kbeths

Hi. We have flights booked for a week in April to Costa Rica but that is about all so far. I have been doing tons of online research and have found this site to be the most useful. Still, i haven't been able to put together an itinerary to meet the needs of my young kids (boys, 4-7) that doesn't involve that much travel by car. Ideally, it seems we would like to do Arenal and then drive up to MA but I just can't imagine driving with them for the 5 hours it seems to take to get from Arenal to MA and then the 3 hours back to San Jose. If we do the drive, should we drive ourselves or hire a driver as some have suggested? Any input on Los Lagos, Lost Iguana, Si Como No, La Miraposa hotels (good for kids)? Our vacations consist mostly of trips to visit family around the U.S. so this is a departure for us and we'd like to make it really special for the whole family. Thanks for any input.

hipvirgochick

I think you are headed in the right direction. It's a long drive between MA and Arenal, but definitely worth it. How do they do with travel in the states? The roads between Arenal and MA are fine, so you'd be ok renting a car. If you don't want to go that route probably a private drive would be more economical than Interbus or flying. I'm sure the kids would love Los Lagos, and it's fun for adults too. Since it gets dark early in CR it's nice to be able to have some fun time in the evenings staying cool and winding down. April is a pretty hot month, even in Arenal. The most family oriented place mentioned in MA is Si Como No. I haven't stayed there, but would without hesitation. Another place, right near the park, is La Posado Bungalows. Lots of things to do in both of those areas and easy to get around.

shillmac

I, too, think you are right on track. We travel all over CR with our 4 year old granddaughter. We, too, are always mindful of the time in the car and do our best to keep it short and sweet. We have found a portable DVD player to be very helpful (as are naps should you be so lucky).

You already know your biggest challenge will be between Arenal and MA. The Rio Tarcoles bridge and the crocodiles below will be a midway point for you (almost) and a good place for a break and refreshment.

In MA, Tulemar Bungalows is a place that has worked really well for us. There is a lot of wildlife up close (sloths, monkeys, iguanas), a pool, and that wonderful private beach that is just super for families. We like lower Villa Mot Mot with its huge Cali King, but that wouldn't be enough space for your family. Perhaps Upper Mot Mot--or one of the bungalows. We also like Si Como No, but the beach at Tulemar is a BIG draw for us, and I think your boys would love it.

I'm guessing you are travel around Easter. This is a very busy time as the Costa Rican families will be vacationing as well. If that is the case, you should probably get right on the reservations.

Nords95

We stayed at Los Lagos this past July with our kids gaed 14, 11, 6 and 2 and they loved it. We did the drive down to MA and it was a good 7 to 8 hours. We had a portable DVD player for the baby so the Backyardigans kept her busy while the kids looked for things on the side of the road. I chose Tulemar on Shillmac's recommendation and it was great. After a week of running around it was nice to just chill out at the beach. We did not do any tours while in MA as you have sloths, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, iguanas, leaf cutter ants and an array of birds right outside your door. They even let my son name the baby sloth that was using the post in the restaurant as a tree.

The kids still talk about this trip and we are close to booking another two weeks for this summer.

Josh

kbeths

Thanks so much for your replies! I am so appreciative for the input. I think I'm sold on going from Arenal to MA. Could any of you comment on whether we should rent a car in Arenal to drive to MA or hire a driver who could possibly split up the trip with a stop along the way? I have been reading nice things about Wilson??

volcanogirl

I think a private driver would be great for you; then you could relax and enjoy the ride. We love the Lost Iguana, but with young kids, I think Los Lagos would be a big hit with them. Then either Tulemar or Si Como No in Manuel Antonio. We always book private drivers through our hotels when we reserve them. Lots of good drivers recommended on the boards too.

ShellD

Part of our CR trip 2 years ago included Los Lagos and Tulemar, and our kids were 7 and 9 at the time. They absolutely loved both of those places. The drive between Arenal and MA was long. It was the only leg where we chose to hire a driver and I probably wouldn't do it again. Just because we don't mind driving on our own - we've rented a car in the past in CR and for that trip we drove the rest of the time ourselves and had no problems. My reasoning was that this was the longest travel time and at the end of the trip and my husband might want a break from the driving. Especially with the kids in the car. But what should have been a 5-6 hr drive turned into 8 hrs because we did have a driver. I can't say I'm complaining because it was an awesome ride. We stopped for a great lunch. We stopped at the tarcoles bridge to see the crocodiles. We even stopped at the driver's friends house and had coffee and snacks. The kids played with a local family and we got to know a local family. BUT that being said - it was a very LONG day....

We did use Wilson, he was wonderful - we learned so much about the country and it was a non-stressful trip. He had a DVD player in the van and snacks. I'd recommend in for sure. When my daughter mentioned she'd like some ice cream, he went out of his way to find it for her. When he found out my husband was a chef, he wanted to find local ingredients to show him.

But for us, we like the freedom to just go at our own pace as well.

I think you can't go wrong with Los Lagos and Tulemar for kids!

Have fun!!!

volcanogirl

Your driver can make as few or as many stops as you want; we didn't want to make a lot of stops - just the Tarcoles bridge, and it took us about 5 hours. Argh, shell, I don't think I could have taken 8 hours.

ShellD

volcanogirl - at the time, when we were making the stops it didn't seem bad, but that last hour, getting into MA - from Jaco to MA, was a killer. We had no problem agreeing to the stops, but when we finally got to Tulemar and it was dark and we had been travelling for 8 hours it just felt like it had been way too long of a day. At that point, both my husband and I had enough. The kids were probably fine with it. But we kept thinking had we just done the drive ourselves we would have been there so many hours before! Also, my husband really enjoys driving in CR. I think he likes the adventure of it all!

But I also know we had a wonderful experience on that drive....it was just beyond long!!!

kbeths

Great advice! I am going to look into both hotels now and feel much more confident that this will be a terrific experience. I'm really thankful for this forum and your input.