Oh travel gurus, help me plan a trip to Costa Rica!
October 5, 2015 1:42 PM Subscribe
Inspired in part by this recent question, Mr. DrGail and I want to go to Costa Rica this winter. I know we're behind the curve in planning this trip, so I'm hoping you can help. Our interests and other particulars are inside.
At the risk of sounding infantile, we want to see wildlife - monkeys, sloths, fancy birds, and the like - in the wild. Beaches would be nice too, but we're not the sort who like to lay out on the beach and tan (burn). We put a much higher priority on natural beauty than on cities and museums. While we aren't exactly young (age 61 and 71), we are in excellent shape and can easily handle some hiking or other land-based physical activity.
As neither of us speak Spanish very well, we're wondering if a guided tour wouldn't be best for us. There seem to be several tour companies with trips in Costa Rica, but which to choose? We could be convinced to go it alone, if that seems appropriate and doable. Cost isn't much of a consideration, and we don't need many luxuries beyond running warm water for showers and the like.
At the risk of sounding infantile, we want to see wildlife - monkeys, sloths, fancy birds, and the like - in the wild. Beaches would be nice too, but we're not the sort who like to lay out on the beach and tan (burn). We put a much higher priority on natural beauty than on cities and museums. While we aren't exactly young (age 61 and 71), we are in excellent shape and can easily handle some hiking or other land-based physical activity.
As neither of us speak Spanish very well, we're wondering if a guided tour wouldn't be best for us. There seem to be several tour companies with trips in Costa Rica, but which to choose? We could be convinced to go it alone, if that seems appropriate and doable. Cost isn't much of a consideration, and we don't need many luxuries beyond running warm water for showers and the like.
Response by poster: If we're to do the trip on our own, without relying on a tour company, we'd prefer to take day trips from a base of operations, although we wouldn't be opposed to moving from one base to another partway through our time there.
I'm really hoping that someone can recommend a good tour operator that would take us to the places we would want to visit, so we don't have to make all the decisions ourselves.
posted by DrGail at 3:00 PM on October 5, 2015
I'm really hoping that someone can recommend a good tour operator that would take us to the places we would want to visit, so we don't have to make all the decisions ourselves.
posted by DrGail at 3:00 PM on October 5, 2015
I'm really hoping that someone can recommend a good tour operator that would take us to the places we would want to visit, so we don't have to make all the decisions ourselves.
Anywhere Costa Rica
posted by oceanjesse at 3:08 PM on October 5, 2015
Anywhere Costa Rica
posted by oceanjesse at 3:08 PM on October 5, 2015
I absolutely hate tours (prefer to do my own planning) but had to book one to make an African safari vacation doable over Christmas.
I used Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT Tours)
What sold me (aside from no single supplement- yay!) was the small groups sizes (under 16 people) and the quality of itineraries. Their itineraries matched up with pretty much everything I wanted to see, at exactly the right pace. I knew that spending hours driving bumpy roads in jeeps would get tiring, and some tours have you on the road for 7-8 hours, which I would not enjoy. They paced it exactly right. It was mostly an older crowd, but nice enough people, and enough optional breaks from them I didn't get worn out from being with a group. When I looked at their itineraries for places I had been before, I saw we had chosen much the same routes and activities, so I plan on referring back to their trips for inspiration if I do not use them again.
If you do book with them, you will get a (couple hundred dollar) discount if you say someone who used them before referred you. I can Me-mail you my name and a link.
Costa Rica is beautiful- enjoy!
posted by TenaciousB at 4:05 PM on October 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
I used Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT Tours)
What sold me (aside from no single supplement- yay!) was the small groups sizes (under 16 people) and the quality of itineraries. Their itineraries matched up with pretty much everything I wanted to see, at exactly the right pace. I knew that spending hours driving bumpy roads in jeeps would get tiring, and some tours have you on the road for 7-8 hours, which I would not enjoy. They paced it exactly right. It was mostly an older crowd, but nice enough people, and enough optional breaks from them I didn't get worn out from being with a group. When I looked at their itineraries for places I had been before, I saw we had chosen much the same routes and activities, so I plan on referring back to their trips for inspiration if I do not use them again.
If you do book with them, you will get a (couple hundred dollar) discount if you say someone who used them before referred you. I can Me-mail you my name and a link.
Costa Rica is beautiful- enjoy!
posted by TenaciousB at 4:05 PM on October 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
We had a great time in the Osa Peninsula, which is known for its biodiversity. We didn't go with a guided tour, just booked a place to stay and got them to arrange a drive out to the hotel for us, as it was rather in the middle of nowhere. Food was included where we stayed so that was all taken care of. We did go for an eight hour guided hike in Corcovado National Park, which was totally worth it. We did some other hiking by ourselves near the hotel but we were a bit unprepared for how hot and humid it would be and we didn't do anything too vigorous. Also, we saw just as many animals while sitting at the hotel drinking fresh fruit juice as we did walking around! We stayed at the Lookout Inn, which we enjoyed and was especially cool for being built on a really steep hillside so the rainforest canopy was level with our cabin and we could watch the birds and monkeys from bed. There are some other lodging options around there too.
