Costa Rica for Families in 7 Days: Caribbean Coast Wonders

We booked late and were impressed with what Zicasso’s travel company was able to put together on short notice.

We stayed at two totally different hotels, both wonderful. Our hotel near Drake Bay was in an amazing location, with breathtaking views. The staff was fantastic and the home-cooked meals were wonderful. The room was comfortable, but small, all you needed, nothing more. More spacious rooms were available; we just booked too late and wanted to stick to a budget. Getting to Drake Bay certainly required some effort, but it was well worth it. One day, we did not go on an excursion and had the entire beach to ourselves, how amazing.

From Drake Bay, we traveled to Puerto Jiménez, which was also a journey, but again, well worth it. The travel company booked us at our hotel in Puerto Jiménez, a hidden gem. We had great excursions, saw lots of wildlife, and met some wonderful people. Here too, the staff was great. We had an amazing time, when can we go back?

Thank you to the travel company for putting a great trip together.

We had an unbelievably great trip! Everything went smoothly, was already lined up by Zicasso's tour company, and communication was excellent. The private drivers between locations were excellent and very informative. We could not have asked for a better experience!

We experienced superb planning and execution by Zicasso's travel agency. Every tour was fantastic and the hotels were amazing. The hotels took great care of my wife's special dietary needs and took great care of our grandchildren. The travel consultant closely followed our trip and was immediately responsive whenever we had a question.

The trip was great. The hotels were particularly amazing and I have stayed at many hotels around the world. Tabacón was so unique, it could be my favorite part of the trip. My husband and son absolutely loved the resort and the gorgeous private beach (and monkeys). 

All of the excursions were amazing, except one. The horseback riding was on such a unique and wide open trail, we felt like we were alone in paradise on horseback (and the boys both expected to hate it!). Except for the fishing, the guides on every single tour were truly incredible and enhanced every experience. I would think twice before recommending that particular fishing charter. They were barely friendly and very unhelpful. 

Other than that, everything was perfect. Somehow, they even made the long ride from Arenal to Manuel Antonio pleasant. Zicasso's travel agent put together a wonderful experience.

Costa Rica was an interesting country and Manuel Antonio had a lot to offer. We booked late (August) for a vacation for 11 (including our five grandchildren aged 11 to 16). Zicasso's travel agent came through with many connections for housing and activities. She was quick to respond to questions and always very pleasant. You could tell she loved Costa Rica and knew the country. She was detailed, until she wasn't. We were disappointed that the final schedule had many pick-up errors, as well as miscommunications. It felt as though she had passed the work off to someone else. 

Although it had been mentioned in previous reviews that a sloth lived in the tree above our pool at our villa, we never saw one. Everyone did enjoy interacting with the friendly monkeys and birds. Instead of swimming, the patio became a gathering spot for the forest animals. 

The consensus was that our private catamaran tour was our favorite, even though it rained during most of our trip. The crew was very hospitable, always on the lookout for our safety, and professional. They prepped food as we watched and it was extremely delicious! Our grandkids loved swimming off the boat, jumping into the water, and sitting on the netting as we sailed. 

We also enjoyed the private ATV tour (in spite of smelly, wet helmets). The staff, snack, and lunch were excellent, and the excursion was exciting. The staff were attentive to our safety. Unfortunately, two ATVs "died" during our trip. 

Our final outing was a rainforest waterfall excursion. We feel this was a "last-minute" fill-in for our scheduled tour. We were picked up in a vehicle that was too small for our group and we scrunched 13 people into a van that seated 11. The tour guide was pleasant and guided us to various waterfall sights, but there was little talk or explanation during the trip. The fresh pineapple was delicious and the favorite stop was at Window Beach, where everyone enjoyed jumping the warm waves of the Pacific. Communication was lacking as we never knew how long we had at each stop. The food back at the business was just okay. 

