So, have 7 nights yet to plan for. First five nights will be Arenal, Paos and forresty things. After that I want sun and sand, beautiful water, snorkeling. Not sure which coast to do. We're not going to do both. Have to choose one side or the other. So, which do you recommend. If you can name specific beaches and places to stay that would be great. Leave 4 Junio.
OT: Costa Rica - Pacific or Caribbean Side
- Thread starter ImBadRU
- Start date
Pacific isn't too cold, just got back was about 85; last time on the East Coast it was closer to 95 though.
More people and things to do on the West Coast. Great surfing/boggie boarding on the West Coast.
Playa Grande - nice quiet beach
Tamarindo - party town
More people and things to do on the West Coast. Great surfing/boggie boarding on the West Coast.
Playa Grande - nice quiet beach
Tamarindo - party town
Pacific Coast has manuel antonio park, which is quite excellent if you like to watch birds and animals. (Watch out for the monkeys -- they'll steal anything they think is food!). I found the ocean very rough, though. I would think the Caribbean side would be calmer.
The Caribbean side is definitely calmer, as it is a low profile coast like the east coast of the US. The Pacific side is more scenic, as a high profile coast, like the west coast of North America, but consequently rougher. On the Caribbean, look for beaches running from Cahuita toward the border with Panama. Cahuita can get very crowded so you might want to go further down toward Panama, which I've not done.
The Pacific side is more complex in terms of possibilities. If you are looking for an international standard resort type situation, your best bet is probably up to the northwest, in Guanacaste Province. Elsewhere, you will find more modest offerings. The previously mentioned Manuel Antonio National Park is a beautiful tropical place near Quepos, on the mainland of Costa Rica. But if you go across the Gulf of Nicoya to the Nicoya Peninsula, you will find a lot of more remote beaches on the west coast. I've never been over there but have heard that it is beautiful. If you do go over there, you can get away from the beach for relatively short day trips to the traditional small towns in the interior of the peninsula, meet some of the Chorotega indigenous group who make some very nice ceramics, and possibly even catch a Costa Rican rodeo, which can be a hoot!
In any event, have fun. Just keep saying "Pura vida!" and all the Ticos will smile.
The Pacific side is more complex in terms of possibilities. If you are looking for an international standard resort type situation, your best bet is probably up to the northwest, in Guanacaste Province. Elsewhere, you will find more modest offerings. The previously mentioned Manuel Antonio National Park is a beautiful tropical place near Quepos, on the mainland of Costa Rica. But if you go across the Gulf of Nicoya to the Nicoya Peninsula, you will find a lot of more remote beaches on the west coast. I've never been over there but have heard that it is beautiful. If you do go over there, you can get away from the beach for relatively short day trips to the traditional small towns in the interior of the peninsula, meet some of the Chorotega indigenous group who make some very nice ceramics, and possibly even catch a Costa Rican rodeo, which can be a hoot!
In any event, have fun. Just keep saying "Pura vida!" and all the Ticos will smile.
Really liked Manuel Antonio while we were there on our honeymoon. But we're not much into beaches, so I can't speak to that. We loved Manuel Antonio park, and did waterfall rappelling, white water rafting, and horseback riding in the area while we were there.
Monteverde Cloud Forest was kinda neat, too - caught a brief glimpse of a Quetzal. We did Arenal->Monteverde->Manuel Antonio over 10 days.
Food in the little roadside sodas was as good or better than what you can get in the resorts, and a hell of a lot cheaper.
Monteverde Cloud Forest was kinda neat, too - caught a brief glimpse of a Quetzal. We did Arenal->Monteverde->Manuel Antonio over 10 days.
Food in the little roadside sodas was as good or better than what you can get in the resorts, and a hell of a lot cheaper.
We stayed at the Marriot Marina in Herradura Sept of 2014. Rented a beautiful 2 BR, 2 1/2 bath condo. Herradura beach is very nice, about 10 good beach side restaurants w sand floors and bars. We would take a golf cart there from our Marina Condo, which also had huge state of the art pools, restaurants, bars and it's own small beach. Water temp was fine.
