mstolz

Hi, we are planning a trip to Costa Rica in late June (21st) and have 2 families with kids ranging from 7 to 11. They're all pretty seasoned travellers, but I have a few questions:
- Is the rainy season in full force in late June/early July? How often does it rain at that time?
- do we need to be concerned about Malaria etc with the kids?
- can you rent houses or Villas in a resort where we can establish a base and then travel from there?
- with 3 weeks we were thinking of splitiing our time between two major locations and then travelling from there, any recommendations?

Thanks for the help!

ewesthoff

Me, my wife and my 1-1/2 year old son vacationed in CR last July/Aug and had the greatest time. It rained twice the whole time we were there, 8 days, and only for a couple of hours each time. we stayed in Manuel Antonio for 4 and Guanacaste for 4. We may have gotten lucky. As for malaria, I do not believe that it is an issue unless you will be on the northeast or carribean coast. we just brought alot of bug spray in case and ended up not needing it. You can rent villas, houses, bungalows, etc, just depends on what area you are interested in. good luck and enjoy.

costaricaguide

If as ewesthoff did, you stick to the west, and stay north of Palmar, you may wonder why they call it the rainy season at all. You can get a visual of the rainfall patterns for any time of year at http://costa-rica-guide.com/Weather/WeatherMap.html

Most of the rain falls in the afternoon and evening in most places, but on the Osa Peninsula and Caribbean Coast (especially north) you might run into consecutive, continuous rainy days. These areas average almost an inch of rain a day in June/July.

You can get a nice villa at Sol Playa Hermosa http://arenasolplayahermosahotel.com/rates.html with a private pool. It should be about the sunniest beach in COsta Rica this time of year.

You can browse through listings of house/villa rentals by owner at http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals...ica/costa-rica .

shillmac

Hi mstolz!
Three weeks is ample time to see so much of the country! But, since travel takes considerable time in Costa Rica, I think you might consider staying in more than 2 places--just for convenience. For example, it might take the better part of a day to travel here or there, and once there, it would be best not to have to return to "base". What does something like this look like to you?

1. Arenal/Monteverde area 4-5 days
2. Near San Jose 4-5 days. From here
you have several options:
1. 2-3 day trip to Tortuguero
2. 1-2 day white water rafting
3. Day trips to nearby volcanos
(Poas and Irazu)
3. Guanacaste 5-6 days(Playa Hermosa
definitely a good option)--here you
can take day trips to the Rincon
de la Vieja area for horseback
riding, wildlife viewing, more
volcanoes (mud baths!), canopy
tours, etc
4. Manuel Antonio area--more wildlife
viewing, lots to see and do here!
(Another 4-5 days)
tours, etc. As well as beach
time!
There is SO MUCH to explore in each of these surrounding areas. Of course, you may want to adjust times at each location to fit your interests. There are many activites your children will enjoy--hanging bridges, ziplines (canopy), tons of animals!, jungle river cruises (Sarapiqui area or Tortuguero), even if you stayed away from the more adventurous activities such as white water.
I don't know what others will tell you, but, having been to CR several times, it seems that you would enjoy yourselves much more if you tried to stay in more sections of the country than just two. Good luck!

(E-mail Neta at this address if you would like more info from someone who lives there--and can help you with hotel discounts and transportation advice)

[email protected]

shillmac

P.S.!!!
We, too, are going to Costa Rica on June 21 for 3 weeks! We'll be on the lookout for 2 families with a lot of kids!

ClaudiaD

Hi mstolz and family!

I think [email protected] suggests a great itinerary. I think you should stay longer! Have fun!

ClaudiaD