We are planning to go to Costa Rica over the Christmas Holidays with our 2 kids-ages 16 and 14. We will just have a week. I was thinking we should limit ourselves to two hotels. We want to stay in really nice places. A/C would be nice.

It sounds as if Peach Lodge is really nice. What about Arenal Obs. Lodge? Any suggestions about where to stay and what to do would be appreciated. Thanks.

Without knowing your likes/dislikes or budget it's really difficult to answer your question

Your best bet is to get a guide book (Lonely Planet and Moon are my favorites) and do some research and then come back here for more specific questions.

Also, keep in mind that the week between x-mas and new years is the peak travel time for costa rica and many places will be crowded and charging top $$ for accomodations.

Most would consider Peace Lodge a really nice place. If you look online, you'll see what is offered in that immediate area.

Arenal Observatory Lodge is described as fairly rustic in the 2007 Foder's guidebook I have in front of me. It might be what you are looking for and it might not. There are nicer places in Arenal so it just depends - Lost Iguana or Arenal Kioro may be of interest to you.

Have you looked at the Arenal.net website?

The Cano Negro day trip is a popular one. Bring a camera with zoom.

You will probably want to make your hotel reservations soon.

Although AOL was described as "rustic", I'm not sure most frequent travelers to CR would consider it so. Moderate, yes, rustic, not really. La Carolina is more in the "rustic" range. Guess it's all a matter of perspective. . .

arenal observatory is totally rustic compared to Peace Lodge, that's for sure. It's very far out of the way compared to other places which is why it's known for some great lava viewing but keep in mind the vast majority of tourists do not ever see it as the volcano is now much less active. The dirt road that connects from the main road to the hotel is a really bumpy trek and you can't make it without an SUV -- otherwise it wasn't too daunting. The emphasis here is all about the volcano and lava views, not on accommodations although it was more than comfortable. They felt like Deluxe Cabins, perhaps?


Peace lodge was expensive but totally worth it for a night or two to gain access to the incredible grounds and the rooms were pretty incredible. People describe it as Disney-ish but it was very welcome at the end of a 8 day trip on our way back towards SJO.

Si Como No was also very nice -- great for smaller kids with its water slide, very small theater, etc. but again, expensive. (Arenal Observatory felt rustic compared to this resort-ish place.)

For just adults, I would have stayed at Costa Verde or the really cute small B&B right next door to Si Como No for a fraction of the cost....

The Ziplines were the highlight of the trip for me (we ended going again the next day) although i know people say it's not so eco friendly -- the 5 yr old had a blast and still talks about it. Arenal was less impressive to me (even though we were lucky enough to catch the lava flow for two nights) than Manuel Antonio Park with all the monkeys and animals in the Park.

Thanks everyone. So, Fishee, if we spend two nights at Peace Lodge, where would you go for the other 5 nights? Our kids are older so we would like to stay in nice places. There is so much to do, but I don't want to spread ourselves too thin. Thanks.

there are some amazing CR experts on this site that were super helpful when I was planning my trip last year. Just do a search under Costa Rica. If your budget allows, I think you and the kids would love Peace Lodge and Si Como No in MA. Peace Lodge can be done on the way back towards SJO.

Based on your choices so far it sounds like you don't want to do any kind of real "roughing it" travel. I'd guess Manuel Antonio Park, Arenal for the ziplines and volcano, and La Paz on the way back. You could possibly do Peace Lodge for just one night if you arrive very early and depart late in the afternoon since everything is contained to the Lodge. It's a real splurge and we enjoyed it with just staying one night... good luck and enjoy -- it's an absolutely gorgeous country and locals were wonderful.

These are great suggestions. i got the Lonely Planet Guide today and will take a look. Thanks.

We just returned from an 8-day, 9-night trip to Costa Rica, where we ended up staying at 5 hotels. It was a bit rushed, but not too bad. I think you could squeeze in three places if your flights are at decent times. One night at Peace Lodge will give you a flavor for the place, but only if you have plenty of extra time there to explore the grounds either the day your arrive or the day you depart. Peace Lodge is roughly one hour from the airport. It's only a 2 1/2 hour drive from there to Arenal.
In Arenal, we stayed at Silencio del Campo, but AOL looked like a good choice when we visited one day -- IF you are interested in seeing the volcano and don't mind the remoteness. I wouldn't describe it as rustic, but it is a pretty big lodge with what looked like fairly simple rooms. Definitely not in the same class as Peace Lodge, but location is fantastic for certain things. It is very close to the cool Sky Trek zipline, among other benefits.


