trappist1 asked 8 years ago
Hi. We will be in Costa Rica the first week of April. We’ll use Dominical as our base, and take day trips from there. We’ll be taking surf lessons for the week at Dominical Surf School. We want to visit Manuel Antonio Park. Will it be crowded during that time? Is it possible to buy tickets beforehand, or do we just stand in line on the day? Also, we want to do some zip-lining–is there any in that area (Dominical or Manuel Antonio)? And we’d like to find a cook/chef to come in and make dinner for us one night. We’ve heard that folks do that. What would be the fee for us to run our itinerary past you and get your suggestions? We have a few things that we would like to see/do and we’re staying in one basic area for our 8 day trip. Thank you. Enjoyed reading through your book.
Jenn and Matt Staff answered 8 years ago
Hi trappist1,
April is still high season but it is one of the slower months. Towards the end of your visit might be just starting to get busy with Holy Week, which starts Sunday the 9th, but it shouldn’t be too bad. Yes, you can buy tickets to Manuel Antonio National Park in advance. We think you can do it right at the ticket office near the park. You used to be able to in Quepos too at a place next to the Red Cross in downtown, if they are still doing that. Get to the park as early as you can and avoid weekends – that’s the best way to beat the crowds.
Hacienda Baru in Dominical has a fun, but somewhat mellow, zip line course. Manuel Antonio has a lot more choices and the zip lines are much more elaborate and they usually take you up into the mountains surrounding MA. Let us know if you need a recommendation for a tour company. We would be happy to make the booking for you.
Unfortunately we don’t offer an itinerary review service anymore because we are too busy with customized itineraries. But can help with your tour bookings and answer basic questions related to those if you would like. We don’t charge anything extra to make bookings and we take care of everything (coordinate with the tour operator, make the reservation, and give you all the info you need like what to wear/bring, directions, etc.). Otherwise, Hope you enjoy Dominical!