I just got back from Costa Rica last week. If you have to stay in San Jose then try the Grano de Oro. It's a very nice place with a great restaurant. If you don't have to stay in the city then get out and see what the country has to offer.
In the Manual Antonio area I really like the Hotel Costa Verde. Moderately priced, clean and huge rooms. It's set right in the jungle and great views of the ocean from the rooms. There's monkeys all over the place. Get a room in the "CV" building if you can. The adults only pool and bar is right below. Si Como No, La Mariposa and Makanda by the Sea are nice hotels in the area as well. El Avion restaurant is a neat place with decent food. You can't miss it. There's a giant C-123 sticking out the front of it. There's great views from the this place as well. http://www.costaverde.com/avion01.htm
If you can only go a relatively short distance away then go to the Arenal Volcano/La Fortuna area. The vibe is completely different (better in my opinion) from the costal areas and it's incredibly beautiful. I stayed in the Lost Iguana resort in that area but there's lots of nice hotels. The Lost iguana is another place that's set right in the jungle so you'll see lots of wildlife. All the rooms have a great view of the volcano. There's a ton of other nice places to stay in the area including Tabacon and Paraiso.
If you go to the Jaco area there's a some nice resorts over there as well. I stayed in the Villa Caletas. It was amazing. Even if you don't stay there you should definitely go up and see the sunset from the ampitheatre. The Los Suenos Mariott is super nice and has a real fun golf course. There's a bunch of nice resorts in that area. The best meal I ate in Costa Rica was at the restaurant in the Hotel Posidon in downtown Jaco. Good stuff.
Definitely go take some tours. Zip lining, Canyoning (my fav), hiking in the Arenal park... all that stuff. You'll see all kinds of beautiful animals.
Don't expect much from the dining and stay away from the beef. The beef is tough because there's no fat on the animals there. The cattle ranches are all up in the mountains so everything is lean. We found a few good reataurants but for the most part just be happy with rice and beans. The food isn't what you're there for anyway.
I have tons of pictures. Feel free to take a look if you want.
http://picasaweb.google.com/johnandtracy223
In the Manual Antonio area I really like the Hotel Costa Verde. Moderately priced, clean and huge rooms. It's set right in the jungle and great views of the ocean from the rooms. There's monkeys all over the place. Get a room in the "CV" building if you can. The adults only pool and bar is right below. Si Como No, La Mariposa and Makanda by the Sea are nice hotels in the area as well. El Avion restaurant is a neat place with decent food. You can't miss it. There's a giant C-123 sticking out the front of it. There's great views from the this place as well. http://www.costaverde.com/avion01.htm
If you can only go a relatively short distance away then go to the Arenal Volcano/La Fortuna area. The vibe is completely different (better in my opinion) from the costal areas and it's incredibly beautiful. I stayed in the Lost Iguana resort in that area but there's lots of nice hotels. The Lost iguana is another place that's set right in the jungle so you'll see lots of wildlife. All the rooms have a great view of the volcano. There's a ton of other nice places to stay in the area including Tabacon and Paraiso.
If you go to the Jaco area there's a some nice resorts over there as well. I stayed in the Villa Caletas. It was amazing. Even if you don't stay there you should definitely go up and see the sunset from the ampitheatre. The Los Suenos Mariott is super nice and has a real fun golf course. There's a bunch of nice resorts in that area. The best meal I ate in Costa Rica was at the restaurant in the Hotel Posidon in downtown Jaco. Good stuff.
Definitely go take some tours. Zip lining, Canyoning (my fav), hiking in the Arenal park... all that stuff. You'll see all kinds of beautiful animals.
Don't expect much from the dining and stay away from the beef. The beef is tough because there's no fat on the animals there. The cattle ranches are all up in the mountains so everything is lean. We found a few good reataurants but for the most part just be happy with rice and beans. The food isn't what you're there for anyway.
I have tons of pictures. Feel free to take a look if you want.
http://picasaweb.google.com/johnandtracy223
