My wife & I are finally at the point in our lives where we can take a 'hot' holiday.
We were told about Ambergris Caye and it looks great.
Now we've been told the Pacific Coast side of Costa Rica is
also great.
Anyone out there been to both spots?
Compare/contrast?
Thank you.

Belize is english speaking, when I was in Costa Rica, very few people spoke or understood english, maybe that has changed. As far as the Pacific side of Costa Rica goes It is beautiful and well worth the trip.

The pacific side is just amazing, but please avoid Jaco. We were there for a week. We were robbed, stopped for speeding (we weren't) stopped and questioned as drug dealers, got frisked at the bank (that wasn't so bad) and got cussed out because we didn't want to buy a trinket. We were abandoned on an island with no water for a couple of hours after taking a boat ride that was with out a doubt one of the harriest ones I've ever been on. And, I used to live on a boat and have ridden out two hurricains, alone. I think the landscape was so beautiful, But, you are on your own most of the time. The roads aren't very well marked, and anyone who didn't want to help you would pretend they couldn't speak english....the last day we were there we were told by a local that it is an old trick, and if you show a couple of $$s, their english gets really fluent. I don't think I would ever go back to Jaco, but would love to see the rest of this beautiful country.

Sounds like visiting France

We were looking at the Manuel Antonio area. Looks like it's quite far from Jaco.

I've been going to Costa Rica since 1982 and to Belize since 1991. Costa Rica is wonderful, with amazing diversity in a small country (from 14,000 ft. volcanoes to delightful places to stay on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts), much more so than Belize. Unfortunately, it's now much more expensive and developed than it used to be when I first went there. Prices are now similar to those in Belize.

Besides some great spots, there are some unpleasant areas on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Jaco being one of them.

--Lan Sluder

Lived in Costa Rica, moving to Belize,{'hot'holiday} as heat from the Sun it's south way, as heat from the fun see you on the reef, you better Belize it!

Love them both -- very different. Climate and culture are significantly different. Volcanos or Mayan ruins -- hmmmm.

Life's too short -- do em both!

My attitude is that while I may be more comfortable in countries where English is spoken more often/freely/known and/or understood, it is not the responsibility of the people from another country to have to learn English, just for my comfort as a traveller. I am a visitor to their country, ergo, the onus is on me.

After all, how many languages do North Americans go out of their way to learn so that we may be more able to help tourists from non-English speaking countries that visit us?

Or like visiting Quebec (not wanting to speak English).

Have been to Costa Rica quite a few times, and would agree with Lan....avoid Jaco...there are better places. My favorite place is Golfito..(Superb fishing!) which is on the Pacific side, but way south, and very close to Panama.Yo hablo muy bien español, pero a i no les gusta todavía Jaco visitante...(I speak Spanish very well,but i still don't like visiting Jaco.) Friends of mine have been ripped-off by taxi drivers while in Jaco...so i am not impressed.

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"I only fish on days that end in "Y"

:^)

Thanks for the input - Jaco it is then!...kidding.
Sounds like we'd enjoy both spots.

Some people from Brooklyn, Queens and even Longt Eyeland are hard to understand and by the way seashell there are a lot of North Americans that speak Spanish at least (Mexico).

My attitude is that while I may be more comfortable in countries where English is spoken more often/freely/known and/or understood, it is not the responsibility of the people from another country to have to learn English, just for my comfort as a traveller. I am a visitor to their country, ergo, the onus is on me.

Seashell, I totally agree with you on that. I expect those who come here to be willing to learn some english to help with their understanding of our ways. English is taught in the schools in Costa Rica. We know enough spanish to get through,usually, but sometimes it is difficult to get across what you want. So, in order to get a better understanding, we seek out those who speak our language. When it becomes obvious that we are being scammed, it then becomes a frustrating battle. Believe me, I know my spanish is less than perfect, but I have traveled in other places and managed to get by just fine. It has never been a problem in the past.