allkidd asked 7 years ago
In January, my wife and I are flying into Liberia to spend at least 10 days. We figure to spend about half the time at a location conducive to hiking and other active type activities and the other half of the time at a Beach. We\’ve never been to Costa Rica and it seems like there are so many options. My guess is that we will need to go East for the active part of the vacation. Should we go to Arenal or are there better and closer hiking/adventure locations? Any recommendations for specific accommodations? Also, do we need to rent a car? For the beach half of the vacation, is the Guanacaste Beaches a good choice? I think these are close to the Liberia airport? It appears there are many shuttles from Liberia to the Guanacaste so maybe could return car? We are thinking all inclusive at the beach location. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance for any recommendations!
Jenn and Matt Staff answered 7 years ago
Hi allkidd,
Yes, the Guanacaste beaches are beautiful and close to LIR. The Westin at Playa Conchal is a nice option that isn’t too far away. You will probably want a car to explore inland but could return it for part or all of the beach portion (although exploring other nearby beaches can be fun). See our Rental Car Discount page if you do rent.
La Fortuna/Arenal or Monteverde are the two big inland destinations that are good for hiking, hanging bridges, zip line, etc. We have hotel guides for both that will help with where to stay (La Fortuna & Monteverde). If you are looking for something more off-the-beaten path, Miravalles or Bijagua are also really nice choices. Those are smaller, so you could even make a stop at one on the way to one of the more popular places. Have a great time this coming January!