jerrylee

My daughter who is 15 and i are taking a short trip to costa rica in july or august.

The trip will only be about 4 full days, plus some time for travel and we are doing it on a budget.

I know getting around is difficult, especially in the rainy season, and our time is tight.


She really wants to experience nature and the animals, she would love the zip line and she has mentioned snorkeling or scuba diving. I did rafting there a few years back, but definitely not in the rainy season which would make me a little nervous.

Suggestions for itinerary and location in that tight amount of time?

Thanks

volcanogirl

I'd go to Arenal and see the volcano, zipline at Sky Trek, do the natural hot springs at Eco Termales or Tabacon, hike the Hanging Bridges and the waterfall, and do the Cano Negro tour and save snorkeling and SCUBA for another trip. I think you really only have time for one location. If you do want a beach vacation, Manuel Antonio is popular.

qwovadis

2 days www.arenal.net

www.hotelloslagos.com

2 days www.manuelantoniopark.com

www.tulemar.com Villa Mot Mot or www.costaverde.com

www.tripadvisor.com/members/natureguide best MA guide

to spot lots of wildlife...have fun,

jerrylee

volcanogirl,

Just started doing a little research and everything you mentioned looks great! I can't wait to start putting it together. Thanks

hipvirgochick

I agree with 4 days in one location and there's a lot to see and do in the Arenal area. Tours/ guides can get costly so just try to plan ahead a bit for those. My daughter loved Los Lagos in Arenal and since it gets dark by 6:00 we spent a lot of time in the hot spring pools on site there. In addition to the things vgirl suggests we really enjoyed the Cultural Tour with Desafio.

volcanogirl

You're welcome, jl - hope you guys have fun! We've gone snorkeling in CR, and it wasn't that great compared to some of the other places we've done it, but CR just has so much to offer. Silencio del Campo is another popular hotel you might check out. And like hip mentioned, kids/teens love Los Lagos. We love the Lost Iguana, which sometimes offers some good specials like a free night that make it more affordable. Lots of good choices.

hipvirgochick

I do love Silencio del Campo as well. They also have hot springs on their land and the family that owns the place is wonderful. Really depends on your personal taste but you can't go wrong with any of the above if they are within your budget.