Looking for a beach recommendation relatively close to Arenal before heading to Osa Peninsula. We're planning on staying in Arenal for 3 nights and have 2 1/2 days before heading to Osa Peninsula for 4 nights. Shillmac you originally suggested Rio Celeste which looked incredible to me, but our kids are interested in some beach time - snorkeling or surfing would be a plus although I know snorkeling is not as good here as other places. Any suggestions? THank you.

Arenal is not really located close to beaches, it's in the middle of CR. The closest beaches would probably be the Guancaste beaches (Flamingo, Ocotal, Tamarindo) which should run about 4-5 hours give or take from Arenal.

Forgot to add, depending on where you are staying on the Osa, you may have access to some nice beaches there. Snorkeling not all that great there but surfing very possible.

You could stop in Manuel Antonio- surf there- or Dominical, though the surf there can get rough:

http://costa.rica.typepad.com/costa_...ome/index.html

Thanks, failed to mention we're flying to Osa and I've already booked our flight so I was trying to figure out if there was a beach w/i reasonable distance for us to head to after Arenal before going to catch our flight in San Jose (or whatever town it is that Nature Air flys from.) thanks for your thoughts.