Costa Rica

[tycho_32]

I will be visiting Costa Rica in April and will be staying in three different areas. I would like to know if anyone has any information on hikes that you thought were amazing in those areas. We are staying in San Jose, close to Arenal Volcano, and on the Pacific Coast.
Thanks

 

[nartreb]

You can hike around the base of Arenal, but not far up it. Find some viewpoints and be sure to return at night. Eruptions are pretty much continuous, but during the day you can hardly see the lava.

There's a waterfall not far from Arenal: Catarata de la Fortuna. You can rent horses in a nearby town and ride there, I recommend it. If you drive, thel "hike" takes about a minute.

There's a "cloud forest" (bosque nuboso) in Monteverde, with some wildlife trails. On the coast, the Parque Manuel Antonio is the spot for wildlife.

Keep in mind that the weather (especially at coastal altitudes) is HOT. You'd have to be really dedicated to go on long hikes. And views are generally very limited, due to vegetation. You can get some views from the hills above San Jose, but think Hollywood Hills - don't know if there are even any trails but there are restaurants with balconies (and cool breezes).

 

[snoshoovt]

Costa Rica hiking

The Arenal area is beautiful in April, though it's a chancy thing to see the volcano activity because of the frequent cloud cover. One nice hike, from the area of the Arenal Observatory or just beyond it on the observatory road, is to the smaller and inactive sister peak just to the west. I forget the name but it's in the guidebooks. Agree with previous poster that the Monteverde area is a good stop, lots of walks there in the cloud forest. Also, if you're adventourous, you can hike from the Monteverde/St. Helena area down to the southern tip of Lago Arenal but as with almost any distance hiking in Costa Rica, be forwarned that the trails aren't exactly marked with AMC-type signs. In Costa Rica, even houses and businesses don't have "addresses" as we know them, which of course only adds to the adventure. Costa Rica is a beautiful country with wonderful people. Hoping you enjoy it!
John