So the wife and I are planning a vacation to Costa Rica. A week to ten days. She's done a lot of research already, but I'm curious if anyone has has a destination that they consider an absolute must-see. We enjoy things off the beaten path, and I absolutely hate touristy crap.
I haven't been there in years, but I highly suggest a trip down the Pacuare River:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacuare_River
It's close to San Jose, it's very scenic, some good rapids and the water is VERY warm.
Regarding San Jose... I would avoid in general. It's a large dirty noisy city... you don't need that.
Another place I can suggest (very much out of the way) is Tortuguero:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortuguero,_Costa_Rica
In general, the country seems pretty nice wherever you go. I did not go to any of the resort areas, and would probably avoid them if I were you, the rest of the country is plenty nice and safe, no sense doing a "Mexico Resort" thing.
Oh, and when you get there, buy some Lizano sauce. People think all food in central america is spicy... it's not.. this helps. Get used to rice, beans and eggs... it's what they eat...
aircooled wrote: I haven't been there in years, but I highly suggest a trip down the Pacuare River: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacuare_River It's close to San Jose, it's very scenic, some good rapids and the water is VERY warm. Regarding San Jose... I would avoid in general. It's a large dirty noisy city... you don't need that. Another place I can suggest (very much out of the way) is Tortuguero: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortuguero,_Costa_Rica In general, the country seems pretty nice wherever you go. I did not go to any of the resort areas, and would probably avoid them if I were you, the rest of the country is plenty nice and safe, no sense doing a "Mexico Resort" thing. Oh, and when you get there, buy some Lizano sauce. People think all food in central america is spicy... it's not.. this helps. Get used to rice, beans and eggs... it's what they eat...
Excellent! Tortuguero was already on the list of possibilities, but good to know about Pacuare River. And rice, beans, and eggs are already a very large portion of my diet, so that sounds perfect!
Where are you going? I spent most of my time surfing, with some rainforest expeditions.
OH, don't go downhill on steep clay roads in a FWD corrola during a rainstorm....
We went 2 years ago, Drove everywhere. People are very friendly. Favorite place for us was Tamrindo. Very cool little town with a nice surf vibe without being to expensive. Places we like, Parc Manuel Antionio, Monte verde. Road side food places offer great value, food is excellent.
Tarcoles river is neat. I would suggest renting a car, the roads are amazing.
Have fun!
Excellent suggestions. Also, what kind of foot wear should I bring? I know that as of right now Manuel Antionio and Monte Verde are on the to-do list.
See if you can pick up a few copies of the Tico Times before you head down there.
Or...click here:
http://www.ticotimes.net/
if you are into outdoor adventure stuff check out one of the many zip line options... I did one in Panama that was designed and built by one of the major zip line companies in CR... it was a hoot.
16vCorey wrote: Excellent suggestions. Also, what kind of foot wear should I bring? I know that as of right now Manuel Antionio and Monte Verde are on the to-do list.
I wore sandals pretty much everywhere but something comfortable would be good for rainforest hikes.
Enyar wrote:16vCorey wrote: Excellent suggestions. Also, what kind of foot wear should I bring? I know that as of right now Manuel Antionio and Monte Verde are on the to-do list.I wore sandals pretty much everywhere but something comfortable would be good for rainforest hikes.
OK, I'm not much of a sandal wearer, but I was kind of planning on getting some hiking sandals like Chacos, but I didn't really know if I would need something with more coverage for some reason, like a fire ant epidemic or snakes that attack feet.
Decent hiking boots will be plenty good enough for whatever you run across. I often get away with skate shoes in a similar environment.
That's what I like to hear. My wife is a bit of a "proper shoe" nazi, like it's impossible to hike without a hiking shoe, run without a running shoe, etc. I own a pair of Vans, a pair of work boots, and a pair of dress shoes. That's it.
16vCorey wrote: That's what I like to hear. My wife is a bit of a "proper shoe" nazi, like it's impossible to hike without a hiking shoe, run without a running shoe, etc. I own a pair of Vans, a pair of work boots, and a pair of dress shoes. That's it.
and those would be OK if you drove a van, worked, and wore a dress.
OK, this is probably a dumb question, but is there any reason a GPS from here wouldn't work there? The car rental places want $11 a day, and we plan on having the car for 11-12 days. I can buy a GPS on craigslist for $50, or borrow one for free.
GPS won't have the maps. You'll be driving around on a blank screen.
Ah, bummer. Is there a way to update it with the maps I need? I guess I can go to the Garmin site and find out.
You'll need to log in to post.
