Allegro Papagayo Trip Report

Allegro Papagayo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
January 6 - 13, 2003

For trip pictures click on this link:
http://community.webshots.com/user/karenn114

TRIP REPORT:
Just returned from our first (but definitely not last) trip to
beautiful Costa Rica on Jan.6-13, 2003. We stayed on the Northern
Pacific side at the Occidental Allegro Papagayo Resort on the Gulf of
Papagayo in Guanacaste Province. Rated as a four star and it was a
very clean, beautiful, relaxing resort. It was a comfortable 40-minute
bus ride from Liberia and upon arriving at 1p.m. our rooms were ready
and we hit the beach!

The rooms were spacious with ample closet and drawer space. Safety
deposit boxes were available for only $1.00 per day. Our room was
equipped with a coffee maker, hair dryer, phone, two double beds,
balcony with 2 chairs & table, refrigerator, air conditioning,
satellite TV and thermos pitcher for water. There were screens on the
windows, room darkening shades, shower only, lots of towels, soap and
shampoo.

As most information indicates it is a hillside property with beautiful
landscapes and tons of colourful bougainvillea spilling down. At the
top of the hill are the Reception area where you find the main
check-in, El Mirador lobby bar, gift store where they sell yummy
coconut bars, liquors, sundries & T-shirts and a spectacular view of
the property and Gulf. From there the road weaves its way down the
hill to the 12 or so hotel buildings. Shuttle buses drive up and down
quite frequently for those who can't brave the hilly walk. (It was
more strenuous during the heat of the day but we managed to walk up
and obviously downhill was always a lot easier!) At each building area
there was a bus stop and telephone so you could call for a bus if one
wasn't readily available. These shelters also housed bottled water and
ice. We were in building 3 (one hill below reception).

Down by the gorgeous pool (4 ft deep at most with roomy swim-up bar)
and Jacuzzi was the Sight seeing Tower from which you get a bird's eye
view of the entire property, beach and bay from four sides. Also in
this main area are the two restaurants (one buffet, one by
reservation), Theatre for night shows, Sports & Disco Bar, Pablo's Bar
and The "Fun Club" which organizes many activities such as volleyball,
hikes through the woods to see wildlife, bingo, children's activities.
Beach towels are easily given and replaced daily. Lots of lounge
chairs too. There was also a massage parlour where my hubby got a
40-minute relaxing massage for $40. They offered facials, foot
therapy, mud wraps, acupressure and Aromatherapy too.

RESTAURANT:
The main buffet restaurant was much better than any other
all-inclusive we've stayed at. We didn't tire of the food as there was
a good variety and it all tasted really good. Breakfast had made to
order eggs, crisply cooked bacon, ham, sausage, potatoes, goulash,
oatmeal, toast, cereal, French toast, pancakes, fresh pineapple,
mango, watermelon, cantaloupe, pastries, potatoes, rice & beans. Lunch
time often had pasta, pizza, sandwiches, salads, cheese, French fries,
nachos, hotdogs, hamburgers (really good!!), fish, turkey, chicken.
Dinner included all of the above and also leg of lamb, pork, beef,
fresh pasta, bread, rice, beans, pastries, desserts.

Las Reses Steak House is by reservation. They book at 6:30 and 8:30
pm. We visited twice and enjoyed it a lot. Menu choices include Ribs,
Fish, Chicken, Tacos, T-bone Steak, and Steak Medallions. A la Carte
for an extra $15 you could have Shrimp, Seafood Platter or Lobster.
There is also salad, bread, drinks, coffee, dessert and after dinner
drinks. A lovely change from the rigors of "buffeting" it.

The Sports bar didn't open until after 5pm so we didn't really get
much chance to work the pool table. Quite crowded and later in the
evening quite loud due to the fact it is within the disco. There was a
younger crowd enjoying the facilities and many who attended the
evening's live entertainment at the Theatre. We didn't see too much of
the nightlife as we were early to rise and enjoy the daylight hours!

Drinks: Delicious refreshments including beer, Mai Tai, Singapore
Slings, Rum & Coke, Coco Loco, Pina Colada, Blue Lagoon, Sex on the
Beach, Miami Vice, Tequila Sunrise etc. Bartenders were busy but
pretty quick to fill our orders.

The Beach: From previous reports I think I didn't expect much of the
Costa Rican beaches but was pleasantly surprised by what awaited us.
Indeed the beach was black sand but it was sugar soft and great for
beach combing. The tide went out quite far each day making for great
walking. Here the sand remained cool but as soon as you reach closer
to land be sure to have sandals as the powdery sand gets REALLY HOT in
the high-noon sun. There were no jellyfish to speak of but lots of
little clam and seashells. There were also lots of lounge chairs in
the shaded tree area on the beach.

