Costa Rica

Knowing your budget, interests and Spanish proficiency would help.

5 days isn't a lot of time, especially with the locals relaxed 'tico' time. My idea of time management and amount of relaxation I want from a trip are probably more conservative than yours, so this might not be helpful.

Tourism is the countries biggest earner of foreign currency, they charge that much because people will pay it. But cant you zipline or ride a horse/atv a lot closer to home? There's also a foreign/local element to it. I remember a developed hotsprings that wanted $40/person, while the locals would go to the undeveloped spot of a creek where the water was warm too.

I wouldn't try to learn to surf with that much time. You're just going to feel like shit the next day after falling a bunch and drinking sea water. Boogie boarding makes more sense.

If you rent a car at the airport, just expect traffic. I find google is pretty bad at estimating traffic time. It doesn't look like it on a map, but it takes a long time to drive. So your 5 days quickly becomes less with driving. The farther out you go, the worse the roads get. I did some roads in a lifted 4x4 on the coast I wouldn't do in a mid size. Avoid driving in San Jose at all costs. You end up averaging 10km/h. Avoid San Jose in general. It's dirty, and there isn't much cultural stuff. Gold and Jade museum are neat.

Atlantic coast is definitely less developed and accessible. Even though the country isn't cash rich, a lot of people go from the central highlands go down to the pacific for vacation. I think there was train service to the atlantic that got destroyed during an earthquake. If you go into the history, Costa Rica kept it's black slaves on the atlantic plantations. It was only in the 50s that blacks were allowed in the rest of the country.

If I had 5 days in CR, I'd ether bus up to Lake Arenal and stay there, fly over to the Nicoya peninsula or wind down to Jaco and overnight in one of the smaller towns on the way.

>>1182988
Completely agree with the end statement... The city of Arenal is great for staying... there is a pretty entertaining tour at a chocolate plantation that was well worth the money and I'd reccomend.
Maybe try an afternoon in Puntarenas.
Tarcoles is a good stop on the way south to Jaco. Scarlet Macaws spend their mornings by the beach and the crocodile tours on the rio tarcoles are fantastic. Unfortunately the number of crocodiles means you shouldn't try swimming in the ocean around there.

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>>1182989
>shouldn't try swimming in the ocean around there.

Reminds me of this
>be in Tamarindo
>drive north for an hour at night to go see sea turtles lay their eggs
>they lay their eggs around playa grande
>next day want to go back
>figure I can just wade across the estuary, instead of drive an hour each way
>do it, see their big tracks
>get back to hotel, wonder why more people don't do it
>don't mention it, but staff approaches and tells me to stay out of the estuary, there's crocs in there

Met a surfer who had the same thing happen to him. Don't know how true, or they just want people to leave the area alone.

>>1182968
I would highly recommend Talamanca and Puerto Viejo on the Atlantic coast. Book a tour van unless you are proficient in Spanish. The Bribri people are quite hospitable. Also check out La Paz Waterfall Park and Poas Volcano in central Costa Rica. Surfing is best on the Pacific side, but would save that for another trip.

Bump.

Costa Rica looks like such a beautiful country. Anyone recommend a place to go rock jumping or any beautiful waterfalls? Hiking here seems amazing. Any great hikes?

>>1182988
>>1182989
>>1182992
thanks for all the info.

my spanish knowledge isn't bad. I've gotten around ok in remote parts of Mexico in the past.

the chocolate farm is a good idea.

>>1182968

I had two weeks planned in Costa Rica. Wound up crossing the border into Nicaragua after I showed up in San Jose and realized how ungodly expensive the country is. Had a great time in Nicaragua and paid a fraction of the price that everything cost in CR.

>>1183169
The Orosi Valley

>>1183191
http://www.laiguanachocolate.com/
go here for the chocolate farm, you can stay for a few days and hike around in the area too

I did the zip lining, and yes it cost about 50 USD, but they picked my up, provided lunch, and it was the best zip lines I have ever done.

>>1183389
Op here I've considered this but don't think I'll have time.
>>1183700
Thanks for this.
>>1183705
Do you remember the name of the place or area?

fun fact: ziplines are boring as shit. You stand in a line with a bunch of other fatty tourists and watch them slowly winch their way to their next tower. rinse, wash, repeat 8-12 times. your wallet is is much lighter, you're still bored, and still surrounded by tourists.

