You finally did it… the plane tickets are booked you have an idea of the fun activities to do and your ready to plan out an amazing vacation in Costa Rica. Now it’s time line up your accommodations or even find a vacation rental home in Costa Rica for a longer stay or permanent living situation if you plan to join the ever growing ex-patriot community looking to stretch those retirement funds.

But first there are lots of things to consider: do you hotel it, motel it, stay at a bed and breakfast, hostel, vagabond from place to place or do something else? There are a lot of options when it comes to finding just the right vacation rental in Costa Rica and a major part of that decision is going to be on just what part of the country you plan on staying in and what sort of budget you have for your vacation. The capitol city of San Jose has a wide variety of accommodations and lots of options whereas some remote destinations like La Paz really only have the resort to stay at so your options are limited.

You are also going to want to keep in mind where you’re going especially if you’re on a budget, if you want to rent a small little bungalow right on the beach in Tamarindo expect to pay a lot more than perhaps a modest house nestled among the Ticos in Heredia. Same goes for staying on the gringo side of town in Escazu, sure you can get a very cool condo with all the amenities you will be accustomed to in the states at hand but it’s going to cost *a lot* more.

But let me stop and back up just for a quick a second and talk about just some of the places to visit while vacationing and where you might want to look for a vacation rental house in Costa Rica or some sort of other accommodation like a hotel.

First San Jose is the capitol of Costa Rica and has one of the international airports nearby for easy access. It’s a very large city and houses most of the country’s population and as such in any big city you can expect a higher possibility of crime and petty theft so it’s best to observe common sense and stay out of seedy areas especially at night. San Jose has everything you could want and need including medical facilities, busses and you can do a lot of activities and adventurer day trips.

Now San Jose has some smaller towns or suburb areas nearby the most notable ones being Escazu and Alajuela. Alajuela is where the airport is located and there are some hotels nearby… of course you’re going to pay a bit more if you stay at the Marriott than if you go with some place a little more off the beaten path that isn’t going to be listed on travel booking sites.

In particular I enjoyed the Hotel Buena Vista, although it’s a bit more than walking distance outside of Alajuela it does have incredible views of the valley plus the last time I stayed there is was fifty bucks a night in the off season! Another place comparable is called Melrost B&B.

Arenal is another area that is popular due to volcano and Lake Arenal which is popular with windsurfers and people who like to fish for the guapote (rainbow bass) and river rafters and kayakers. The Arenal volcano area is also a famous destination area due to the hot spring resorts that attract the crowds coming to soak in the natural hot water in the shadow of the volcano. At night you can watch the lava flows as they come pouring down the side of the mountain, it’s a really cool experience. At Arenal you can bunk up at one of the resorts, or motel at the town of La Fortuna or there are lots of other vacation rental homes in the surrounding area.

Lastly there is the Pacific Ocean side of the Costa Rica which tends to be incredibly popular in some areas like Jaco Beach, Guanacaste and Tamarindo. You are going to find these areas are a bit more expensive due to their popularity with the vacationers and tourists who come to hang out on the beach, surf, deep sea fish or ride the amazing zip line canopy tour at Jaco. Liberia is on the northern end of Costa Rica near Nicaragua and practically right on the Pacific and has an international airport so you can save on transportation expenses to and fro San Jose.

Finally I am going to clue you into a little bit of a secrete if you haven’t adventured to other countries before, especially ones that work on kickbacks like Costa Rica does: if you deal with your own people your more than likely going to pay may than if your dealing with a local. The very best way to find a vacation rental home in Costa Rica is to get hooked up with a good driver who knows all the places and can fit something it to just about anyone’s budget… and with the economy the way it is these days everyone is probably looking to travel a bit lighter on the budget.

Keep that in mind, its just like following the crowd at chow time to find a good place to eat at Jaco Beach. Go where the locals go or in this case find a local to get a great deal on a place to sleep.

One option to consider when looking for a vacation rental is Craigslist. Craigslist has lots of listings for vacation rental homes in Costa Rica but more often than not these listing on CL are just gringos or ex-pats slanging over-priced vacation rentals (albeit some of them might be very posh and well worth the money) to other gringos. The real deals for the budget conscious are going to be had by a local Costa Rican tico or tica who may or may not even know about Craigslist and probably doesn’t speak English anyway. If you can’t get a referral for a driver from a friend then book the regular hotel for a few days and then try and track down a local who can get you hooked up with a great vacation rental home in Costa Rica, there are a ton of them waiting to help just outside of the arrival terminal at the airport in San Jose.

Hurry up and download your free Costa Rica vacation guide written by John Andersen detailing all the fun adventures and hot spots to hit like La Paz, Jaco Beach or the Arenal Volcano region when visiting or living in wonderfull Costa Rica.

Here is the second article in the series of posts on some great places to go, see and things to do when planning your Costa Rica vacation. Enjoy!

Baldi Hot Springs is another natural hot spring, much like Tabacon, but without the price tag… however it offers many of the same services.

On my last trip to Costa Rica I spent several hours at Baldi soaking in the natural springs in the shadow of the formidable Arenal Volcano and followed it up with a great full body massage in one of the quaint open air massage rooms and an ice cold mojito at the bar.

Baldi touts over 30 hot and cold water pools with several swim up full service bars and a couple of fun water slides. You also have the option of the eating lunch or dinner at the on-site restaurant.

If you are looking for a place to let loose and have fun Baldi is just the ticket as it is a popular with the younger, party type of crowd and the large tour operations as well. For more information on Baldi Hot Springs check out http://www.arenal.net/baldi-hot-springs.htm

Pura Vida,
-John Andersen

Tabacon Hot Springs is a five star world class resort located in the rain forest jungle at the Arenal Volcano region of Costa Rica. Imagine immersing yourself in naturally heated water cascading down into several pools surrounded by lush foliage and flower gardens native to Costa Rica.

After fully relaxing in the hot spring be sure to pamper yourself with the full range of spa and massage services including private yoga sessions. Afterwards round out your day with buffet or ala carte style dining in one of two restaurants or sipping down your favorite cocktail at the swim up or regular bar.

Unless you are staying at the deluxe accommodations at Tabacon or the nearby town of La Fortuna you will want to get an early start in the morning as it takes several hours (depending on the number of stops) to make the journey to Arenal from the city of San Jose… the roads are single lane highways twisting through the mountain and are poorly maintained.

When making your plans you should definitely put Tabacon on the itinerary of your Costa Rica vacation stops and enjoy lounging in true serenity and relaxation at one of the best places Costa Rica has to offer.

The website for Tabacon is http://www.tabacon.com

Pura Vida,
-John Andersen