Geoff_Hersch

July 2-10, 2012. Flying LAX to San Jose July 2 and currently planning to stay in two distictly different locations. 1st night will be in San Jose as stopover at Marriott or the Hotel Grana del Oro before flying to the Osa Peninsula on private flight if we do Osa instead of Arenal for 1st destination (read ahead).

1st destination- to be determined but thinking about the following locations.

Osa Peninsula
1) Aguila de Osa Ecolodge for 3 nights
or
2) Lapa Rios Ecolodge for 3 nights
or
Arenal Area
1) Springs Resort for 4 nights
This would be a more luxurious accomodation for my family without the nature and wildlife of the Osa Peninsula. Pool, bars, multiple restaurants, etc. We wand to do a float trip or class I-II river rafting trip (suggestions welcome as we are having a hard time finding a true class I or II river for my young children.
or
Manuel Antonio
1) Tulemar Bungalows for 4 nights.

2nd destination- Santa Teresa- Pranamar Villas and Yoga Retreat for another 4 nights.
Days will be spent on the beach, surfing, exploring the nearby beaches and just generally chilling out.

We are definintely sold and planning to stay at Pranamar in Santa Teresa for the second 4 nights of our vacation and are having a tough time deciding where to go for the first 1/2 of the vacation.

Our children are 7,8 and 11 years old. We have traveled a bit but this will be our most adventure filled vacation to date. I am concerned about the ecolodge experience and the BUGS but want us/them to have a great educational experience, seeing animals in the wild. Some of these ecolodges have screened walls and windows while others are totally open air with screen canopies over the beds. We really do not want bugs crawling on us at night while we are sleeping. We have heard great things about the two ecolodges that we are thinking about but also realize that there is a reality to the fact that we would be sleeping in the rainforest.

If we stayed in Arenal, at the Springs Resort, I am confident that we would be comfortable but am concerned that we would miss out on the real reason we went to CR in the first place...to seek adventure and different activities. Any advice would be helpful in determining where to go. We have read reviews on Fodors and Trip Advisor and they all have good reviews.

volcanogirl

You guys might like the Penas Blancas river float; we saw capuchins, howlers, a sloth, and some water birds when we did it. Cano Negro is also nice if you just want a river trip, but don't need the rafting portion.

Geoff_Hersch

My travel agent has us tentatively booked on a float trip down the Penas Blancas River is we decide to stay in the Arenal area at the Springs Resort. Volcanogirl...Do you have any other suggestions or recommendations about my overall itinerary choices as stated above?

volcanogirl

With kids that age, I'd lean towards saving the Osa for when they're a little older. If you decide on the Osa, we love Bosque del Cabo. Both Arenal and Manuel Antonio are very popular with young families and offer tons of things to do. I would probably lean towards Arenal since you're already going to the beach for the second portion of your trip. The Springs gets great reviews, but it does have a reputation for being sort of artificial. If you're okay with that, then I'd book there. If not, you might want to explore a few other hotels like The Lost Iguana, Nayara, Los Lagos, Silencio del Campo, or the Arenal Observatory Lodge - those are all very popular places to stay. Check out their websites and reviews and see which one appeals to you most. We like the Lost Iguana and Nayara. The waterfall hike is very nice, and you can swim in the river there; the water is crystal clear. You can do the two river trips and hike at the Hanging Bridges and volcano. You can visit Tabacon or Eco Termales if you stay somewhere without springs. And your kids would probably love visiting Proyecto Asis, an animal rescue center where you can get close to wildlife. We were able to feed monkeys and a sloth there. Ziplining is also great if you can find a spot to take kids that age. Some will only take ages 8 and up. There's also a beautiful lake where you can kayak or take a sunset cruise tour.

ShellD

We've taken our kids to Costa Rica at about those ages - they loved Tulemar Bungelows. The private beach is perfect for families. And you'll definitely see a lot of monkeys there! We also saw a few sloths on the property as well as some great birds. We never made it to the park - never felt the need to.

