ThrillSeeker8

I'm going to Costa Rica in early April with 2 of my friends. We're all 24 years old males who are very active, so we're hopeful to do as much adventure tours as we can. However, we don't want to cram too much in and feel overwhelmed. Here is the itinerary we're thinking about now. Let me know your thoughts. For young guys, would it be better to spend 3 nights in Manuel Antonio or La Fortuna/Arenal?

Day 1: Arrive at night in San Jose
Day 2: Bus (Interbus) to Manuel Antonio.
Day 3: Manuel Antonio: Surfing lessons, spend remainder of time relaxing at the beach
Day 4: Manuel Antonio: Canopy tour in the morning (Titi Canopy Tour). Beach remainder of the day
Day 5: Rent a car and drive to La Fortuna. See Arenal Volcano at night.
Day 6: La Fortuna: Canyoning (Desafio) early. Hike down to bottom of La Fortuna Waterfall
Day 7: La Fortuna: Whitewater rafting at Rio Pacuare (Exploradores Adventures). Transfer to San Jose after trip.
Day 8: Depart from San Jose at noon

volcanogirl

I think it looks great. If you have time, you might want to do your zipline in Arenal; Sky Trek has some of the longest highest lines in the country. If you're looking for a thrill, that's the one I would do.

volcanogirl

You might also check out the natural hot springs in Arenal - Tabacon would be great for single guys. We really like Eco Termales, a little more quiet with excellent food. The hot springs are great in the evening after a long day of being active.

ThrillSeeker8

Thanks for the suggestions. So you think 2 nights in Arenal is enough time to see/do everything? I heard the best time to see the Volcano is in the morning before the fog rolls in. Based on our itinerary now, we don't have time to see the volcano in the morning unless we skip whitewater rafting on Day 7.

shillmac

No, that really isn't enough time to see and do "everything" at Arenal! How important is the whitewater to you? I'd be tempted to let that go and focus more on Arenal activities. Agree you should do Tabacon and the ziplines at Arenal rather than Manuel Antonio.

Consider Finca Valmy horseback at Manuel Antonio. .also be sure you tour the national park there with a guide. The guides are phenomenal--excellent resources.

Good luck and have fun!

RAC

Two nights in Arenal isn't enough time to see/do everything in the area--but then again neither is three nights.

I wouldn't skip the Pacuare, though--it's every bit as awesome as anything you could do or see in the Arenal area.

cmerrell

You've already gotten some great advice here.

I'd agree with VG and shillmac that you should try to do the SkyTrek zipline in Arenal. It's a good adrenaline rush!

Also, make sure you visit MA nat'l park as shillmac suggests. You can spend some of your beach time there (along with checking out the hiking trails...).

qwovadis

Good advice above...

Your route looks good

in the time you have

Quality hostels like

Arenal Backpackers

www.vistaserena.com

good cheap lodging

lots of action...

If you are on a budget Baldi

not bad for hot springs but

nightime at www.tabacon.com

amazing...

Have fun,

volcanogirl

Thrill, I could easily stay 3 or 4 nights in Arenal, but your timeframe is too short to do that.

Personally I've never noticed that volcano viewing is better in the morning - with Poas, yes, but not with Arenal. We stayed 4 nights on our first trip and had clear views every night of lava flowing. On our last trip, we had almost constant cloud cover.

ThrillSeeker8

Thanks for all of the help. Sounds like I need to redo my itinerary and do 3 nights in Arenal and 2 nights in Manuel Antonio. Are the adventure activities (canopy, rafting, etc.)in Manuel just not as exciting or good as the ones in Arenal?

Also, are there any issues driving at night (rain, fog, poor lighting) between Manuel and La Fortuna? We might get some beach time prior to driving north to La Fortuna. This should be a 6 hour drive, right?

volcanogirl

I wouldn't drive between cities at night; things are not well-marked at all, and there can be a lot of fog at night, winding roads, etc. Best to do your driving during daylight. The sun is usually up around 5:30a.m. and sets about 5:30p.m. We usually hire a private driver through our hotels, and I trust their driving at night, just don't want to do it myself.

Arenal is sort of known for having the best adventure activities. MA is predominantly known for the national park full of wildlife and a beautiful beach inside the park.

cmerrell

I agree with VG on driving after dark.

Road conditions are highly variable in Costa Rice. The drive between MA and Arenal wasn't bad when we made it 2 years ago, but there are sections with switchbacks and potholes. Patches of rain and fog are pretty common, and it's not unusual to see animals (and sometimes people) strolling in the road. Signage is generally poor and it would be easy to miss a turn along the way. Heck, we missed a few turns in broad, sunny daylight! Better to be safe than sorry...

I think Arenal generally does have a more "adventuresome" reputation than MA. Both areas have a lot of great things to offer, however.