I am planning a 10-14 day trip to CR next winter. We will be a party of 14 - 6 adults and 8 kids ages 5-14. Trip will be split between Arenal and MA.

Originally we were planning to rent jeeps and drive from Arenal to MA, stopping someplace mid way for an overnight and a break.

Is this worthwhile or would you recommend flying instead? Are there enough small, interesting things to see and do along the way to make the long drive interesting enough for everyone?

Thanks!

I'd like to hear about the drive too, we're considering an Arenal/MA trip as well.

it's only a 3.5 hour drive from manuel antonio to la fortuna. 4 hours max!
check out my travelblogs below for stuff to do- eat -when you get there

http://costa.rica.typepad.com/manuel...ome/index.html


http://costa.rica.typepad.com/la_for...ome/index.html

It took us 4 1/2 hours to get from La Fortuna to MA, with no stops for meals. Although it was a Wednesday, traffic was heavy. We were making great time until we neared MA. There are a lot of one lane bridges and it can be a long wait until it's your turn to cross.

Most people plan on about 5 hrs (plus breaks) between Arenal and Manuel Antonio. Traffic and road conditions are always variable so it could be a little more or less.

You could stop in Jaco for lunch by the beach. The kids might enjoy watching the surfers. Do be careful about leaving things in your cars -they are broken into down there. Never leave anything of value in the car. Clothes can be replaced but cameras full of your memories can't. Passports are a pain to replace. Have copies with you. Carry the copies and leave the originals in a safe whenever possible. You will need the original if you go into a bank to get money from a teller.

You can stop at the Tarcoles bridge where the crocs are. Take turns looking so someone is always with the cars. Scarlet macaws fly around in that area at times. The last hour or so is going to be pretty boring except for the bridges.

Another option is to easily arrange for a private van/bus and driver to take you from Arenal to MA all together with whatever stops you want...

We drove from MA to Arenal and I think it took us about five or six hours, BUT... we got lost for a good hour of that time, oops.

As for stopping for an overnight - As you see, this trip is reported to take anywhere from 3.5-6 hours. Totally depends on traffic, your driving, number of times you stop, etc. Our trip from MA to Arenal, took around 6 hours - we obviously took the same route as LA!!! "the lost in Paradise route!" I really can't see a need to stop overnight.

As to whether you rent, hire or fly - with a group of 14. Totally up to you - but I see two options. Either hire a driver with a 15 passenger van or rent several vehicles.

You may even consider a having a driver take you to MA and then flying back to SJO.

In MA you can easily and inexpensively use the public bus system or a cab for getting around between the beaches, park and Quepos. As for tours, most you would be booking with transportation included.

As a side note - I always find it fascinating the differences in peoples opinions. I have read several reviews as to the number of one lane bridges and terrible road to MA. I know they are there, but in my mind, only one bridge comes to mind - And I thought it to be interesting and comical!

The for the suggested stops. None of us minds driving (we would prefer this to hiring a van or bus) we are just concerned about what there will be for the kids to do so they don't get too bored. Having a few stops such as Jaco would help break up the monotony and get the kids out and burning off the excess energy.

Any other suggestions for stopping along the way?

Thanks!

Forgot to mention - each family will have their own jeep, which we plan to rent at the SJO airport. We want our own transportation for exploring the Arenal area, where we plan to spend several days. We may or may not keep the jeeps once we arrive in MA.

We have all traveled to places with bad roads and driving on the left is something we have done as well. Biggest obstacle is the back seat bunch. I can already hear "are we there yet."

We need things to do along the way. I am budgeting a full 6+ hours of travel (with stops.)

Is Jaco the best place to stop for lunch? How far are away is Jaco from the crocs in Tarcoles? Guess I better get on Google and find a good map!

The Tarcoles Bridge (where you can see the crocs) is about 15 miles past Orotina (you'll pass through there on the way down from Arenal) and about 30 minutes before you arrive in Jaco. If seeing the crocs from the bridge isn't enough, you can do a croc-feeding boat tour through www.crocodilemantour.com.

Not sure if this was on your agenda, but if you are driving up to Arenal from San Jose early in the morning, it's worth breaking up the trip by driving up to the summit of Volcan Poas along the way. It makes the total trip to Arenal 4 hours (plus about 1-2 hours at the volcano) instead of 3.5 hours by driving it straight, but it's an amazing place. Don't bother, though, if you can't get to the summit by 9:30/10am (leave by 8/8:30am) as you get clouded in later in the day.

CathyF if you need a ride at the end of your stay at MA, our driver last May has e-mailed me that this month he was to have purchased a 30 passenger van as he has been so busy with his 15 passenger van that he decided to expand to larger groups. His name is Leo Rodriguez, e-mail is [email protected] in case next yr. you are interested in contacting him. He is a great source of info even if you don't hire him - speaks fluent English (a college grad) Phone from USA (011) 506-378-0001

Took us 5 hours too! One of our best decisions for the 9 of us was the driver, our 5 kids loved our grampa figure driver and we were all in the adventures together anyway. Hulio made our meals much more enjoyable, he was very valuable! Drove 1 hr, canyoneered in San Lorenzo (highly recommend) and then finished with 4 hours to Manual Antonio.