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Costa Rica Travel and Vacation
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Can one travel to Costa Rica without the use of packaged tours?
My wife and I are planning a 10 day trip to Costa Rica with our 18 month son. We have traveled but never done any of those packaged tours as we find them a bit restricting to what they want you to see and do. Most of what I see online for Costa Rica is referenced to packaged tours. Can one just buy air tickets, book hotels, rent a car, grab a good guide book (The New Key to Costa Rica) and be able to find canopy tours or other activities on their own once they arrive in Costa Rica? Or is it better to go with a packaged tour to ease the travel with an infant/toddler? We’d like to spend a few days each at Arenal, Monteverde and Caribbean coast (may be Limon/Tortuguero).
7 Responses to “Can one travel to Costa Rica without the use of packaged tours?”
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May 22nd, 2010 at 10:33 am
I’ve been to Costa Rica on mission trips three times, and each time we simply get there on our own and decide what to do from there. While I’ve never been on a vacation to Costa Rica, I’d assume it’s similar to the mission trips in that you can pretty much do what you like, just make sure to make the reservations plenty early. We do have one day during each of our trips that involves going to the beach, whiterwater rafting, or the zip line, and we usually make those plans pretty last-minute…
I just babbled a ton, so to sum it all up, I’d say you should be fine to just do it your way without a packaged tour. Have fun!
May 22nd, 2010 at 11:06 am
Yes you certainly can do it on your own…and I prefer it myself.
May 22nd, 2010 at 11:57 am
Tours are usually overpriced and generic. If you plan ahead, book flights and make reservations, you’re in great shape.
I would suggest renting a car as means of transportation. The most you’ll have to drive is maybe 5 hours (average time it takes from San José to Limon)
Great choices of places, they are all beautiful and unique. Unfortunately, Limon has become pretty unsafe, so Tortuguero is a better option. Either that, or head to the pacific. It’s got beautiful beaches and great hotels too.
May 22nd, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Yes, that’s totally possible. And it will be much cheaper and you’ll probably get to see and do more.
Most places in Costa Rica, even national parks, are accessible by bus, except mainly for remote backroads. The busses are mainly like US Greyhounds, but lacking both A/C and scruffy homeless people. It’s relaxing and you really get to meet the locals that way. Renting a car gives you more comfort and freedom from bus schedules, but its more expensive and there’s the stress of driving in an unfamiliar country of narrow bumpy roads and very aggressive drivers. Taxis in Costa Rica are very cheap so that is also an option.
There are short tours available locally and some are a good idea for certain attractions.
It all depends I guess on how comfortable you are with speaking Spanish and making your way around an unfamiliar country (although Costa Rica is much easier than most third world countries).
May 22nd, 2010 at 12:33 pm
I live in Costa Rica, born and raised, I know it will not be hard, tons of people speak English, and most are willing to help, my country is very small so with a rental you’ll do just fine, be carefull when you go to Limón, that place is a bit dangerous lately. ( so i’ve heard on the news ) right now the climate is nice, sunny and windy, I hope you have a very nice time here
May 22nd, 2010 at 12:54 pm
You can definately go it alone, try http://www.vamos4×4.com for your car and check out our 10 day tour itinerary at http://www.PacificLots.com/itinerary for ideas on where to go. Let me tell you, Arenal is ALMOST ALWAYS in the clouds and you can’t see the volcano. The area is overpriced and there is not much to do there except for overpriced tourist attractions like Tabacan and Baldi hot springs. If you check out the price for either of these attractions, you will see what I mean about overpriced. People go to Arenal because other people went there and tell you to go there. The same is true to a large extent with Monteverde. Monteverde is a cloud forest in an area that was colonized by Quakers. It is a long drive and although a very nice place, high altitude and a beautiful area with a good mix of birds and some animals, it is overrated. Try instead your first night at the Martino Hotel in Alejuala, rent a car and go the first day to Poas volcano for a day trip as well as La Paz Waterfall gardens. You’ll have to ask directions a bunch of times but better yet rent a GPS from Vamos when you get there. Then head to Jaco on the central pacific coast (totally skip Limon, dangerous, a port town, not much to see there, and skip Tortuguera unless you want to catch Tarpon, Snook and Mosquitos). Skip the east coast unless you are a surfer and want to head to Puerto Viejo and cross the border into Panama at Boca Del Toros and you are a gnarly rasta type and don’t mind dirty living, hot and humid and sketchy people. They call the east coast the Mosquito Coast and they call the west coast the gold coast. The west coast is more expensive but you can choose the level of expense you want to pay. Stay one night in Jaco at the Vista Pacifica Hotel and then head to Manuel Antonio, stay at the Costa Verde Hotel (expensive but worth it) or try Villas Nicolas. Be sure to go to the national park there, (closed Mondays) and get there early, wear bathing suits and bring food enough to get you through lunch and baby needs. Eat at the Marlin restaurant when you get out of the park, across from the beach, try the ceviche or black bean soup. Eat at the Barba Roja one night and have cocktails at sunset at the Mariposa Hotel (ask for directions to these places, all really close at 5 minutes or so). If you have 10 days, head to Dominical, stay at the Villas Rio Mar Hotel. If you want a good itinerary we run tours and provide hyperlinks to all hotels at http://www.pacificlots.com/itinerary or contact me off line at SteveatPacificlotsdotcom for more info. We sell land and custom homes in Costa Rica. Check out http://wwwpacificlots.com/slide-show
May 22nd, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Hi,
You definitely don’t need a tour package, and I too find them too restricting. All my clients do it on their own. Book the hotels, and then decide on the tours they want either thru me, since I give discounts, or once they get there.
About Caribbean side. You don’t want to be anywhere near Limon, it’s a nasty town. Tortoguero is more of a tour that you would need to join since it’s so hard to get to.
The lodges there offer pick up round trip from San Jose, lodging, tours and all meals. It actually comes out to be about the same if you do it all on your own.
This isn’t a place for beaches, it’s just the national park.
If you want beaches, Puerto Viejo, Punta Uva and Manzanillo are the best in that area.
Let me know if I can help,
Marina K.Villatoro
http://travelexperta.com