In Arenal, we've stayed at Los Lagos and the kids loved it there. Great pools and they do have their own springs. It's MUCH less expensive than the Springs Resort. However, I like a splurge resort during the trip and I wouldn't worry about losing the authentic feel. You're in Costa Rica and everything else you do will be authentic. The kids will be experiencing so many new adventures that staying in a resort like the Springs will be it's own unique and amazing experience. Enjoy it!

If you want to zip line in Arenal, I know Los Lagos will let kids who are 7 zip. You can zipline there without staying at the hotel. Sky Trek won't liet kids under 8 zipline . If you go to the Hanging Bridges, definitely get a guide. Especially with the kids. The guide will find a lot of wildlife, including birds and insects, and maybe snakes and frogs that you'd never see.

If you are considering Osa, I'm with volcanogirl - you can't beat Bosque del Cabo. My kids had just turned 10 and 8 when we took them and my son (the 10 year old) LOVED it there. My daughter - well, she wasn't so crazy about it all. I think the scorpion in her room the last night may have done her in! But even so, I think she has great memories of her trip there.

As far as the bugs, I don't think even in the Osa, I've ever had bugs crawling on us at night. Keep the lights off at night and they don't really come in. The beds have mosquito netting, which I have used, but I don't know that it's really been a necessity. Maybe more of a precaution. The lodges are very luxurious in a jungle sense.

I think regardless of where you go, you can't go wrong. It just really depends on what you're looking for:

Arenal: volcano, adventure - hiking, ziplining, hot springs, some wildlife
Manual Antonio - beach, wildlife, mangrove tour, horseback riding
Osa - jungle, hiking, wildlife

Geoff_Hersch

Thank you ShellD for your recommendations based on experience with your family. I am having a hard time making a decision simply due to my desire to make sure everyone in my family is satisfied. I know that both Arenal and Osa would be fine and work out well for the family but feel that Arenal may be the "safer" option for my wife and the kids. The kids really want to see monkeys and have even done school projects with all their excitement.

Thinking now of this itinerary.

1st night- Marriot in San Jose because after a long air travel, it may be better to give the kids an opportunity to play in the pool rather than get in a car for another 3 hours.

2nd, 3rd and 4th nights- Arenal Nayara Hotel or Springs Resort
Hanging Bridges,Rafting/Float Trip and Zip Line

5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Nights- Pranamar Villas
Yoga, Surfing and general beach relaxation

I agree with Volcano Girl that staying at both Tulemar Bungalows and Pranamar would be somewhat redundant because they are both beach locations. Pranamar is more of a surf/yoga retreat ON the beach versus Tulemar that is high on a hill but has a nice private beach cove for family play. Tulemar is, however closer to the MA park and probably more wildlife on the property itself.

Other than the above, my head is still spinning with options.

ShellD

If it was my trip, with my kids, I'd go for Arenal and stay at the Springs resort. I think the benefit of having the hot springs on the property right there is huge. On our last trip to Arenal we tried for 3 days to get there for their "springs pass" and each evening it ended up raining - not just light showers, but thunderstorms. So we had to pass. But if we end up back there again, for sure I'd love to check them out. Also I think with kids, the Springs is a perfect choice.

We've stayed at the Marriott San Jose and the pool is fantastic and the hotel is very nice. It has a very old world Spanish feel. And the views are beautiful.

I'd say that in each location, keep your options open as to what you think you might do, plan but remember that things will change. You may find something that pops up that you weren't expecting and pleasing all the kids is difficult, and I've found that as much as I try to plan - often while were out doing something - their favorite thing to do is get back to the hotel and play in the pool. Not that they don't enjoy the other activities, but they want their own time too.

However, they would go to Costa Rica over Disney ANY day!

volcanogirl

I think Shell makes a good point about having the springs available at night for your kids. There isn't a lot to do in Costa Rica at night, and the springs would keep them happy and entertained. We love Nayara, but their pool area is small and probably more suited to honeymooners than children.