>>1182968
Everyone I've known who had an expensive and less than amazing time in CR went to the Pacific Coast. Twice I've been to the Atlantic Coast and had a great time. The bus from San Jose is cheap, but a cab ride is still just over $100 for the four hour trip. Destination towns on the Atlantic are Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, Playa Cocles and Manzanillo. You can hit most of them in a couple days. The vibe is more Caribbean than the rest of the country, with some surfers hanging out. You can walk through rainforest to the beach there and just chill out in a kind of rundown paradise for pretty cheap.

I'll admit seeing Arinal volcano and the Cloud Forest were amazing things. Not stuff I'd want to miss out on. But if you only have five days and money is an issue getting off the beaten (and pricey) tourist track might be worth your while. You don't need to zip line through the fucking rainforest. That's shit bored rich kids do.

What I'd do for five days on a budget:

Fly into San Jose. Stay at the Hemmingway Inn. It's cheapish, and a trip. Wander around town, check out the architecture, hear some marimba music and eat some wood fired rotisserie chicken (the chicken is very good there). After breakfast at the hotel the next morning go to the Atlantic Bus Terminal (Terminal de Autobus Atlantico Norte) and hop a bus to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. Use that as a base to check out the other beach towns nearby. Just avoid the city of Limon, because not safe. You can have three days of rainforest and beach vacation on the Caribbean coast for pretty cheap, then catch the bus back to San Jose to fly home.

You'll miss all the typical typical tourist shit, but you'll end up with a pretty cost effective five day vacation.

>>1184287
Good advice for such a short trip.

Costa Rica is expensive, yes, but I think you'll get at bit more bang for your buck on the Carribean side. And you'll get there easily with the bus for San José. Cahuita, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca and Manzanillo are all nice destinations. Rent a bike in Puerto Viejo and go from town to town down the coast.

>>1184359
>Rent a bike in Puerto Viejo and go from town to town down the coast.
Ha ha, I've done this. It's a good destination for a short vacation where all you want is beach (there are surfers there) and to see some rainforest. And it is beautiful. Local cuisine isn't much to write home about, but there is Caribbean food you won't find elsewhere in the country. Caribbean baked goods are worth trying as are dishes like escovich fish and ron don (rundown) soup - a coconut based fish chowder.

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>>1182968
OP here. heading to Costa Rica now and we're expecting hurricane Otto to hit by tomorrow.

>>1184718
It will blow over in less than a day, is a weak-ass hurricane and will cause minimal disruptions. But you can tell thrilling stories of surviving a hurricane.

Do be smart when the brunt of the storm passes you, and be aware of where the water will run-off -- looks like it is going to book on across the country, so total rainfall will be less, but still, the water is going to go somewhere: don;t hide in the basement in a hotel on the floodplain of a river. Even a weak hurricane is still a hurricane.

But if it comes ashore with 75 - 80 mph winds, say, it will be impressive but not catastrophic.

I live in FL, trust me, learning to surf after having never done it before definitely takes longer than five days

Hi OP. Please avoid Atlantic Ocean at all cost. This hurricane thing just fucked up your vacation. I advise you to head to the South. You'll have great time at Manuel Antonio Beach and surrounds.

But where do you go for decent sluts?

>>1185427
That's a really important question. If you are on a budget, I'd recommend Hotel Del Rey. But if you can spend a little more, then go to Elite, in Paseo Colon (San Jose). You can also go to
Jaco Beach and catch some street ugly ones.
If cheap traps are your thing, then my friend, go around Clinica Biblica; you'll find plenty.

>>1185457

where da decent sluts in miami?

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>>1185131
Thanks. I ended up going down there to visit playa espadilla.

Overall I enjoyed what the country had to offer in terms of wildlife and nature but there were definitely more than a few times where I was spending more money on food than I would if I were still in the states. Made me miss the prices in SEA.

Arenal volcano was gorgeous, the waterfall was also amazing, and the hot thermal spa was a lot of fun as well. Other that, I really enjoyed all the fresh exotic fruits (rambutans, mangosteen, passion fruit, papaya etc)

Hopefully I'll be able to return one day.

Attached is a picture I took at playa espadilla at sunset

>>1185457
Thanks