Costa Rica is one of the Western Hemisphere's
top travel bargains. Rooms at even the fanciest
properties rarely cost more than $200 nightly,
and quite pleasing accommodations can be secured
at a number of hotels, inns, and guest houses
for between $40 and $80 per night. Dinner at a
nice restaurant costs from $15 to $30 per
person, and most other goods and services cost
less than they do in North America and Europe.
Many but not all businesses in tourism-driven
areas accept credit cards, and virtually all
businesses in Costa Rica accept both U.S. and
Costa Rican cash.
Direct flights to Costa Rica's main airport,
just outside San Jose, are available on most
major U.S. carriers - flying time from Houston,
Dallas, Atlanta, or Miami is about three to four
hours.
Of the several guidebooks about the country,
Moon Handbooks Costa Rica, by Christopher P.
Baker, is easily the most informative and
well-written, and it includes sections on the
gay scenes in San Jose and Quepos.
10 Days in Costa Rica
Page 2 of 3
Days 3, 4, and 5: Arenal
From San Jose, it can take anywhere from three to six hours to drive to
the Arenal region. The most scenic but longest route entails a
zigzagging drive through the villages of Grecia, Sarchi (known for its
many stores selling hand-crafted furniture), Naranjo, Zarcero, and
Ciudad Quesada. The terrain along here is alpine in places, reminiscent
of Switzerland, and on many days you'll drive literally through the
clouds.
Anchoring the region is Mt. Arenal, a live volcano that most nights puts
on an amazing show as its spits fiery rivers of glowing lava down its
flanks. Countless hotels, lodges, and inns line the main road that
curves beneath the volcano - the most luxurious lodging is Tabacon Grand
Spa & Thermal Resort. Here you'll find beautifully decorated rooms, most
of which afford views of the volcano. And guests receive unlimited use
of the hot springs, which consist of myriad natural soaking pools, a
full-service spa offering heavenly treatments, a pool and swim-up bar,
and a restaurant overlooking all the action. Even if you don't stay at
Tabacon, consider spending a day soaking in the hot springs.
Other good lodging options in the Arenal region include Hotel La Mansion
Inn and Arenal Lodge. Be sure to spend one evening in the nearest large
town, La Fortuna, which is home to some fun (straight) bars and
enjoyable restaurants, including Vagabondo, an excellent pizzeria, and
Restaurante Luigi, an atmospheric restaurant that serves delicious filet
mignon flambeed tableside.
Arenal makes a great base for all kinds of outdoorsy activities, from
guided hikes near the base of the volcano to zip-line canopy tours high
above the tree tops (on these you're strapped into a harness that "zips"
along a series of lines connecting tree to tree). You can also visit the
nearby Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. Numerous outfitters
in the area offer just about every kind of excursion and activity.
Days 6, 7, and 8: Quepos and Manuel Antonio
Leave Arenal by heading west along the beaten-up road that fringes azure
Lake Arenal and eventually passes through the cheery village of Tilaran.
Then head south toward the coast to the funky village of Quepos, which
is the gateway for nearby Manuel Antonio National Park - the drive from
Arenal to Quepos takes about five to six hours.
Along the narrow, highland road that twists for a few miles between
Quepos and the national park, you'll find a slew of attractive inns and
restaurants, many of them with panoramic ocean views. One short stretch
contains several gay-popular accommodations, the most inviting of which
is Big Ruby's La Plantacion (the owners also have resorts in Key West,
Paris, and southern France). Here at this luxuriant, clothing-optional
resort, you'll find stunningly furnished rooms with tile floors and
large bathrooms, cable TV with DVD players, and breathtaking grounds
laced with gardens and streams. There's also a full three-bedroom house
with its own pool and ocean views. The other gay accommodations nearby,
all of them highly recommended, are Hotel Villa Roca (which underwent a
major renovation in early fall 2006), Hotel Casa Blanca, and Hotel
Kekoldi, but virtually every property in town is gay-friendly. Continue to page
3>>>
Arenal makes a great base for all kinds of outdoorsy activities, from
guided hikes near the base of the volcano to zip-line canopy tours high
above the tree tops (on these you're strapped into a harness that "zips"
along a series of lines connecting tree to tree). You can also visit the
nearby Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. Numerous outfitters
in the area offer just about every kind of excursion and activity. 
The Hunk
