Costa Rica with my dad

[Mr.Man]

So we're trying to go to costa rica in February.  My Dad has wanted to go forever and i said screw waiting for all your kids to get their schedules in line, lets just go.  So we are!  Dad is a fit 73 year old and he runs and hikes and stuff so it will be no problem.  i went to jaco a few years ago but thats it. 

Does anyone have some suggestions?  We'll be gone about 9 days and do half inland, maybe see a volcanoe or something, and half beach i think.  We have no ideas where to stay or if we should fly in to san jose or elsewhere.  I feel we should rent a car but I've never done that in a foreign land.  I will not be driving, the boyfriend and dad can do that. 

also, I've been keeping an eye on airfares via kayak.com.  any other suggestions for me? 

I want this trip to be so fucking awesome for my dad because he's never been out of the country except in the 60's when he went to mexico.  We aren;t loaded so we want an affordable trip as much as possible but I'm willing to charge it up if i have to. 

[MRice]

Hotel Bougainvillea is a really nice hotel outside San Jose. Reasonable rates, great restaurant and bar and huge garden with birdwatching perches. Other than the bar it isn't near any nightlife or shopping, but if you're with your dad maybe you won't be clubbing all night? It makes a great start and endpoint if you fly in and out of San Jose.
http://www.hb.co.cr/

We didn't rent a car because I'd read various things about poorly marked and potholed roads and neither one of us wanted to be the driver. We enjoyed the tours we took, but I'd rent a car if I went again, but make it 4-wheel drive.

[Dale_K]

Samara is a gem, enough to do, kind of the locals place to go for vacation. You can drive from San Jose/Alajuela and you won't die, unlike driving say to Santa Elena or Mal pais...

We REALLY liked this place, it was our favorite out of a three week trip when we went in 2005

http://samarabeach.com/belvedere/index.html

One of my friends went and spent most of the time in Manuel Antonio and the town next to it, and thought it was awesome.

[Go Sox]

Renting a car is no issue. We drove through Costa Rica and Nicaragua and had no problem.  Let me go back and look at our trip plans. Yay!  Great spot!  Monkeys!  Giant turtles!  Bats!  Volcanos!  Beauty!  Yay!!!

[figurama]

Baby Monkeys!!!

[Dale_K]

Renting a car is no issue. We drove through Costa Rica and Nicaragua and had no problem.  Let me go back and look at our trip plans. Yay!  Great spot!  Monkeys!  Giant turtles!  Bats!  Volcanos!  Beauty!  Yay!!!

Depends on where you go! Hwy 1 is great, some of the back roads not so much (we had to drive down the riverbed in one spot going from Samara to Mal Pais, and I also broke a suspension piece on the first rental 4x4 driving 100% on the roads).

Monkeys FTW!

[atlchris]

I went back in 2007 and really want to go back!  We rented a car out of San Jose and drove to Monte Verde for the volcano/hot springs/zip lining/horseback riding and hiking phase.  Lots we skipped there.  Roads can be pretty bad the further out you get but our econobox scraped by ok. We got lost a few times but with basic Spanish skills we got back on track quickly.  Most of the locals know where the tourists are trying to go!
Then we drove down to the Jaco area for a friend's wedding and some beach time.  Beautiful natural scenery either beach or mountains, just hope there arent too many more blazing neon Burger King signs popping up in rural villages....not quite the authentic experience but thats "progress" so to speak.
LOTS to do so plan ahead if time is short.  The bus tours will hit the high points with comfy seats otherwise.  Had a great time all over but you can stay in at the beach or in the mountains for a week and stay busy!  Never did tour San Jose or any coffee plantations.  The chocolate covered coffee beans rock BTW! 

I know you'll have a great time! 

[angryuser]

After spending a summer there for a study abroad in 2000, Costa Rica is retirement plan #1.
We went all over the place. I'll look up specifics, but Cahuita was way up the list of favorite places. Manual Antonio is up there too. Fly in to San Jose and then get the hell out. The country has so much more (and better) to offer.

Whatever you do, don't stay at some international chain complex of hotels. Pick something where the money stays local. (I have *very* fond memories of this place)
There were a decent number of nice eco-tour type places. I can't imagine there are fewer 12 years later.
I started looking at airfares to go back about a year ago. It's not been pretty. I'm interested in what you find for that.

