Panama - Costa Rica

fruitandnut

Hi, just wondering if anyone could recommend anything on this trip.
seems to be cheaper in and out of San Jose. Would 3 weeks in December be enough time to see plenty? any tips would be really appreciated. thanks

Neamhshuntasach

You'll get to see a lot in 3 weeks at an okay pace as the countries aren't that big. And both are perhaps the safest countries in Central America so you don't have to worry too much about safety issues.

December is a good time to visit CR as the rainy season just ends around then and everything is still green and lush. San Jose itself is a pretty horrible city and wouldn't plan on spending too long in it. Lake Arenal is pretty cool. You can do windsurfing there and there is a national park with a big volcano beside it. There are hot springs in that area too which are great after a long day of walking around. Other places i'd recommend are Monteverde for scenery. And the lakes at Tortuguero are unbelievable. There's a load of beaches on the caribbean and pacific coast as well.

Panama has a more caribbean feel to the place. There's a lot of beaches and national parks. And you can see the Panama Canal. Isla Grande is a nice laid back island to chill out on. And again with Panama December is a good time to visit as it's the dry season.

dory

I thought Bocas Del Toro in Panama was amazing! Whitest beaches I've ever seen. And a really cool laid back place, my hostel had a big trampoline in the water! And if you get the first boat over at 6am you get to ride across the water and watch the sun rise which was great.
Also, in Panama city the Causeway is unreal. It's a road with really blue water on either side, and you can rent bikes there.

Costa Rica was good, I didn't do a whole lot there. I went to the beach in Samara for a week, was good but no night life at all!

This is that causeway