Is this a enjoyable and do-able 15 day itinerary for my trip to Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica?

Question

Here is my itinerary for a 2 week trip to Costa Rica with my girlfriend in Mid-March. I originally had more destinations in the Nicoya Peninsula, but realized that traveling takes much longer than expected, so I narrowed our Nicoya peninsula destinations to Brasilito/Conchal, Playa San Miguel.Playa Coyote, and Montezuma.

Is this a smart itinerary?

Day 1-Alajuela-Hotel Los Volcananes

Day 2-Arenal Volcano-Hotel Sierra Arenal

Day 3-Monte Verde-Arcoiris Lodge

Day 4-Monte Verde-Arcoiris Lodge

Day 5-Monteverde/Potrero/Brasilito-Hotel Brasilito

Day 6-Brasilito-Hotel Brasilito

Day 7-Brasilito-Hotel Brasilito

Day 8-Playa San Miguel/Playa Coyote-The Blue Pelican Inn

Day 9-Playa San Miguel/Playa Coyote-The Blue Pelican Inn

Day 10-Playa San Miguel/Playa Coyote-The Blue Pelican Inn

Day 11-Montezuma-Amor De Mar

Day 12-Montezuma-Amor De Mar

Day 13-Montezuma-Amor De Mar

* Take a day tour to Isla Tortuga for snorkeling and beach

Day 14-Travel Back to Alajuela-Hotel Los Volcananes

Day 15-Fly Home

Answer 1

This is all very do-able, i got back from costa rica a few weeks ago, there are plenty of buses although sometimes you are travelling for the full day.  my best advise would be forget  monteverde, it's nothing special except the canopy tours (there is an excellent one in montazuma) and Brasilito will not be easy to get to.  I'd recommend spending more time in montazuma (walk up to the waterfall) and arenal (do the nightime jungle walk with the tour operator next to lava rocks cafe and get a cab to the waterfall, don' pay for a tour and be ready to swim).  Tortuga snokeling was good but not what i was expecting no reef or coral, 100'sof colourful fish tho. any more questions email me

Answer 2

You have picked very nice hotels.  The Volcanes is more basic than some of the others but the back rooms are quiet and it is heavily used by Monteverde residents.  Is there a public bus stop for La Fortuna/Arenal in Alajuela?  If not, you might be better to get a hotel in San Jose.  The airport taxis aren't bad (you buy a ticket as you exit).   You will like Arcoiris and Amor de Mar.

The best and most beautiful way to get from Arenal is the taxi boat taxi option.  It will go from hotel to hotel and will cost around $25 and will take less than 3 hours. Public transportation is cheaper but it will take you most of the day to get from Arenal to Monteverde.  

I agree that you won't have any easy time going from Brasilto to Playa San Miguel to Montezuma but I am not sure it is quite as tricky in late March as one of the answerers said.  It would probably be next to impossible at times during April through November.    

I would contact the Blue Pelican Inn and ask how this can be done and how much it may cost.  If it is possible using mostly public transportation it will take a lot of backtracking--through Nicoya or even Liberia.

Answer 3

Your itinerary will be possible ONLY if you will be renting a 4-wheel-drive vehicle. Rivers must be forded in order to travel from Brasilito to Playa San Miguel, Playa Coyote, and on to Montezuma. Also, remember to pack your sense of adventure and patience. This will be grueling under the best of circumstances. We are talking unpaved, rough roads!

There are NO public buses plying this route (well, maybe one very slow bus per day at max).

The problem is Playa San Miguel and Playa Coyote. These beautiful but very remote locations are completely off the grid as far as transportation goes (as well as many other things - even food will be expensive to buy in this area, because it is not easily imported).

It would be better to skip the San Miguel-Coyote portion, in my opinion (considering you only have two weeks) and travel from Brasilito back over the bridge to Puntarenas and then take the ferry back to Nicoya and on to Montezuma from there.

Answer 4

Hi, I'm costarican living in Italy (married to an italian). Last month we made a wonderful trip to Montezuma, Mal Pais, Santa Teresa and Coyote.  I had never been there and I fell in love!  So, here's my advise:  rent a 4x4 (a must) and drove to Puntarenas, there you take the ferry to Paquera.  You drive to Santa Teresa which in my opinion is the best place.  Montezuma is nice to go by night for a drink or dinner, but Santa Teresa is really nice (Hotel Esencia is really nice).  And you have a lot of restaurants and bars for the evening.  The beach is great! also you can visit everyday a different beach: Mal Pais (go to Soda Las Piedras, you eat fresh fish and lobster and it is soooo cheap!!!!) then you have Playa Carmen, Playa Hermosa, Carrillo... then if you want to go to Coyote you should go to the same house we went, you won't regret it: it's the house of this couple I know who rent bedrooms.  The villa is on the beach, it has 8 bedrooms with AC and private bathroom, they have a kitchen and if you want they cook for you for extra $25 wich I recomend because there you don't have restaurants in the area (fresh fish all the time, breakfast is fabulous, everything!) they also can arrange for massages, snorkeling and other tours.  The bedroom costs $150 with breakfast included.   If you're interested you can write me and I'll put you on contact with them so you can arrange your trip. They can pick you up at the airport if you want to start your trip there. Enjoy!!! [e-mail]