Itinerary with 6 month old | Costa Rica - Lonely Planet Forum

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Wed, 26 Jul 2017 08:43:47 +0000

We are travelling to CR in December/January for 16 days with our baby who will then be 6 months old. I'm a very experienced traveller but not with a baby.
My current itinerary is:
Land in SJO and stay overnight
2 days around Arenal for hiking/springs/horseback tours
6 days around Antonio/ south coast
6 days around Caribbean Coast (Cahuita based)
Last night in SJO before flying home.

Questions:
Is 2 days enough for Arenal area?
I chose Antonio because it's meant to be child friendly but I hate tacky touristy areas...will it be like this?
Cahuita looks beautiful but I've heard there is lots of drugs and partying...is this true?
We will not have a car...recommendations for travel between these areas?

Also, advice of a better 16 day itinerary with a 6 month old very much welcomed. We are wanting around a week of nature/hiking/volcano/forest and then a week in a beautiful coastal area.

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Fri, 28 Jul 2017 12:49:45 +0000

Christmas-New Year will be very busy, expensive and beaches get crowded. Arenal and Manuel Antonio are two of the most touristy spots in Costa Rica. I believe especially MA is very busy that time of the year. If you do go to Arenal you might want more than 2 days. You can also do day trips or consider staying around Tenorio. I also think that if you do choose Arenal and/or Manuel Antonio you might have to book soon.

The Caribbean coast will be less busy. It will also be rainier but that is what keeps everything so lush. I love the wild natural beaches. They are bordered by rainforest and there is lots of wildlife in the area. The Cahuita National Park is amazing. South of Puerto Viejo look at Punta Uva and Manzanillo. You could add Tortuguero. You can get to Tortuguero by bus/boat from San Jose, then there is a scenic boat ride to Moin, bus/taxi to Limon and bus to Cahuita. Then a bus to Puerto Viejo or Manzanillo. It is a laid-back area and we had no problems with people partying too much in Cahuita and certainly not in Manzanillo. We were also not offered any drugs.

Also consider Sarapiqui before Tortuguero.

Another area to consider is the Orosi Valley. I have not yet been. We were going to go last time but didn't make it. Sounds like a great area: hiking in Tapanti park, hot springs, volcano Irazu, coffee, botanical gardens, Cartago, ruins, horseback riding... And it is not a touristy area. A bit harder without a car but we were going to try.

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Sun, 29 Jul 2018 01:01:10 +0000

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