FH are looking to possibly got to Costa Rica next month for a week. Last trip before the planning chaos. If anyone has been there can you give me any info on where to go....what to do....where to stay? Thanks!
EAY213
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Costa Rica.....vacation help
I've been working with a great travel agent for costa rica they will tell you everything and work with your budget.
Lost World Adventures www.lostworld.com
I would say some of the highlights you should consider are Arenal Volcano, Monteverde Cloud Forest, La Fortuna Waterfall, hot springs, Manuel Antonio National Park, white water rafting, hanging bridges, zip lining. Surfing is very popular there as well.
Look into The Springs Resort, Arenal Nayara Resort, Pacuare Resort, Arenas Del Mar, Florblanca for lodging.
Soon2BeMrsPy
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Costa Rica.....vacation help
JEALOUS!
luckyerialc
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Costa Rica.....vacation help
nothing to add but i'm super jealous!! Enjoy!
Jack84
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Costa Rica.....vacation help
I stayed at the Westin in Guanacaste & had a nice stay. The rooms were really nice. Some with outside balconies others with enclosed. Food was good & drinks too. Beach was nice but it's not like the caribbean. Also the beach is public & not apart of the Westin prooperty. There were locals selling items or would ask if you want a beach massage but they are harmless.
mart81
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Re: Costa Rica.....vacation help
It depends what you are looking to do. If you just want to lay on the beach you probably want to hit up the Carribean side.
If you want adventure the post above is correct. I went there last year and love seeing and doing as much as possible so I did Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, and Samara. You can get shuttles to most of these places or rent a car for a few days. Arenal has the best excursions the canyoneering with Desafio is a MUST (even if you are afraid of heights like me, you won't regret it). Monteverde is a small quiet town, not a ton to do there so you don't need more than two days, but the cloud forest is beautiful and if you do ziplining here you get a great view of the forest (especially if you do the Superman). Manuel Antonio is a gorgeous park not to be missed but it is expensive. You can spend a few days in the park, hiking and then laying on the beach. It's also fun to eat and drink at the different hotels. Then Samara is off the beaten fast so quieter and laid back. Like a California beach town. You can get some food and drinks on the beach and then do water activities.
Have a great time.
venus6584
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Re: Costa Rica.....vacation help
On my trip to Costa Rica we spent time at the Arenal Volcano area and la fortuna falls, monteverde/the cloud forest, and manuel antonio. We stayed in hostels our entire time there, so I don't have any great hotel recommendations but they were clean and inexpensive.
We went white water rafting on the Pacurare river. It was a great experience and would definitely recommend doing that. The tour we did picked us up at our hotel in San Jose and dropped us off at our lodgings at the Arenal Volcano area. So it also helped us with our transportation. If you want any of that information let me know.
I also definitely recommend doing ziplining, we did it in Monteverde. We also spent time at a hot springs, which we really enjoyed-I think this was in the Arenal area
Good luck with your planning
HappyBee
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Costa Rica.....vacation help
Thank you sooo much for all the advice and recommendations ladies!! I was thinking Arenal and Manuel Antonio but wasn't sure..kinda bummed that Arenal doesn't still have a lava flow but no biggy. I would love to do rafting, ziplining, and the hot springs. If you could send me any info you have venus6584 I would be grateful!
Simonenarissa
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Costa Rica.....vacation help
Take me with you!
HappyBee
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Costa Rica.....vacation help
Lol....got a great suggestion to use crreferrals.com. Catalina is amazing!!! I told her what activities we wanted, how long, and max budget. She included everything we wanted and more for quite a bit less than our budget :0) Looks like it will be Arenal and Manuel Antonio....for 7 much needed nights...hanging bridges, sky tram, zip lining, rafting, wildlife tours, and beach time...now to persuade FH this is the place we need to visit!
venus6584
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Costa Rica.....vacation help
https://www.exploradoresoutdoors.com/pacuare-rafting.html this is the company we used for the white water rafting. We had a great time, they were very knowledgeable, professional, and safe.
i think we went to baldi hot springs. we booked a tour when we were in the arenal area. it took us on a tour of a waterfall, to see the volcano, then to the hotsprings where we relaxed and had dinner. i think it was like $45. all the hotels/hostels/and visitor centers had basically the same tour that they offered.
we saw the same tourists in every spot we went to. so it was kinda nice running into familiar faces. and everyone had recommendations on what else to do in the area.
