Thanks again to all who gave advice about Costa Rica before
my family of 4 went there. Now we're back, and here are
some thoughts:
Pension de la Cuesta in San Jose is well-located, well-
priced, and safe. Good muesli also.
It is not worth spending a night in La Fortuna itself--but
by all means consider staying at the incredibly clean
Cataratas hotel run by Quakers, just outside of town. Or,
if you can possibly splurge a bit, the Tabacon Resort is
well worth the $110/double price. This cost includes
wonderful buffet breakfasts and morning-'til-night passes
at those fantastic hot springs, where you can soak, sip
your favorite beverage, and marvel at the very active
volcano...whatta place! Get up early and you'll see toucans
and hear howler monkeys.
Don't bother with the grungy and overpriced Hotel Tillawa
in Tilaran. The $20 Cabinas Mary is just across from the
town square, which is the place to be at dusk.
The folks at Tico Winds are lots nicer than the Tillawa's
people, if you plan to rent windsurfing equipment. They are
cheaper, too. And yes, in early April that wind was mighty
indeed.
Jaco is only worth a stop if you are an avid surfer. It
appears to be a high-crime town. We stayed at the Tangeri,
which has a semi-toothless codger with a pistol patrolling
at night.
Manuel Antonio National Park is all it is cracked up to
be. Go early, and prepare to be mesmerized. (I took two
rolls of film on iguana portraits alone.) We stayed at the
Vela Bar. It has a good location and good food, but is
pricier than some others. If the park is your interest,
and not a great view from your room, then the Vela Bar will
suit you nicely. If, however, you want a view and can hack
marching up a big hill after a day at the beach, then you
can try the gorgeous Si Como No. The gift shop there merits
a look-see but ain't affordable.
The animal rescue center between Quepos and Manuel Antonio
is well worth a visit, but has limited open hours---check
before you go.
There is a good French bakery in Quepos, a short walk from
the t-shirt painter's shop.
There is a tiny road sign between Quepos and Jaco, amongst
the African palm oil trees, advertising
waterfalls/horseback riding/bat caves/lunch. This is a
private road, but if you go down it and are lucky, you
might have a marvelous adventure. Beto, the farm manager,
gave my family a memorable afternoon riding horses to a
fascinating bat cave. He only requested a tip in return.
If you have a car, be sure to explore such signs by the
road--they are often places where the high-priced tours are
headed.
The advice about reserving a car before you leave for CR is
sage. You'll get the same price or better and nearly
always a newer car. I happened to go with Dollar.
If you ride the buses, please note: we saw three accidents
involving buses on our trip. It was Semana Santa when the
roads were crowded and passing over double lines was de
rigueur. Each accident we saw involved head-on collisions
between cars and buses...one of those accidents in
particular will be etched forever in our minds. The only
injured parties on the buses appeared to be those in the
front seats. {Those in cars not using seat belts were
toast.) So, you may want to lessen your risk by sitting
toward the middle of the bus.
We had an amazing trip---hope you do too.
[There are 6 posts - the latest was added on Mon 17 May, 15:53]
Use the form at the end of this page to add your own post.
Topics
| Thorn Tree
| Home
For some great information. I'm formulating plans for a
Costa Rica adventure early next year. If I get to the areas
you mentioned (quite likely), I'll put your recommendations
to good use. Thanks again ....RMM
right you are, I recently stayed at the Tabacon too.
It is a good price for what you get, and I hear next year
when their pool goes in the price will go up. It looked
like all their rooms had two doble beds and views of Volcan
Arenal.
I am looking at this site to get info on my upcoming
vacation to Costa Rica, and your note has been helpful.
You seem to have done a good mix of the cheapies and
splurges.
The name of the animal rehabilitation centre is Las Pumas
and I strongly recomend going there and talking to the
older lady who has run it for 35 years. It was really impressive and she had some interesting things to say.
Tabacon is an american owned hotel that has destroyed a
beautiful part of the rainforest beside Arenal Volcano.
Their sewage and pollution from tourists has caused problems
further down stream. Do not support these huge, uncaring
hotels.
Tabacon is an american owned hotel that has destroyed a
beautiful part of the rainforest beside Arenal Volcano.
Their sewage and pollution from tourists has caused problems
further down stream. Do not support these huge, uncaring
hotels.