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Hi there. I've never been, but have been furiously researching Costa Rica for the past couple weeks. I think it all depends what you want. Manual Antonio is one of the most traveled spots - but it's supposed to be beautiful! May is rainy season though, which I hear is actually not that bad, so you may have less crowds to fight. Think about transportation and whether you want to stay in one spot the whole time - or if there are other places you want to see. That is my hardest thing - there is so much I want to see! Good luck!
costa rica is beautiful all over. i went there in grade 12 with my best friend who is from there. definately do your research for areas that you like, and you will not be disappointed.
we flew into san jose, and then got a rental car (well was a 4x4 van) for getting around. i warn you if you do this they will try to give you a run for your money in some areas we had people that were from there with us so they didnt. and once you get into the country areas you will never complain about a pothole in north america again! some of the roads are really rough on the butt! We crossed on the ferry in Peuntarenas which is fun! I loved that part of the trip, you are able to drive around, but the ferry does make it a shorter trip. Then it was on to Cobano and St. Teresa.
obviously i was with people that know the area, and the places i was in were not so much touristy area, but they were amazing. so beautiful. and because it isnt touristy you actually get to experience costa rica, and the people are amazing. we did a road trip from st. teresa and i unfortunately cannot remember the names of hte places we went but we got to see the turtles coming onto the beach, we went to a beach that is all shells that have been smoothed down it sounds like little bells ringing when the waves come up... seriously there is no sand on this beach just shells and its soooo smooth on your feet. we went to an animal reserve and got to see some of the wildlife, including crocodiles.
if you are wanting a more laid back experience and non of the actual costa rican life style. they do have many great hotels and resorts!
I did a semester abroad in CR back in college and it is an incredible country!! Manuel Antonio is one of my favorite spots, when I went back with Mr Trail Mix 2 years ago, that's where we went...From San Jose, it's about a 4 hour drive (we took the bus but I don't recommend that unless you speak spanish) but you can easily rent a car and drive there...I've never stayed at the Doubletree but I'm sure it's nice...There's tons of lovely hotels in the town and up on the hill right above it...There is an awesome huge national park, which is why MA is so popular to visit, you can hike to deserted beaches and swim, you'll see monkeys and deer and other wildlife...In short, it's awesome, I highly recommend!!!
I loved Manuel Antonio and have been 2x! The other time I was in arenal & san jose....I don't remember there being a double tree there, though...we LOVED www.costaverde.com
Manuel Antonio is a nice national park. If I remember correctly, Quepos is where you will find the most affordable lodging. I didn't like Quepos as much as other places in Costa Rica. If you are going to that area I would recommend hanging out on the Osa Peninsula. It is one of the most remote places in CR. I haven't been, but I hear it is an adventure.
Renting a car. Most of my traveling in the country has been by bus. You will probably be more comfortable speaking Spanish (or at least some Spanish) and catching bus rides. You will find that the bus picks people up in very remote, or implicit places. The last time I was there in 2008, my FI and I rented a 4x4 suv. We were in the Northwest area, Liberia. I was already there and he flew into the Liberia airport. Having a car (for the first time while in CR) was awesome! The NW part of the country is super super car friendly! We visited some amazing beaches and small towns. I have probably spent a total of about 9 months in CR and small towns, real CR life, is the best experience!
I really like Santa Theresa and Mal Pais. In this area there are snorkeling "tours," surfing, and great hanging out. If you want seclusion, there are some smaller beaches around Playa Coco, such as Playa Hermosa that are awesome. I am not into touristy spots and Playa Coco was too much for me. I would recommend a car for this area so that you can just drive around and experience it. I would recommend visiting the small village of Guatil and grabbing some handmade pottery that has descended from the Choretoga Indians.
CR is so pretty! If you choose to go to Manuel Antonio, you should go to Jaco, a little surfing town ( I think it has actually grown the last time I was there). And visit some of the National Parks in the area. You will have fun!
Oh, and in the MA area I have mostly stayed in hostels... so I don't really know what the big hotels are like...
I have to disagree with Yumi and say DO NOT go to Jaco, it's a craphole! It's dirty, the water's polluted and there's nothing pretty about it...It's pretty much the only beach town I could say that about in Costa Rica but it's pretty bad...
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We found this deal on Travel Zoo and I was wondering if any of you that are familiar with Costa Rica had feedback on this? The hotels, having to drive, etc.
Our other plan would be to look at the all-inclusive DoubleTree in Manuel Antonio.
Any feedback is MUCH appreciated!