Costa Rica Travel Forum

Hello,
I am planning a trip to Costa Rica for two couples in our mid 20s for a week in the end of February. We are an active/adventurous group looking to see the best of the wild side but not spend excessive time traveling or spend a fortune. I would say the top priorities are hiking or possibly backpacking and we would like to see as many habitats/climates as we can. I’d like to spend some time in the jungle and on the beach and would like to check out the cloud forest and a volcano or two. We could camp or stay in lodges and want to spend a couple days in a few locations to minimize travel so we could take a bus. I would like to be able to go sea kayaking to see wildlife and crocodiles, snorkeling and such and not be in crowds of tourists. I guess my question is what are your recommended locations for a visit of only a week? I like the sounds of Corcovado Lodge but it is expensive. I like the idea of camping but is it safe? too hot and sticky? or just too much gear to carry around on a bus? Probably the girls would like the idea of lodges the whole time and that is fine if we didn’t have to spend too much. I would like a lodge on the water with access to jungle trails, sea kayaks, snorkeling gear and someone to give advice on what to check out. I’ve planned many trips before, backpacking and climbing on a tight schedule and seat of the pants cross country but never out to of the country; we could speak a little Spanish if needed. So how would you do it? Bus? Rental car? Package tour? Any advice will be very much appreciated. I am looking for an adventure but a relaxing adventure without having to worry about where we are going to stay next or getting caught after dark in a dangerous area.
Thanks,
Nate

Nate,
If you have enough in your budget to rent a car, do it. That way you are not bound by the public transportation schedule. The Pacific coast has plenty of camping along the beach. It's a hot spot for surfers.
The Caribbean side is less developed and is considered to be the "True Costa Rica" by most of the locals I spoke to. If you do make it to the Cloud Forest, do a canopy tour. Make you way to the Mt. Arenal Observatory Lodge (if your on a tight budget, this might not be a good place to stay) it is the closest you can get to the volcano and they offer jungle hiking trails. Some are short and easy and others are longer. I have a few pictures on my travel page.

matt

You might like to check out a package tour to Corcovado if your heart is set on going there. As it is one of the hardest places to get to from San Jose, some tours include transportation by plane from SJ to the park. Corcovado is suppose to be a wonderful place and it would be a shame to miss for the lack of cash. However if you are willing to change your plans then try Rincon De la Vieja to the Northwest of San Jose. There is plenty of hiking and wildlife there. It is easy to get hence cheaper and there are good lodges that will not stretch your budget.

There is a little place on the Osa just outside of Puerto Jimenez called Pearl of the Osa. It is right on the beach. Just down the road is a kayak company where you can arrange to go through mangroves, out into the Gulf, and other trips. They also have kayaks next door at their other place that you might be able to use.
If you want to go to Corcovado you can get up very early and take a taxi into town and catch the colectivo to Carate. It is just a couple of dollars apiece and you can just walk about 45min along the beach to the entrance to the park. At the end of the road in Carate there is a little pulpuria where you can buy cold drinks. You can also camp there and for a small fee you can use their facilities. Between there and the park entrance there are also two tent camps. Very upscale by most standards of camping. Corcovado Tent Camp and La Leona Tent Camp. This might be an option for the ladies. If you just want to spend the day you can catch the colectivo later in the afternoon to head back to Puerto Jimenez.. To get to Puerto Jimenez you can take a public bus from San Jose. It is a very long trip-pretty much the whole day.

Another option would be the Drake Bay area. There are several lesser expensive lodges. Wilderness Adventure Lodge has kayaks. You can take a tour over to Cano Island for snorkeling or to Corcovado. There are trails in Drake Bay that you can hike also. This is a much closer option than Carate.
There have been quite a few new places there in the last few years and an up to date guide book is a must. In the 12 years I have been traveling down there I buy a new one every 2 years.

