Haven Family Sample Adventure Itin

Day 1 ------- Arrive and Drive to Arenal Volcano (Nayara Resort)

Nayara

Today your private guide will meet you at the airport and make the 2 1/2 hour drive. At first I thought of sending you guys to Turrialba which is still a possibility and staying at Hacienda Tayutic or Casa Turire. The only problem with this is that starting in that direction would add a lot more car time to the trip and if the Pacuare is canceled because of water level (which is not very common in June but always possible) it would be quite a bummer. My suggestion now is to drive first to the Nayara Resort which your wife will love. All wives love Nayara. I am getting married in August Jesse and my wife is from the Arenal area and she wants to honeymoon at Nayara. It is literally 20 minutes from her house. It is a no brainer great spot and all though romantic and luxurious it is kid friendly also. (Meals included: None)

Arenal Volcano

Drive time: 2 1/2 hours 


Day 2 ------- Canyoneering Adventure & Nature Reserve (Nayara Resort)

Here you will put your waterfall rappeling skills to the test. This is a great day as the boys will get geared up and then make their way down a canyon where they can enjoy being surrounded by the rainforest. After the rappel we will head to a small not so touristy reserve where the kids can enjoy seeing some wildlife in a small area. The Danaus Nature Reserve is a great spot for kids and your naturalist guide will make it very educational. In the evening back to the hotel to relax at Nayara. Many people want to visit the hotsprings but all the hotsprings in this area are glorified pool areas. They are nice but if you're staying at Nayara we always tell the people it is a better bang for your buck just to relax in the pool. The real natural hotsprings are farther in the northern part of the country although many tours will not tell you this.  (Meals included: Breakfast)

Drive time: 20 minutes

Day 3 ------- Zipline Adventure & Stay in the Cloud-forest (Villa Blanca)

Canyoneering

Get ready for the zipline adventure and this is the perfect one for the kids. Not only is it through the cloudforest but it has a tarzan swing and a super-man zip for the last cable. You lay down and go zipping across the last cable. This is a great chance to enjoy some adventure and see some beautiful birds as it is located in the cloud forest where you will be staying this evening. After the zipline we will take you to one of our favorite hotels which is the Villa Blanca located at a higher elevation literally in the cloud-forest. It makes for an amazing night and the kids will enjoy the night hike! We take a walk with flash lights through the trails of the hotel finding a number of different insects, sleeping birds, and the many other creatures that come out at night. Staying the night here is a great way to break up the drive to the Manuel Antonio area.  (Meals: Breakfast)

Drive time: 1:15

Day 4 ------- Drive to Manuel Antonio (Arenas del Mar)

Today we will make the drive to the Manuel Antonio area where the kids can hang out with monkeys for the next few days. You will be staying at the Arenas del Mar which is situated perfectly and very private from the touristy area of the nearby Manuel Antonio. One of the best parts is that it has it's private beach just a walk around the edge. The rooms have great views of the Pacific and you can hear the waves crash as you are on a rock ledge looking out over the water. (Meals: Breakfast)

Drive time: 3 hours

Day 5 ------- Spice Tour and Relax at Beach (Arenas del Mar)

This is often a favorite of many of the ladies. This is a new tour that is really interesting and doing well. It is the rainforest spice tour and a chance to see and learn about where many of the spices from the rainforest come from. This sounds boring for the boys but they do a great job letting them taste and keep them interested in the tour. In the afternoon it will be back to the hotel and relax time at the beach. (Meals: Breakfast)

Drive time: 25 minutes

Day 6 ------- Visit National Park Manuel Antonio (Arenas del Mar)

Manuel Antonio

Today you will visit the National Park of Manuel Antonio which is a great spot for the kids to get upclose look at lots of monkeys. Along with monkeys they will have the chance to see some sloths and other different animals. After you get enough wildlife it will be a nice easy hike to some of the best beaches in all of Costa Rica. In the afternoon it is relax time on the beach and your guide is always available to take you to some of the good kid-friendly restaurants for dinner. (Meals: Breakfast)

Day 7 ------- Fly Home!

Today we will make the two hour drive back to the SJO San Jose Airport. This is a nice easy drive as a new highway just opened. (Meals: Breakfast)