Costa Rica Trip

Toying with the idea of a family trip there between Christmas and New Year's. Has anyone visited during this time period, and is there a family friendly resort you'd recommend? My daughters are 13 and 9.

We went during Christmas/NY two years ago. It was hands down my favorite trip with the family. We went with my parents, my sisters family, and my family. We rented a big house on Flamingo Beach. The beach was perfect. The water was perfect (clear, waves, not undertow, no dangers). We were about a two hour drive from the zip lines and shit, but that was fine. The people, vibe, weather were all perfect. I would go back right now.

DirtySouthDeacon said:

We went during Christmas/NY two years ago. It was hands down my favorite trip with the family. We went with my parents, my sisters family, and my family. We rented a big house on Flamingo Beach. The beach was perfect. The water was perfect (clear, waves, not undertow, no dangers). We were about a two hour drive from the zip lines and shit, but that was fine. The people, vibe, weather were all perfect. I would go back right now.

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Sounds awesome. Glad to know it's a realistic holiday trip. As we are in Florida and go to the beach a lot I was thinking of something more in the interior. Anyone have any leads on something like that? I've read tripadvisor and there seems to be a lot of cool places but many seem to be money pits too.

I highly recommend taking a canyoning tour. We took one in the Arenal/La Fortuna area. I think it was with Desafio, but might have been Pure Trek. I think those are the main two outfits.

We stayed in the Arenal Observatory Lodge. Nothing fancy. Suited us fine.

Brangus said:

Sounds awesome. Glad to know it's a realistic holiday trip. As we are in Florida and go to the beach a lot I was thinking of something more in the interior. Anyone have any leads on something like that? I've read tripadvisor and there seems to be a lot of cool places but many seem to be money pits too.

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Arenal Observatory Lodge is amazing. It’s great for kids too. Wildlife all over the place. We saw ant eaters, coati, howler monkeys, a margay, and the birds...don’t get me started. Zip lining was fun too, we used a place called Eco-glide, skip the Tarzan swing in my opinion. Book soon because Christmas and New Years are the busiest time. I’ve been to CR 4 times and it was the most crowded over New Years.

There is some great surfing and weed in the Tamarindo area.

BTW, if you want to get real Vegas flavor go to either Piero's or The Hole in the Wall for an Italian dinner.

My brother in law is from Costa Rica and my sister lived there for a few years. Here is what she sends to people whenever they ask about a CR trip:

https://www.anywhere.com/costa-rica

Anywhere Costa Rica webpage is a great resource for planning a trip to Costa Rica. It breaks down the country by type of destinations and best places to stay and visit depending on what type of vacation you’re look to have.

The best beaches in Costa Rica are definitely in Guanacaste (North West part of Country). Tamarindo is probably the most popular beach town in Guanacaste for tourist and has lots of different hotels. Playa Conchal has the Westin Golf Resort and Spa which I hear is beautiful but VERY expensive.

This page breaks down all the towns in Guanacaste and is very informative.

https://www.anywhere.com/costa-rica/regions/guanacaste

If you plan on staying in the northern part of the country, it is easier to fly out of Liberia International Airport as opposed to San Jose.

If you are looking to fly into San Jose and want closer beaches, the pacific coast beaches are also beautiful. Manuel Antonio is one of the most popular tourist destinations. Also, Los Suenos Resort has a marina, Marriott hotel, and golf course if you’re looking for a resort experience.

Jaco is a beach town that is known for its crazy night life, definitely a party city which means more filth and creeps. Not the best beach either.

Dominical on the pacific coast is a clean, nice beach.

If you are looking for a Mountain, Cloud Forest experience, Monte Verde is beautiful and a great place for hiking.

Arenal Volcano – Another big tourist location. Beautiful volcano, hikes, hot springs, and spas.

On the Caribbean Coast Totuguero is an awesome experience. It is a nesting beach for turtles, so they have guided night tours to watch turtles lay eggs or watch eggs hatching. Good kayaking, hiking, fishing.

