travelgaya

Hi fodorites
Planning an 8 day vacation to costa rica. We have 6 full days barring the 2 days to travel in and out of San Jose. We have young kids 6 and 4 - we are interested mainly in wildlife viewing, volcano hike, Tortuguero, boat tour, waterfalls etc.
Few questions, is 6 days enough, we dont plan on seeing everything(and understand that is impossible)
Any recommendation on itinerary and places to stay, preferably rentals over hotels.

Thank you!

travelgaya

I think we've narrowed down to Manual Antonio and Arenal as the 2 places. Would it be worth doing Tortuguero instead of one? We are interested in doing boat tours and see the animals, would that be possible in either placeS?

travelgaya

Ok I wish I could start over with the questions.
So this is our plan thus far.
21st land at SJO at 4pm, drive to Arenal
checkout on 24th and head to Manuel Antonio until 28th and check out.
First question, is it logistically possible to land around 4pm and head to Arenal the same day?
Any vacation rental recommendations for the MA area?

Thanks!

volcanogirl

Manuel Antonio and Arenal is a great combo. for first timers. Tons to do and see, wildlife opportunities, beach, volcano, waterfall, etc. December isn't turtle season in Tortuguero so I'd give it a pass for this trip and focus on the other two spots.

volcanogirl

Lots of good boat tours in both areas. In the Arenal area, we love the Cano Negro tour to see wildlife; if you want something closer, the Penas Blancas river float is fun. In the MA area, check out the Damas mangrove tour.

Desafio is a good tour company in the Arenal area and Manuel Antonio Expeditions in the MA area.

I wouldn't drive to Arenal the first night. It gets dark between 5:30 and 6:00, and you don't want to drive between cities at night. If you wanted to have a private driver meet you at the airport, you could have him pick you up and drive you. It's about a three hour trip.

travelgaya

Thank you volcanogirl for taking time to respond!
If we do get a driver to get us to our destination, do we lose our opportunity to rent a car for the entire trip? We are still debating between 2 nights at AOL and 1 night at Kokoru(had to split in Arenal since we didnt get 3 nights at AOL ) or switch to a vacation rental. Wouldnt it be better to have our own car?
Also, should we go to Monte Verde Cloud Forest? We are going to be near the Manuel Antonio park - should we do one or the other or both?

volcanogirl

No, you don't really have time to go to Monteverde. Doesn't really work as a day trip. Definitely go to MA park - there's a beautiful beach inside the park, and you'll see some nice fairly tame wildlife, usually lots of monkeys. Tulemar Bungalows in MA is a good place to stay, and they have their own beach. You can rent a car in Arenal; check with your hotel for providers. For most tours, they'll pick you up and drop you back off at your hotel.

travelgaya

Hi guys,
sorry for the long lull. With the vacation coming up and planning in full throttle, I need your input on whether canopy tours are good for young kids. Any recommendations on what kinda tours to definitely do and specific companies?
3 days in Arenal and 4 in MA

TIA!

volcanogirl

A lot of places won't let children under 8 zipline, so you'd have to find a provider that would let you go. I know Sky Trek won't allow kids under 8 to go. I'd wait until they're a little older. Maybe check out the Proyecto Asis animal rescue center instead. We got to help feed the monkeys, a sloth, and a toucan when we were there. You can also do some nice hiking at the waterfall and the hanging bridges.