangos. Lucy is a sweet lady. By the way, that's a fantastic restaurant.
Manuel Antonio is a fun place. The park is nice and the beaches are amazing. There are some good little sodas near the beach vendors too. Great food for around $4. The nightlife in MA is good too.
There's not much in Arenal. The zip lines are fun, but 3-4 days there is a long time.
Pura Vida.
What to do?
Geez- You have a guidebook? Its like asking, I am going to NYC, what should I do?
Why are you going to CR?
Why have you picked these venues?
Montezuma is a surf town
Manual Antonio is a developed resort town next to heavily touristed park...
There is no diving or snorkeling to speak of in either locales- Drake bay or Caribe side for that, not to mention its rainy season, heavy run off from rivers can cloud nearby coves etc.
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