Private Beach Club (Playa Nacascola): I highly encourage guests to
make shuttle arrangements to visit the Allegro's Private Beach Club.
You make reservations at the Fun Club for a departing shuttle at 9:15,
10:15 or 11:45 a.m. A lovely 10-minute boat ride later brings you to
the golden beach of Playa Nacascola. Lots of lounge chairs and plenty
of room in the sun or shade. There are washroom facilities, a cabana
hut with checkers and books, volleyball, kayaking, long beach, a bar
(great LOCO Coco's - Fabio's specialty) and snack bar which served
chips, French fries, grilled cheese and ham sandwiches, hotdogs,
chicken wings, and nachos. There was also a pathway, which allowed us
to see monkeys and iguanas. Departure shuttles start back from 1:15-
3:15. We had a glorious day here! If time permitted I would have gone
back more than once!

Tour Excursions: There were many tours available from our hotel but
having started an email campaign with a helpful Canadian transplant
now living in Costa Rica we decided to make most of our tour
arrangements through him. Michael Mills proved to be not only a wealth
of information prior to our vacation but was also a true gentleman and
all around great host. Our party of six had custom tours arranged so
we didn't have to wait for anyone else and could also schedule our
time doing what we liked. While many did book tours through the hotel
and had a good time, I can only suggest that it was definitely worth
the little extra effort to book your own and have your own freedom and
save a bit of money too. (He can be reached by cell phone at Spanish
Dancer Tours (506) 395-6090).

Coco Beach: Upon our Monday arrival we telephoned Michael and made
arrangements to meet him in Coco Beach the next day. Reception was
helpful in placing the call for me and in arranging a taxi for the
next day. We told them we would be ready to leave at 1:00 and to be
picked up at 4:30. Our driver got us to the beach within 35 -40
minutes. Return trip cost us $60 for a van of six people (or $5 per
person each way). The hotel did offer boat shuttles to Coco Beach but
it cost $25 per person and you had to be on their time schedule. We
found the drive interesting, pleasant and inexpensive.

Meeting Michael was so much fun. He recognized us from email photos
and promptly we were enjoying a cold drink at a local bar getting
filled in on all the details of him, the country and the tours we were
interested in. His friend (another transplanted Canadian) Richard of
Gaviota Tours joined us to explain the tours he offered. We were then
given the run-down of shopping at Coco Beach and a little tour of the
area. By days end we had laid out details of the excursions we wanted
to take and had shopped till we dropped in the little fishing village.
It didn't leave much time for swimming on the lovely beach but we had
a grand time getting Costa Rican coffee in the local grocery store ($1
bag), t-shirts, handcrafted pens, wooden boxes, bathing suit cover
ups, post cards, hammocks, etc.

Spanish Dancer Catamaran Tour:
http://www.costarica-realestate.com/ - Under Allegro Tours -
Watersports

We set sail on a somewhat windy, but gloriously sunny day. Michael
made cab arrangements for us which picked us up at the hotel and
dropped us at Playa Hermosa. There we were greeted by "deck hand"
Manuel and taken to the catamaran to begin our full day tour of
discovering Costa Rica by sea.

As we sailed out into the Pacific they showed us the points of
interest, gave history and information about the area, poured us
drinks and sailed us expertly away on the open waters! Along the way
manta rays were spotted but we weren't lucky enough to get a good
close up view of them or dolphins as the winds kept them at bay.

Our rest stop was at the most beautiful, secluded beach called Playa
Heuvos. Here we spent time swimming, beach combing, cave exploring,
sunning and lunch. And let me tell you that lunch was not only
delicious but also filling!

It was too windy for snorkeling that day so we just explored and swam
instead. Met up with a boatload of tourists who booked a similar
excursion through our hotel. They were on a regular boat, packed in
like sardines and left long before we were even thinking about it! It
was a blessing to have our own boat and attentive crew and not to have
follow anyone else's agenda.

The sail back was a little choppy but really fun. The 36' catamaran
was very comfortable with its trampoline deck, cushions, music, open
bar, washroom, and swimming platform and the salt water breezes and
hot afternoon sun made us totally forget that it was winter back home!
More drinks onboard and afterward we socialized in a local
establishment, took photos and exchanged addresses. Then too soon our
cab arrived to whisk us back to the resort. It was our best day in
Costa Rica!! (Cost $60 each)

Palo Verde National Park Tour: We booked this adventure through our
new friend Richard (506) 672-0143 who, with his partner Louise, offers
custom tours to groups of 4-12 - full and half days to Palo Verde,
Canopy tours, Arenal Volcano and Nicaragua. Tours include roundtrip
transportation from your hotel. They speak English, French and Spanish
and will personalize tours to let you visit beaches, shopping, etc.
(More info at
http://www.costarica-realestate.com/ Under Allegro Tours


This was a scenic two-hour drive to this protected wildlife sanctuary
which scientists from all over the world comes to study. The ecosystem
combines rivers, marshland, mangroves and dry forest. Our pontoon boat
took us down the Bebedero River. Richard books so we are the first
tour boat to go down the river thus there were a lot of animals to be
spotted. Aside from the vegetation the guide was expert at spotting
monkeys, alligators, iguanas, Jesus Christ lizards, and tons of exotic
birds! The two-hour ride was absolutely fantastic. Richard has a
wealth of information and was also a great translator and beverage
server! Critters were so close that we captured lots of photo
opportunities in a couple of rolls of film!

