Costa Rica - Need Itinerary Advice
 

Headed to Costa Rica in a month with husband and kids age 11 and 9. Need to go to Cahuita for daughter to see the sloths -- problem is it is not near anything else we want to do. Proposed itinerary:

Day 1 - arrive in San Jose (Hampton Inn)
Day 2 - have driver take us to Sloth Sanctuary (3 hours) and back to San Jose (Hampton Inn)
Day 3-5 - driver to Arenal - stay at Tabacon Grand Spa
Day 6-7 - driver to Manual Antonio - stay at The Preserve at Los Altos
Day 8 - driver back to San Jose - stay at Holiday Inn Express
Day 9 - fly home

Does this make sense and suggestions for a driver for this trip would be appreciated. Any thoughts are welcome.

Too far to do Cahuita as a day trip. If this is a priority, then drop MA and stay in Cahuita or Puerto Viejo.

Do you have your heart set on the sloth sanctuary? We saw lots of sloths right at our hotel in Manuel Antonio. A baby sloth even fell out of one of the trees while we were there, and they got a ladder to put it back up in the tree with its momma, and there were two more sloths right overhead. We also saw them in the national park. To me that's a little too much crammed into your time frame, but it's up to you. I'd spend at least three nights in Manuel Antonio if you can. I'd also avoid staying in San Jose unless your flight times demand it. If you really want to see sloths, make sure to tell your guides/drivers etc. We were talking to someone at our hotel and said we wanted to see wildlife, and he said to look over our heads - another sloth right there that we would have walked right by.

If we spent the night in Cahuita -- how long would it take to get to Arenal the next day?

Any intra-country flights that are quick and doable?

There are two in country airlines - Nature Air and Sansa if you want to check to see if they'll work for where you want to go and in your time frame. Both have good websites.

Give yourself 4 or 5 hours to get from Cahuita to Arenal. Roads are slow.