Costa Rica Master Thread

[Fan of Dan]

I did not go to Guancaste at all as I did the beaches further south. You mention that you wanted to see rainforests. I thought I would mention that in general at Arenal there is not so much of what you would call rain forest. There are some animals, though also not as much as you would think. The real rain forests are really further south and on the Carribean coast. You will still find smaller areas especially near the base of Arenal that are rainforest.

[steve L]

thx fan dan.

so it seems bec im flying in and out of lir that i should stick with arenal vs driving further to places where have have gone

[Fan of Dan]

thx fan dan.

so it seems bec im flying in and out of lir that i should stick with arenal vs driving further to places where have have gone

Right I would stick to Arenal and Guancaste not worth going elsewhere. If you want to see animals we did very well on the hike at the base of Arenal.

It is worth it IMHO to fly in and out of LIR at any case as you will have a much more relaxing flight and rental car experience.

[wonderlust]

i will be flying in2 sjo for week debating manuel antonio or Guncastce-any thoughts? also can you buy propane grill in country?

[BrooklynCPA]

I started this post in April 2010 and we are finally going to Costa Rica this January. We are flying into LIR on Monday, renting a 4x4, driving to Arenal and will be there until Thursday (2 full days) then driving to Manuel Antonio until Monday. We are flying back from SJO.

We are looking to get the most out of our time and do activities that are unique to Costa Rica. If anyone has any tips as to the best activities and companies to go with please share.

[SGF]

I'm considering a trip to central america for 5 days that has many nice activities and nature seeing and also looking to relax at the beach, is this the right place?
How are the beaches there,  nice? Clear blue water? Or just a regular beach?

[BrooklynCPA]

Does anyone have any experience with bringing in meats, chicken, dairy..... I am getting mixed messages about what is allowed and have heard they can be strict and confiscate.....

If you've been been to Costa Rica please tell what you brought in. Also, I am flying into LIR and was told they can be stricter because its a small airport.

[daganster]

I'm considering a trip to central america for 5 days that has many nice activities and nature seeing and also looking to relax at the beach, is this the right place?
How are the beaches there,  nice? Clear blue water? Or just a regular beach?

The Pacific side has nice beaches with big waves, ideal for surfing, while the Caribbean side has nice beaches closer to what your looking for, nonetheless if I was looking for nice beaches I wouldn't necessarily go to Costa Rica.

[SGF]

The Pacific side has nice beaches with big waves, ideal for surfing, while the Caribbean side has nice beaches closer to what your looking for, nonetheless if I was looking for nice beaches I wouldn't necessarily go to Costa Rica.

Thanx, I'm not looking to go for the beaches mostly for the activities, just wanted to know what they are like.

[daganster]

Thanx, I'm not looking to go for the beaches mostly for the activities, just wanted to know what they are like.

There are some nice activities e.g. zip lining. I just think that Costa Rica is overrated, and that the reason why Amercan's travel there is because they feel safer there than in other Central American countries .

[daganster]

Does anyone have any experience with bringing in meats, chicken, dairy..... I am getting mixed messages about what is allowed and have heard they can be strict and confiscate.....
If you've been been to Costa Rica please tell what you brought in. Also, I am flying into LIR and was told they can be stricter because its a small airport.

I flew to Nicaragua 2 months ago with my family I personally flew in to MGA, but some of us flew in to LIR. The ones that flew in to LIR told me that they are strict, but not as strict as in Mexico. They did scan their suitcases luckily they didn't have anything as we flew with all the food. All I could say is that your always taking a risk, but thank g-d I've had lots of luck going through customs with food.

[Fan of Dan]

I flew to SJO with a conspicous cardboard box full of meat and chicken without an issue.

[SGF]

There are some nice activities e.g. zip lining. I just think that Costaa is overrated, and that the reason why Amercan's travel there is because they feel safer there than in other Central American countries .

Any other recommendations for such a 4-5 day activity and beach trip in central america other then costa rica?

[daganster]

If you want something a bit adventurous in Central America There's a place in Guatemala called San Pedro La Laguna. It's a small town situated on a lake you stay at a decent hostel for about $10 a night, since there are no name brand hotels there.There are plenty of activities there i.e. horse back riding, ziplining, motorcycling, cliff jumping and more. Its a really cool place although if your looking for the beaches again I wouldn't recommend. If I was hitting up a beach I would most likely go to Mexico or Honduras stay on 1 beach for 5 days and go scuba diving. There's a lot you can do in Central America you just need to narrow it down to what your looking for. Good luck.

[Fan of Dan]

Any other recommendations for such a 4-5 day activity and beach trip in central america other then costa rica?

Costa Rica has nice beaches but not great swimming. If I was you I would hit Belize. There is a lot to do in the interior of the country, and on the water side of the country there are great coral reefs, and diving including the blue hole.