So far this board has been EXTREMELY helpful in my planning of this trip but I still have some outstanding issues - Background: Family of 4 - 2 kids 12 and 16 ( one boy one girl) wanting adventure as well as relaxation - we don't mind driving but I am trying to keep it to 4 hours at a time. Daughter really wants to try and see turtles and son really wants to scuba and surf. They both want to see monkeys!
Day 1-2-3 Arenal - Los Lagos - zip lines etc
Day 4-5-6 Tamarindo JW relax
Day 7-8- Playa Junquillall Guacamaya Lodge - scuba? turtles?
Day 9-10 Deciding between Ostiional (either Luna Azul or Lagarta Lodge) OR
going somewhere closer to San Jose - maybe mid way in order to cut down on long drive to airport on last day - ANY SUGGESTIONS
Day 11 - - last day
Day 12 - fly home at 2:00

OTHER QUESTIONS:
1. since it is august will i be able to use the coastal road to get from beach to beach or do i have to drive inland? and if inland - how much does that add to driving time?
2. is the Bego a good enough car for august for 4 people with one bag each? - Someone referred to it as a "tin can" and that made me a bit nervous?
3. Will I be able to drive to arenal from san jose before dark if my plane is supposed to land at 10:50 AM and then I still have to rent a car? Am i better off taking a shuttle or bus to the hotel and having tricolor or someone bring the car to me? I really don't want to end up lost in the dark on our first day there!
4. Do I need to bring any anti- malarial drugs for the areas we will be in
5 - rainboots?

Thanks so much for any help you can offer and if you do reply could you include your favorite local restaurant for the area you know about? We are all adventurous eaters and really want to eat local goodies.

I haven't been to the Nicoya peninsula personally, but I think Ostional may actually be your best bet for turtle viewing in August. The Olive-Ridleys will be nesting at that time. I think you'll be out of season to see the Leatherbacks. I believe those are the 2 most commonly sighted turtles where you'll be. I think Costa Rica does also get Loggerheads and Greens, but they may mainly nest on the Atlantic side. I'm not an expert, however...

For your drive from SJO to Arenal, you'll need 3-ish hours. It can take a little while to get the rental car picked up, but you <i>should</i> still have time to drive to Arenal that day. It will start to get dark between 5:30 and 6:00-ish and the light seems to fade pretty quickly once dusk arrives.

Malaria isn't a big issue in CR, but it never hurts to check the CDC website. Better safe than sorry...

You will be traveling during the rainy/green season. Don't know that I'd personally lug rainboots down there, but a decent, breathable rain jacket an umbrella, and shoes that can get wet; absolutely!

1. Using the coastal roads in August is an iffy thing. Some will be fine, others not. You will just have to check with your hotel staff for local information on the local conditions.

2. Really know nothing about the Bego. Of course, the owner of a Toyota Prada would call it a "tin can." You can find out a lot about the Bego by doing a little Google research. The only thing you want to consider is the clearance - the higher the better since the back roads can get rocky and bumpy in some places.

3. If you land at 10:50, you will have plenty of time to get to Arenal. It may take you only an hour or so to get out of the airport, then an hour for your rental car and you're on your way. It's about 3 hours from the airport to Arenal and the sun sets sometime around 5:30 and it is dark at 6:00. So it looks like you have a buffer if something does not go according to plan.

4. Malaria. There is only one isolated area of malaria in Costa Rica -- way back in the country in Limon Province which is nowhere near where you will be. You do not need anti-malarial drugs. It is a serious thing because they have serious side effects. If you check the CDC website, you would probably never leave your house! In my opinion, it is a real overkill for what they write about Costa Rica and it is also not really up to date.

5. Rain boots - do not waste your precious luggage space with rain boots. If you decide you need them, you can buy them really cheap here in Costa Rica. Many places that have tours that go through an area that might be muddy will have boots you can use. I think the most practical thing is to just bring a couple of pairs of sneakers, those Teva-type sandals and flipflops.

Hoping you have a great trip!

You definitely have time to get to Arenal. A lot of people like to use a GPS since things aren't always well marked. We've never taken any anti-malarials and haven't had any problems. Agree that you don't need to pack rain boots. We like to wear Keen's and Solomon Tech's - something that can get wet and that will then dry fairly quickly. The places where we've stayed that have been muddy have provided rain boots.

For turtles, Ostional is great! I would stay at Lagarta Lodge as opposed to Luna Azul. Luna is a beautiful property, but a bit isolated from everything else.It's placed between Ostional and Nosara...but closer to Ostional. There is really nothing to do in Ostional, except see the turtles and surf...and the surfing is for experienced surfers. There are a couple of restaurants but nothing for tourist.
Lagarta Lodge is actually in Nosara. It's a beautiful place...."The Place" for sunset viewing and the restaurant is very, very good with excellent service. Regina and Amadeo are super nice people. Also, at Playa Guiones (10 min from Lagarta)there are many shops, restaurants, bars, a bank, ATV tours, zip lines, hourseback riding and of course great surfing. With all this, it still seems quiet compared to Tamarindo, as we have many, many protected green areas where you can't build.
It would be about a 20-30 minute drive to Ostional and you'll have to plan it around the rain so you can get past the river. Or you can do a night or two at Luna Azul, see the turtles and then move to Lagarta.
I hate to throw a wrench in your plans, but I would reconsider staying in Tamarindo. It's very touristy (crowded)and the beach isn't that nice. They lost their Blue Flag (an 'award' from the government for clean beaches) a couple years ago and have not been able to get it back due to pollution from too much/bad contruction...lots of waste goes into the water.

