I am looking for recommendations for a family vacation. I thought of Manuel Antonio and Guanacaste.
I am looking for something which is not so crowded and fun. Have 3 K*ds and 4 adults who need to be entertained.

Any recommendations on the beach and accommodation. I have looked the reliable drivers topic for taxis for a drop and pickup from the airport to Arenal.

Did not know that Costa Rica gets so amazingly expensive during Xmas.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

For ideas on a family vacation in CR go to the "tripadvisor" web site. http://www.tripadvisor.com

The southern Caribbean has the less traveled/less expensive Costa Rican beaches. It draws less of the golf-shirt & bermuda shorts crowd than the west coast does, but more of the surfer/back-pack community. I like it much better than the Guanacaste beach resorts... and about the same as Manuel Antonio.

I agree! For a laid-back family vacation, you can't fo better than the Southern Caribbean coast. If you look at a map, the area to consider is from Cahuita south through Manzanillo. I just returned from a trip there with my son and daughter who were visting from the States and we had a great time.

We stayed at a small, secluded beach resort called Arrecife Lodge, located in Punta Uva about half way between Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo. In my opinion, their beach is one of the best in all of Costa Rica. Their accomodations are mostly cabinas but I think they have one larger house with a/c and a kitchen. We stayed in Cabinas 3 and 4. Each has two double beds and a great balcony directly overlooking the beach. No a/c but enough breeze we didn't need it. TV is only available in the restaurant/bar. The food is good and reasonably priced and there are plenty of other places to eat in the area. We paid $40 per night/room which increases to $50 or $60 in season. They are small so I definitely recommend a reservation.

The manager's a nice guy. His name is Octavio Beeche. Phone: 2759-9200. Email: arrecifepuntauva@gmail.com. Tell him that Jim from All-American Barbecue referred you and he may give you a discount (but I'm not sure he can in high season).

You won't find a better place on the beach anywhere else in the country and certainly nothing comparable for the price. I hope you go, and enjoy it as much as we did. There are also plenty of other places to stay in the area. I prefer Cahuita to Puerto Veijo, but the entire area is nice. If you aren't going to have a car, you'll probably be better off staying in Cahuita or Puerto Veijo because there are more restaurants, shops, etc. within walking distance.

I know the area pretty well so if you have any questions, let me know.

I am looking for recommendations for a family vacation. I thought of Manuel Antonio and Guanacaste.
I am looking for something which is not so crowded and fun. Have 3 K*ds and 4 adults who need to be entertained.
Any recommendations on the beach and accommodation. I have looked the reliable drivers topic for taxis for a drop and pickup from the airport to Arenal.

Did not know that Costa Rica gets so amazingly expensive during Xmas.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Good advice, it's a little hard to navigate the forums but here's a direct link to the CR section... http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g2 ... _Rica.html
Hint: if you don't find the answers browsing then post your question for the CR expert "Prolijo" he will likely provide all the info you could ask for, and then some.