My 16 year old grandson, Zane, visited for about eight days in August 2019. We spent time in the Arenal area and Sámara on the Nicoya Peninsula.
In the La Fortuna area near Arenal, we stayed at Los Lagos Hotel Spa and Resort. This is an absolutely incredible all-in resort that is perfect for a family with young kids or teenagers. All of the rooms have views of Volcán Arenal. There is a very good restaurant on the site. The best part is the multiple pools with different temperatures from hot to cold, some with slides. There are also a couple of bars/restaurants attending to the pool visitors once of which you can swim right up to from one of the pools. The place is not cheap but lots of fun.
We ziplined at Sky Adventures Arenal Park. I cannot imagine a better ziplining experience both for safety and the view of Lake Arenal as well as the volcano. We went back a second day for the Sky River Drift, floating downriver in a modified inner tube on Class I-II rapids. Another great experience for teenagers.
We also took a mini-bus with driver over to the Nicoya Peninsula and stayed near Sámara at Hotel el Pequeño Gecko Verde. The cabañas were great, staff was incredibly nice and helpful and the restaurant meals were very good. If you choose to stay at the lodge, it would be best to have your own vehicle as it is a pretty good hike to the town.
We visited the Camaronal National Wildlife Refuge and were able to see one Olive Ridley female sea turtle lay her eggs as well as the release of dozens of babies that scampered to the sea. We also rented sea kayaks with a guide and were able to rent horses for a great ride including a gallop on the beach. The Sámara area is highly touted on many sites as a must-see area. While we had an enjoyable visit, I was not overly-impressed and would very likely pick another beach spot on Nicoya for my next visit.
Photos:
1 - Calle Matapalo
2 - Road to Arenal
3 - 7 Los Lagos Hotel Spa and Resort
8 - 10 and video: Zipline at Sky Adventures Arenal
11 - 15 Sámara
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