CostaRicaTrip

HI All,
We are going to Costa Rica in August and heading right up to Arenal the day we arrive (we arrive around 10:50am), We will be renting a car for our trip and staying at the Lost Iguana (buy 3 nights, get 3 nights free). We will have 5 full days in Arenal and Friday we will drive back and get a room close to the airport for our flight out on Saturday.
We want to know what activities would be best with 2 kids (ages 11 and 8). We are going to do one day of waterfall rappelling and rafting, which they would love.
What are the best hanging bridges to go to and best time (I am guessing getting there early is better to see wildlife).
What are the best hot springs with kids.
Best hikes, waterfalls,
Company to go with for Horseback riding, I hear they are not created equal.
I think we are going to do zip lines with sky trek.
What about places to eat, inexpensive for dinner or lunch,
How far is it to drive to Cano Negro from Arenal and is it worth it to go up for a day?
Thanks!

volcanogirl

I'd do the Hanging Bridges tour early in the a.m. to see wildlife. The Lost Iguana sold reduced cost tickets at their front desk when we did it, so check to see if they still offer it. The bridges are right next door to the Lost Iguana. Your kids would probably love Tabacon for the hot springs - it's big and elaborate with a water slide. We also like Eco Termales - smaller and charming and less crowded, and they serve a nice chicken dinner. The waterfall hike is also nice. You can just drive there and do it on your own, don't need a tour. Don't miss the little set of steps off to the left that lead down to the river where you can swim away from the force of the waterfall. It's gorgeous there. If you want to see wildlife at the Hanging Bridges, hire a guide to increase your chances. We didn't see any wildlife at all there, but it was a pretty hike. The Cano Negro tour with Sunset Tours is a great way to see wildlife. It's a boat ride where you can see different species of monkeys, birds, sloths, caimans, and other wildlife. I'd recommend bringing your own binoculars if you can. We used Rios Tropicales for rafting, and they were great, fun yet safety conscious. Desafio and Pure Trek and popular for waterfall rappelling. Some restaurants we enjoy are Don Rufino (one of the nicest), Soda la Parada for pizza and casados (cheap!), El Novillo for steaks, and La Choza de Laurel.

SiteC_er

Our kids loved Sky Trek (us big kids too) & the horseback ride to La Fortuna waterfall. Tons of stuff to do...you and your kids are going to have a blast!

volcanogirl

That should read "are popular" - sorry about that!

SiteC, I was curious about the horseback ride to the falls? Do you take the horses all the way to the bottom? Are you able to swim? That sounds like fun.

SiteC_er

No, you leave the horses at the top. That would be one wild trail ride down! The ride is approx 45 minutes each way. The only down side was they only allowed 60- 75 minutes at the falls (you get about 1 hr to swim). We could have easily stayed another hour. However, the scenery is very nice and on the way back we stopped by a house where the people cut the tops off of chilled coconuts, put in a straw and sold them for $1.