http://www.jimmys-adventures.net/adventure-tours-costa-rica/
As a first time visitor to Costa Rica who speaks only english, where are best places to visit during January?
We are a senior citizen couple (ages 66 & 64, relatively good health) with 6 days to enjoy the country. We love nature, history and culture, but not keen on high energy adventure tours or very formal dining and entertainment.
My three favorite places to visit in Costa Rica are Tortuguero, Arenal, and Manual Antonio.
There is a great tour to Tortuguero where they pick you up in San Jose and bring you back a couple days later. You ride on a riverboat through canals filled with wildlife such as monkeys, sloths, anteaters, birds and then stay in a nice hotel. At night they can arrange for you to hire a guide to take you on the beach to see nesting sea turtles or baby sea turtle hatchlings. The tour guides of the riverboat tour are Fran and Modesto and they are wonderful!! Send Fran an email and she is quick to answer ALL of your questions. Here is the website— http://www.tortuguerocanals.com/text/home/home.shtml
The Arena Volcano is amazing! There is plenty to do in this little area including hiking, going to the hot springs, visiting the little town of La Fortuna and relaxing at your hotel watching the constant flow of the lava. I am planning to stay again at Hotel Linda Vista Del Norte. http://www.hotellindavista.com/ Make sure to get a room with “lava views.”
Manuel Antonio is located on the West Coast and is definitley the most Americanized out of the three locations. It includes some beautiful beaches and a national park for hiking. There are plenty of hotels and condos to rent.
San Jose is the best place to learn about the history and culture so maybe spend a day or so there. Good luck with all of your planning. CR is such a wonderful place to visit! Oh and don’t worry about not speaking Spanish. I tried to brush up on my Spanish speaking skills before my last trip but then all of the locals spoke to me in English. I had to ask them to speak in Spanish so I could give it a try!
Rios Tropicales – Costa Rica Adventure Tours