Costa Rica

San Jose is the capital and a very busy place. We used a travel agency to book this 7-day trip nearly last minute and everything turned out great. It did cost a bit more than planning ourselves and options were limited to the agency, but we had a blast none-the-less.

Rental SUV: Driving in Costa Rica wasn't terrible. Lots of 2-lane roads winding up and down mountains with semis going half the speed limit, so it can get sketchy. We drove around 8 hours, 3.5 southwest to Quepos (Manuel Antonio) and then 4.5 north to San Carlos (Arenal Volcanic Area). 

Quepos is a beach town, so that's the tourist vibe there. Lots of fresh seafood and water activities. We did the catamaran snorkel trip which had a great crew and lots of tasty drinks.

San Carlos is picturesque Costa Rica, mountain rain forests and accompanying wildlife. Lots of adventure sports/trips here. The hot springs were pleasant and do not smell of sulphur like Pagosa Springs. Volcano Inn was a great accommodation with activities, dinner/bar on site, beautiful grounds/pools, and decent location.