Where to go with 2 yr old
 

Hello
We are looking to travel to Costa Rica for a week in June or July. We will be traveling with our two year old son and so will most likely stay put in one location. We would like a combination of rain forest activities and beautiful beaches (with calm waters). We'd like to stay in an eco lodge that provides tours/packages. We are experienced travelers and have traversed pretty much all the continents but find it a completely new adventure now planning an ideal vacation with a toddler. Any suggestions would help.

I would go to Manuel Antonio; it has a national park full of wildlife, a beautiful beach inside the park, lots of restaurant choices, and it's easy to get around here. It's very popular with famlies.

www.playamontezuma.net

www.ylangylangresort.com

Best beach calm waters...

consider a night or 2 at

www.arenal.net

www.tabacon.com

it is amazing kids love it...

Hi,
I find my travels to take on a whole new meaning with my son. Although, I'll be honest with you, I find it sooooooo fulfilling and great.

I would recommend along with the other posters, Manuel Antonio and Arenal. But if you really want to stay put and have more options. I would also check out Guanacaste beaches.

There are some great hotels in:
Tamarindo
Conchal
Playa Grande
Flamingo

The beaches here are great, there are plenty of tours to go to the rainforest, sunset cruises, walks on the beach, and a tour to a volcano.

True Eco lodges are mainly in Puerto Viejo, Caribbean side, also a great option for kids, some of the beaches are calm, but others can be a bit rough. Also, the greatest eco lodges are in the Osa, with rainforests, pristine beaches.

Hope this helps,
Marina K. Villatoro
http://travelexperta.com

I second Manuel Antonio as an option. The 2nd beach inside the park is perfect for kids, very calm. Ditto the private beach at Tulemar Bungalows/Buena Vista. It provided a lot of enjoyment for our 3 year old granddaughter.

A previous poster named popular beaches in the Guanacaste area. Playa Flamingo is one of our favorites, but it isn't a good beach for young children. The wave action can be quite intense. Also, the Guanacaste beaches won't offer the nearby wildlife and national park experience right next door that you'll find at MA. Same for Montezuma.

I'm in a silly mood. I just saw your question and felt I needed to suggest, in the spirit of silliness, Chuck E. Cheese.

Thank you all for the great suggestions!
I am looking into 2-3 nights in Arenal and am still undecided about the beach part. Actually, QUITE undecided!

Manuel Antonio appeals to me because of the national park but I also am quite drawn to the idea of a laid back beach stay (being able to just step out of your room and straight onto a beach) like Montezuma or around Guanacaste. MA seems like it would be a hike to get to any of the desirable beaches (the one in the park itself) or am i wrong?

Some questions:
1) Does Arenal offer a wild life/rain forest experience like MA? We are not looking for anything intense. Just something amusing enough for a two year old.

2) Are there beach front properties (with calm waters) in MA that you recommend? And how far is the second beach in the park (is it the playa manuel antonio?)

3) Calm water is quite important to us, as we would like our toddler to be able to enjoy the water. (even something like a tidal pool would be nice) Any recommendations?

To Qwovadis if you read this:
is the water in front of Ylang Ylang calm enough for a toddler. I was looking at photos and it looked a bit rough. Also, in Frommer's it mentioned that it the waves can get rough for swimming. Just a concern. Otherwise, your suggestion seems lovely.

Have you looked at Buena Vista Villas or Tulemar Bungalows in MA? They have a private beach. Si Como No is very popular with families, and they run a shuttle to the beach. The national park is just minutes from the hotels, a quick cab ride.

We never saw much wildlife in Arenal until we hired a guide; the wildlife there isn't as obvious as it is in MA. That's one reason we love the Cano Negro tour, but I wouldn't do that one with a 2-year old. In MA, you'll see monkeys everywhere and lots of other wildlife in the park, but the animals are not really as wild as in other areas; they are very used to humans.

I would not take a 2 year old to Si Como No. Look at their photos and you will see the walkways and restaurants are suspended and the railings are not childproof. You would have to keep a hand on your two year old at all times and we all know how relaxing that is! Tulemar is great for that age.