Travel Review: Costa Rica Family Vacation, Arenal, Monteverde, Tortuguero, Kayaking, Ziplining

    Every day was memorable and each activity was fun!  My husband and I spent 2 nights in Tortuguera (which can only be reached by boat or plane) before our daughter's family joined us at Arenal.  We loved Tortuguera and thought the lodge gave the feeling of wilderness living with all the amenities of comfort and beauty.   Our favorite activity at Tortuguera was a kayak trip early one morning which we booked throught the hotel.

    The hot springs at the hotel in La Fortuna were beautiful and fun.  Our family really enjoyed the float trip on the river near Arenal.  Since we started later than some river guides we had the river to ourselves and still saw a small crocodile,(the one pictured is from our return trip from Tortuguera--much larger than the one we saw near Arenal), two different kinds of monkeys, two otters, iguanas,and many birds.  

    Of course, the zip lines in Monteverde were especially exciting and memorable, and as far as our family was concerned, a "must do."  Even the rain and cold weather added to the excitement because we couldn't see the other end of the line so we didn't know how long it was or where we were going.