Must Do Costa Rica in February

October 10, 2017 8:48 AM

What should we do in Costa Rica when we visit in February?

We have some family who have just moved to Costa Rica and settled on the West Coast near Playa Potrero. We'll be visiting them and staying with them for a few days and then want to explore a bit on our own and have a Honeymoon.

What are your MUST-SEE and Must-Do Costa Rica? Where would you recommend staying for a romantic few days, what must we put on our list to see and do? What were your Favourite bits, was anything overrated?

What else should we be aware of i.e. crime, areas to avoid, common mistakes people make in Costa Rica.

We will be renting a car and have 10 days in total.

posted by JenThePro to Travel & Transportation around Costa Rica (8 answers total)

Spent a couple weeks there a few years ago, flew into Liberia and headed toward Arenal volcano, which I can say was worth spending a couple days seeing and hanging out. The zipline tour there is worth it imo.
Rest of trip was around Playa Grande and a couple days at the 4 Seasons at the end in case the rest of the trip was not what we hoped for. It was, so the 4 Seasons leg was nice but unnecessary in the end because all of CR was so special.
Tamarindo was not a place I would ever go back to - it was the one place that punctured the beauty and tranquility of CR, and was just commercial and sort of scummy. But everywhere else that we drove or travelled to was amazing. I never felt unsafe. What struck me was that so many people had a strong awareness and focus on preserving the ecology of the country.
I think you can't really go wrong just driving and exploring. The roads are as bad as they say once you leave the main highway (maybe that has changed). Recommend a 4wd.
posted by docpops at 9:01 AM on October 10, 2017 [2 favorites]

If you are at all adventurous, you *must* do a canyoning tour! Ziplining, waterfall rappelling, hiking, etc. I was one of my favorite things.

There are usually a LOT of Groupons for CR.... check there for something close by for your romantic getaway. I really like Costa Verde in the Manuel Antonio area on the Pacific side if that happens to be in the area.

I used the private shuttles vs driving..... they are ~$50-60/person.

I always felt safe... you have to watch your belongings, of course... but other than that, never felt unsafe.
posted by CoffeeHikeNapWine at 9:23 AM on October 10, 2017

There's a stunning, very romantic restaurant in Montezuma called Playa De Los Artistas (more info here). Seaside views, beautiful scenery, delicious food, very memorable. Worth going for both lunch and an early sunset dinner as the amount of light changes the ambiance tremendously, in charming ways.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 10:17 AM on October 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

We visited in late January/early February 2016 and spent some time around Arenal. It was very nice, but definitely did not hold a candle to Copa de Arbol, on the Osa Peninsula. Very remote, first class accommodations and food, surrounded by wildlife, and the Corcovado National Park tour was amazing.
posted by DrGail at 10:32 AM on October 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

I stayed in central Costa Rica when I went last summer, so I don't know much about the coast. I can vouch for the La Paz Waterfall nature preserve, in the Alajuela province, just north of San Jose. Great walking trails, animal exhibits (you can feed hummingbirds by hand & hold a toucan), gorgeous waterfalls and the food was good.
posted by jhope71 at 11:33 AM on October 10, 2017

For your romantic days: Esterillos Este is a tiny beach town on the west coast. I was there last January and the beaches were almost deserted. There are a range of places to stay: fancier places, surf-oriented places, etc. Of the three Esterillos towns (Oeste, Central, Este) I think Este is the quietest.
posted by expialidocious at 5:08 PM on October 10, 2017

If I ever go back to CR, the place I will absolutely not want to miss is Tortugero on the Caribbean coast. For me, seeing all the wildlife was magical.
posted by eleslie at 5:49 AM on October 11, 2017

I went a decade ago, but my favourite spots were the Monteverde Cloud Forrest Reserve , ridiculously long ziplines, and a hike to a rainforest lodge near Piedras Blancas park (which I can't find right now, but here are some other lodge options). My least favourite time was spent on a resort on the North West Coast. The resort was fine, but it's such a beautiful country, there was no call for being cooped up in a resort.
posted by Popular Ethics at 2:35 PM on October 11, 2017