Help! Planning trip to Costa Rica

[Sue-ba]

We have been trying to plan our next family vacation and have finally decided it will probably be Costa Rica. We have found much info and like what we have found.

Now that we kind of think we know what we want to do, I am hoping you will all confirm our thoughts before we set the plans.

Please, if you have been to Costa Rica, give me your take on it, your critique on the hotel, diving, dive op, travel, etc and also helpful suggestions. There are 7 of us including 2 parents, two 21 yr olds, one 18, one 14, and one 9 yr old. All dive except the 9 yr old.

Any info or input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[DandyDon]

I'll ask a Mod to move this to the Cent Amer forum for better coverage...

http://scubaboard.com/t78973-vacationing-in-tampa-bay.html

http://scubaboard.com/t78990-help-planning-trip-to-costa-rica.html

 

[Scuba65]

Hi, Sue-Ba Lips, I've been to Costa Rica a few times and it's a really beautiful country. Guanacaste is the only place that you will be able to dive...the times i've been there i've stayed in Coco Beach at www.Flordeitabo.com it's a pretty inexpensive place, clean and good service and it's like 2 blocks from the beach and i've used Deep Blue for a dive operator which is on the way down to the beach. I've also used Ocotal Diving and that is a bit by car..not far off. The diving is great, but also depends on the time that you will be going also. Now are you flying directly into Guanacaste??? there is alot of sightseeing areas that you must visit...such as the Arenal Volcano..very active, Monteverde National Cloud Forest is also a great place to visit. Well, that is pretty much my intake on Costa Rica...if you have any other specific question..you're more than welcome to send me a private message. Good Luck

 

[Jester]

Hi Su-Ba, or is it "Ms. Lips"?

If you're planning to fly into San Jose, I'd suggest you stay there a couple of days and catch a little of the local flavor (excellent restaurants, including The Monastery - good food with a magnificent view)and all kinds of trips, including volcano tours which also cover some of the coffee plantations, river trips (you might see toucans, sloths, crocs, kingfishers, etc.). There are jungle canopy tours for the brave ones among you as well as white water rafting trips. You could then go to Guanacaste (I've stayed at El Ocotal before and loved it). The diving is terrific.

If you fly into Liberia (near Guanacaste), you will still have the same options, but I don't think the day trips are quite as numerous, so you might have some scheduling difficulties.

Whatever you decide to do, have a great time.

 

[Sue-ba]

Thanks for your input. I may have specific questions as we think this through.

So far we are thinking about flying into Liberia. We would do Arenal at the end of the trip after the diving. We do also plan on the canopy tour. We want to do the river trip also but will have to figure out what to do with the 9 yr old. I think that would freak her out.

 

[Scuba65]

Well, good luck and if you have any question don't be afraid to ask.

 

[Jester]

Well, I wasn't there with any children, so I don't think I have any options to offer. Hopefully, someone more familiar with Costa Rica can jump in here.

 

[Valwood1]

[/QUOTE]So far we are thinking about flying into Liberia. We would do Arenal at the end of the trip after the diving. We do also plan on the canopy tour. We want to do the river trip also but will have to figure out what to do with the 9 yr old. I think that would freak her out.[/QUOTE]

You might try a search on "Costa Rica" for trip reports. I posted there in July, for a June 2004 trip. If you have any questions, I'd be glad to try to answer them.

 

[pigletfish]

We were in Costa Rica last May, staying half the time at the Flamingo Beach Resort in Playa Flamingo and half the the time at the Arenal Hot Springs Resort & Spa.

Caveat: it absolutely poured with rain throughout our trip. Not short, sudden tropical downpours. Torrential rains, lasting day in and day out, with only a short break in the early morning hours. Like stepping into a shower at full blast. Everything in Costa Rica except your hotel room and your rental car is open air (all the restaurants, shops, etc -- and of course the activies), so in that kind of rain you're just damp all the time.

Flamingo Beach was inexpensive but clean, about the same standard as a US motel chain. There is absolutely nothing to do in Playa Flamingo, Playa Ocotal, or Playa Hermoso. Playa del Coco has a little life, and Playa Tamarindo has a little more.

Diving: there was quite a lot of marine life, but the visability was dismal. Perhaps 15 feet. Murky green water. We practically had to hold hands to keep together. Saw sharks, rays, eels, octopi, big schools of fish. We were on the boat with professional photographers from a French scuba magazine and even they couldn't take any decent pictures down there. On one dive the surge was so bad that we abandoned it about 15 minutes in -- the only time we've ever done that.

Arenal was beautiful but the rain really hampered things. We only caught a glimpse of the volcano once. Spent a good part of the time sitting in the hot springs in pouring rain or else cooped up in our room, which had a damp mildewy smell. (And this hotel was not so cheap!). We went on the river tour ("jungle cruise") and it is very tame, no worries for a 9-year old. The canopy tour on the zipwire might be too scary for someone that age, but it would depend on the child.

Happy planning -- and make sure to go during the driest of dry seasons!

 

[Diver Lori]

I went to Costa Rica in July 1998 and had a fabulous time. We stayed and dived with El Ocotal. If I had it to do over again, I would spend a few extra days in San Jose as the poster mentioned above.

We did the canopy tour and that was fantastic...would definitely do that again. The diving was spectacular, yes the vis wasn't the Caymans, as the water is full of nutrients...which is why you have the larger & abundant life. I've dived in British Columbia and it's the same story....nutrient rich water, lower vis, fantastic life.

The night life in Playa del Coco is interesting....keep a close eye on your youngsters as there is no drinking age limits. I saw preteen expats drinking and carousing in the bars...otherwise it was a very pleasant experience.