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 Post subject: Day trips
PostPosted: Tue Sep 11, 2018 10:31 pm 
CR Virgin - Newbie!

Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2016 8:26 pm
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Looking for suggestions for day trips. I have been to La Paz Waterfalls, Jaco, Poas, and Isla Tortuga. What else is there? Don’t want to miss out on the San José nightlife.
Thanks! DJ


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 Post subject: Re: Day trips
PostPosted: Tue Sep 11, 2018 10:45 pm 
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Last edited by Boynton on Mon Mar 16, 2020 11:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Day trips
PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 2:37 pm 
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Boynton wrote:
Option 1: Day trip to Cartago - Ruins, Cathedral, Orosi Valley. Try to find a tour that hits the lunch buffet at La Casona de Cafetal.

Option 2: Rafting the Pacuare River. Pick a tour that matches your conditioning and skill level.


Thanks


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 Post subject: Re: Day trips
PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 10:15 pm 
CR Virgin - Newbie!

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Boynton wrote:
Option 1: Day trip to Cartago - Ruins, Cathedral, Orosi Valley. Try to find a tour that hits the lunch buffet at La Casona de Cafetal.

Option 2: Rafting the Pacuare River. Pick a tour that matches your conditioning and skill level.


Any places near the city for fishing?


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 Post subject: Re: Day trips
PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:46 pm 
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DONJOHNBOMB wrote:

Any places near the city for fishing?


"Near"? No. Unless you have tackle and you fish a river or Creek. Maybe the pond in La Sabana park.

Jaco is the nearest place on the Pacific and the really awesome Pacific side fishing is the $15k 4-day Marlin fishing on the seamounts out of Los Sueños.

Or the world's best tarpon fishing at the world's best tarpon lodge on the Caribbean. But it's only "near" by plane.

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 Post subject: Re: Day trips
PostPosted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 8:49 am 
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Try San Gerardo de Dota or Truchas Selva Madre for trout fishing and wildlife viewing It is beautiful in the cloud forest locations.


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 Post subject: Re: Day trips
PostPosted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 11:41 am 
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Jay2ee wrote:
Try San Gerardo de Dota or Truchas Selva Madre for trout fishing and wildlife viewing It is beautiful in the cloud forest locations.


That's true but it isn't "near the city". Turchas Sleva Madre is about 2 hours (under optimum conditions) - so 4 hours round trip - under optimum conditions. San Gerarado de Dota is 2+ hours (under optimum conditions). Again 4 hours round trip under optimum conditions.

And when are conditions ever optimum in Costa Rica? IMHO, that's a full day trip with a half day prep (get your shit ready one day, then leave at 0430-0500, spend the entire day, leave to come back around 1700 and in your room by 1900-2000).

Personally I'd rent a car and do it on my own but there is an outfitter.

Plus the better tico trout fishing is around Cerro del la Muerte.

And do you know how the trout got there? A great story.

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 Post subject: Re: Day trips
PostPosted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 9:30 pm 
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thanks for the feedback. I like the idea of chilling out during the day in La Sabana park. Can’t be in the bars non-stop.


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 Post subject: Re: Day trips
PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 12:32 pm 
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MM3 wrote:
DONJOHNBOMB wrote:

Any places near the city for fishing?


"Near"? No. Unless you have tackle and you fish a river or Creek. Maybe the pond in La Sabana park.

Jaco is the nearest place on the Pacific and the really awesome Pacific side fishing is the $15k 4-day Marlin fishing on the seamounts out of Los Sueños.

Or the world's best tarpon fishing at the world's best tarpon lodge on the Caribbean. But it's only "near" by plane.


Is the $15k include a condo or only the fishing


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 Post subject: Re: Day trips
PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 2:04 pm 
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Hank wrote:
MM3 wrote:
DONJOHNBOMB wrote:

Any places near the city for fishing?


"Near"? No. Unless you have tackle and you fish a river or Creek. Maybe the pond in La Sabana park.

Jaco is the nearest place on the Pacific and the really awesome Pacific side fishing is the $15k 4-day Marlin fishing on the seamounts out of Los Sueños.

Or the world's best tarpon fishing at the world's best tarpon lodge on the Caribbean. But it's only "near" by plane.


Is the $15k include a condo or only the fishing


You arrive Sunday, spend the night in a condo, go up to Monday afternoon, fish until Friday morning, then can stay in the condo until Sunday AM

You are at sea, at the seamounts, for the whole time you are fishing. 42+ foot boat. A/C in berths. Gourmet chow and basically whatever you want to drink. Airport transfer to Los Sueños and back included. $13k plus $2k tip for boat.

Insane sails, billfish, Marlin.

