Nikki Solano

Scott –

All fixed! Thanks so much for letting us know; the second page on both the La Fortuna and Monteverde directions pages were skewed, but we have fixed both. They should appear clear now; thanks so much for using our Costa Rica Travel Blog as a resource for your trip! 🙂

Pura vida!!

Hi Patrick!

Thanks so much for sharing your account with us! We agree, Playas del Coco attracts a specific type of traveler; the destination doesn’t tend to sit well with everyone, especially travelers like yourselves who experience other beach areas prior to arriving. If you visited the Manuel Antonio area at all while on the central Pacific coast, you’ll note there’s a stark difference between it and Playas del Coco. Everything from the infrastructure to the scenery to the atmosphere is different. While Manuel Antonio and other beach towns along the central Pacific coast appeal to the masses with ample tour offerings, accommodations, and dining opportunities, Playas del Coco (in our opinion) is best visited by travelers who want to spend time in a small but lively beach town with decent nightlife. Our take on Playa Hermosa is different; to us, it stands out from Playas del Coco being that it’s smaller and quieter. This being said, November, at the end of a long wet season, is one of the most difficult months to encounter pristine beaches and water on the Pacific coast, so the time of year that you visited likely played a significant factor in your overall experience.

As for Tamarindo, I’m glad you enjoyed your time there! The town is not as developed as many first-time visitors envision it to be, but compared to most beach towns in Costa Rica, it is very commercial. I’m glad to hear that you didn’t find the development in town to be a disadvantage, though, and that you were able to experience a variety of Costa Rican beach communities during your trip.

Pura vida! 🙂

Hello Mike!

Absolutely! Let me clarify things. I’ll add some additional text to our How Not To Fall For Car Rental Scams In Costa Rica article too because if you’re questioning our point, someone else may be too.

To confirm, we don’t consider all use of “or similar” terminology to be a scam. Where things get sketchy is with the loose use of vehicle rental categories and the vehicle models that fall under them.

When a car rental agency says that $100 is the price of a vehicle in the “mid-size” category, then they’ll charge $100 for any type of vehicle that belongs to that category. Since car rental agencies decide for themselves which car models fall under each category, if they aren’t transparent about how they categorize car models, then they can bump vehicles between categories when and where they see fit. As a renter, you’ll have to pay $100 for the car—regardless of the model you get—because it belongs to the “mid-size” category.

In comparison, one of the things we like about Mapache Rent A Car is that they’re upfront about the type of vehicle being quoted and reserved. The use of “or similar” on their website refers to the option to receive a complimentary upgrade if/when available and preferred. It doesn’t provide them with an out to swap car models between categories. When a reservation is placed with Mapache Rent A Car, the confirmation document states the specific model of vehicle reserved. Actually, it states the vehicle’s make, model, wheel-drive type, transmission type, and license plate.

With respect to your specific vacation concern, it’s a valid one because such a possible change would be disastrous for your trip. In my opinion, it’s unlikely to happen; a feature as important as the number of seats/seatbelts required would be non-negotiable. More specifically, I don’t believe this would happen with Mapache because their 5-passenger vehicle is processed differently than their 7-passenger vehicle. I’d like to think the same is true for all Costa Rica car rental agencies. 🙂

Pura vida!

Hey Patrick!

What a wonderful idea that would be! It certainly would help encourage further exploration of some of Costa Rica’s most prized locations.

To answer your question, I don’t believe there is such a pass for the national parks. 🙁 There’s a multi-museum pass for San Jose’s museums, though, in case you plan to spend time in the capital at all.

Pura vida! 🙂