The girlfriend and I are headed to Costa Rica in a few months. My impression (and I could be way off) is that the East Coast resorts are generally more secluded and private whereas the West Coast resorts tend to be more touristy. While we prefer the former, we also like the accessibility (proximity to the int’l airport) of the West Coast. From what I have heard, the trip to the East Coast is a long trip on dangerous roads.
So I am looking for someplace on a coast that combines secluded and private with accessible. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.
Depends on what you’re looking for. I believe Tamarindo is on the East coast, which is the most tourist-heavy beach town. I’ve heard mixed reviews about the area. The wife and I spent a week in Guanacaste (NW side) at the Hotel Playa Hermosa (hotelplayahermosa.com I think) which was awesome. Small little hotel, literally right on the beach. Good restaurant, cheap beer, secluded beach.
We did not do any driving while we were there, but for the 2nd week we were on a bus tour. I would not want to drive in that country. No matter where you go, the roads are windy, tight and tough to navigate.
From what you posted, I would definitely recommend a beach stay in Guanacaste. There was a really nice all-inclusive resort just up the road in the town of Playa Hermosa, which at the time was a bit out of our price range.
I would second Guanacaste. Costa Rica has a diverse set of ecosystems. If you are looking for some variety I would head to Monteverde for a couple of days. The cloud forest is very nice. Then you can go out to Guanacaste which is a tropical dry forest. On the way there you can stop at Rincon de la Vieja which lets you hike though several ecotones in one day hike.
My brothers and I went to costa rica 2 years ago. We stayed at the Hilton Papagayo Resort and Spa. The staff was and experience was great. One thing I wish that we did and didn’t get a chance to do was visit the cloud forest and mounteverde. I will definately go back at some point to do this. I have heard mixed reviews about the east coast of the country but haven’t experienced it myself. I wished we could have stayed longer.
The last time I was in CR was in 2003. Before that it had been 10 years, but before that I had been there at least 12 times. Favorite vacation spot for my parents.
The Pacific side of the country has a lot more fine sand beaches. The Atlantic has more beaches with reefs. I would also recommend Guanacaste.
A few things to remember - our summer is their rainy season. The best weather time to go to Costa Rica is during our winter. The rainy season can be extremely wet - meaning constant moisture, rain, washed out roads, etc. Honestly, I would not go there during the rainy season.
Also, stay away from San Jose, Puntarenas, and Limon. They are big cities with the usual big city issues of crime and grime. They take away from the beauty of the country. Stay at hotels outside the city if you must. In all places, just like being anywhere outside of the US, leave all your valuables at home - jewelry, wallet full of credit cards, flashy cameras, etc. Unlike all the fools that I’ve seen in Mexican bars, don’t get completely sloshed in a place you don’t know and not expect to perhaps get held up. In other words, whenever you travel outside the US, use extreme caution. Costa Rica is probably the safest country in Latin America and the Caribbean (and probably safer than most american cities), but crime still happens.
The pacific side is more touristy. But for a reason - way nicer. I would make my way down south a bit. We stayed just outside of Quepos and the beaches there are beautiful, although the area is getting very built up. We went white water rafting with a place from Quepos and it was very good, they had some guides going alongside in kayaks who would stop to take pictures.
We stayed two nights at this resort. http://www.lacusingalodge.com/ Very good if you are into a more romantic setting, had to hike 10 min to the beach but the beach is in a marine sanctuary so very pristine (i.e no showers but there is a fresh water waterfall to rinse off in…)
I have only visited Tamarindo area and Arenal. I wasn’t impressed with Tamarindo and the surrounding area at all - very touristy. We rented a car and drove to Arenal and then to Tamarindo. If you do visit the Monteverde area make sure to visit Trabacon Hot Springs http://www.tabacon.com/. It is an awesome place. We paid something like 50-60 per person for a few hrs at the hot springs and dinner. I am not usuallly a big fan of buffets but the food was fantastic. The hiking in Arenal area was pretty awesome as well as many zip lie tours to choose from. Driving isn’t a problem, just remember there are no shoulders in the mountain areas, just ravines on both sides of the roads. If a car breaks down they stop in the middle of the road so pay attention.