Carrara Park or other??
 

Our family of 5,(3 boys 15, 13, & 10)will be visiting C.R. in June. We are hiring a driver. He is recommending a stop on our way from M.A. to Arenal to break up the drive alittle. His suggestions are Carrara or a canopy tour. Would Carrara be too much like the M.A. Park? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

We'll be going to Carrara for the first time this summer. I've never gotten the impression that it is like MA, but really can't comment. Even if it were, it still is a great place to see the scarlet macaws fly in and out. Nearby is Turu-Bari park which is where your driver may be thinking of a zipline. There is a REALLY long one there. I think your group would enjoy either location--both are on the way to MA from Arenal and fairly close together.

Carara Reserve is actually a very unique area because it is where the moist Pacific forest meets up with the hot lowland forest of the Guanacaste area. It is popular with birders because you can often see birds of both areas here. I saw a lek dance that the manakins do there. We have seen some interesting non poisonous snakes as well as peccaries and monkeys. We have seen the macaws in the late afternoon returning to their roost. The Tarcoles river nearby has those HUGE crocs. I suspect you will be stopping here for a look no matter what you choose otherwise.

The canopy tour he might be talking about could be the Rainmaker tour. If so, it is not a zip line but a series of bridges. http://www.rainmakercostarica.com/

Another option for a break would be the Los Angeles cloud forest in San Ramon. A stop for lunch at Villa Blanca and a hike on their shorter trail might be a nice break. We were there last August and saw a mot mot, Jacamar, Emerald toucanettes as well as other birds.

Thank you so much, I will look into these options!

Carara is much less 'zoo like' than MA.

A mid-day walk in Carara might be disappointing since it is very hot and many creatures are not moving. Very early morning [ 6am] is much better for birds and wildlife. Not to say you might not spot a macaw. They are big, bright, often noisy and prefer the upper reaches of trees so if they are nearby you will probably know it.

A good stopping place is always the Tarcoles River Bridge to see the huge crocs. This is also an excellent place to see macaws moving down towards the coastal mangroves to roost. But this is at about 5pm or so daily.

cheers

Jerry