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I may have been a little too enthusiastic when talking to friends and family about my trip to CR earlier this year, because my 80 yr-old father-in-law now wants to visit and will pick up the tab for me to travel with him! The one big downside, of course, is that it will be a P4P-free trip (good thing there’s lots of other stuff to do in CR!)

My “travel buddy” is healthy, quite active and is mentally as sharp as ever. He is a retired university professor with interests leaning toward wildlife, birds, etc. so I am planning on going to the central Pacific coast where we can mix a bit of beach time with some walking tours as well as visiting the national park at Manuel Antonio.

First question – what are the “must do” activities and venues in that area? Anything on the way to/from that I should not miss? (I hate doing an out-and-back trip, so intend to do a circuit San Jose, Jaco, Quepos, Dominical, San Isidro and back to San Jose.)

Second question - I will probably rent a car for the duration of my visit, but have heard some horror stories involving car rental (leaving aside the driving!) Any recommendations for reputable, reasonably priced companies to deal with? Obviously I will be arriving at SJO, and airport car rental outlets usually charge a location premium – are there any off-site locations that aren’t too inconvenient, or should I just bite the bullet and pay the extra? (I know it’s not my money I’m using, but I hate paying more than I have to!)

All advice gratefully received (but not necessarily followed!)

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I was put on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now, I am so far behind that I will never die.

On The car rental ..... Get a 4WD if you plan to go to Arenal (and you should)

Realy nice that you are taking him. It has to be special to him.

Scratch Jaco, he won't be missing anything, other then maybe to stretch and eat lunch and say you were there, don't bother walking to that beach.

There are numerous nature preserves, animal conservatories/rescues that are accessed from Rt 34 (the hghwy you'll be on all the way to Dominical after you exit the autopista del sol aka rt 27). I've seen the signs a hundred times.

I'll leave it to other members that are in to birding and nature for better tips, or the tour guides on this board that travel those roads weekly. But there are a bunch, some maybe 15 km off Rt 34 so even though dry roads are arriving this time of year, you still may need 4 wheel but I'd avoid those side trips--rock damage to the car is a high possibility from either brushing against one or spinning wheels, and an eventual car rental problem, see below. There are many that aren't off the beaten path, one for sure in Manuel Antonio. If you are sticking close to the main roads, you will not need 4 wheel. But I recommend automatic for convenience, especially in Manuel Antonio--up and down the mountains a few times a day, especially behind a chugging 2 mph bus or truck forming a banana line will drive you nuts with a stick shift. Most of the major rentals new cars are auto and on line I don't notice many sticks and if so a minimal price diff. Big price diff for 4 wheel.

The park at Manuel Antonio, the country's most visited, gets alot of reviews, a high majority favorable. Remember it's closed Mondays. It'll be enough of a hike, I'd guess, for him. He'll see certain species of unique birds like the popular hits of Quetzals and Macaws; sloths which don't impress me much; a bunch of mono monkeys and a few other nature things the park guides will point out. The beaches inside the park are incredible. The public beach in Manuel Antonio (not in the park) is one of everybody's favorites.

You may want to spend a few days in Manuel Antonio/Quepos, a great area of CR. My favorite, and to alot of many ex-pats from the US & Canada. PM me for my hotel recommendations because there are a bunch from high to low. Stop in at Lynch Travel downtown Quepos for nature things to do. No extra charge then for what you'd pay direct to the provider and they do all the booking. They are on line, but have alot more contacts then what is on their website. I'll bet he'd really like the Damas Island Mangrove Boat Tour. Lynch can hook you up. It'll be hot but the boats are covered. Iguanatours.com and Kingtours.com. Now that I think about it, that would be a must do trip that would be very easy. Amazing tour thru the jungle waterway with lots of wildlife.

Half day in-shore fishing out of Quepos is also a blast and pretty cheap. Not a rough ride at all. Great views of all the the nearby rocky out islands and of the beaches and mountains inland. Really fun and not the boring 1.2 hour ride out to deep water for bill fising. Take your catch to restaurant Gran Escape, a really cool gringa owned popular gringo bar/rest on the waterfront street and you'll eat for free. Make sure your boat, it'll be a small panga style but with cover, already has bait before you launch or you'll waste an hour catching bait, a bore.

After Quepos/M.A. and heading south, you may want to go a little further then Dominical, a not so special place for me--kind of a surfer hang which is cool--and go to Marino Ballena National Park, a 13,000 acre beach nature preserve, but there's some walking. But that's a beach he won't forget even if you only go 200 yards. A stunner.

The ride from Dominical to San Isidro is full of incredible vistas, arguably the best in CR, though more obvious coming from San Isidro downhill to Dominical as opposed to the uphill trip that you'll be doing. But, no reason you can't stop from time to time to just get out and look back at the ocean, the mountains and valleys. If I were ever to retire and build in CR, it would be halfway along that venue. Nice climate, truly beautiful, and only 45 minutes to the beach, or 45 minutes to San Isidro, the biggest town in Southern CR, with a major hospital.

For any kind of health issues on your route, there are only 2 hospitals, one just outside of Quepos next to the airport on Rt 34, and as I just mentioned in San Isidro, named Max Peralta. That's it in your planned visiting area, the rest are in SJ.

I never made the trip from San Isidro to San Jose, it's thru the mountains, I have read that it is beautiful but a little tricky in parts, often foggy.

Rent a car? I always use Budget because I find their internet rates are the best. They'll pick you up outside the exit doors after customs, and their lot is about a mile away. You won't be charged airport location fees. Make mental notes of how to get back to their lot and make sure you either bring it back full with gas or take advantage of the pre-pay for gas, and in that case bring it back on fumes. You can also drop it off at their downtown location and then cab it to the airport. Downtown location is easy to find, on Paseo Colon, a few blocks toward the city from La Sabannah park. Book your car as far in advance as you can, much cheaper. If your biz credit card carries rental car insurance, you only need the one insurance that they insist on, you can't have the car without it. Otherwise, buy all the insurance. However, then it goes from a cheap rental to an expensive rental, up to you. I've used all the other major companies in my years. Never, ever do Avis--they will look for damage that wasn't yours. Did it to me twice. They have it down to a money making science. Regardless, take your camera and photo every square inch of the car, including the inside, zooming in on the various defects, scratches, dents, whatever. Get the lic plate in at least one of the photo's. You'll be asked to sign a carbon where all the dings are noted by the check out guy. Don't be shy to tell him he missed something. Make sure every little ding, or cracked lense, or missing thing is noted, regardless of how minute. Budget is not as picky as to normal lower front end scratches, but anything out of the ordinary, problem with any of the agencies.

Please post a trip report.