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Any opinion or observation in the post above is purely presented for entertainment purposes and does not promote "sexual tourism" or "human trafficking". The laws of Costa Rica apply to all activities in Costa Rica. No warranty is expressed or implied. Void where prohibited by law. Your experience, observations or perspective may be different.

In exile in pu*sy prison


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 Post subject: Re: Day trips
PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:01 am 
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MM3 wrote:
DONJOHNBOMB wrote:

Any places near the city for fishing?


"Near"? No. Unless you have tackle and you fish a river or Creek. Maybe the pond in La Sabana park.




10 years ago, I lived and worked in Sabana, Officentro, which is across from the park, and I lived almost in Escazu, about 1/2 mile west, just off the west end of the park.

Some prankster put a rather large fish in the pond, maybe about 3 foot, and locals would see it jump, swim by the edges or its fins.

Soon it became known as the monster in the lake and locals were terrified, they wouldn't bring their K*ds to the park and nobody went near the water.

Eventually some local officials fished it out and reported it to the local news outlets, crisis averted...

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 Post subject: Re: Day trips
PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 6:23 am 
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Netgems wrote:
MM3 wrote:
DONJOHNBOMB wrote:

Any places near the city for fishing?


"Near"? No. Unless you have tackle and you fish a river or Creek. Maybe the pond in La Sabana park.




10 years ago, I lived and worked in Sabana, Officentro, which is across from the park, and I lived almost in Escazu, about 1/2 mile west, just off the west end of the park.

Some prankster put a rather large fish in the pond, maybe about 3 foot, and locals would see it jump, swim by the edges or its fins.

Soon it became known as the monster in the lake and locals were terrified, they wouldn't bring their K*ds to the park and nobody went near the water.

Eventually some local officials fished it out and reported it to the local news outlets, crisis averted...

Ponds, rivers, and creeks sound perfect.


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 Post subject: Re: Day trips
PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 11:19 am 
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DONJOHNBOMB wrote:
Ponds, rivers, and creeks sound perfect.


Don't forget a lot of the rivers and creeks are also their sewers.


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 Post subject: Re: Day trips
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 1:56 pm 
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Getting to La Paz Waterfall Gardens via public transportation

I had searched and found very little help regarding cheaper ways to get to La Paz without a car. We didn't rent a car on this trip and have been experiencing bus travel. It's really pretty easy to get to La Paz by bus if you are willing to get up early. There are buses at three different times leaving from the Gran Terminal del Caribe, which is located just a few blocks north of the center of San Jose (Calle Central and Av 13), just to the East of the Ch*ldren's museum (Calle 4 and Av 13). Like us, You are probably going to want the 6:30 AM bus. Any other time of day (1PM and 5 PM) it will take twice as long to get there and then you may not have enough time before the bus coming back (goes past at 1 PM or 6 PM). And of course why would you go at 5 PM unless you were staying at the hotel there, which you might be.

The bus you want is the route to Puerto Viejo (Sarapiqui) that goes through Vara Blanca. This is important because there are other buses to Puerto Viejo that go via a different way (you don't want to be on one of them) - and there is actual a different Puerto Viejo (but not from that terminal).

So, you buy your ticket and get on the bus Vara Blanca bus and if you can communicate with the driver, let him know you are a helpless tourist going to La Paz and he'll stop there for you. Otherwise, after Vara Blanca just watch for the signs and when you get there push the stop button.

Our driver actual stopped at a little restaurant for a potty break roughly a mile from La Paz. So, assuming that is a standard stopping point, you can wait till then before getting too alert!

We arrived about 8:30 and the driver told us to be aware. The bus would be back at 1 PM or 6 PM. We were able to see everything and have a leisurely buffet lunch (which I recommend highly) and were ready to leave in time for the 1 PM bus. Just make sure you are out front by the road a little before 1 and watching. You can see the bus as it rounds a curve coming back from the north.

It took us a lot longer to get back because it was bumper to bumper most of the way. But it was fine. And it was really cheap. Roughly $2 per person.

The challenges? Getting to the bus terminal early enough from wherever you are staying to get your tickets and get on the bus by 6:30 (We left at 5 AM via a city busline and had 40 minutes to spare - and we bought our tickets the day before so that we knew how long it would take to walk from our bus stop to the terminal).

This type of travel is designed for locals, so you don't find as many English speakers around to make things as easy as more tourist-centric things you do. But I just solved all that for you.

I've been to La Paz now three times over the years. It's awesome. Kind of expensive, but look at how much you just saved by riding the bus!

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 Post subject: Re: Day trips
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 7:45 am 
Rio Tropicales offers a one day tour to the top of irazu volcano outside of cartago. Then on to a high end hot springs above Orosi with a beautiful view of the valley below. 140$


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