liberia/arenal volcano/montevede/Mal Pais????

Hi Darin,
I think your shedule sounds great!
For renting a car you can often get better deals from the big agencies over the internet, they can arrange pick up and drop off at the airport, for doing the trip that you have planned I would get a car, the local transport, though good does take a lot of time, another option is to try grayline or interbus, grayline has the better prices! both are very comfortable.
In Arenal I would reccomend athe la pradera which has standard rooms for $45
in monteverde tina´s casitas
the ferry does take private cars, there are several a day, you might have to queue up, depending on the time of year you go.
I personally love mantezuma, it is a little town with many cafes and resturants a really nice vibe, mal pais and santa teresa are nice though much more spread out, though if you have a car, it does not really matter!
have fun and pura vida
Reply to this

If you want real eco tourism......go to either Panama, Colombia or even Nicaragua. Costa rica sucks and it's far too expensive for what your getting and for your money Panama is better. start from Boca del Toro or even Santiago. If you want beauty take a short plane ride from Panama City into Puerto Obaldia and a canoe ride into Capurguna, Colombia......you may not want to returm! Reply to this

good surf........go to Puerto Viejo, from San Jose take a bus from Terminal del Caribe about 4K colones, you can watch all the ex-pat's walking around in dirty clothes and their Bob Marley tee-shirts and smiking weed! Reply to this

Hey Saladin, you sound like overall your glum on costa rica, is it really that bad? Come on man, wheres the love for the home of Contra financiers??? Reply to this

We could go back and forth on this dirty history all day but in the end we are all responsible for our own actions. Me myself, im going there with the intention to have the vacation of my life while respecting the locals and at the same time watching my back. To surf, relax in nicoya with a beach pretty much all to myself. Do lots of beyond the tourist zone hikes through first and secondary rain forests of arenal/monteverde and witness some pretty amazing ecosytems. All this with the benefit of adventure and freedom with a 4x4 road trip through mountains and beaches. Sounds pretty good- at least to me.

Ps - that whole episode of supporting death squads and the DEA letting drug shipments get through US airspace to support the cause is a dark scar on our country. A Black and white ideology of "just say no" to our kids while we piss on the constitution? Never played well with me.



Reply to this

Hello Cathy, Sorry for the delay- but here's some details from my trip.
We pretty much stuck to the itinerary listed above and it worked out really well. Arrived in Liberia for a plenty of daylight driving to Arenal area. We got the larger grand vitara for the heavier terrain. Definitely don't go for that little Terios car - too small for the type of dirt roads down there. We paid about 420 for 7 days with navigation from Alamo- good service.

Stayed at arenal observatory lodge in the Smithsonian rooms with balcony view- totally worth it. Fairly good morning guided tour on the property- it was free and had a nice waterfall at halfway point. don't do the hike up an adjacent mountain of volcano called patchuko mtn? anyways- crazy hike with virtually no view on a brutal accent to the top. Yes there's a lake on top yet- very difficult access. Great work out but otherwise sort of nonsense.

We spent two nights there and a third night at hotel la pradera. It was OK- seemed nicer in online pics.
Advantage is its very close to la fortuna waterfall which is pretty special. Also, about a mile away from hotel is Eco- termales - the cheaper yet really nice natural hot springs. We had dinner there and my wife's
grilled tilapia was excellent. 37 each for springs + dinner.

Then we traveled to the upper rain forest: monteverde. Stayed at Arco Iris Hotel - kind of a funky Costa Rican town, very local, hotel was still pretty much in town. I would rather have stayed at the smaller lodges away from town center and hopefully had a view of forest.

We did the adventura zip line, good fun. Newly wed wife almost divorced me after the tarzan swing.

Next we traveled to puntarenas and caught the ferry across to nicoya- then straight to Montezuma beach. NO reservations so we missed out on Mona Lona Hotel, I would say by far the coolest place at that beach. its just a beautiful spread with nice landscaping -beautiful lawn and its right beside this rivermouth descending from the hillside. NO vacancy so next best seemed to be the Los Mangos right across the street.
Very eclectic lodges were ok price - I think 75. Nice pool, my wife and I swam alone in the night with rain and thunder above- pretty sweet.

Next day we did the turtle island thing, we actually enjoyed it, I had read how it was too crowded, etc. -
but its a great beach over there. a fresh grilled lunch is included yet it was wet season- with murky water they didn't catch anything. I have no idea where the fish came from that they cooked- but not so good.

As long as you are content to relax on beach for day with a little snorkeling it was nice- no crowds.

Last was two more nights at Santa Teresa's Esencia hotel. Great cottages equipped with full kitchen across street from ocean - pretty nice. I think 75 cash - 95 credit.
Sandy Beach-great waves, rented a surf board for 5$ a day and had fun.

Most memorable part of Ocean part trip was a hidden local restaurant which was recommended at Mal Pais Beach, not sure of name- but really tasty garlic shrimp and grilled fish. It was outdoor patio with tables literally on the beach next to rock formations
and crashing waves. Very cheap - like $7 each plate. It was our last night in CR and we enjoyed an epic sunset with the meal, but im still thinking about that garlic shrimp.
Ask the office lady at Esencia Hotel for directions to restaurant.

Darin Reply to this

Could it be Luz de Mono? Or Amor de Mar? Reply to this