If you really want an off the beaten path experience, contact me and I will set you up with my friend Fabian, who has a tourist center in the town where I lived in the Mountains outside of Turrialba. The best white water rafting river (Pacuare) can be accessed from Turrialba.

Went to Dominical in January with my wife, kids (ages 9,9, and 6), and wife's family. We rented a house with a pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Took day trips for ziplining, canyoning, and horseback riding to nearby waterfalls. Other days were spent at the house at the pool or in the village of Dominical. Locals who took us canyoning also gave my boys surfing lessons. Lots of expats in Dominical. Didn't have to use my Spanish much except when traveling farther south down the coast. Very laid back and overall great trip. Only pain was the 3.5 hour drive to and from the San Jose airport in our 3 cylinder Mitsubishi van rental with manual transmission.

ETA

Forgot the part about my brother in law making fun of my wife for lathering our kids in sunscreen and DEET, and then being hospitalized once he got home with Dengue fever.

quadrupledeac said:

Went to Dominical in January with my wife, kids (ages 9,9, and 6), and wife's family. We rented a house with a pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Took day trips for ziplining, canyoning, and horseback riding to nearby waterfalls. Other days were spent at the house at the pool or in the village of Dominical. Locals who took us canyoning also gave my boys surfing lessons. Lots of expats in Dominical. Didn't have to use my Spanish much except when traveling farther south down the coast. Very laid back and overall great trip. Only pain was the 3.5 hour drive to and from the San Jose airport in our 3 cylinder Mitsubishi van rental with manual transmission.

ETA

Forgot the part about my brother in law making fun of my wife for lathering our kids in sunscreen and DEET, and then being hospitalized once he got home with Dengue fever.

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Is Dengue Fever a pretty severe risk? I mean is it something one has a decent chance of contracting visiting Costa Rica? I'd feel terrible if my wife or kids got sick.

Thanks to those who have provided input btw.

Brangus said:

Is Dengue Fever a pretty severe risk? I mean is it something one has a decent chance of contracting visiting Costa Rica? I'd feel terrible if my wife or kids got sick.

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It is not very common. There was an out break a few years ago associated with an El Niño event. Also, it’s more common in the coastal areas not as much in the mountains.

We stayed here for a week or so. It was pretty awesome. Not a resort, but that's not really Costa Rica to me. We rented a golf cart to get around, and rented surfboards for the week. Tons of great food within a 5 minute golf cart ride, lots of fun activities, etc. Amazing ziplining nearby, too.

https://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p906524#amenities

Tamarindo is great - lots of awesome beach-front restaurants and bars. We had one of the best dining experiences ever at Pangas. http://pangasbeachclubcr.com/
We stayed in a condo at Reserva Conchal - very nice resort next to the Westin. Playa Flamingo is a really nice beach with lots of restaurants and stuff. We did a great river cruise nearby and saw lots of wildlife.
It was super hot but it is a dry heat! A great time was had by all.

timdunks got some good advice on here already. I would say you're going to run into a lot of minimum night stays and double or triple the standard rates for beach properties over Christmas and New Years. Also, availability is already an issue at a lot of the places I work with, so definitely best to get things arranged sooner rather than later. May have missed it mentioned but if you're at all interested in wildlife/nature, the Osa Peninsula is without doubt the best place in Costa Rica to visit. You could combine that pretty easily with a stay in Dominical or Uvita for beach time afterwards.

We went in July/August '16, during height of Zika scare and it was fine. We stayed in San Jose and did day trips out, had a fantastic time. If we went again we'd probably pick a coast and stay at a resort.

Looking at mid December honeymoon, any all inclusive recs?

Screamindemon3 said:

Looking at mid December honeymoon, any all inclusive recs?

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Honeymoon?

yeah, yeah, yeah

Honestly I think I'd get bored at the same place for 7 days, might try to mix it up