Picturesque, kid-friendly, and quiet stop between Arenal and Manuel Antonio

DWQA QuestionsCategory: Itinerary QuestionsPicturesque, kid-friendly, and quiet stop between Arenal and Manuel Antonio
mafindlay asked 7 years ago

Hi Jenn and Matt,
This July, my wife and I will be traveling with our two small kids (18-months and 3-years) for 11 days. We will be renting a car and spending a 2 days in Atenas before heading to Arenal for 3 more days. We then are planning to hit up Manuel Antonio (Quepos, Dominical, Uvita) and San Gerardo, but are concerned about the 6+ hour drive for our kids. We were thinking of splitting it up and spending a night somewhere 3-hours into the trip. Do you have any recommendations for a good stop somewhere at the halfway point when we’re heading south to the beaches? Ideally, this place would offer a good spot to stretch our legs, spend the night, and enjoy Costa Rican culture. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Marshall
P.S. Do you think we’re crazy for planning this trip with 2 small children? 🙂

1 Answers
Jenn and Matt Staff answered 7 years ago

Hi Marshall, 
Traveling with two little ones will be a logistical challenge of course, but you are not crazy at all. A lot of people come here with their young children and the locals absolutely adore kids. You can read our Traveling with a Baby post for a better sense of that. As for a place to stop along the way, Tarcoles comes to mind as a cool local spot (fishing village) but the accommodations can be quite basic except some nicer places in the mountains nearby. If you drove a little bit more you could stop around Playa Blanca or Jaco. Jaco isn’t really a cultural type place but there is a ton of lodging options all around that area, some near the beach and others in the quieter hills, so you could find something that fits. Of course then you are almost to Manuel Antonio so that might be best if you are planing to go all the way to Uvita? 

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