Costa Rica
Costa Rica 101
Where to Go
The first area you want to hit is Arenal. This is the adventure capital of Costa Rica with rafting, zip-lines, canyoneering, and hot springs to soak in after. A huge, green, now inactive volcano sits in the middle as a scenic landmark. We stayed at the Tabacon resort which has its own hot springs.
Next drive three hours up to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Its a unique jungle where you are able to hike above the clouds. It is cooler than a normal jungle and the misty clouds create a beautiful backdrop for the gorgeous ferns and trees. I recommend doing a hanging bridges tour and taking the gondola up to the top of the mountain.
I usually try to do the cities or adventure part of a trip first, then end with relaxing. There are plenty of choices for a beach retreat in Costa Rica, but I think the Guanacaste peninsula and Manuel Antonio are the best.
Guanacaste has a California surfer vibe, especially in the town of Tamarindo. There are some beautiful resorts including the JW Marriott, Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo and Andaz Peninsula Papagayo.
The Manuel Antonio National Park area has tons of wildlife and and great beaches. We saw tons of monkeys, sloths, lizards, and birds. If you are traveling with kids they might like this area best. We stayed at Tulemar which is on 33 acres of hillside jungle with tons of animals to watch. We saw the most sloths just outside the house.
Arenal, Manuel Antonio Itinerary
Day 1 – arrive 5p, drive to Arenal
Day 2 – Ecoterra Hanging bridges tour, afternoon Canyoneering with PureTrek
Day 3 – Zip-line tour with Ecoglide
Day 4 - drive to 5 hrs Manuel Antonio
Day 5 – Explore resort and beach
Day 6 – visit Manuel Antonio National Park with Tucanes Tours
Day 7 – River rafting El Chorro
Day 8 – Surfing, beach
Day 8 – Waterfalls and swimming hole tour
Day 9 – Family River Rafting
Day 10 – Morning transfer 2 hrs back to San Jose, fly home.
Arenal, Monteverde, Guanacaste Itinerary
Day 1 - Fly in from Liberia, drive to Arenal
Day 2 - Canyoneering with Desafio
Day 3 - River Rafting
Day 4 - La Fortuna Waterfall
Day 5 - Drive to Monteverde Cloud Forest
Day 6 - Hanging Bridges tour, tram in afternoon
Day 7 - Hike through jungle
Day 8 - Drive to Guanacaste and the JW Marriott.
Day 9 - Relax on the beach
Day 10 - Surfing lessons and see city of Tamarindo
Day 11 - Fly home
Things to Do in Arenal
Canyoneering
https://puretrek.com/ - We did this one with the kids. Four rappels and a “monkey drop” which is basically a swing out then a drop down into water. They have morning or afternoon half day. This tour was definitely a bit crowded and commercialized.
We also did “gravity falls” with Desafio and it was less commercial and felt like you were more in nature. They do have a higher age limit for this one though.
We did a zip-line tour through Ecoglide and it was perfect for the kids. They had stoppers at the end of the zip line so it wasn't a scary and the kids didn't have to slow down themselves.
El Salto (The jump) swimming hole in town by bridge. Go down road Calle 472 past restaurant Mediterranean, past run down church until you see cars parking on the side of the road.
We went to the La Fortuna Waterfall in town and it is pretty incredible. Its a 200 ft waterfall that you can swim in. Lots of steps down and it can get crowded. It is managed and you have to pay a fee to get in. https://www.cataratalafortuna.com/
I’ve heard La Paz Waterfall Gardens The Peace Lodge is amazing, but haven’t been there myself. Its about 1 hr 45 min from Arenal. https://waterfallgardens.com/waterfalls/
Things to in Manuel Antonio
This area is known for its river rafting, but different sections are good different times of the year. El Chorro Class IV and V is best Jan to April but in rainy season its too high and dangerous. In general rafting is best May to November with higher water in rainy season. We went with Amigos del Rio and they were great. We did the calmer Class II and III Savegre River with the kids, but it was a little too calm.
Although the canyoneering in Arenal might be better you can still do it in Manuel Antonio. Quepo Canyoning - https://quepocanyoning.com/
Some places will have a baby sea turtle release periodically. The season for that is typically May-December. Tortuga Verde, Playa Bandera.
Waterfalls and Swimming Holes
Most hotels can recommend a local guide that can take you to some swimming holes and waterfalls. I love being in the middle of the jungle and swimming in a waterfall!
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