We also went to Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side, which we really enjoyed and wished we had visited for longer. However, we didn't see so many animals there; it was more a fun town with nice restaurants and tourist attractions like chocolate making, zip lines and an animal sanctuary. We stayed at the Geckoes Lodge while we there, which I think is the most beautiful place I have ever stayed. They also helped us arrange a driver to get there and a tour guide wasn't necessary.
posted by carolr at 7:20 PM on October 5, 2015
We also went to Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side, which we really enjoyed and wished we had visited for longer. However, we didn't see so many animals there; it was more a fun town with nice restaurants and tourist attractions like chocolate making, zip lines and an animal sanctuary. We stayed at the Geckoes Lodge while we there, which I think is the most beautiful place I have ever stayed. They also helped us arrange a driver to get there and a tour guide wasn't necessary.
posted by carolr at 7:20 PM on October 5, 2015
I'm always happy to recommend a place I've been going for years: Ylang-Ylang Beach Resort in Montezuma, which is on the Nicoya Peninsula. It's family owned and run, and they are friendly, reliable and knowledgeable. It's a bit on the "rustic" side, but it's clean and they have all the amenities, including wifi.
Check out their Tours & Activities Page for day trips around the area. One nice thing about daytime activity tours is that they have you back "home" in time for cocktails. Plus, they simply add the cost to your bill and you pay it all at once at checkout. They will also help you plan your own activities. They helped us out by providing bus info to and from Cabo Blanco, and even packed us a lunch. (After the two-hour hike in, we were rewarded by the sight of thousands of pelicans having some sort of seaside convention.)
I'm sure it will be same at any hotel that is not in a built-up area, but at Ylang-Ylang I've seen capuchin monkeys in the dozens, daily. From 4-5p they pretty much swarm the canopy. I've also seen agouti, northern raccoon, iguana, basilisk lizards and, once, a northern jacana clucking around in the garden. Magpie jays will be on hand at breakfast, looking for handouts. You'll also hear the shy howler monkeys at dawn, and might spot one if you're very still.
You will have zero trouble speaking English only.
If you must stay in San Jose, keep it brief. It's an armpit.
If you're traveling long distances, consider flying. Sansa and Nature Air have extensive daily routes.
For a first-time trip, I'd do various locations in 2-3 day intervals. Arenal for the volcano, Quepo for the beaches and Manuel Antonio National Forest (sloths!), somewhere over on the Caribbean side (more sloths!), etc.
I guess the final thing I'd like to emphasize is that whatever you do, however you plan, you're going to have a fantastic time. The people of Costa Rica are super friendly and, generally speaking, they seem to believe that keeping tourists happy is good for the country. Just take the same safety precautions you'd take anywhere you travel.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 3:07 PM on October 6, 2015
Check out their Tours & Activities Page for day trips around the area. One nice thing about daytime activity tours is that they have you back "home" in time for cocktails. Plus, they simply add the cost to your bill and you pay it all at once at checkout. They will also help you plan your own activities. They helped us out by providing bus info to and from Cabo Blanco, and even packed us a lunch. (After the two-hour hike in, we were rewarded by the sight of thousands of pelicans having some sort of seaside convention.)
I'm sure it will be same at any hotel that is not in a built-up area, but at Ylang-Ylang I've seen capuchin monkeys in the dozens, daily. From 4-5p they pretty much swarm the canopy. I've also seen agouti, northern raccoon, iguana, basilisk lizards and, once, a northern jacana clucking around in the garden. Magpie jays will be on hand at breakfast, looking for handouts. You'll also hear the shy howler monkeys at dawn, and might spot one if you're very still.
You will have zero trouble speaking English only.
If you must stay in San Jose, keep it brief. It's an armpit.
If you're traveling long distances, consider flying. Sansa and Nature Air have extensive daily routes.
For a first-time trip, I'd do various locations in 2-3 day intervals. Arenal for the volcano, Quepo for the beaches and Manuel Antonio National Forest (sloths!), somewhere over on the Caribbean side (more sloths!), etc.
I guess the final thing I'd like to emphasize is that whatever you do, however you plan, you're going to have a fantastic time. The people of Costa Rica are super friendly and, generally speaking, they seem to believe that keeping tourists happy is good for the country. Just take the same safety precautions you'd take anywhere you travel.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 3:07 PM on October 6, 2015
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Not knowing Spanish wasn't an issue (I can speak a little, but it wasn't really necessary). Plenty of folks speak English, and there are a fair amount of ex-pats down there.
Nosara is on the peninsula, so you'd fly into Liberia and take a taxi (you can get through the hotel) or rent a 4x4 (don't rent anything but a 4x4). If you're not good with maps and directions, I'd recommend getting the taxi/shuttle through the hotel. Once you get out of the main cities, the roads can be a bit challenging, especially in the rainy season.
I have friends who have stayed way south on the mainland in the forests.
'North' Guiones has a number of nice places, as well, that we ate dinner at. I have a fairly lengthy review of Harbor Reef and our experience up at Trip Advisor, as well.
There is the option to not have a base of operations and just travel up the coast - but rainy season can be unpredictable, so might be nice to have a static 'base'.
posted by rich at 1:56 PM on October 5, 2015