Costa Rica

[jazzybee]

Looking for some info - never been before and may be heading out for a week or so before Easter. What's worth visiting in the North? Volcanos? Mountains? Lakes? towns? I'm not a big walker, but some nice drives with interesting destinations would be great. Any good places to eat? good local meals? say within an hour of Liberia?

[Fezant Pluckah]

I'd go and spend a night at Aernal and stay in a lodge that looks across the lake to the volcano. If it is erupting it's spectacular at night.

Also Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast is excellent for wildlife. Mwamba Lodge is probably the nicest.

Corcovado down in the south is very unspilt.

Guanacaste Province (where Liberia is) is quite dry (rainfall wise, not drink!), so not as lush as other parts. Having said that Palo Verde Nat Park is good for birds and wlidlife - it's a huge swamp!

HTH

[jazzybee]

Thanks for the response so far. I think I will be staying up in the North only - Will try and take in Arenal Volcano - but was wondering if it was safe and possible to drive across the border to Lago de Nicaragua within the day? From a car-rental perspective and border crossing queue perspective as well. On the topic of car rental - is it fairly safe there? Would be hiring from one of the larger companies.

[Fezant Pluckah]

Can't answer that question I am afraid! Not sure how easy it is to drive across the border, or how safe it is on the other side!

[ehonda]

Another vote for Corcovado, but probably useless if not you're not going that way.
Can't comment on the border crossing, but driving sure is 'interesting'. Probably no more so than you'd expect from a central american country though.

[zcacogp]

Easy to cross the border, but I have never tried it in a hire car.

Having said that, car hire in CR is easy. Not particularly cheap, and fuel is priced somewhere between US and UK prices.

The Arenal region is good. Hotel Nayara is good, and very good value if you get the 'right' rates. Be sure to check out the hot springs in the area if you go (Baldi is a great location), and La Fortuna a pleasant enough place to kill a few days.


Oli.