Mrs. Pacman and I spent the better part of two weeks in CR late Feb-early Mar this year. There are some posts on it, and you'd likely find them by using the advanced search feature and going back 12 months max.
Loved the Carribean side, especially Torteguerro, even with the heat and humidity. San Jose is fun to hang out for a while, and due to the altitude and being inland, it's cooler than much of the coastal areas. Just don't go out late at night if you can help it...some areas are a little hairy.
As for the Carribean side, seemingly endless rivers to search through looking for all kinds of wildlife. There's also a river up at the border with Nicaragua and we took a boat ride there (Rio Frio, IIRC), and saw some amazing wildlife. You can also float down the river to the Nicaraguan border.
Pacific side gets very hot. Bring lots of sunscreen (or buy some there and carry it with you everywhere). I'd also recommend carrying a couple kinds of insect repellent in case you have a reaction to one (I did, can't wear DEET, as it turns out), or one isn't working well. The mosquitoes in the jungle can be pretty fierce.
Be on the lookout for big bugs and spiders, BTW. Also, research "bullet ants". You'll want to avoid those at all costs.
I searched many places that sold cigars. Tons of fakes, especially Fauhibas. One place actually had a large bin with no less than three different fakes. Some pass quick glance, but some were just painfully obvious. Me and a guy from California spent a couple hours looking for the LCdH in San Jose. I don't think it exists. The street markings are few and far between, and what is around can be hard to spot...up on building sides, some painted over...it's so bad that taxi drivers stop and get directions from other taxi drivers and some don't know where street and avenue numbers are. I found one little shop in SJ that sold the genuine thing, and they weren't cheap. Can't recall, but it's in the area of Calle 7 or so, IIRC. Just look for cigar stores...as you head down one street south, it's a little shpo on the left, about halway through the block. Nearest landmark I can recall is the Gold Museum, which is several blocks North.
The only other place I found the real article was a Doubletree resort in the Guanacaste area. Every corner store, souveneir place, etc., has some. They just have tons of fakes.
BTW, there is a guy who recommends a particular cigar made in CR. If you search for Cuban cigar stores in CR online, you'll likely find it. Can't recall the name, but skip them. Ghastly cigars.
One last thing, the Arenal volcano and Lake Arenal offer some really oustanding views and places to hang out. If you stop in Fortuna, hang onto your wallet. in fact, that's a good idea everywhere. More than a few places where there were small groups of some shady characters. Most Costa Ricans were very friendly. Just plan to stay in at night if you're in a city, or travel in groups if you can, and watch for scammers and schemers. Try to stay with the mainstream taxis if you can...taxi stands abound in some towns, and unlicensed taxis will be just around the corner...I'd skip the latter kind.
