Two-week Intiniary: Days 3-5

Day 3 - Drive though downtown Alajuela and up into the Poas Volcano area - first go to the Poas Volcano - about 2 hours from downtown San Jose - Look for places along the road to have Breakfast once you are heading up the mountain. There are some good places after Savanilla and before Poasito. Have lunch at the La Paz Waterfall gardens, do the tour. If you have time, swing back to Savanilla for a real coffee tour at La Doka Estate. Buy a good supply of their coffee - it is the best. Have dinner at Colbert's (French/Costa Rican cuisine - it is outstanding. Stay the night in the Siempre Verde Bed & Breakfast (http://www.siempreverdebandb.com, (I have not stayed there, but it is reasonably priced compared to some other options and looks beautiful - this is about 40 minutes from airport, so it is also an option in lieu of Hampton Inn. It is also in the middle of a massive coffee plantation. Another option is at the la paz waterfall gardens http://www.waterfallgardens.com/ (have not stayed here either, but the place is beautiful, we have visited many times - it is ridiculously expensive for Costa Rica). There are a lot of road side cabinas in this area, I have used them, but they look cute. There is one very close to Colbert's Restaurant (feels kind of like the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains in this area - very nice. Be sure to check out the fruit stands.


Day 4-5 - drive to Volcano Arenal - about 3 - 4 hours from Poas. Take a tour of the lake, check out the Tabecon hot springs and spa. Find someone to take you on a hiking tour around base of volcano. The Tabecon hot springs also has a hotel. Someone from my office stayed there and really loved it. I have been a few times. Once we stayed in a resort about 45 minutes from the the Volcano in a resort called El Tucano http://es.occidentalhotels.com/hotels/ElTucano.asp . The other times we stayed in very small hotels that we passed on our way into the town of La Fortuna, which is at the base of the volcano. The town was renamed to The Fortunate, after the volcano blew out on the side opposite of the town and wiped out another community many years ago.

It is often cloudy here and you have to be lucky to see the volcano... it pours lava out of the top and blows rocks out as well, the most I have seen is a red glow at night. But there are natural hot springs all around and there is a large lake which offers boat tours.