nikongil asked 8 years ago
We are going to Costa Rica for the first time March 31 to April 8 and trying to figure out our itinerary. We have the ‘Top 10 Costa Rica Itineraries’ book and it is a wonderful resource. My family (me, wife, 15-year old son, 12-year old daughter) is fairly adventurous and enjoy wildlife so we are definitely going to La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio, pretty much the ‘Best of Costa Rica’ itinerary. However, one thing that we are undecided on is whether to go to Monteverde. I know your one week itinerary recommends to skip it, but it sounds like it would be pretty cool to do zip lining in the cloud forest. The two itineraries we are considering are
Option 1 – Skip Monteverde
Day 1 Travel from US to SJO, arrive late
Day 2-4 Drive to La Fortuna – waterfall, white water rafting, canyoneering, zip lining, mountain biking, hiking around Arenal, hot springs
Day 5-7 Manuel Antonio – national park, night tour, mangrove tour, beaches
Day 8 Travel day from Manuel Antonio to SJO and fly to US
Option 2 – With Monteverde
Day 1 Travel from US to SJO
Day 2-3 – La Fortuna
Day 4 – Drive to Monteverde in AM, zip lining, night tour, hanging bridges, gardens
Day 5 – AM in Monteverde, drive to Manuel Antonio in afternoon
Day 6-7 Manuel Antonio
Day 8 Travel day from Manuel Antonio to SJO and fly to US
Is the second itinerary too rushed? Is it worth it to squeeze one day in Monteverde in the second itinerary?
My other question is about picking up my rental car and getting to hotel. We get in on a 11pm flight, so I imagine we won’t get out of the airport until around midnight. If we rent from Adobe (or other rental car company) will we be able to get our rental car that late? What are our options as far as getting to the hotel (shuttle?) and getting our rental car?
Thanks so much!
-Gilbert
Jenn and Matt Staff answered 8 years ago
Hi Gilbert,
Not sure if you have straightened out your itinerary yet but both options are certainly doable, the second one, like you say might be a little rushed (not much time in La Fortuna) but the drive to and from Monteverde is very scenic so as long as you are up for it, that should be fine.
For the rental car pickup. I think most agencies close around 10pm but if you use our deal with Adobe, they will deliver to your hotel the next morning free of charge. Most hotels near the airport provide a shuttle and it is usually complimentary.
Have a great trip, it’s approaching fast!