Hi there--I'm leaving for CR in 2 weeks and am still
putting together my itinerary. Any suggestions would be
very helpful! I only have 6.5 days and will be going to La
Fortuna/Arenal, Monteverde/Santa Elena, and Quepos/Manuel
Antonio. Any suggestions on transportation between the
places? I was thinking of bussing from SJ to Arenal, then
horsebackriding to Monteverde and bussing back to SJ. Then
catching a flight from SJ to Quepos--any idea on flight
times or costs? I am also looking for places to stay-we
have a moderate budget for 2 (not shoe-string, but nothing
extravagant unless really worth the splurge). I'm also
looking into canopy tours and river rafting excursions so
any tips on companies would be great. Whatever else you'd
like to throw in re: packing, etc. would also be most
helpful. Main question regarding shoes: tennis shoes,
tevas, or both? Do I need to invest in hiking boots for the
rainforest? THANKS!
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hiya,
i stayed in quepos and just got on the bus to manuel
antonio. the sunset in quepos!!! not bad at all. can't
remember the name of the hotel, one of the cheap ones
between the bus station and the sea. it wasn't that great
anyway, but quite ok. could look it up if you're
interested. as for shoes; i just loved my hiking boots, not
only for the jungle trips. that and tevas is for me the
perfect combination.
ciao
If you're staying at all in San Jose, I highly recommend Pension de la Cuesta, which cost me $21 for a single (inclusive of breakfast). Baths are shared but very clean. It is very friendly with a homey atmosphere, right in the center within walking distance of the bus stations. The proprietor, Nicola, is extremely helpful with information about getting around Costa Rica, and can book you on tours (including whitewater trips) at a discount on regular prices. They have a website: http://www.arweb.com/lacuesta.
At Fortuna, I stayed at Cabinas Carmela at about $15 with private bath. It was ok, but there are plenty of similar places in Fortuna so you'd have room for choice. I didn't have time to take the horseride to Monteverde but it looks like a very attractive trip - but expensive at $50 or so (inclusive of 2 meals).
I think hiking boots are advisable for doing a lot of rainforest hiking (though at Tortuguero my inn provided rubber boots for guests).
I just got back from two weeks in CR - went to Manuel
Antonio and La Fortuna via SANSA Air and bus. You can check
the prices and book flights at
http://www.costaricainfo.com/sansa.html (Call them on the
phone instead of sending e-mail.) I would book your flight
(s) as soon as possible. It might be difficult to get a bus
to SJ and plane to Quepos on the same day, and you don't
want to waste a night in SJ between destinations. I would
try to book a flight from La Fortuna to SJ with a
connecting flight on the same day to Quepos/Manuel Antonio
(I did this for a flight between Tamarindo/SJ/Quepos.)
The bus to La Fortuna is hot and bumpy, and it takes about
4.5 hours. The bus between Quepos and SJ takes about 2.5 -
3 hours, but the flight is only 25 minutes and only $35
dollars. Flights are much more comfortable than the bus, so
I would highly recommend them.
Tevas are ok for some light hiking in Manuel Antonio, but
you might want boots or cross-trainers for Monteverde.
You're going to love Manuel Antonio - great beaches, cool
trails, and lots of iguanas and white-faced monkeys! Arenal
volcano is cool too - spend at least one day at the Tabacon
hot springs - amazing!
Also, expect thunderstorms with lots of rain in the late
afternoon and/or evening at both Arenal and Manuel Antonio.
It's still warm at night, and there's nothing better than
kicking back in the hot springs during a storm watching
flashes of lightening every few seconds! The weather is
perfect during the morning and early/afternoon.
At Manuel Antonio, go to the park early - at 7 a.m. when it
opens, and book all your day hikes and other tours early in
the morning, when it's sunny. We took a day cruise and saw
lots of dophins - very cool!
Feel free to e-mail me if you want more info.
-Brian
if you go to www.extranjero.net, it has an autoresponse
system with the names, tel. nos., and prices of hotels in
Manuel Antonio/Quepos.
Buses are the most convenient and inexpensive. They take you to all of the places you are going to and give you a bit of insight into the lives of the people from there.
The buses to Quepos/Manuel Antonio leave form the Coca-COla station. Be careful there. That is the most dangerous bus station, but not too bad. Just of course watch your stuff.
I would suggest taking Tevas and tennis shoesYou are going to have such a blast. I was there for three months last summer and could have stayed a year!
Do it! One of the most amazing things I've ever done in my
life was rafting the Pacuari. And it might be getting
dammed up soon. That was plan as of a year or two ago, not
sure about recent developments. But the trip was amazing.
It goes through a canyon, virgin rainforest, and class 4+
rapids. I went on a full day including lunch for around $50
US. It was all the money I had. For the rest of my stay I
had to stay at friends houses and live on cookies. But it's
something that I'll never forget.
Hayden
Never been on the horseback trip from Arenal to Monteverde,
however I hear it's a long one-best save it for a trip here
during the dry season, and probably only if you've been
riding regularley.
Enjoy your trip!