sclubb

My family is in the process of planning our third trip to Costa Rica.

First time was just me & my husband.
Second time we had three kids along.
Third time, we will have four kids along! Ages 7, 6, 4, 1

In the combined past trips, we have been to Arenal, Tamarindo, Atenas (exploring Central Valley) and Dominical.

We do not want the typical 'kid place' recommendations - if there is such a thing in Costa Rica. Nothing too touristy. We like our space and we like to explore. Our kids LOVE being outside and hiking. While Manuel Antonio is always high on the lists of recommended spots, we still shy away from it because of the crowds and because of it being more difficult to walk around to/from beach with the kids.

As for the first part of the trip, I was all geared up to take the kids to Arenal and I just read that it hasn't had lava flow since 2010! Still considering Arenal or Monteverde...not sure where else. We usually split our whole time with 2 vacation rentals....but we may consider three this time.

For the 2nd week, I have been looking at Nosara, Avellanas, Malpais/Santa Teresa, and Montezuma.

And, I just recently started thinking about the possibility of doing something down in the Osa. We can't afford BdC....so that's out!

So....here are some priorities for us....if anyone can shed some light or make some recommendations, that'd be great! (FYI - we will most likely be renting a house property and are not really looking into hotels).

- We want to have some acreage to our property and feel like we are 'in the rainforest' while still being close to the beach.
- We prefer white/golden sand over the black sand in Dominical
- We really like a fun, artsy part of town for strolling and eating out with decent beachside restaurants (low key places for good margaritas and fajitas!)
- It'd be ideal if we could see turtles nesting (we're considering late April/early May)
- We didn't see monkeys with the kids on the last trip and would love to have more of a wildlife experience with more animals
- We like easy, family friendly hikes nearby (though our kids are troopers...we live in Colorado and they have done 3 1/2 mile hikes!)
- Would like to be near some wildlife reserve type places
- We don't want anything too crowded or built up (we liked Tamarindo when we went as a couple....but that was almost 10 years ago and it seems it is even more touristy now)
- We will need to weigh options against access to a reputable hospital (one of our daughters has Type 1 diabetes...I will post a separate post asking about hospitals). While we don't expect we will need to utilize it, we never know and may not want to be completely isolated if the need arises and the only option is San Jose.

Sooo....big, quiet beaches with green backdrop.....lots of wildlife......great views.....funky town......lots of exploring....

Any takers?

Kinkazote

The Dominical/Uvita area would meet quite a few of your wants. Dominical is a surfers' town, but the vacation homes for rent are removed from the action. There is a hospital about 20 minutes away in Quepos. There are lots of house rentals. Hacienda Baru could provide days of wildlife, beach walking, and hiking adventures.

Also look at Casa Bambu on the Osa Peninsula. It is a long way to a hospital, and aircraft is used in emergencies. Consider redundant supplies of insulin in case of theft of luggage, etc.

Kinkazote

"And, I just recently started thinking about the possibility of doing something down in the Osa. We can't afford BdC....so that's out!"

There is another posting recently submitted (loaded with finger-wagging, alas) dealing specifically with the point that there are many options other than BdC in the Osa area. It happens to be my first choice but there are quite a few additional, top quality resorts that simply don't get much attention here.

volcanogirl

If you ever reconsider Manuel Antonio, take a look at Tulemar Bungalows; they have a lot of what you're looking for including their own beach, shuttle service, nearby restaurants, lots of wildlife on the property, and loads of restaurants nearby. The hospital in the area has a good reputation. They have individual villas and bungalows for rent that have kitchens to make things easier.

Have you taken a look at Iguana Lodge on the Osa? It seems to get good reviews.

Maybe someplace like Shelter from the Storm? It always gets good reviews as well.

If you end up going to Arenal, your kids would probably enjoy Proyecto Asis. We were able to feed monkeys, a sloth, macaws, and other animals there, and you can get very close to the wildlife.

sclubb

volcanogirl...
thanks for the recommendation on Proyecto Asis....that is definitely right up our alley of things we love to do! and, while i doubt we will do it on this trip, they also have a homestay spanish immersion class for homeschooling families (which we are). very interesting!

as for dominical (kinkazote), we have already been there so we just want to try something new this time. i appreciate the input though about the hospital being near quepos.

that could potentially sway us to reconsider MA. though i doubt it. i will look into tulemar.

i am getting more and more interested in southern nicoya. i've seen some homes between montezuma and santa teresa that seem equidistant....i like the idea of that. being able to explore both areas and the cabo blanco reserve.

has anyone been there?

any other suggestions for cool things to do with young kids like proyecto asis - places off the beaten path where you can get up close to animals and learn and play at the same time?

volcanogirl

You're welcome, s. We did Proyecto Asis as part of a cultural tour through Desafio. We visited three different locations and that was one of them. We got some great pictures there.

acomeara

What time of year is your trip? The only thing I can tell you about the Southern Nicoya is that in March it will be crazy hot and dry. We did Malpais, Santa Teresa and Montezuma on our first trip to CR (5 years, and 4 trips ago) and were there in early March. You couldn't drive with the windows open for the dust, which literally covered the trees along the roads. The road down into Montezuma was quite an adventure...so dry and sandy that we nearly spun out. We had a fabulous time, the beaches were gorgeous, but I don't recall doing any hiking. Is Cabo Blanco elevated? My memory is that it is not, but I could be wrong. What's really great about the Southern Pacific Zone is that the mountains are right there - 10 minutes from the beach to the jungle, with breezes at night and less dust. Though you've done Dominical, you might like the towns just south - Ojochal, for instance. You could do boat trips out to the islands or even into the Osa from there. There are lots of nice houses nestled into the jungle with access to waterfalls.

sclubb

Hmmm....acomeara. Interesting thoughts. To me, from the pictures, it all looks like jungle and mountains along the beach in southern nicoya...but maybe it is just the photos. We're looking at late April into early May. Would there have been enough rain by then to make it more enjoyable (less dusty)? We definitely want some mountains.

FWIW to everyone in general, we're looking to spend about $1000/week for accommodations. So, hotels are usually out (based on budget and not to mention the fact that we wouldn't usually be able to all fit in one hotel room...there are 6 of us! Iguana Lodge looked awesome - as does BdC - in the Osa, but that's just not going to work with our budget.

colibri

You might want to drop late April and go first few weeks of May. Many prices drop as of April 30 when green season rates kick in. I'm not sure if that applies to house rental or just to hotels.

volcanogirl

http://costa-rica-guide.com/Weather/WeatherMap.html will give you an idea of general weather patterns and rainfall. Mouse over the areas that interest you, and you'll see a general expectation by month.