The real question is whether you want to go to the coast, too, or instead. Arenal to Manuel Antonio is a good 5 hour drive. We met people who flew, which would definitely save time and hassle (but of course be expensive.)


Have you considered flying in and out of Liberia? You could probably do Arenal and the coast then, without a huge amount of driving.

If you're interested in Arenal, I would highly recommend the Lost Iguana. We stayed there and really loved it. Beautiful grounds, volcano views, ac, jacuzzis on the balcony, restaurant and pool on site, and a bit removed from town so it's quiet. Also right next door to the Hanging Bridges. In MA, you might check out Buena Vista Villas or Tulemar Bungalows. And you would definitely enjoy the Peace Lodge.

shillmac was the poster who had amazing knowledge of CR -- if you search the posts, you'll see all the helpful suggestions s/he offers for newbies like us...

Great information. Do these hotels have A/C...does anyone know? What is the airport like in Liberia? Is that a better choice? Thanks.

It should be easy to find A/C in MA. Arenal may be a little bit more hit or miss as that area can be quite cool in the evenings. We visited the first week of December, and I don't <i>think</i> our hotel (Arenal Lodge) had A/C, but we never needed it. MA was a different story, however!

Flying into Liberia might be an option for you if you plan to stay in the northern part of the country to do some beaches and Arenal. Peace Lodge might be a bit of a haul though (it's located about an hour away from the SJO airport). I guess it just depends on where you want to focus your time.

On our first visit to CR, we had 7 nights in the country. We did the Peace Lodge for 1, Arenal for 3 and MA for 3. It was a nice itinerary that didn't require too much moving around.

If you are set on the Peace Lodge, definitely inquire about reservations sooner rather than later. It is a very popular hotel and you will be traveling during one of the busiest times of the year.

Liberia (LIR) is, of course, considerably smaller than SJO, but it's great if you plan to limit your time to the northern beaches with perhaps a drive over to Arenal (3 hours), as cmerrell stated.

If you are really interested in Peace Lodge (and I rather doubt they have rooms now for Christmas--check ASAP) you'd be better off flying in and out of SJO. True of the other places as well. Lost Iguana for sure. All of the more &quot;luxe&quot; places will book up very quickly. I'm pretty sure there are a few that have been booked for months already.

It isn't that AOL is &quot;rustic&quot; in the way many think of rustic. It's more that Peace Lodge is an &quot;over the top&quot; showcase hotel and Si Como No is a typical high end, but eco-friendly resort. The rooms then, at AOL, come off as more &quot;basic&quot; (may be a better word--for some reason for me &quot;rustic&quot; conjures up images of outdoor toilets, no electricity and the like!). The grounds at AOL are lovely and are great for birding, limited hiking (there is a waterfall), etc. Also very close to the entrance to SkyTrek ziplines and Arenal National Park.

Arenal Paraiso is also a very decent hotel with some nice hot springs and thermal pool on the grounds. Good hiking there as well as an excellent on site canopy tour (11-12 ziplines maybe more). There always seem to be lots of young people around when we are there (families with older kids, etc).

Check out Mot Mot Villa at Manuel Antonio (upper apartment, Tulemar Bungalows). Costa Verde always a good bet. Those rooms are a bit on the basic side as well, but there are kitchenettes and those views from the Studio Plus rooms are fabulous.

With limited time, I rather like cmerrell's agenda: Arenal, Peace Lodge, Manuel Antonio. Arenal and MA are each about 3 hours from the airport. Peace Lodge might be a nice break to the 5+ hour drive from Arenal to MA.

Are your kids set on the beach? If not, I'd suggest staying at a couple of locations &quot;near&quot; San Jose. Arenal for sure. But also you might consider a one or 2 night (or even a one day) white water rafting trip out of San Jose. That combined with a few days at Arenal would make a very nice trip. Nice cool climates, too! Low 80's. . .much cooler at night.

There is a LOT to do in and around Arenal. Lots of high adrenaline activity as well as plenty of more relaxed, but interesting stuff, like the Cano Negro tour--lots of wildlife viewing.

Good luck, but do get started checking on those reservations right away! You can always book the Christmas holidays a month or two out and find SOMETHING, but if you are looking for PARTICULAR lodging, the favorites go quickly. Keep in mind that even the most basic of places are usually quite beautifully landscaped--and very clean!

By the way, let us know your arrival and departure times. That has to come first before you set up an itinerary. Many times, late day arrivals or early day departures dictate staying first and last nights near the airport (another reason why staying in San Jose and doing a rafting trip might be a good plan).