We are planning a family trip to Costa Rica next April with our 3 teenage boys.
We know we want to spend a few days in Arenal going rafting, rappelling, ziplining, etc.
We then thought we'd go to the beach for a few days for kayaking, surfing, and a little relaxation. I'm very confused as to whether we want to go to Guanacaste or to Manuel Antonio for the beach portion of our trip.
Also, if we are flying into San Jose, would it be worth it to stop at the Peace Lodge and do the La Paz waterfall for a half day or should we just go straight to Arenal.
Any other tips would also be greatly appreciated.

We loved the Waterfall Gardens - hopefully they will be fully open by the time your trip rolls around. Last I heard only 2 of the 5 falls were open due to earthquake damage. It would even be worth staying at the Peace Lodge your first day if you can fit it into your schedule; they have a neat nocturnal frog tour and twice a day you can hand feed hummingbirds, which is really amazing.

Arenal is awesome; we used Rios Tropicales to raft the Sarapiqui and loved it. I'd use Sky Trek for ziplining. You'll probably also want to go to the hot springs - either Eco Termales or Tabacon.

Manuel Antonio is really popular with families, and it's easy to get around there. There are a lot of great restaurant choices and good sunset views. Take a guided tour of the park, and bring your bathing suits - the beach inside the park is really beautiful. Lots of monkeys in the park too, as well as other wildlife. I think it would be a good fit for you.

I adore Arenal. There is so much to do there and it is very safe. We WW rafted too and used Desafio (Rio Balsa). If you have never rafted before and your kids is young this is a good starting point for them.

Arenal & Manuel Antonio would be great for your needs. The only down side is you lose a day to traveling between Arenal & MA (approx 5 hr drive).

Agree that Arenal and Manuel Antonio are great locations for first time visitors and families who are interested in lots of activity.

Logistically, it is your best bet as well. It takes almost as long to get to the beaches of Guanacaste, and then you are 5 hours from SJO. At least once you get to MA, you are only 3 hours from the airport--it's very convenient.

As for the drive, try not to consider it a day lost! The drive is beautiful and interesting. I'm sure with your boys most drives are interesting. LOL. Be sure to stop at the Rio Tarcoles (someone stay with the car) to view the huge crocs on the banks of the river. If you can get out of Arenal by 8:00 a.m., you should be at Manuel Antonio by 2:00, ready for some beach/pool fun. I would highly recommend Tulemar Bungalows; the private beach is awesome.

Enjoy!

Would certainly recommend Manuel Antonio. We were there for a week and had 2 teenagers (girls). There were LOTS of activities, restaurant choices, even some shopping. They were never bored and felt very safe. Was a great choice.

Agree that Manuel Antonio and Arenal is a good combo. Lot's to do in both areas. Look into Los Lagos in Arenal. Many pool, hot spring fed pool, water slides (fun stuff for kids and adults).

Thanks for all your suggestions. We will definitely do Manuel Antonio.
We are now trying to figure out how many days at each place.
We arrive in San Jose at noon. I figured we could sleep at the Peace Lodge that night and do the falls the next morning, leaving for Arenal sometime early afternoon.
Any suggestions which tours and/or operators you would use?
We definitely want to raft, rappel and zipline.
Is the hike at Arenal worth it? Maybe we could do that the evening we arrive there?
We then have 6 additional days (one we need to drive to Manuel Antonio). How many would you spend at each place?
Thanks again for all your help.

Rios Tropicales is good for rafting. For ziplines, I'd go with Sky Trek. Check Pure Trek or Desafio for canyoning. I think I've read good things about those two.

Which Arenal hike are you interested in? There's the Hanging Bridges, a volcano hike, and you can also hike to the waterfall. We loved the waterfall. I'd do an even split between Arenal and MA.

Do you think we should skip la paz waterfall and the peace lodge and do the waterfall at la fortuna instead?

sam, I love waterfalls, so I wouldn't have any problem doing both. The waterfall gardens are beautiful - a hike through five gorgeous falls. The one in La Fortuna is different because it's not manicured like the ones at the Peace Lodge, just a very natural environment, and you can swim at the bottom. There's a little set of stairs off to the left, and you can go down them and find a little sand "beach" and beautiful cystal clear blue water. Really I love both, and they are completely different experiences.