Costa Rica vacation - need some recommendations

You should try coming up to Nicaragua. You will love it. I have lived here for 17 years.

Check this out: www.nicatourism.com

I went to the Arenal area last October and stayed at Nayara. It was practically heaven on earth. It'll set you back a few bills per night though, but really there was nothing like it on earth imho.

If you're interested, my detailed review on Tripadvisor is here: http://bit.ly/JgqQbN

You probably can't go wrong in Arenal, what a beautiful area. I loved staring at that volcano all day.

We went a few years ago and stayed at Punta Islita, on the Pacific side. We flew into San Jose and drove, wanting to see the country. You can also fly into either Liberia or the hotel's air strip - both viable options depending on how much time you have. I'd recommend the place, it was a good value, but get a room with the plunge pool. Decent spa and good overall service.

If you are going to stay in Arenal then stay near El Castillo. This is the only town with views of the lava. La fortuna area will not have any visible lava.

I stayed at Essence Arenal (https://www.facebook.com/essence.arenal). It is a hostel but its a great place to stay at. They have great views, friendly staff, and a cooking class each night (basic stuff but alot of fun).

take a look at volcano lodge in arenal and jarden del eden in tamarindo. also you should go to la fortuna for the sky trek experience.

We stayed at the Royal Corbin for the first 3 nights of our honeymoon last July. It was clean and quiet, the service was good and it was a relaxing place after all the wedding stuff going on. The pools were comfortable and it did not ever feel crowded. You could see the volcano from our balcony and on the clearer days it was a relaxing view. The restaurant was pricey but the food was good. Cab rides were about $6 and about 5 minutes into La Fortuna, which had some great restaurants and friendly locals.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_...juela.html

We finished with 4 nights at the Hilton Papagayo, which was all inclusive in the Pacific coast area. This was more activity based and there were notably more children and families. Enjoyed it as well, it was a step down in cleanliness from the Royal Corbin but still acceptable. Playa de Coco is about 30 minutes away and there is plenty to do there. This is where you should go if you want to get Costa Rican culture in tiny doses, it is out of the way and insulated.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_...caste.html

The only caveat I have is the rides from place to place. From San Jose it was about a 2-3 ride to Arenal. And from Arenal to the Hilton took the better half of a day.

I will definitely visit Costa Rica again.