Jaco, about 5 miles SW, is a classic CR surfer town with a lot of restaurants , bars and hotels and B&Bs.
Gorgeous scenery, friendly people, prices a bit higher than the USA.
Deep Sea fishing is world class and you don't even have to go out too far . We did tours of the Rain Forest, Croc Rivers, Monkey Jungles. Drank a lot, lol, and ate well with quality time poolside and beachside.
Try to have a taxi or ride prearranged before landing, the taxi scene outside the Airport in San Jose is pretty crazy with 'helpers' tring to grab you luggage to take to their own cars to get you to jump in.
Jaco, about 5 miles SW, is a classic CR surfer town with a lot of restaurants , bars and hotels and B&Bs.
Gorgeous scenery, friendly people, prices a bit higher than the USA.
Deep Sea fishing is world class and you don't even have to go out too far . We did tours of the Rain Forest, Croc Rivers, Monkey Jungles. Drank a lot, lol, and ate well with quality time poolside and beachside.
Try to have a taxi or ride prearranged before landing, the taxi scene outside the Airport in San Jose is pretty crazy with 'helpers' tring to grab you luggage to take to their own cars to get you to jump in.
Pacific side, no question. Santa Teresa is great. Cool town, good surf, rustic chic restaurants. If you want something a little more remote and more chill, fly into Liberia and stay at the Four Season's in the north. Great fishing, with two world class surf breaks if that is your thing. Will need to take boats to access them though. I didn't play it but I believe there is nice golf course there as well.
You can drink the water in Costa Rica but if you're out and about in a rural area or rain forest, it's a good idea to have bottled water with you. The first time I went to Costa Rica, I asked the waiter in the restaurant if we could drink the water and his reply was to look at me with disdain and said "This isn't Mexico!"
I did Manuel Antonio, crocodile tour, fishing, cpl nights in Jaco(a lot of prostitutes), had callo pinto like every day, zip lining, surfed, saw some local music, ate well and ended up at the beach everyday. Check out this website if you want a driver, tour guide, and an excellent local experience www.surfcosta.com
I can vouch for there being prostitutes in Jaco. I believe prostitution is legal in Costa Rica. At one place, I stayed, there was a warning in the front lobby about picking up young boys.
Supposedly the dinosaurs were on an island off the southern Pacific coast. Off the Osa Peninsula. But they only filmed one movie there apparently.
Absolutely true. I rented a 4x4 and zigzagged, but 'roads' aren't really roads. You're driving around at 15 mph if that most of the time.
I'm not into the developed resort thing too much so I took a puddle jumper down to the Osa Peninsula to the town of Puerto Jimenez. We stayed at an eco-lodge called Lapas Rios and a fishing resort called Crocodile Bay. Osa is CR's frontier...often described as what the rest of CR was like before the tourist boom back in the 1970s. Beautiful deserted undeveloped black volcanic sand beaches. Unspoiled tropical rainforest. Phenomenal deep sea fishing in the Golfo Dulce.
Be wary of the domestic flights from San Jose. Harrowing and often canceled with little warning.
I have had a house in Cartago on the central plateau for 10 years
If you want all the humidty and heat of the Caribe head to the east coast where virtually all the people of color live
and has great caribe style food
If you want California like weather w/low humidity and ocean head to the west coast where all the resorts are
I prefer the Pacific SW where its unspoiled and whjere most of the national parks are
If you want all the humidty and heat of the Caribe head to the east coast where virtually all the people of color live
and has great caribe style food
If you want California like weather w/low humidity and ocean head to the west coast where all the resorts are
I prefer the Pacific SW where its unspoiled and whjere most of the national parks are
...and they usually weigh each passenger before he/she gets on the plane! But flying down to the Golfito area (the gateway to the Peninsula de Osa) is still less terrifying than crossing the Cerro de la Muerte (Hill of Death) in a vehicle. I've done it both ways.
I have 3 houses...and prefer not to post pics......modest to be sure.....but happy houses...
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