Hi! Heading to Costa Rica November 19 through the 24th or 25th and I am trying to finalize my schedule. Any suggestions would be appreciated...good or bad with regards to what I have come up with, and any thing I may have missed! Would like to hit the volcano's, zipline, hike, rainforest, beach day and hit a small town or city for some culture.
Plan is to fly into Liberia. Arrive at Noon. Check in to hotel in Liberia. Assume it is about 2pm...are there excursions that are close enough to this area that I could still hit this late in the day. Was planning on trying to get in Rincon De La Vieja. Would leaving for there around 2pm leave enough time? Are there other options of cool spots to hit near Liberia.
Next day Drive to Arenal? Too far to drive in order to get in a full days worth of volcano's and hot springs? Also heard there was biking in Arenal that sounds fun. If Arenal is too far, other option was to make it a beach day and go to either Gulf of Papagayou or Tamarindo.
Next day leave Liberia and drive to Zephyr Resort in Puntenerus/Jaco area. Spend three nights here. While in this area, try to get in Manuel Antonio or Uvita. Can I zipline any where in the Jaco area?
Final day would be drive to San Jose - spend a few hours here. And then fly out.
Recommendations? Does this seem like a decent feasible iteninrary or have I missed anything good? Thanks!
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If I understand you right, you're planning on 2 nights in Liberia and trying to squeeze in day trips to Rincon de la Vieja and Arenal.
Arenal's a bit long for a day trip, probably 2 1/2 hrs each way driving if the Costa Rican traffic Dios's are smiling on you.
I'd recommend insteady, heading straight from the airport to a hotel around Rincon de la Vieja, either Hacienda Guachipelin or Buena Vista. Spend the afternoon hiking a bit or riding a horse or soaking in a hot spring. Then spend all of the next day doing adventure tours out of the hotel... Much less driving, much more fun. Leave next morning for Zephyr Palace.
Plenty of zipline's in the area, and Manuel Antonio is only about an hour or so south. In fact, the Mid World zipline canopy tour out of Manuel Antonio might be the best of the bunch these days.
I agree, Rincon is close enough that you don't have to hole up in Liberia. Rincon will give you the volcanic setting, and there's plenty to enjoy in the area. There are other hotel options, too. Then drive to your Puntarenas destination. Lots to explore in that area; you might enjoy day trips south to the lovely beaches near Uvita, too.
Rincon de la Vieja National Park is closed on Mondays and November 19th is a Monday. Plenty of other things to do in the area and you'll be there on Tuesday too if you take Eliot's excellent suggestion.
wow! thanks. such great and quick information. definetly good to know that rincon is not a monday option. as for liberia, i had planned for here mostly because i was trying to make use of airline points at a hotel here....and save $$$ for more adventures. but, if it will put a huge strain in all my other plans and options, i am going to look to stay elsewhere the first few days. as far as rincon goes - is the experience that much different than other nature parks...would it be more time beneficial to skip it and spend more time around arenal or closer to a location that is heading toward puntarenas or jaco?
The area is nice; depending on the surroundings (if you stay at a hotel near there), you might not even need to enter the park for volcanic features (that Monday). Rincon area is about an hour from LIA; or, you could go to the beach (within 1/2 hour)? If you stay in the LIA area, yes, you can easily visit Rincon, the beach, or even some other national parks:
http://www.liberiacostaricainfo.com/
here's a driving time chart for other destinations
http://www.govisitcostarica.com/travelInfo/travelTime.asp
LIR, not LIA