Costa Rica

A place for members to talk about things outside of Virgin Islands travel.
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TraumaQueen
Posts: 162
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:28 pm
Location: Mississippi

Costa Rica

Post by TraumaQueen »

Ever been? We are thinking about going there next year, but don't know where/how to start planning. I'm very interested in seeing the wildlife in the rain forests, but I am still drawn to the beach. I understand I've been to the best beaches on Earth already :D , but I can't get it out of my blood.

I've read that the Caribbean side is having crime issues, but it doesn't seem anymore than my hometown (just recently listed as the 8th most dangerous city in the US). I'm also curious about the Pacific side and seeing those beaches.

We are also considering splitting a STJ/ VG stay next year. Ugh! Believe me, I am completely aware that this is such a great problem to have and for that I'm thankful.

Please help me! I'm open for suggestions!
News of St. John
Posts: 386
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2011 11:14 am

Re: Costa Rica

Post by News of St. John »

I went to Costa Rica in 2008 and had a blast! I stayed in Puerto Viejo near Cahuita for several days and then we traveled up to La Fortuna (the Arenal area) for several more days. It was an amazing trip that I would do again in a heartbeat.

The beaches were not that great where we were and cannot even compare to St. John. The wildlife, however, was incredible. We saw so many sloths and monkeys, I couldn't even count them. Cahuita has a sloth rescue center and there was another wildlife rescue place about twenty minutes from there. That place actually let you play with spider monkeys. I have a video somewhere that I will share. Another cool aspect is that they make chocolate everywhere down near Puerto Viejo. You will literally see a handpainted sign with an arrow, drive down a long driveway in the jungle and find a person making chocolate at the end. It was amazing and delicious!

Arenal was more luxury. We stayed at a very nice hotel and there were hot springs everywhere. You could see the volcano erupting throughout the day. There were ziplines and waterfalls, and so many activities to do. I would definitely recommend it.
Jenn, News of St. John
equineannie
Posts: 264
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:24 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Costa Rica

Post by equineannie »

You will love it, I suggest finding a good travel agency so you can have the beaches and rain forest. Google Costa Rica eco tourism and you will most likely find a good source. As for crime, it will be far less that St Thomas.
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TraumaQueen
Posts: 162
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:28 pm
Location: Mississippi

Re: Costa Rica

Post by TraumaQueen »

Thank you for the replies! Do you have any favorite spots? Would you recommend resort, local hotel or renting a house?

Also, what about driving? Driving in STJ didn't bother me one bit and we stayed in Astral Villa on Calabash Boom. I'm more concerned about getting lost or shaken down by tourist cops. Ha!
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Laura T
Posts: 174
Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2006 1:51 pm
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: Costa Rica

Post by Laura T »

We spent 10 days in Costa Rica in April 2012. Three different areas....

We flew into San Jose and had a private driver take us to Arenal. We liked having the private transportation - I know a lot of people may rent their own cars, but since we didn't need/want a car in any of the locations we were visiting, this seemed to be a good option.

In Arenal, we stayed at The Springs. We liked the Arenal area. We went hiking (with a guide) and fishing below the volcano. This was probably the highlight of the trip for my husband - Captain Ron was wonderful! We thought The Springs was nice, but I personally wouldn't rush to go back there (I have a detailed review on Trip Advisor posted April 2013 titled: Wonderful rooms, lovely resort, inconsistent service and perhaps a better place for families rather than couples). We stayed three nights in Arenal.

From there we flew to Quepos (and I must say that we had some of our best food in the tiny Arenal Airport....seriously good and inexpensive!).

We stayed at the Arenas del Mar, which is located adjacent to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica . Unfortunately, I never got around to writing a review for this resort. However, we LOVED the people here, lots to do, good food, but TINY rooms. And lock your doors - we have some thieving monkeys open our sliders when we were gone and eat all our food (things in sealed packages!). As I mentioned, the staff here was great. In the evenings, they have activities in the bar area (slide shows, dance lessons, etc.). On our last day, I was not feeling well (cold) and couldn't stop coughing. One of the typically non-customer facing staff members (I mention this because she was just literally walking by and stopped to see if I was okay) made me (without charging me) some amazing tea with honey and who knows what else (she spoke almost no English, and I almost no Spanish, so I never quite knew what I was drinking!). Arenas del Mar is right on the ocean (a short walk down to the beach). Nice town with lots of restaurants. There is a lot to do in this area. We went zip-lining and on a nature hike with a guide (really the only way to make sure you see all there is to see - plants, animals, etc.). We enjoyed running on the beach, but had to be early in the morning....very hot later in the day. We were here four nights.

We then flew to Puerto Jimenez and another private driver to Lapa Rios. This was the eco-lodge. Okay, an upscale eco-lodge. But here we were without AC, internet, tv (prior places both had these amenities) - Lapa Rios does not even have outlets in the room. Small resort from a number of guests perspective....huge from a size perspective. This was an all-inclusive (except drinks). This was probably my favorite place, but my husband was not a fan of the no AC. Great hikes with the guides from the hotel. Three nights here, then a flight back to San Jose and home.

Overall, I felt safe everywhere we went. Of course, we consistently had transportation arranged for us and were probably never really on our own! I am happy to answer any questions you may have!
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