jlh370

My husband and I travel internationally (and through the US) quite a bit. We have gone to CR twice previously in 2005 and 2008. It is the only place we loved so much that we returned. In 2005 we did Arenal, Montezuma and the Malpais area. In 2008, we did La Carolina and then returned to Malpais.

Since it has been 5 years, we are itching to return in 2014. However, this time we will have our kids (ages 5 and 4) with us. It will also be their first trip out of the US. We have been traveling internationally without them until now when we think they will really start enjoying it.

My question is, where should we go? We will most likely only have 8 or 9 days. One thought is to rent a house on the beach down in Santa Teresa. We just loved those beaches and would enjoy tam g the kids where we had so many memories. We've also been interested in Bosque and Drake's Bay. We aren't a resort family but know traveling with toddlers will be different than on our own.

Any advice?

RAC

Osa peninsula is not a destination for young children, imo. We have seen only one kid under 15 there, and she was constantly bored, pouting, and playing with her iPad.

Beach house sounds good. Manuel Antonio is a very kid friendly area.

volcanogirl

I love Bosque del Cabo, but I agree with RAC. I personally would not be comfortable taking kids that young there. I would go to Manuel Antonio, but I don't know if it's too tame for you? Tulemar Bungalows is fantastic with their own beach. The villas have kitchens and a frig which makes things convenient. Lots of wildlife on the property; we saw lots of monkeys and several sloths while we were there. It's not really a resort, more like individually owned villas, but there's a shuttle to the beach, and you can order breakfast and lunch at the little cafe (think tent with chairs) on the beach. Lots of restaurants are walkable for dinner and tons to do in the area. The national park is beautiful and full of fairly tame wildlife, very pretty beach inside the park. It's one of the easiest places to go. Roads are in good shape too.

CostaRicaDW

Definitely the Osa Península is not a good option if you're taking children, the area is very remote and it's more fitted to people with a keen interest in nature, hiking and diving, they would probably get bored, also the driving time is very long so it could be exhausting for them.

I believe the kids will have a lot more fun in Arenal and Manuel Antonio.

In Arenal, they could enjoy the Baldi Hot Springs a lot, it has water slides and many pools. You could also do the zip-lining with them, there are places that take kids 4 and up, for their safety they would be accompanied by a guide when zip-lining. I'm sure this would be a great experience for them. Other activities for families include: Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge boat tour, Safari Float by raft, the Hanging Bridges, visit to "Proyecto Asís" (Animal Rescue Center, they also offer volunteering opportunities for families).

In Manuel Antonio you will enjoy the National Park a lot, other activities to do with the family include: Snorkeling, Parasailing (a lot of fun), jet skis, catamaran sailing tour (it includes snorkeling and if you come during the whale watching season it will be a real treat), vacation buggy tour, Carara National Park and many more.

You can also stay in San José during your last 2 nights so the day prior to your departure so can take a tour that's great for families, it includes a visit to the Doka Coffee Estate, Poás Volcano and La Paz Waterfall Gardens (this last place is fenomenal and it has a lot of attractions such as a butterfly garden, frog exhibit, jungle cats, birds, monkeys, etc. They care for injured animals).

I hope this information is useful to you when planning your trip.

globetrots

Wow, my daughter must be a better kid than I thought because she had a blast in the Osa Peninsula. We were at Lapa Rios though, so maybe that is what makes the difference: loads of wildlife everywhere (4 kinds of monkeys, toucans, neon frogs...), good variety of food, "smoothie of the day" from local fruits. But she was older - 9 at the time.

A beach is a beach and Costa Rica's aren't anything special, so I'd try to go to one where there's at least some wildlife around so it's not just like being at a resort anywhere. Manuel Antonio is overtaxed and crowded, but at least they can see some monkeys.

volcanogirl

I would be worried that a four year old would not be aware enough to avoid reaching into underbrush, grabbing a poisonous snake, toddling off the side of a cliff, etc. It seems like it would be hard to relax unless the kids were a little older.

Casadelmango

Samara would be my first choice of a destination for a young family with its safe beaches and undeveloped town which still has all the essentials. Depends on the time of year though. If your trip was planned for September/October then consider the Caribbean coast where the weather will be better and more beach time will be possible. Bring suntan lotion and bug spray from home - it is way too over-priced here.

michaelvisser

Costa Rica offers so many different things, so it really depends on what you're looking for. If you want a true jungle experience with lots of nature, spend 3-4 days on the Osa peninsula.

You can also head to Manuel antonio. Amazing rain forest park right on a beautiful beach. Don't get a guide, just poach off of other tours when they see a sloth high in the trees.