June 24, 2024
Points and Miles to Costa Rica (Partially)
Pam
We just enjoyed a huge family trip to Costa Rica. There were 16 or us in total! Here’s how we used points and miles to get to Costa Rica – well partially!
Flights to Costa Rica
This trip was to celebrate two graduating seniors, and our daughter, Kelly from Colorado Springs, invited us to come along. We were all flying out of Denver International Airport, but we traveled on two different flights. Half of us flew on United Airlines, and one family flew on Southwest Airlines. Here are the costs for flying to Liberia Airport.
It was cheaper to fly on Southwest, but it wasn’t a direct connection.
Lodging
As I’ve mentioned before, we don’t use points and miles for all of our travel, especially when we travel in a big group. We prefer to stay in an Airbnb together, and when everyone is sharing the expense, it can be very reasonable.
However, before our trip, my husband and I used an expiring 85K Marriott Certificate to stay at the Westin Denver International. We got a $50 breakfast credit because we have Platinum Elite status. We then met half of our party in the Capital One Lounge in Denver for more food.
We stayed at the Westin Denver Airport with an annual night certificate.
Once we arrived at Liberia Airport, customs was super quick, and we rented our cars (through Adobe and Hertz) and headed to the La Fortuna area. We stayed at Arenal Manoa, a great family stay with hot springs, pools, and a gorgeous view of the volcano. While we paid cash for our stay, we could have booked it using a Capital One Venture Card and then used the purchase eraser to pay for our stay. We paid about $300/night for our stay in a room that slept 4 people and included a large breakfast buffet.
Check out that gorgeous view of Arenal Volcano!
Activities in the La Fortuna Area
Besides soaking in the thermal hot springs and playing at the pool, we had two amazing adventures. First up was rappeling and ziplining with Maquique Adventures – they were amazing. Our admission price included lunch and the nicest guides ever. They took care of our group of 16 with humor and kindness. I cannot recommend them enough! We rappelled over waterfalls, and everyone from our two 10-year-olds to this 71-year-old grandma had the best time!
Grandma, grandpa, and some grandkids ready to go canyoneering and zip lining!
On our second day, we did some more ziplining with Arenal Mundo Adventura. It was fine but after the care and service we received from Maquique Adventures, it paled in comparison.
Moving to the Tamarindo Area
On our third day, we headed to Tamarindo, Costa Rica. We had stayed there years ago, and I loved this little surf town, so I was happy to return. It was about a four-hour drive from the La Fortuna area, but we enjoyed the cute towns and scenery on our way.
This was our second visit to Tamarindo and we enjoyed it, once again!
We stayed in this VRBO for five nights. It was a little pricey, but we split the cost three ways and we had plenty of room for our group of 16. The kids in the group were VERY excited that we decided to splurge on this space. I actually would like to check out the JW Marriott Guanacaste the next time that I am in Costa Rica.
Our VRBO was very large and spacious and easily accommodated 16 of us!
Activities in Tamarindo
Much of our time was spent in the pool at the center of the rental along with beach time at Langosta Beach – a quick walk of a few minutes. We could easily walk into town but it was so humid and warm that we often used a golf cart and rented scooters for the kids. Some of the places we enjoyed eating at were:
- Sol Bakery- yummiest bakery items
- Fish and Cheese – pizza, pasta, fish
- Langosta Beach Club – loved the nachos, fish and chips
- Patagonia – great steaks
We hired a chef to cook us dinner at the house one night and that was so much fun!
Hiring a chef to prepare and cook a meal for us one night was actually cheaper than eating out!
Bottom Line
While we didn’t use point for our accommodations other than our pre-travel stay, we could have used Capital One Venture Miles to erase part of it. Miles were used by most of the family for flights to Liberia. We don’t use points and miles for ALL of our travel generally, especially when traveling in a large group. Costa Rica on points and miles can certainly be done though and we are much more likely to do so when traveling in smaller groups.
Related Posts
- Friday Family Vacation to Costa Rica
- Costa Rica on Points: Girl’s Trip
- Podcast 65: Unlocking Paradise: How Points Made Cost Rica Affordable for a Family of Seven
- Points and Miles to Costa Rica
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