VACATION ESSENTIALS   

ARENAL VOLCANO

Arenal is probably the most exciting site in Costa Rica. There are actually dozens of Volcanos in the country with most of them extinct and a couple emitting an occasional, harmless, puff of smoke.

But Arenal is in a class by itself in the whole world. I’ve been into the crater of Vesuvius in Italy, the one that destroyed Pompeii, and seen the wisps of smoke coming from cracks in the cone and smelled the sulphur coming from far below the earth’s surface, and that was exciting. But Arenal is absolutely unique and in a class by itself.

You can take a tour to the hotel and observation station or drive yourself up there. But just the night view from one of the hotels in the area is a breathtaking event. Soon after dark you’ll see (even better with binoculars) the molten lava coming down the sides of the volcano in red and yellow rivers of liquefied rock. It goes on day and night, hour after hour but during the day it’s hard to see. Do yourself a favor and stay a night. It’s well worth the $120 or so for a good room.

Getting to Arenal is not the easiest of journeys but you can drive yourself in about four hours from San Jose or just take a tour.

THE LA PAZ WATERFALLS

If you saw my introduction video on this site you saw just a tiny part of the LaPaz Waterfall Gardens. There are many waterfalls in this chain of cataracts as well as a wonderful hummingbird garden and the largest butterfly enclosure in the world. My time at LaPaz on my only visit was so limited that I had to hurry past most of it but I decided then and there that I will go back back soon. It is a stunning $25 worth. LaPaz is quite close to the Poas Volcano so it might be good to combine the two sites on one visit if you can. The only problem is that Poas tends to be covered in cloud most of the time so check before you make the trip. Best plan would probably be to go to LaPaz early and then ask about Poas from there. The drive to LaPaz is filled with interesting sites and small picturesque villages but the distance is deceptive when you see it on the map. It will take about two hours in each direction from San Jose.

THE CAFÉ BRITT COFFEE TOUR

Easily one of the best day trips from San Jose you’ll find that Café Britt has the best organized and most instructive tour in Costa Rica by far. Very knowledgeable guides first give a walking tour explaining how the coffee is grown, graded, selected and picked. After this comes a wonderful and amusing indoor demonstration with skits telling how coffee was discovered and a chance for you to act as a coffee taster. After this comes what I believe is the best lunch available in the San Jose area. There’s a fine and varied buffet of salads, meats and fruit followed by a cup of delicious coffee.

I was so impressed with the presentation of my coffee that I couldn’t resist taking a picture of it.

You can book the Café Britt tour through your hotel tour desk, call them direct, or book online. One word of caution. If you decide to take your own car rather than one of the tours, give yourself a bit of extra time. The directions are poor, signs are very limited and there are a lot of turns. I suggest a full hour from San Jose to be sure not to miss this marvelous tour. 
WEBSITE      http://centralamerica.com/cr/tours/cafebritt.htm And from the website you can Email them or call them locally or even toll free from the U.S. and Canada.

MANUEL ANTONIO STATE PARK

Manuel Antonio is by far the best wildlife park I have seen in the Americas. The best in the world as far as I am concerned is the African Safari where we came within six feet of lion, cheetahs and elephant. But that’s comparing apples with oranges isn’t it.
The drive from San Jose to Quepos will take about six hours. There are plenty of good hotels and restaurants in the town and Manuel Antonio is only ten minutes away. You’ll find plenty of parking and if you get there early the boys will show you to a place under a shade tree for a dollar. From here you take a curious journey across a narrow stream by getting into one boat and then stepping into another. Obviously a small bridge would be the best answer. But – where’s your sense of adventure? Besides the boys need that 25cent tip. Once across the mighty Zambezi you buy your entrance ticket at the booth and either wait for a guide or start walking.
We made the mistake of arriving at the park at about 10am but we saw a lot. My son went back the next morning at about 6am while the animals were having their breakfast and before the Gringo Touristas arrived and he was able to see ten times as much. Monkeys and sloth swing from the branches of the overhanging trees and birds twitter and glide from branch to branch. There’s also a magnificent beach, usually deserted, where you can picnic or take a swim without extra charge.

Generally I’m one of those who prefer to go without a guide but in this case I think it might be best to take one. They are trained to show you what you would not see on your own. Also take binoculars, a camera and bottled water.