For turtles, Ostional is great! I would stay at Lagarta Lodge as opposed to Luna Azul. Luna is a beautiful property, but a bit isolated from everything else.It's placed between Ostional and Nosara...but closer to Ostional. There is really nothing to do in Ostional, except see the turtles and surf...and the surfing is for experienced surfers. There are a couple of restaurants but nothing for tourist.
Lagarta Lodge is actually in Nosara. It's a beautiful place...."The Place" for sunset viewing and the restaurant is very, very good with excellent service. Regina and Amadeo are super nice people. Also, at Playa Guiones (10 min from Lagarta)there are many shops, restaurants, bars, a bank, ATV tours, zip lines, hourseback riding and of course great surfing. With all this, it still seems quiet compared to Tamarindo, as we have many, many protected green areas where you can't build.
It would be about a 20-30 minute drive to Ostional and you'll have to plan it around the rain so you can get past the river. Or you can do a night or two at Luna Azul, see the turtles and then move to Lagarta.
I hate to throw a wrench in your plans, but I would reconsider staying in Tamarindo. It's very touristy (crowded)and the beach isn't that nice. They lost their Blue Flag (an 'award' from the government for clean beaches) a couple years ago and have not been able to get it back due to pollution from too much/bad contruction...lots of waste goes into the water.

Thank you all for your advice.
Allylam - do you have any suggestions for another beach town - other than Tamarindo- near to playa junquillal but far enough that we will feel that we are somewhere new? I booked Tamarindo to be at the JW marriot b/c i heard great things about the hotel and the area but what you are saying about the beach is scaring me off for sure. Especially since that is supposed to be our relaxing beach time!
ALSO - I was thinking about Ezcazu as our last stop now - it appears to be near to the airport and I was wondering what you thought of that.
Thanks

Well, I am not Allylam, but I can tell you that if you travel to Escazu for your last night, you will drive past the airport and then into San Jose and on to Escazu and in the morning, you will re-trace your route back to the airport. I would recommend staying at one of the nicer hotels in Alajuela - which is where the airport is located - such as Villa Dolce, Vida Tropical B&B, Pura Vida Spa, Orquideas Inn, Hotel Spa and Resort Martino, or Hotel Trapp Family Lodge. For a real splurge, try Hotel Xandari Plantation Resort and Spa. Expensive but fantastic.

If you are really concerned about the water at Tamarindo, you can look at Paradisus Playa Conchal. Tamarindo is a busy and expensive place to stay with lots of surfers and good nightlife. Big hotels, villas, condos, etc. Lots of people do stay there and I am sure the water isn't actually contaminated but just not up to the standards of the Blue Flag. Playa Conchal is a Blue Flag beach and very clean.

I agree with hsmithcr on all. Playa Conchal for alternative to Tamarindo, and Alajuela for last night. I love the Orquideas Inn! Excellent restaurant and fabulous breakfast included in the price.
I have not stayed at the Resort Martino, but they do have a nice restaurant.

The JW Marriott is far enough from Tamarindo that you don't need to worry about the water quality. It is a beautiful resort just north of Playa Avellanas (easy walk) which I think is one of the prettiest beaches in Costa Rica. It is also a great surfing beach. You might also consider the Hotel Punta Islita instead of Ostional. A great place to stay and very close to two other turtle nesting beaches, Playa Camaronal and Play Corozalito. You could then drive to Naranjo and take the ferry to Puntarenas and drive to San Jose area. For my last night, I always stay at Casa Bella Rita in Santa Ana, close to the airport and a great place.

Hotel Punta Islita ia a very beautiful resort with (I believe) a 9 hole golfcorse and a cute little bay for swimming. Excellent place for honeymoon exclusion, as it is fairly isolated from anything else but beauty. I have considered taking a little break from my life here...it is that special, but so far, all I have done is
taken day trips there with girlfriends for lunch, but I didn't know they had turtles there...at least not in the numbers as Ostional. In fact, I've never heard of turtles there, and I live in Nosara, only 1-1/2hrs by the beach road. Please, tell me more! Thanks!

Allylam,
Both Playa Camaronal (just north of Islita) and Playa Corozalito (just south of Islita) are excellent turtle beaches. I've watched turtles nest in both locations. They may not have the numbers that Ostional does but both are important nesting beaches. Corazlito is a very small beach (only about a km in length) but has had large numbers nesting there even arribadas. It is a beautiful isolated beach close to the Islita air strip. PRETOMA has a camp there and is protecting the nests as it does in Playa San Miquel and Playa Caletas.

Cool. Thanks for the info on the turtles. I know where those beaches are, I've been there, but I'd never heard of the turtles being there. I did see an arribada in Ostional, it was awesome!

Me Again - I have changed my mind once again and want to see what you think:
Days 1-2-3- Arenal - Is Los Lagos worth the money for the full 3 nights (they are about 100 more than Silencio)
Days 4-5-6 Tamarindo - will use this as home base and go river rafting and to see maybe one other beach for the day. Maybe switch from JW to Dirio
Days 7-8-9 - Samara - HOtel Villas Playa Samara - WIll use this as a home base and take day trips to see turtles if any are hatching
Days 10 - 11 Poas Volcano area - or the coffee plantation in Alejuela
Day 12 - home

Thanks again

I'll only add to what volcanogirl said: Rent a gps! It is a must if you rent a car. Even on a road that you'd think would be well marked, such as between SJ and La Fortuna, you'll find that's not the case. There are NO HIGHWAY MARKERS. There are no addresses. Rent a gps, you won't be sorry.