Anyone have a really good time?
This one is a bit hard to answer because there are so many things to see in Costa Rica and not knowing your preferences so I will just say what I like and if it fits … go for it.
I like the northwest area because it is quiet and relaxed and family style leisure. http://www.jardindeleden.com/
This little hotel in Tamarindo is not directly on the beach but it has an intimate setting on a bluff with immediate access to the beach. Tamarindo is located in the Northwest part of the country.
Things to do in the immediate area … laying on the beach,crashing through waves, surfing,sailboat adventures, rest and relaxation, rapelling in trees with howler monkeys, watching sea turtles come ashore and lay their eggs, horseback riding in the ocean and along the beach.
I have been to this hotel twice. It is not the largest… just a few rooms but each has a unique personality. There is one room that has a shower and the shower curtains are tropical plants that separate the shower from the bedroom…..like I said intimate.
The ocean water is nice,comfortable and cleaner than the middle of the country (Puntarenas south to Jacò- Quepos). The reason being the sanitary sewer system dumps raw sewage in the rivers and gulf and ends up messing up the water for miles. (at least that’s what I see from the air)
There are so many thing to see in Costa Rica it really depends on what you want to see if you want to spend a lot of time in one area or move around. The central highlands is wonderful for birding and there are many national parks. Volcanos…. hot springs…. canopy tours.
Costa Rica is laid out a little like Detroit, Michigan…. Most roads wagon spoke out from the capital city San Jose. It can easily take 1/2 day to go into San Jose and out again so plan well you "must see" sites. Going from Tamarindo to Golfito requires a return to San Jose and then out again by car. There are flights on Cessna Caravan type planes with most going in and out of San Jose.
A few recommendations:
1. Costa Ricans are beginning to smell American money and there are many more rip-offs than just a few years ago. Make your ground transportation once you arrive and ask first at the hotel how much it should cost. Pre-paid transportation can cost you 2 to 3 times as much as just hiring a taxi in San Jose so be careful. The hotel will even help you arrange this at reasonable rates and make sure you are not ripped off.
2. Many of the smaller hotels are very nice and the people are very hospitable. $35 -45 a night including breakfast are not hard to find. They are not as exquisite as the type of hotel I left a website for but they are clean and located everywhere. (It is sort of like bed and breakfast hotels in Ireland)
3. If not traveling by air or taxi and on a buget, the public bus system is not a bad way to go from one section of the country to another and is reasonable.(air conditioned and modern)
4. Plan your itinerary and consider flowing from one to another close by to save time. (eg Arenal volcano, hot baths, birding, upper canopy rapelling, butterfly sanctuaries) It takes a 4 hr ride from Tamarindo each way so you don’t want to spend your entire vacation in a car.
5. Hire a driver if this is your first trek in the country. Police officers can smell tourists and issue traffic violations easily because they KNOW you will be stuck paying them and cannot afford to come back to fight them.
6. Many of the little hotels have their own website and I found it better to deal with them directly due to travel agency rip-offs. The Jardin del Eden gave a 25% redution in rates for more than a 3 day stay for example. The travel agents will grab that for themselves. So ask and negotiate. Some will even pick you up at the airport and save you the expense of another ground transportation cost when you first arrive.So ask … you may surprise yourself.
7. If you use the little commuter airlines for internal travel. Learn to pack LIGHT. There is a 25 pound weight limit on your luggage. There is a substantial fee you must pay for each pound over 25 pounds for each leg of your journey. Parachute luggage is a great help. People don’t realize how much weight is just in their bag alone.
My last trip to Costa Rica was to Samara… it also is pretty but the main reason for going there was to rent an ultra-light airplane and fly the coast.
With a spectacular view of the Arenal Volcano, natural hot and cold springs, four unique dining experiences, and an impressive full service Spa, The Springs Resort and Spa at Arenal promises to overwhelm you in every aspect of quality, service and design. The resort perches one thousand feet above the Arenal Valley on a mountain ridge just six kilometers north of the active volcano but safely outside the government declared danger zone.
Fun, Entertainment, Beachfront Resort at Jaco, Costa Rica. The Resort where fun lovers meet. Party People, Come with your friends and enjoy your stay.
The drive from the resort, back to town
Club Mi Amor is a beautiful clothing optional tropical retreat located 80 minutes east of the capital on the San José-Limón highway, just east of EARTH University in Guácimo, Limón Province, Costa Rica.
Consultants Damian Viera and Jason Haug produce a resort-wide composting program for a yoga resort center in Costa Rica. www.puravidaspa.com