[Mudd]

Angryuser, that looks really nice. What is the spider situation down there? I've never gotten a straight answer from anyone.

[angryuser]

Angryuser, that looks really nice. What is the spider situation down there? I've never gotten a straight answer from anyone.

I don't recall any issues with spiders, but they don't freak me out, so unless I wake up with one crawling across my face, it's not going to stand out 12 years later. And that did not happen. 
Costa Rica does have more (types of) bugs, in general, than about anywhere else on the planet. The biodiversity is at the top of the charts. We spent time at a biological research station in the jungle, and one in a cloud forest on a mountain doing experiments (Biology and International Affairs classes). We saw a *lot* of bugs. Along with monkeys and birds and sloths and all kinds of stuff.

[cmcewen]

Angryuser, that looks really nice. What is the spider situation down there? I've never gotten a straight answer from anyone.

I don't recall any issues with spiders, but they don't freak me out, so unless I wake up with one crawling across my face, it's not going to stand out 12 years later. And that did not happen. 
Costa Rica does have more (types of) bugs, in general, than about anywhere else on the planet. The biodiversity is at the top of the charts. We spent time at a biological research station in the jungle, and one in a cloud forest on a mountain doing experiments (Biology and International Affairs classes). We saw a *lot* of bugs. Along with monkeys and birds and sloths and all kinds of stuff.

I have a buddy who picked up a frog down there he shouldn't have (in general, I think most people avoid touching extremely brightly colored reptiles unless given the go-ahead to do so from a handler). Never saw any weird spiders.

Mr. Man I second what angryuser said about getting out of San Jose ASAP. And I also loved Manuel Antonio (La Posada was cheap and cool http://www.laposadajungle.com/). We didn't really go anywhere else.

I'll add that, if the car thing sketches you out, it's really cheap, fun and fast to catch a Sansa flight to Quepos or some other places and then cab it from there.

Finally, one small detail that nobody ever mentions- coming back, you have to pay a small ($25?) per person tax at the airport before they let you board a plane to leave the country. And I'm pretty sure it has to be cash.

Enjoy!

[Mr.Man]

We may do the jump a flight thing but for now I'm just watching flights to get there in the first place.  The car freaks me out but I think we'll be okay.  Dad's not poor so we'll just put it in his name (wink wink) just in case.

[Lulus mom]

My brother lived in Costa Rica for about 8 years, mostly in the Uvita region but sometimes in San Jose, which is a drug-filled shithole, according to him. His stay ended just about a year ago when he rode a motorcycle into the side of a van. With his face. So you know the alcohol is potent down there.

He spent a couple years doing tours of the jungle for the gringos and working at a sustainable-living type farm/hotel thing. I can't think of the name of it but it was run by some ex pats who seem pretty nice but don't believe in air conditioning or indoor plumbing. EDIT: here it is! Rancho Di Andrew http://ranchodiandrew.com/

Snakes, sloths, monkeys, turtles, whales, toucan sam - his photos are pretty amazing. He did get dengue fever once so bring some DEET with you. Bug spray is very expensive there, as is sun screen.

[Mr.Man]

Dad checks his luggage so we'll pack all that stuff for sure.  BUT we will not be staying anywhere without a/c and indoor toilets as dad does not like to camp. 

[bvbratt]

I have been to costa rica several times and agree that it is my #1 retirement destination. My uncle had a house on the beach in Samara (at the end mountain end of the cresent if anybody has been there) so I first visited there in the late 80s/early 90s....it took ~ 14 hours to get there from san jose, but you can do it in ~ 4 now. If you had more time, the best place imho is corcovado national park. I do agree with leaving san jose the day you land and not returning until the day you leave (or night before if you have an am flight) as the rest of the country has too much to offer to lose days there.

A typical inland trip could include monteverde (cloud forest) and then arenal (volcano). There are several local hotels with hot springs near la fortuna. If you want to just relax on the beach after that, there are a bunch to choose from - playa grande on the nicoya peninsula is nice and not very crowded. Manuel antonio is definitely a tourist destination (as is monteverde and arenal), but it is beautiful and you will most likely see monkeys and sloths.

My wife and I went back ~ 2 years ago and got tickets on delta for about $425 each (not that means anything at this point other than a dated reference point). Have fun!