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Costa Rica Itinerary

Posted on 12/30/23 at 5:32 pm
Posted by Grassy1
Member since Oct 2009
6256 posts
Posted on 12/30/23 at 5:32 pm
GF and I booked a Costa trip a few months ago, with nights scheduled using research from here and elsewhere. More details just booked, and heading out in a few days.

I thought I'd give the experts here one more chance to suggest restaurants, bars, activities or such that we could still make happen.

Day1: MSY to San Jose, take rental car to airbnb in La Fortuna

Day2: LaFortuna, zip lining adventure in the afternoon

Day3: LaFortuna, white water rafting Balsa River in the morning

Day4: Travel to Jaco

Day5: Jaco, 3 hour ATV waterfall tour, 11am

Day6: Travel to Quepos. (Manuel Antonio park?)

Day7: Quepos, Manual Antonio? or inshore fishing?

Day8: Quepos to San Jose, return rental car, flight the next day at 1:00am

Posted by diat150
Louisiana
Member since Jun 2005
43580 posts
Posted on 12/30/23 at 6:11 pm to
In lafortuna you def need to go swim in the waterfall
Posted by Gaston
Dirty Coast
Member since Aug 2008
39031 posts
Posted on 12/30/23 at 10:48 pm to
I don’t get the activities…zip lining, white water rafting, ATVing? I spent a month in Costa Rica exploring the country and never even thought of shite like that.

Hope y’all have a great time. Should have made a surf trip out of it.
Posted by Uhtred
Bebbanburg
Member since Sep 2018
702 posts
Posted on 12/31/23 at 6:40 am to
quote:

I don’t get the activities…zip lining, white water rafting, ATVing? I spent a month in Costa Rica exploring the country and never even thought of shite like that.


Did you not go to La Fortuna and the Arenal area? That area is full of activities like this.
Posted by Grassy1
Member since Oct 2009
6256 posts
Posted on 12/31/23 at 7:53 am to
quote:

I don’t get the activities…


That's the pace my gf likes to roll. In our late 50's, so I guess I'll roll while I can.

Posted by Naked Bootleg
Member since Jul 2021
1836 posts
Posted on 12/31/23 at 8:33 am to
quote:

quote:

Day4: Travel to Jaco

Day5: Jaco, 3 hour ATV waterfall tour, 11am

Day6: Travel to Quepos. (Manuel Antonio park?)

Day7: Quepos, Manual Antonio? or inshore fishing?



We stayed in Jaco last time we visited. It's a great jumping-off point for other activities. We stayed on the north end of Jaco; the surf is rough & dangerous there but the south end's beach is nicer. Definitely try one of the Sodas, that's what I miss most. Healthy food, generous portions, for like 3 bucks per person. Amazing. Amancino's and Ridiculous Burgers are worth trying. Avoid lemon Zest, it gets "high ratings" but it's an overpriced tourist trap. the locals will tell you the same. We did the Tortuga Island tour, saw whales on the way out, was worth it. Did the waterfall tour as well, and an animal reserve where you can feed monkeys in the wild.

I highly recommend the Manuel Antonio nature reserve. No need to get a guide as you will see the dozens of other guides point out the few interesting things that aren't obvious. And the beach at Manuel Antonio is stunning. Most idyllic beach scene we've ever seen. Unless you love standing in a 20-minute line to change clothes at the beach's only changing room, wear swim apparel you can walk out in.

Let me know if they still have the coffee-drinking parrot when you have brunch to start the ATV tour

Posted by Gaston
Dirty Coast
Member since Aug 2008
39031 posts
Posted on 12/31/23 at 9:26 am to
Yea, we drove from Tamarindo to Arenal, stayed the night…went to the park to try and see lava, but it was too foggy. Fun though…wished we had windsurfed on Lake Arenal. We were jumping from one coast to the other, so we didn’t stay long. Drove from there to Puerto Viejo De Talmanaca…place is dreamy. Surfing on that side was bit more challenging, and the nightlife was much different.

