We are planning a family vacation (me, husband, 2 year old daughter) for October, and we keep going back and forth about where to go. First it was the Caribbean, then San Fran, then British Columbia. There seemed to be something about each place that just wasn't right for us at this point (weather, stuff to do for our 2 year old, etc.) Now we're thinking the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

We've never been to CR. Are we crazy to go for the first time with a toddler? We're thinking of flying into Liberia, driving (or taking a cab) to Guanacaste. The JW Marriott sounds nice and has gotten good reviews on tripadvisor. The plan would be to spend five nights, mostly relaxing and enjoying the beach and pool. We'd then fly out of LIR and head home.

Several questions:

1. Is this trip doable with a toddler?

2. How is the beach at the Marriott, and for that matter, how is the Marriott in general?

3. Should we rent a car?

4. Are there other things to do in the area that a toddler might enjoy besides the beach?

Our daughter has been to the beach twice before, so we know that part will be a hit. I know we're missing out on other parts of CR, but for this first trip, we'd like to keep things fairly simple. Just a little worried about the logistics of this trip. Thank you so much for your help!

It's a great plan, and while most eschew the idea of a large resort like JW Marriott, you certainly can enjoy yourselves there for a bit of R&R!

October is a bit dicey on the Pacific side due to increased amounts of rainfall. Of all the rainy season months (May-November), October pretty much ranks the highest (usually).

Do think about heading over to the Caribbean side, Puerto Viejo/Manzanillo. That, of all the months, is their LEAST rainy time. There are some fabulous hotels (not big resorts, but great hotels with a lot of local flavor) over there. Beautiful beaches, monkeys, sloths, jungle, etc. Consider Aguas Claras beach cottages (we loved them and stayed with a 6 month old), Azania Bungalows, Banana Azul, Cariblue, La Costa de Pepito, and a huge host of others. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised! Your toddler would enjoy Aviaras del Caribe, a sloth rescue center (you would, too!).

Costa Rica is very child friendly. We take our granddaughter every year and have since before she was born!

On another note regarding rain: there have been some predictions of less rainfall this year, so perhaps you could get lucky (meaning only a bit in the p.m. and during the night which is very common) on the Pacific side. Those afternoon rains are perfect for folks traveling with toddlers as they generally coincide with naptime.

Good luck! Brace yourself; you'll be planning a trip back before your time there is up!

Thanks Shillmac! I'm so excited, I can barely stand it. I'll definitely check into Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo. Would we then fly into San Jose?

I have lots to think about. Thanks again for your response. I'm glad to hear that CR is child-friendly.

Agree with shillmac about going to the Carib side. I'm familiar with Azania Bungalows (a great choice and the pool has a nice shallow side). They have bikes with child seat (or at least they did, so confirm this). Banana Azul is wonderful as well, but teenage and up.

I've looked into some of the places suggested like Azania and Aguas Claras, and I'm a little concerned about staying at these kinds of places with a toddler. They look lovely, but they look like the balconies might not have much in the way of railings. The last thing I want to do is spend my vacation worrying that my daughter will fall off the balcony!

Maybe someone who has stayed at one of these places can reassure me about the safety issue. Also, do you recommend that we drive ourselves from San Jose, or should we plan for some other kind of transportation?

Thanks!

You can easily drive from San Jose. I hadn't thought about the balconies and understand you don't want to have to be nervous about that issue. Check out La Costa de Pepito and also Cariblue as well as Shawanda (hope I spelled that right).

There really aren't balconies at Azania, just porches. I think you would be fine.

Thanks hipvirgochick! Good to know. We're now thinking of holding off on CR a little longer. Might try another time of year when our plans aren't determined by weather. I will definitely keep these suggestions in mind. I'm bummed it isn't going to work out right now, but we'll get there eventually!