Glenrobinson, You might find this little tidbit on Transportation in Costa Rica helpful as well. Tico Times might have some advertisements on their site for shuttles and Chaufers as well, if you want a more private drive than the bus. The bus to me is fine, I feel safer taking the bus thn driving myself as NES has mentioned those crazy cliffs you drive through. That and if I ever die going over that rickety bridge into Quepos/MA, atleast on a bus I will die with a bunch of other people, not alone.
La Mariposa is nice but a little far from the beach. The good news is that there is a bus stop less than a block away, for less than fifty cents(USD) you got a ride to the beach. There are some nice secret beaches down the road from you as well but its a bit of a walk. Pretend you dont understand people on the beach when they say "hey bro" and dont give your money up front for anything especially drugs. Keep an eye on your belongings while at the beach as well, even sandals have a way of ending up on other peoples feet very quickly. Dont Feed the Monkeys.
Nature Air is good, never had any issues. I like to take it to Guanacaste because the drive just wears me out. I have heard stories though, of flights getting canceled with no refund. This has happened a few times since that TACA crash in Honduras. Hysteria was caused from that incident with air carriers. I have never had any issues with Nature Air and would recommend them.
Great advice. These are common mistakes tourists make that help ruin what otherwise would be an enjoyable vacation.
http://www.lamariposa.com
I stayed there when I was in MA and I would suggest it to anyone. Judge Wapner suggested it to me and that's his favorite beach in the whole country so go and enjoy yourself.
If you like, you can find some live music in nearby local bars. Ask the concierge at the hotel.
Not sure what you are looking for in a Hotel but if you want something closer to the park then you should look into La Posada http://www.laposadajungle.com/bungalows.htm the owner is a super nice guy and the bungalows actually border the park so interaction with the wildlife is a guarantee.
Also I have the hook up on discounted White Water rafting, a good friend of mine from WV runs it. Nice rafts and a fun river to float. Let me know if you are interested in either of these two that I mentioned as I can squeeze a good price out of these guys.
Also I have the hook up on discounted White Water rafting, a good friend of mine from WV runs it. Nice rafts and a fun river to float. Let me know if you are interested in either of these two that I mentioned as I can squeeze a good price out of these guys.
The $10 people are mentioning is the standard public bus. It'll be crowded but certainly livable. Your hotel is probably offering a more comfortable shuttle service for that $150, which is a bit high but if you don't know the lay of the land, isn't outlandish. I think it's more like 3-4 hrs even by car, contrary to what NES said. I've flown both TACA and Nature Air and it's perfectly fine - cuts the trip down to 18 minutes or some such from takeoff to touchdown. I highly recommend it (though you'll need a taxi to get from the landing field to the hotel).
I have heard the same things about Mariposa catering to the gay community, if that bothers you. I've heard from a few people who stayed there and they've never had anything bad to say about it.
