Costa Rica adventures - returning with teens after 22 years
Costa Rica
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Aug 6 - Aug 14, 2025
Twenty-two years after honeymooning in Costa Rica, my husband and I brought our two daughters (ages 16 and 20) back to Costa Rica and it exceeded expectations! Gustavo put together an incredible itinerary for us and chose perfect accommodations to please all. We especially loved Hotel Poco a Poca which had a lovely walking trail, beautiful little spots to relax, and a lovely swim up pool and large hot tub which our girls especially loved. The onsite restaurant is great, and the morning breakfast was delicious with lovely ambiance.
Our excursions in the La Fortuna / Arenal area definitely exceeded expectations. Hugo was our tour guide at Arenal Volcano and he was so knowledgeable and gave us lots of opportunity to choose the pace. We then headed to the waterfalls which were rewarding. It would have been helpful to know in advance that we could have packed a separate bag for the waterfall and left it in the van, instead of trying to dress for both hiking and swimming. The EcoTermales Hot Springs Experience was truly exceptional. We were the first people there in the morning which gave us time to explore and take pictures. It was never particularly crowded, and the meal was lovely too.
In Monteverde we were thrilled with the TreeTram ziplining adventure. It definitely gets the heart racing, but we felt safe and our guides there were really personable. We had a really fun day at the beach in Manuel Antonio. We didn't book excursions here, but took some advise for how to spend our day and it was great. We took taxis to and from the beach and the National Park which were super easy and all our taxi drivers were kind and friendly.
Super impressed with how smooth everything went with the car rental, and our trip itinerary prepared us plenty for the driving between La Fortuna, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio. A nine day trip for a family of four - everything went completely smoothly and everyone's expectations of this once in a lifetime trip were exceeded! I definitely recommend KimKim for planning trips like this that need to please different ages and where you want to fit in lots of different locations and activities!
Hotel Reviews
Very beautiful grounds where weather permitting, you will get incredible views of the volcano. The rooms are clean and simple with ample space. The private huts are truly lovely. We found it convenient to have the onsite food and beverage service, however it's hours are not clear so we learned to not count on it being open. The service at both the restaurant and front desk were friendly and helpful. We were originally put in two units that are off the parking lot which were very noisy and not nearly as lovely as being within the walls of the hotel grounds. We asked to be relocated and they were beyond accommodating to make this happen. It was lovely to have the pools to enjoy before and after our excursions!
My family of four (daughters ages 20 and 16) simply loved this hotel. Upon arrival, we were welcomed with fresh juice in the lobby while checking in, and shown to our rooms. The pool and hot tub are beautiful, with a swim up bar which was such a treat for all. As you walk the grounds, there are so many nooks to curl up in and savor the peace and quiet in whatever way you prefer. The onsite restaurant is wonderful to have, which allowed us to not have to leave the grounds after a full day of excursions. The breakfast service is top notch, and the setting is beautiful. There's a lovely little nature walk onsite which was perfect for filling little gaps of time.
The views at Shana by the Beach are magnificent, which we enjoyed from both our balcony and the pool. The rooms are clean and comfortable, although the walls are quite thin and we did deal with some noisy neighbors. There is an adult pool which we appreciated given how popular the main pool was. Service at the restaurant and pool was great, and the menu is diverse enough to accommodate the varied tastes of our family of four. The front desk was very helpful with quickly getting taxis to pickup right from our building.
Activity Reviews
This was a great first day for our family in Costa Rica. We started at the volcano, and our tour guide Hugo was prompt and proved to be super knowledgeable and patient. He gave us options for how long of a hike we wanted to do. He really knew the area and had a lovely way of sharing it with us. He had fresh pineapple ready for us when we got back to the van, before heading to the waterfall. He was very patient when we took the time at the waterfall to seek out a snack for our daughters since they needed something to hold them over til lunch.
EcoTermales is very luxurious! We got there early and enjoyed being there without others, but even as it began to fill up it never felt crowded. We easily could have spent more time than than we had planned for. They make beautiful and tasty cocktails! There are lockers and changing rooms and everything is very thought out to increase enjoyment of the grounds and pools.