www.CostaRicaTicas.com

My usual trip is 7 days: 2 nights in gulch, off to Jaco, drive down to MA for 2 nights, than to airport.
I have visited Fortuna and also Playa Samara.
Also like Dominical for day drive from MA.
we fish out of Los Suenos for a day and sometimes golf when not too hot.

After 12 trips, is there any other itineraries I should thinking of?

The only real priority is we have a favorite hotel in MA we relax at with ticas for 2 days/nights a trip.
Don't care for Jaco, but we pull from Cocal and no problem TLN in M A.

unfortunately, my standards are higher than fishable gals in Quepos...unless there is something I'm missing in Quepos?
Thanks for your help...trip is April 21

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If you want to see more of the country, drive up to San Isidro del General from Dominical. It is a beautiful drive that takes about 1/2 an hour. San Isidro is home to some of the prettiest ticas in CR... jet black hair, smooth tanned complexions and fit, tight bodies. If you like nature and enjoy hiking, I would recommend driving to San Giraldo de Rivas at the base of Cerro Chirripo, the highest mountain in CR (15,000 feet). If you are in good shape, you can get a permit, and make the trek up to the Summit. Most climbers will do the hike in 3 days... my friend did it in two. If that is a little over the top, San Geraldo is neat little mountain village worth checking out if you like nature.

Head up to Monteverde for a few days but take your own with you. The hot springs at Tabacon are also a cool place to go but if you are not staying there it is like 65.00 per person to get in.

Thanks Bluedevil & Ilv4play.

That drive to San Isidro out of Dominical sounds perfect. Is there p4p there? Is this an over night trip?
Thanks for great suggestions.

I went to Monteverde first time in CR back in 03. That road is a show stopper!

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San Isidro (aka Perez Zeledon) is not exactly a p4p destination. But there is a place on the Interamerican Hwy called Bar Mexicano that had a few girls and 2 or 3 backrooms the last time I was there. (I did not see any girls that I would be interested in, though). There is a bar on the second floor of the central market/bus station where friendly single women like to hang out With the new and improved stretch of Hwy 34 from Quepos to Dominical, you should be able to get to San Isidro from Quepos in an hour to an hour and a half. So, yes, San Isidro del General is an easy day trip from Quepos.

Thanks BlueDevil:

One last question: should we just take a day trip up to San Isidro del General for a long lunch or stay night?

Sounds like a nice day trip...

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My memory is faulty 10 years on but seem to remember a lesser, cheaper, funkier alternative to Tabacon across the road and down a little. The name escapes me but these hip Bros are sure to know it. Their thermal springs come from the same source.
Also if you're looking for a Caribbean vibe, look into Puerto Viejo--search CRT for details but surfing and maybe a daytrip to visit Los Indios and archaeological sites, etc....Pretty much BYO but we have a hotel friend in the area in Colinsito.
If you're of a mind, how about cowboy country up north (Alajuela or Guanacaste--maybe a dude ranch or even working ranch...)?
We had a Bro who posted extensively on non-touristy stuff--search for "Prolijo" (he's on TripAdvisor too). Not all that much will have changed over the years, I shouldn't think.

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If you left early enough, you could check-out Dominical, San Isidro del General and San Giraldo de Rivas all in one day from Quepos. If you are doing it on a weekday, I would not spend the night in San Isidro. If you are staying over on a Friday or Saturday night, you might want to spend the night, and check out what little night life there is in San Isidro. There is bar restaurant in the heart of town called La Cascada. All the local lovelies make an appearance "to be seen" there and nurse a single drink all night. There is music and dancing at this place. San Isidro is a conservative, very tame place compared to towns like Quepos and Jaco.

The trip south sounds pretty neat...thanks for the great info BlueDevil!

For heading north from Jaco to either Arenal or Monteverde you are looking at at least 3.5 hours one way so a day trip is tough. From Quepos, add another hour so day trips are almost impossible.

What you might try is all the many beaches on the coast north and south of Quepos. There is Dominical and just south of that is the 'whale tail' in Parque Nacional Marina Ballena (http://marinoballena.org/). North of Quepos you can go to Playa Bejuco, Playa Esterillos Este and Playa Esterillos.

If you haven't been to Manuel Antonio in the last year, you should go back and spend a full day hiking all the new trails they have recently upgraded. Many now have boardwalks and real wooden stairs with handrails and everything so it is easier to get all the way into the park instead of just stopping at the first beach you come to. Be warned, what used to be the old entrance at the north end of the park on the beach is CLOSED including a guard there that won't let anyone pass. If you go all the way to that, you have a long walk back to the car. The only entrance/exit is now about 300 meters east of the beach where you walk a mile along a gravel road to see the animals before arriving at Playa Escondida.

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I also neglected to add that there is a small hot spring in San Giraldo that the locals like to use. It comes in handy soothing sore muscles after hiking Chirripo...

Thanks everyone for your great input/feedback! This is very helpful. I am aiming for a full day trip in late April and will update a trip report of Perez Zeledon afterwards.

This sounds like just the thing I was looking for to spice up the trip a bit for me. I appreciate gentlemen.

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Beldi is the other hot springs in La Fortuna. I believe it is open to the public unlike Tabacon, so probably more locals.

Californiamann, you might consider a trip to the other side of the country. It has a little different flavor, island influence. Puerto Viejo can be fun. Decent beaches, good restaurants, and some companionship to be had.