Costa Rica Travel Planning Articles

Comments

1. Sammi says

   January 30, 2017

   Hi Carol, if you can stay two nights in Tortuguero, that would be perfect. You don’t need a lot of time in Tortuguero but two nights is good just in case you don’t see any turtles the first night or if you want to go kayaking in the national park (highly highly recommended) or relax. Also since Tortuguero is a bit of an adventure to get there as it takes an entire day, it’s worth it to stay two nights.

   As for Puerto Viejo, there are a lot of things to do in that area like all the beaches, Cahuita National Park, the wildlife refuge, Jaguar Rescue Center and exploring town. If you find yourself getting a bit bored at the beach, you can go snorkeling, surfing or rent a bike. Since you guys have a car, you can also visit the BriBri reservation to take a chocolate tour from the indigenous people (awesome tour, you can read about it here: Bribri chocolate tour). On your way back from Puerto Viejo to San Jose, you can stop by Rainforest adventures to go ziplining or ride their aerial tram. This eco-park is amazing and has tons of wildlife (You can read about it here: Rainforest Adventures Atlantic. You can even stay a night in their lodge too if you don’t feel like staying in Puerto Viejo the whole time. I highly recommend doing that if that’s something that sparks your interest because they are right next to Braulio Carillo National Park so you have a chance to see so much wildlife like toucans, tapirs, anteaters, snakes and lots more.

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2. Carol says

   January 28, 2017

   Hi- Great website, thanks for sharing all the useful tips! We are coming to CR May 11-20 for our second trip to this beautiful country. The first time we focused on the Pacific side of the country (which we absolutely loved!). This time we’re going to explore the Caribbean side. We booked a night in Tortuguero after reading one of your posts. Any other advice or recommendations for exploring the Caribbean side? We arrive in San Jose at 12pm on May 11 (booked a rental car through you guys with Adobe- thanks for that!) and plan on driving to Puerto Viejo as soon as we pick up the car. We don’t fly out until 1pm on the 20th, and I am starting to get serious about planning our itinerary. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated!

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3. Sammi says

   June 27, 2016

   I definitely recommend renting – the bus system in Guanacaste is not super efficient and though there is a bus from LIR to Tamarindo, it takes awhile. With a car you can go anywhere you want, explore the area and check out other beaches and towns other than Tamarindo. You can find a lot of real estate resources in Tamarindo on the Internet. You can read more about renting a car here: Costa Rica car rental tips
   Good luck!

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4. James says

   June 27, 2016

   Hi, we are thinking about a 10-day exploratory trip to the Tamarindo area to see if we want to buy a place there. We would not be living there full-time, maybe 4-6 months there and then the rest in the U.S. We will be flying into LIR which is an hour away. Do you think it would be best to rent a car in Liberia or take a shuttlle/bus and rent one in Tamarindo? Also, can you recommend any real estate companies/realtors in Tamarindo? We have thought about renting our place out there and are curious as to what the rental market is like (we could put it on AirBnB.com too). I think our plan will be to get a Retiree Citizenship if we like it enough to buy a place there.

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5. Sammi says

   April 20, 2016

   Hi Diego, thanks! We wrote a packing list for CR which has mentions of the places on that tour (Monteverde and Guanacaste) you can check out here: Costa Rica packing list Monteverde is considerably cooler so make sure to bring long pants and a jacket.

   We have a specific guide to packing for rainy season here: Rainy season packing list Costa Rica This post is super helpful since rainy season is starting and it will be well under way in certain areas when you are in Costa Rica.

   The key items to bring are mosquito repellent and sunscreen. You can read our recommendations for both here: Best mosquito repellent and Sunscreen recommendations
   Have a great time on the tour!

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6. Diego says

   April 19, 2016

   Hi Sammi,

   Your website is awesome! Great information. We are going for our honeymoon to Costa Rica in 3 weeks and doing the Essentials(7 days ) tour thru Monkey Tours. I think you guys also did a video on that. We were wondering if you have a “specific” packing list for those locations/events or recommend a must list.
   Thank you for the help!

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7. Sammi says

   April 17, 2016

   Hi guys, glad you like the site! As for renting a car, our partnership with Adobe, a Costa Rican car rental company gives the best discount and benefits you’ll find! You can read more about it and book your car here: Costa Rica car rental discount Adobe is a highly reputable car rental company in CR and you won’t find benefits like ours anywhere else 🙂

   As for the route, you’ll take Ruta 1 (Interamericana 1 through Puntarenas to San Jose) from Rio Perdido. You can find the route on Google Maps. Honestly, there’s nothing really that spectacular on this route. You can stop at Puntarenas, which is an important port in Costa Rica to check out the beach and then once in San Jose you can explore the city and Central Valley. In San Jose, you can get the best cultural experiences since that is where majority of the Costa Ricans live and work.

   There are a couple of museums, The Gold and Children’s Museum and a national theater (National Theater) that are excellent for history and culture. I also highly recommend walking through downtown San Jose, this is the best way to observe local city life.

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8. joy mccalla says

   April 17, 2016

   Hi,
   I just stumbled on your website and love it! I am a single mom with a 15 year old daughter. In June, we will be coming to Costa Rica for for 7 days, flying into Liberia and flying out of San Jose. We are staying at Rio Perdido near Bagaces for 4 days and then have 3 days free and need to end up in San Jose. We should rent a car through your website, right? What route should we take and what should we see on the way to San Jose? I am really interested in experiencing the culture.
   Thanks!
   Joy and Lily

   Reply

9. nee says

   March 25, 2016

   Hi Samantha and Yeison….. We are a group of 4 and are interested in visiting Costa Rica in June 2016. We have approx. 14 days total. This is our first time in Costa Rica. Can you recommend a good tour company that offers a tour package that includes hotels, tours, meals, and transportation for reasonable price. We love your “list of 50 must dos”. We won’t have time to do all of that, but would love to have a piece of that adventure. Please help. Nee

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   • Sammi says

     March 26, 2016

     Hi!

     We really like Costa Rica Monkey Tours, they have pre-made itineraries that includes hotels, tours, transportation and some meals or they can customize for you which will include everything. They’re excellent at putting itineraries together and can help you put together a package perfect for you. Feel free to email them at info@costaricamonkeytours.com and let them know we sent you, they treat Mytanfeet readers very well 🙂

     Reply

10. Judy says

    January 15, 2016

    Hi, I am planning on visiting Costa Rica the end of March into April for 9 days and just realized it is over Easter. I understand that it is extremely busy and was planning on visiting Arenal, Monteverde, and Partita (near Manual Antonio). Do you suggest I do one area over another first to avoid crowds since we did rent a car from Abode so we will be driving? I am not sure exactly which dates are busy if it is before or after Easter. Also, with Adobe is it unlimited miles? I did not see it written on my confirmation. Thank you!

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    • Sammi says

      January 15, 2016

      Hi Judy, Semana Santa is March 20-26 and vacation for locals starts the Friday before, the 18th all the way until the Monday the 28th. Honestly, no matter where you go it’s going to be crowded since all those areas are very touristic and popular. Alot of locals take that whole week off too and go on vacation with their families. I think Monteverde might be a tiny bit less crowded than Arenal and Manuel Antonio since most of the locals like to go to the beaches and national parks for vacation. Do know that rates for the week of Semana Santa increase quite a bit and places fill up really fast, so make sure you book your accommodation asap. Make sure you arrive early to the national parks, stock up on items at the supermarket and just be prepared because it is really crazy in Semana Santa. Adobe has unlimited miles.

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