More info.
Tamarindo is a very popular place for people your age. Restaurants, night spots (such as they are) are all within walking distance. Snorkeling trips are available. Pasatiempo is a good place. Tamarindo.com is a good web site for info.

I would like to note that beaches and snorkeling are not the same as you would find in the Caribbean. On the Pacific Coast where most people travel it is pretty rough surf in most places. There are limited areas for snorkeling. Lots of surfers and lots of rip tides so be very careful.
Manuel Antonio is a lovely place with lots of options for things to do and some pretty beaches. For less expensive places to stay you can stay in Quepos just down the road. Again, a good guide book would be a tremendous help.
The Atlantic side as was mentioned is very different. Much less developed and depressed economically. As in most places around the world this also tends to raise the crime rate. I tend to disagree with the other poster about this being the true Costa Rica. Spanish is not even the primary language spoken there. It has a much more Jamaican influence and Rastas are alive and well there. There are some pretty beaches in the Cahuita area and Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a popular place.

All of that said...with such a short time available in the country, I would pick two places that aren't too far. Carate would require 3 days travel time by bus to and from.
If you wanted to see a live Volcano and sit in some hot springs, Fortuna (Arenal) is a great place to go. There are cloud forest hikes, old lava bed hikes, a waterfall hike. Lake Arenal is there with windsurfing, fishing.
From there I would choose either tamarindo or Manuel Antonio. They are both about the same distance from Fortuna but Manuel Antonio would be slightly closer to San Jose for the return home. Most hotels/lodges/Pensions etc. will have a list of things to do in the various areas and can help you arrange to do the tours.
I think you will find english spoken in most places. The smaller towns and shops possibly not. American money accepted in most places, again, in the smaller towns not as well -have smaller bills. A little spanish sure wouldn't hurt.
Options for travel are....Private van at about $100-$125 per trip. Private bus (Fantasy Bus, Inter Bus) at about $25-40 pp (for 4 of you this is almost as much as the private van so you wouldn't be saving much), public bus (monteverdeinfo.com has a bus schedule for many of the locations from San Jose-easy to get other destinations schedules when you arrive in the towns. Public bus will involve more travel time because there will be connections to make if you are not traveling directly from San Jose. Many of the buses are quite nice and some are not. Costa Rica is actually very civilized and developed. The last option of course is the rental car. A less expensive sedan would be okay for the above three places because the roads aren't too bad. Be sure to buy all the extra insurance and check the car out thoroughly before driving away. There have been several instances where an unsuspecting customer has paid for other peoples dents which gives the rental company double payments for one dent.
Adobe is a pretty good company to rent from.

If you need a place to stay in/near San Jose or the airport I would recommend Vida Tropical. They are right by the airport and will pick you up. It is a little B&B and the guys are very helpful. If you are renting a car I would have it delivered there to save the airport tax of an additional 12%.
Last but not least....be sure to save back your departure tax money to leave the country. You must pay this before checking in with your airline. It is about $24pp.

Looks like I was answering you and another person at the same time on your question. Regarding Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp. It is run by Costa Rica Expeditions and they are one of the premier tour companies in Costa Rica. The food is wonderful. I loved it there but found the tents just a little too close and very non private. It was a bit of a hike to get to the bathrooms. Mid day is always very warm on the Osa. Best time to go swimming. Great area for just body surfing. Scarlet macaws fly by all the time and there are monkeys just hanging around.
The girls might like it just a little better on the Drake Bay side. Carate is really out there. My favorite place in all of CR but not for everyone. More options for things to do on the Drake Bay side also. Beautiful virgin rainforest within walking distance. I know you are talking CORCOVADO. Just remember....the animals don't know where the boundries of the park are so they can be found in other areas also.
Casa Corcovado is a good place that is a little outside if you want a little more remote. Drake Bay wilderness lodge is more rustic but right in the Bay with kayaks you can use. Flying there is the best but it can be driven to. Problem with that is you would have to do it from San Jose. Would be best to do this first and then go on to Arenal if you choose those two things to do.