The villa was very nice and had some beautiful features. It was nice to have private bathrooms in the bedrooms, but we should have been alerted that we needed to bring our own shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. We've never traveled anywhere that required us to do so and purchasing six of each at any of their stores was extremely pricey. It could have easily been handled with a "heads-up" mention. Also, the foosball table handle was broken, as was the dishwasher. It took a day for us to get enough towels for our needs since housekeeping didn't leave enough out. We lost time communicating with our host due to internet connections.

Manuel Antonio is an expensive town. There were many nice restaurants and one-of-a-kind, "homemade" shops, and the locals were very welcoming and accommodating. 

Hilly, windy, narrow roads made it nearly impossible to get around without a car. So, as a result, parking was difficult as well.

It rained every day that we were in Costa Rica. Sometimes, it poured. No one can do anything about the weather. Not the travel agency, Zicasso, or us. Despite the inclement weather, we made the best of the situation.

The driver who picked us up at the airport drove us safely to the hotel. Two of us had been in San Jose before. But not the other four. Some commentary about what we were seeking from the driver would have been nice rather than just a long silent drive.

The hotel was very nice. Maybe not Grano de Oro but no complaints about the hotel. The employees manning the desk were exceptional. And the hotels‘ restaurant excellent. (I had the freshest mojito ever from the bar). And next door to the hotel was a wonderful panaderia that seemed to be very conscious of those with nut allergies.

The next morning, while raining, we were picked up by our driver who first drove us to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Despite the pouring rain or maybe because of it, this sanctuary is a must see. It was a perfect start to a trip to CR. It is lovely and so well maintained.

He was the best of all the drivers and guides that we had on our entire trip. He was engaging, amusing and informative. He loves his country and loves his job. Who does not like being around happy people?! He deserves a raise!

Too bad he dropped us off at the resort. The extended stay there was the low point of our stay. The accommodations are subpar. Small rooms, poorly constructed, no insulation and the common walls shared with other guests were as thin as paper mache’! One could hear everything that the other guests were saying. When they flushed the toilet, took a shower or slammed their door, we thought it was coming from our bathroom! The first night, there were 2 crying little kids next to us. It was horrible. The following night, I had to have a detente with the new guests about the noise. They were just as aware of the issue.

Arenal has no shuttle into town; intentionally. They know that the road is too dangerous to walk. Therefore, unless one wants to pay $20 each way for a 6 kilometer cab ride, they have a captive audience when it comes to meals. Their breakfasts were great. A wonderful variety. Their lunch and dinners were stupidly expensive and their wait staff like little robots. For example, we ordered over-priced pizzas one night. One of the pizzas was obviously burned. The person could not even chew. We mentioned it to our server. His response: “Glad you all liked your pizzas.” “Ready for dessert?” Remember, my daughter speaks Spanish. “No, his pizza was over-cooked.” “Well, I’m glad that you liked it.” ”How about some dessert?”

I was also double-charged for a meal that was not included in our package. I am trying to work that out with my credit card company.

The travel agency should not be recommending lodgings at places that they have never stayed! There is no way knowing the parameters that I set forth that you would have recommended this resort.

The trip to Corcovado was a crazy experience in and of itself. But staying there was the highlight of our trip. But first, I had to get an extra room because you had booked 3 teens staying in one room together. They do not have any rooms for 3 people. Fortunately, they had an extra room for my granddaughter. Unfortunately, it was far from the rest of us and another room with a shared wall!

The accommodations at the Corcovado lodge was well worth the price. The breakfasts were rather bland but the other meals were excellent. The service was excellent and the people who manned reception, the best!

The grounds were well maintained and the excursions well planned and fun.

Bizarrely, though we were in Costa Rica, we did not see a single sloth anywhere. We saw a few spider monkeys when on the hanging bridge tour. But only two when at Corcovado. We did see 2 pumas! And I saw a coati! But the night walk was a beat as was the “jungle walk” during the day. Maybe it was the rain? Or maybe it was because our guide was always talking loudly as we went along. I understand that she was trying to be informative about the native flora but if I am a wild animal and I hear someone coming down a well worn path loudly, why would I reveal myself? Ask anyone who hunts. people only talk in whispers.

I have more to say but this format does not allow one to return to a previous text which is frustrating.