La Fortuna - Arenal Volcano: perfect place for an exciting adventure

Last weekend I visited La Fortuna, a small city located in San Carlos, Alajuela.
 

The town is an entrance point for the main road connecting the Arenal National Park, Arenal Lake, Monteverde and the road towards Guanacaste. When I arrived, my first impression was really great. The view from La Fortuna to the volcano Arenal is stunning.

You can enjoy good food in one of the nice restaurants along the main road while having this great view. Almost everything can be done by

foot in La Fortuna, because the distances are very short and flat. In the evening you will find a lot of families sitting in the Central Park (“parque central”) enjoying the time together.

The next day I joined a guided tour named “Two Volcano Tour”. After a 20 minute drive to the starting point, we were hiking up the little volcano  called “Cerro Chato” that is located next to the volcano Arenal. It took us about 4 hours and to be honest, sometimes it is a bit rough. But still, if your children are 12 or older it is definitely worth it because it offers a great view from the top. To refresh ourselves, we could take a nice bath in the Lagoon that is located in the middle of “Cerro Chato”. The lagoon is the old crater of the volcano that because it has been exctint for so long its now full of refreshing water.

When we continued our walk, we were able to see interesting birds and hear the loud sound of some monkeys. Suddenly,

we arrived at a wonderful waterfall – next stop for having a great bath - 

Last but not least we visited one of the famous natural hot springs in La Fortuna. This is one of the things you definitely have to do when you are here. It is also a perfect chance to relax from the hike.

All in all, the whole day was a fun-filled adventure.

If you have younger children or want to join a less adventorous tour there are more easy tours and plenty of other activities you can do like: walk at the arenal national park instead of cerro chato, or do a horseback riding to la fortuna waterfall, a safari river float tour or white waterrafting, canopy tours and much, much more..

So, I can only say: 

Pack your bags and enjoy your family adventure in La Fortuna with IL VIAGGIO TRAVEL!!

Manuel Antonio a great spot for families

Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park are great places for families who are interested in relaxing, nature and adventure.

Quepos is a nice small port city right before the mountain where Manuel Antonio is located.

In Quepos are lots of grocery stores and small boutiques. There are also very good budget restaurants, so you will definitely find a great spot  for your family to eat.

You can decide, if you want to stay in Quepos or in Manuel Antonio.

If you want to relax, its the perfect idea to visit one of the nice beaches in Manuel Antonio. Those beaches are one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen, especially in the National Park.
If you are travelling with a car, there are a lot of parking areas offered. Otherwise you can take the bus that takes you from Quepos up to Manuel Antonio every 20 minutes. The ride only takes 10-15

minutes. In Manuel Antonio are also great restaurants, for example „el avión“ or „el wagon“. Your kids will love it.

 

If you want to experience some nature with your family the Manuel Antonio Naional Park is really great. Your children will be able to see monkeys, racoons, crocodiles, sloths and other animals while playing in the sand of a beautiful beach. The National Park is not one of the biggest in Costa Rica, which is very good if you have smaller children.

If you are interested in something more adventurous Manuel Antonio also offers one day tours like: snorkeling, horseback riding, rafting, ziplining and much more.

 

As you can see, Quepos and Manuel Antonio have a lot to offer for families. Whether you want to relax at the beach, experience some nature or do some adventurous activities, in Manuel Antonio you can find everything for a Family Trip.

Avianca promotes Costa Rica with low prices this April

Costa Rica is a great family destination.
We do know that one of the family travel issues are the air fares of the international flights.
This is why we are so happy to announce that from April 4 to April 14 the airline Avianca will offer special rates from 25 different countries to San Jose and Liberia Airport.

We do recommend you look at this great deal and let us know how we can help you design the best itinerary for your visit.

http://www.nacion.com/economia/consumidor/turistas-Avianca-Europa-Costa_Rica_0_1552644807.html

http://www.teletica.com/Noticias/121027-Avianca-ofrece-vuelos-desde-Suramerica-y-Europa-hacia-Costa-Rica-desde-418-y-hasta-699.note.aspx

Places in Costa Rica to see before your kids grow up

Kids grow up so fast!!!
There are so many places and things to do, see and explore in Costa Rica.
This is a list of 10 places to see before your kids grow up:

 

1. A Volcano Crater 2. La Paz Waterfall Gardens 3. Sloth Sanctuary 4. Rainforest Adventures Park 
5. Turtle Nesting 6. Cimarronas and Mascaradas Cultural Tour 7. Manuel Antonio National Park 
8. Children's Museum 9. Hot Springs 10. Coffee Tour

Why visit the Central Valley?