The only places we stayed indoors was at Arenal, Manuel Antonio…and a night in Montezuma, every other night was under the stars. Meeting the locals to rent surf boards and get the beta on which breaks to try was the most fun part…of course stopping in small places for lunch/dinner and beers was way up there.

Loved Manzanillo…the Montezuma waterfalls…Cabo Blanco…Mal Pais. I’ll just stay over there when I return. Really wish I’d have brought my son by now, but surfing and rock climbing are two sports that I loved that’ll have to wait until he’s done with his sport.

We were told by everyone to skip Jaco, so we listened.

I love activities and nature…just on a bit different terms.
Posted by SpringBokCock
Columbia, SC
Member since Oct 2003
3157 posts
Posted on 12/31/23 at 1:25 pm to
Add puretrek canyoning on the morning of day 2. And make sure your zip line is with skytrek.
Posted by TideSaint
Hill Country
Member since Sep 2008
75869 posts
Posted on 12/31/23 at 7:15 pm to
Went to CR in August.

Barely left the beach or pool.

I go on vacation to relax. I can ride 4 wheelers at home.
Posted by TigerintheNO
New Orleans
Member since Jan 2004
41208 posts
Posted on 1/1/24 at 11:04 am to
Wife and I are headed there next month (Mardi Gras)
Posted by diat150
Louisiana
Member since Jun 2005
43580 posts
Posted on 1/1/24 at 12:44 pm to
quote:

Went to CR in August. Barely left the beach or pool. I go on vacation to relax. I can ride 4 wheelers at home.


You can hang out at the beach or pool here. Seems like a waste to go to Costa Rica and not experience the diverse landscapes.
Posted by DarlingClementine
Way west
Member since Sep 2023
98 posts
Posted on 1/1/24 at 4:04 pm to
Grano de Oro in San Jose great hotel with in house, excellent restaurant….at least it has been on my trips to CR. Always stayed there first and last night.
Posted by Sonic Boom
Lafayette
Member since Dec 2009
102 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 5:20 pm to
We stayed in Manuel Antonio/Quepos earlier this year. Best trip of my life. Used Bluehirizoncostarica.com for all bookings. Diego is the guy there and can hook you up with anything. He has multiple Baton Rouge and Lake Charles connections. Treated us like family.
Posted by CharlieTiger
ATL
Member since Jun 2014
763 posts
Posted on 1/3/24 at 11:57 am to
Stayed just south of Quepos for the first week of December with a big crew. Lots to do there.

The marina is very nice and has lots of fishing options. We went offshore and caught several good size tuna, a mahi and had some sailfish trailing us but couldn't get them to bite.

Manuel Antonio park is nice, but it's relatively small. The beach there is beautiful and as someone said, just wear a bathing suit you can walk in. It's pretty easy and not that far of a walk. Take small carabeners or something to tie your zippers with on your packs. The monkeys will unzip your bags and go through them with ease. We saw it happen to several other groups on the beach.

A guide probably isn't necessary, but we did have one for our group and they were spotting sloths like 100 yards away in the trees. Even when they tried to point them out without their telescopes, we still couldn't find them. They also spotted a small fer de lance about 10 feet off the path that no one could see unless you got probably too close. You'll probably see other guides, but you'll just have to be lucky to be at the right place at the right time, and frankly, it's a bit of a dick move to ask to look through their telescopes when you're not paying for them.

Keep in mind, the drive from Quepos to San Jose is about 3 hours minimum, depending on traffic, etc. You'll want to take the road that goes back by Jaco and then north. I think the road that goes more directly north/south can be pretty dicy.
This post was edited on 1/3/24 at 12:02 pm
Posted by speckledawg
Somewhere Salty
Member since Nov 2016
3920 posts
Posted on 1/4/24 at 7:04 pm to
quote:

Manual Antonio? or inshore fishing?


I suggest making both of these work. Can't skip the park and catching roosters is awesome.
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