Costa Rica

From: Bob Colopy (bobc@best.com-DeleteThis)
Date: Wed Jul 26 1995 - 08:36:22 PDT

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Date: Wed, 26 Jul 1995 08:36:22 -0700
To: wind_talk@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis
From: bobc@best.com-DeleteThis (Bob Colopy)
Subject: Costa Rica

Pat Wang (pwang@3do.com-DeleteThis) writes:

>I was hoping to sail Lake Arenal, Costa Rica.
>
>Any advice on where to stay or rent equiptment ?
>Hotel Tilawala and Rock River Lodge seem to be most popular places.
>
>Is a car recommended if we plan to sail only the lake ?
>
>My roomate and I were shooting for the last week in December,
>anyone else interested ?
>
>Bob C. where are you ?
>I havent seen you at 3rd lately.
>You mentioned that you were there last year.

I'm either at third or Rio this year.

I stayed at Hotel Tilawa the last week of January this year. For the first
few days I sailed 2.5 (I'm 145 lbs) then the wind lightened up a bit and I
sailed 3.2 and 3.7. Though the wind was too strong at first, I'm told it is
not always that bad or good, perhaps only 15 days a year is it so strong
that they run out of small enough sails.

A rent-a-car is not necessary as the hotel provides a shuttle and several
people seemed to take that approach. However, if you want to do some
exploring as I did then a car is useful and reasonable but only if costs
shared by two or more. The off-roads can be bad particularly in the rainy
season when a 4WD is essential. At the hotel you can get all you need,
meals, equipment even horseback riding as well as excursions to the volano
and rain forest. You can walk down to the lake (10 - 15 minutes) where all
the sails are rigged and ready-to-go. The local help there was very
friendly. In the evening, groups of us would go out to dinner at various
local places which were ok to good. Some people had cars so we usually
pooled rides.

Meals are very reasonable e.g. $5 - $10 and bus transportation from San
Jose, Costa Rica to the rain forests and towns including Tilawa are dirt
cheap. I had a car so I didn't take the bus but if I remember correctly it
costs like $5 for the 3 hour trip to Tilawa. The hotel cost about $55 per
room with a fantastic view above the lake. Howler monkeys and exotic birds
can be seen from your window.

For those into waves the hotel runs trips to the northwest coast. The best
winds are in Jan - March though the wind statistics which the hotel sends
out in their brochure show good winds for most of the year if I remember
correctly. I would avoid the rainy season which is in the fall, I think.

For those of you on a tight budget and some time to spend, it is possible
to stay in the town of Tilawa or the farms nearby where a room in a house
may rent for about $100 - $150/month and take the bus to hotel Tilawa where
you store your gear for $30/month. I met a Canadian woman who had been
doing that for three months.

Directly across the lake from the hotel is another on-the-water windsurf
rental place that I'm told has good service. There are places nearby to
stay including a house which happens to be for sale
(http://www.rain.org/~jinj/costa.html) or rent. I met one of the owners on
the plane.

Cheers,

Bob Colopy

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