The Juan Santamaria International Airport is the main airport of Costa Rica. Its located in the Central Valley and is where most flights from around the world arrive.

The Central Valley is a great destination for those who want to do a short visit to the country but get to see a lot by doing one day tours and not moving from hotel to hotel.
 
From the central valley you can visit volcanoes, different types of rainforest, adventure tours, cultural tours, spa, beaches, eco-tours, leisure... and many more.

Another important factor of the area is the wide variety of hotel options. From 5 star hotels to small boutique hotels, from those located right downtown San Jose to those on more rural areas. 
Also if you select a Hotel like Holiday Inn Escazu you will have a

lot of restaurants, shops, theater and cinema on walking distance.
The Holiday Inn Escazu specializes on a good night sleep on vary comfortable beds and a good healthy breakfast to start the day. And this specific hotel has an amazing location.

The Central Valley can also be a first and last night location if what you are looking for is to travel around the country. There are various routes we can recommend.

 
Either way this area is great for families with babies, toodlers, kids or teenagers.

Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort

Tabacon is a great 5 star Resort located in Arenal area.
We have categorized this destination as ideal for those parents who want to show their family nature, adventure while enjoying luxury facilities.
Families with kids and teenagers can enjoy the thermal pools and waterfalls which vary in temperature.
Those families with smaller children will enjoy the spacious rooms where toodlers can play, enjoy the tub while parents can sit down on the soft sofas or lay back on the comfortable beds.
For all of them the hotel counts with connecting superior rooms (one king and two queen beds) and large suites (with 2 queen or 1 king bed). All guest rooms include DVD player, flat screen plasma TV and internet access.

 

At the front desk you can find perfect family in-room amenities like a wide selection of DVD's and X-Box systems with a large variety of games.

By the way Tabacon offers comfortable and safety-approved cribs, upon request.

In the restaurants or in the room service, they  will gladly prepare puree, fresh fruits and vegetables for a natural meal for

your baby  and for older kids a children favorite.

 

 We invite you to be part of this amazing experience by combining the marvellous hotel with the wide variety of tours we offer on the area. 

The majestical Arenal Volcano

The Arenal area was a calm farming area where lots of crops were grown. It used to be a silent volcano that local farmers even called a mountain "cerro arenal"
But then the story changed. On Monday, July 29, 1968 at 7:30 AM, the Arenal Volcano suddenly erupted. The eruptions continued unabated for several days, burying several kilometers of land  with rocks, lava and ash. When it was finally over, the eruptions had killed people, buried small villages, crops were spoiled, property was ruined, and livestock was killed. It was a difficult time for the people of the area.
After this big situation there was a study done and all  towns, hotels and trails were set at a safe distance from Arenal Volcano and the National Park was founded.
Between 1968 and 2010, the Arenal Volcano was extremely active – it spewed hot rocks, smoke, ash, and lava from its top almost every day. This continues activity made the area very atractive for tourists so while agriculture is important for the region, tourism has becom
e the main source of income of the area. Due to this a great investment was done at the area and in response a wide variety of activities, hotels, restaurants and services were developed.
Nowdays the volcano is a silent volcano again with little to non activity.

Arenal area is a Family Friendly destination with a wide array of activities for all ages.
Here are some examples:


FAMILIES WITH BABIES and older
River Float Tours
Chocolate Tour
Farm Tour

FAMILIES WITH TOODLERS and older
Water Parks and Hot Springs
Visit La Fortuna Waterfall
Wildlife Refuge

FAMILIES WITH KIDS and older
Guided walks on Trails
Hanging Bridges
Horseback Riding
Cultural Tour

FAMILIES WITH TEENAGERS and older
White Water Rafting
Sky Board
Sky Trek - Canopy
Canyoning
Rappell
Tubing or Sky River Drift

and many more....


Coming soon the hotel recommendations of the area. Follow us!