On the road in Costa Rica
Flying Continental from San Francisco via Houston, my companion George and I arrived in San José, Costa Rica, on Oct. 26, 2009.
I did a lot of research while planning this trip and wanted a car rental so we could be more flexible and independent. In my search I found the Adventure Inn Hotel (phone 506 2239 2633, www.adventure-inn.com), whose location, near the airport, could not be better.
They offered to pay our taxi transfer from the airport and gave us a 10% discount for paying cash on the room. They also said they would arrange for our rental car to be delivered to the hotel and picked up on our return. They delivered on everything promised and more.
The hotel, a former coffee plantation, was bought by Canadian Eric Robinson in 2005, and with his son Mike he put together a group of independent, eco-friendly hotel and B&B owners called Adventure Hotels of Costa Rica. The group’s 70 properties throughout Costa Rica will give you a 10% discount if you mention the group.
The Adventure Inn Hotel was not a luxury property, but it had very clean, comfortable and spacious rooms, free Internet, an accommodating restaurant and a helpful front desk staff. Our room cost around $80 plus 13% tax.
After our overnight in San José, we headed for Manuel Antonio National Park, where we stayed at Hotel Playa Espadilla (phone 506 2777 0903, www.espadilla.com). We’d stayed there before and enjoyed the location. With only 16 rooms, it is a three-minute walk from the beach as well as from the new entrance to the national park ($10 entry fee). Our spacious room cost $120, including tax and breakfast.
It was a disappointment not to see many animals or much wildlife in the park, but the bay and beach were very pretty, so it was worth the walk.
We stayed at a timeshare in Puntarenas for three days, then took the ferry to Paquera on the Nicoya Peninsula. The cost was $16 for our car with two persons, $18 on our return three days later.
Forty-five minutes to an hour from the ferry landing, we found Barceló Tambor Beach (phone 506 2683 0303). It was like finding paradise in the middle of the jungle.
Barceló opened in 1992 amid controversies of not obtaining required permits and having poor labor relations, but it was the first resort in all of Costa Rica to offer all-inclusive packages. Even today, some guidebooks will not recommend it, but in talking with some workers we discovered the resort might have changed.
Our housekeeper told us she receives $125 every two weeks and lives practically rent free on the grounds, paying only 1,000 colones (less than $2) a month for housing.
With an adjacent airstrip, offering flights to and from San José twice a day, Barceló is located on a beautiful bay with a beach next to their own nature park. It was here that we saw the most wildlife, including squirrels, iguanas and a macaw, plus raccoons that invaded the pool and bar area every day looking for food.
We paid a lower rate of $143 per day for two, all inclusive, because I reserved ahead of time on the Internet.
The ferry back to Puntarenas took an hour and 20 minutes, and it was not nearly as crowded on a Tuesday as it was on the previous Saturday. We then headed for Arenal Volcano.
Traveling on the Pan-American Highway, we turned off at San Ramón, about an hour west of San José. It was a pretty, though winding, drive to La Fortuna, the closest city to Arenal Volcano.
After stopping for an early dinner, we headed for Linda Vista del Norte (phone 506 24791551 or, in the US, 866/546-4239, www.hotellindavista.com). Few roads in Costa Rica have names, but I had received directions with the help of the front desk staff at Barcelo, who had called for us. Still, we had to stop for directions twice before finally finding it.
This turned out to be our favorite accommodation. The hillside Linda Vista, across a road from Lake Arenal, has 25 rooms, a panoramic-view restaurant and a beautiful pool with a lovely terrace plus views of the lake and the volcano looming nearby. We didn’t see any fire from the volcano, only steam, smoke and falling rocks; we were told it had not erupted for 10 days.
Our junior suite with bath plus balcony cost $102 per night with tax and including a made-to-order breakfast. You will need a car to get to the hotel, but it is a delight — so peaceful.
We discovered the Butterfly Conservatory (phone 506 2479 1149) nearby and spent several hours there. Begun in 2001, they are restoring varied species of butterflies, frogs, insects, orchids and other plant life to the area’s ecosystem. Serving as a laboratory for universities, it contains one of the largest butterfly exhibits in Costa Rica. Our visit ($20) was very educational.
Reluctantly, we left for San José and a last night at the Adventure Inn Hotel. The car rental company came to pick up and inspect the car. The paperwork indicated that 16 days’ rental, with insurance, cost $601; however, my Capital One statement showed $646.
Adventure Inn paid for our taxi transfer to the airport the following day.
We love returning to Costa Rica, seeing old favorites and always finding something new. I’d be glad to answer any questions; e-mail c/o ITN.
EVENYL ROEMMICH
Stockton, CA