Costa Rican Family Vacation

So we're back from our week long vacation in Costa Rica.  It was fun, but as I struggle through my tenth day of unspeakable digestive tract issues, awaiting lab results to find out if my parents were right and I did in fact catch a parasite in Central America, I'm having a hard time being upbeat about the place.  And then there was our 12 hour flight delay with a unplanned, luggageless overnight stay in San Jose, the fire ants that attacked Baby S, and the night we had Pringles for dinner.  However, if I think back to the first half of our trip, Costa Rica actually was a lovely place to visit with kids.

We stayed just outside Manuel Antonio National Park in a beautiful modern home with a pool overlooking the Pacific.  It was a bit of splurge, but we split the house with another family and were able to get a good deal on the pricing.  It was definitely worth it to have a kitchen, air conditioned bedrooms and a pool.  With 3 kids under 5 we spent a fair amount of time at home for naps and just chilling out and it's much easier to relax sitting next to your private pool overlooking the jungle than in a cramped hotel room.  A few of the trip highlights...

Manuel Antonio National Park- we took a guided hike from the inland park entrance to the beach, Playa Espadilla Sur.  Our guide had a scope to point out animals and we saw monkeys, toucans, sloths, crabs and frogs.  Without the guide we wouldn't have seen anything.  Most of the time even knowing where the animals were perched I couldn't see them without the scope.  The hike was a bit long for the kids, but still enjoyable and the beach was gorgeous.

Damas Island Mangrove tour- this boat tour through the mangrove trees could have been called the "everybody gets a monkey on their head tour".  The mangrove lined canals were beautiful and peaceful and there were plenty of birds to watch, but feeding the monkeys bananas and watching them climb on the kids was definitely the highlight of the tour.  Our boat driver even knew which monkeys to visit-- at one point he steered the boat away from some hungry simians saying "not these guys-- they're mean."  The kids loved it!

Dominical- we spent most of our time in Quepos and Manuel Antonio, which are fine towns, but cater to traditional tourists.  It was a nice change to spend a day in Dominical a small, funky surf town with lots of hostels and people we jokingly referred to as "the Others" wandering about.  The dark sand, rocky beach was wide and empty mid-morning.

Rainmaker - the hike through this small rainforest reserve has a series of hanging bridges as well as a shallow stream and waterfalls you can cool off in.  If I hadn't been so sick I would have really enjoyed this shady walk through the jungle.  As it was, I ignored all warnings of bugs and poisonous dart frogs and laid down in the middle of the trail for a little nap.  The entrance fee included a "tipico" lunch (beans, rice, shredded chicken & tortillas) and fresh squeezed guyabana juice.

El Avion - We had lunch in this restaurant housed in an old cargo plane.  Good food, nice view and the kids had a blast pretending to fly the plane.  Large and kid-friendly, it's on the main road in Manuel Antonio.

El Arado - Our favorite restaurant in Cost Rica-- we came here for dinner and breakfast.  The friendly women who work in the kitchen will cook you up whatever you feel like, although if Saltin, a kind of seafood stew,  is on the menu order it-- you won't regret it.  I also recommend the fresh squeezed watermelon juice. On the old road between Quepos and Manuel Antonio.