Afterward we stopped at the Restaurante Rincón Corobicí surrounded by
the amazing nature of the Corobici River. Aside from the EXCELLENT
food (we had the most delicious battered fish and chicken breast! As
well as salad, buns, ice cream), the restaurant has lovely gardens and
look outs and a souvenir shop.

Then we drove a few minutes away to go through the Wild Cat Refuge
Farm. This is a refuge for monkeys, birds and wild cats which were
either confiscated or injured and could not be returned to the wild
for their own safety. This farm is a safe haven for the animals. The
tour is free but you can leave donations in a donation box at the end.
There is also a souvenir shop where we purchased some t-shirts and
wildlife charts.

To end the day we drove to Kaltak - an arts and craft market. Lots of
trinkets, jewelry, handcrafted mosaics, mirrors, hammocks, shot
glasses, chocolate covered coffee beans, keychains, t-shirts, pottery,
etc! They even had little calculators handy so that shoppers could
make the conversions from colones to U.S. Dollars!

It was a wonderful day and gave us a ton of impressions and memories
as well as a new appreciation for the virgin lands and wild animals of
Costa Rica.

Again the hotel's Swiss Travel Service offered a similar package at a
slightly less cost but we decided booking on our own was best. We
ended up having our own private boat, being the first to leave dock, a
terrific restaurant stop, addition of the Cat Farm, shopping stop and
private English speaking tour guide. It was well worth the price!
Richard was able to translate not only words but also the Costa Rican
culture. He gave us much information on the flora and fauna, the
country, its people & its customs. He was a terrific, knowledgeable
host! (Cost $86)

Mega Combo Tour -Canopy, Spa, Horseback Riding: One tour we did book
through our resort (Swiss Travel $117 each) was the Mega Tour. Best
described as a full day of magic in the area of Rincon De La Vieja
Volcano. We took a two-hour air-conditioned motor coach ride up toward
the Buena Vista Lodge.

We experienced the forest from the top of the trees as we braved the
excitement of doing the canopy tour. WOW what a thrill! We took a
15-minute hike up the mountain to the first platform. I wasn't sure I
was up to the challenge but definitely don't regret working up my
courage and taking the adventure! There were more than a dozen
platforms to reach all by zip lines with one stop on a high swinging
bridge. At that juncture the howler monkeys were right overhead of us!
Fantastic! It wasn't as scary height-wise as I thought it would be. It
was more just a neat thrilling ride through the trees. The experienced
guides even took pictures with our own cameras! After about 1½ hours
we completed the canopy tour and could enjoy the waterslide ride down
the hill. Afterward we went for a well-deserved lunch chowing down on
salty chip-like plantains, rice, beans, vegetables, pasta, bread,
chicken, fish and cold beer.

After lunch the adventure continued with a rigorous hour guided
horseback ride through the forest and down the mountain. The winds
whipped up a little dust and the hills whipped up a little challenge
but the well-kept horses knew the trails and brought us to our next
destination without incident. We opted to skip the 15 hike to visit a
beautiful waterfall (let's face it we live near Niagara Falls!) so
instead we went ahead of the pack and down to the Hot Springs.

After 15 minutes in the steamy sauna we applied a mineral-rich warm
volcanic mud bath. We plastered ourselves with the mud from head to
toe and once dried cold showered it off then dipped into the first of
three thermal hot springs. OOOOOOh how relaxing and wonderful it was!

Other Tours: Obviously there just wasn't enough time to do everything
we had wanted to. There are still a ton of other activities we can do
when we go back to Costa Rica the next time! Other choices included
Arenal Volcano and Rain Forest (about 3 ½ hours away $110), Inocentes
Horse Back Riding ($89.00), ½ Day Shopping in Liberia ($17.00),
Monteverde Cloud Forest ($105), Sky walk Rain Forest Extravaganza
($68), Rincon de la Vieja National Park ($70), Sunset Tour $35. We'd
also like to take more time to explore Playa Hermosa and some of the
other southerly beaches and the nightlife at Coco Beach.

We had a fantastic journey on our trip and do plan a return visit to
Costa Rica. We'll likely explore a little further south down the
coast, so will be keeping an eye out for other's trip reports as well.