The Arenal area is our favorite, so I would definitely go there. There's tons of things to do. Yep, you can do the waterfall hike with kids, but you'd have to carry the one year old. There are a lot of steps, but they're set with those little pavers so not too rough. You may just have to stop and catch your breath on the way back up. There's a crystal clear river off to the left when you get to the bottom, and you can swim there away from the force of the falls. We saw several families doing that when we were there. Definitely the Hanging Bridges and Proyecto Asis. Tabacon is good if you want an elaborate hot spring with water slide, etc. but it's pricey. Eco Termales is smaller and charming. We like it because they limit the number of people who enter so it doesn't get crowded. They serve a good chicken dinner there. Penas Blancas is a nice river float - not sure if a one year old could do that, but we saw monkeys, a sloth, and a croc when we did it. Cano Negro is a nice covered motorized boat, but it's an all day excursion and might be too long for the kids. No bathrooms on board for either of those.

We did the Sarapiqui river and didn't see any wildlife when we did it, so if you just want a boat cruise, yes, but if you want wildlife I'd probably pass on that. Personally I'd wait until the kids are a little older to do Selva Verde. Lots of poison dart frogs and snakes in that area, so you'd have to really keep an eye out. We saw a coral snake and a fer de lance while we were hiking. We loved it, but might be a little hard with kids that little.

Monteverde has nice hiking. It can get really cold at night though. We actually wore sweatshirts and fleece jackets, so if you go pack some type of jacket just in case.

I still think Manuel Antonio would be a good bet for you, but sounds like you've ruled it out, so maybe go with the Arenal and Monteverde combo. I'd put more time in Arenal because there's more to do there and a chance for better weather. Have not been to Playa Negra.

volcanogirl....thx! i had been reading your review on selva verde before i got your response on this post. the ferdelance freaked me out and yes, made me reconsider. so, here are a few more questions for you:

- i also didn't realize it was 2 1/2 hour drive to the airport and we now have to depart on a flight at 1230 - so it would definitely be a long day that day. however, we've done crazier travel things in the past with our kids. do you recall the drive? we have driven all over CR in the past and are already familiar with the types of roads.
- we can only stay in the la casona suite (small house) on the property which is beside the road. they advised me there could be road noise although it also has a/c so it might not be too bad. was it a pretty busy road?
- my husbands response to the poison frogs and snakes? "oh...thats all of CR!" well, i know it's not. however, i guess his point is we could potentially encounter that anywhere. (btw, i just read that the house we have in playa negra has had guests who have seen crocs in the river beside the house. ummmm....again freaks me out.) we live in CO and are used to keeping kids with us when we hike b/c of snakes/bears/etc. nothing near as 'all over the place' as it sounds like selva verde is, though.

so....with that said....i am still torn. we have the option to stay 2-3 nights in a really awesome house next to vista del valle so that we'd be much closer to the airport. it would be slightly less than selva verde would cost - but of course, we would have limited wildlife opps and we have already stayed in atenas/general area in the past so it doesnt feel as adventurous/exciting as selva verde does.

any additional thoughts/feedback? any other "secret" cool adventurous places within an hour drive from the airport? (we stayed at peace lodge when it first opened and can't afford it now plus prefer something not so touristy and more natural).

Yes, the road is pretty busy and has big trucks that go by. There's also a rooster at the place next door that seemed like it crowed (loudly!) all the time. I had read about road noise, so I purposely booked us in a room by the river at the back of the property. I really liked it back there. Our room had two big beds and I believe a couch - is that an option for you? Is the la casona suite across the road? There are some cabins over there that we saw when we hiked across the road. They looked kind of old and musty to me, so I was glad we stayed on the other side. There are definitely snakes everywhere in CR, but I think you'll encounter them more somewhere like Selva Verde where it's less developed and there's lots of vegetation. I'd just worry about a little one reaching into the leaf litter. The coral snake we saw was right on the path in front of us, and the fer de lance was right next to the sidewalk at La Selva. There were so many poison dart frogs that we had to try to avoid stepping on them. It is a neat property though since it's right on the river. They have a feeding station where toucans and aracaris visit. We saw a lot of big iguanas. Most of what we did there was hiking, but they also have a chocolate tour, bat tour, river cruise, and things like that. To hike in the reserve, you have to book ahead and go with one of their guides. The drive to get there didn't seem bad; we had a private driver. We encountered a lot of misty fog, but that's about it.

No - the cabin is on the same side of the road as the river but close to the road. They will accommodate us in the river rooms, but with 4 kids - nobody ends up sleeping when we are in a regular hotel size room and we really like to have the kitchen for cooking meals. Apparently, this one is decorated nicely.

Bummer....I keep waiting to 'happen upon' that totally unexpected place....within a 1 - 1 1/2 hour drive from airport!

Still undecided. Need to go over options with my husband tonight...I am the one who does the research...he is the one who can make a decision! If it were just me, we'd never wind up going anywhere because I'd still be looking for the perfect place!

It depends on what's important. Arenal has the best scenery (the volcano!), lodging/dining options, and adventure tours. Sarapiqui has the best ecotours and wildlife and the only real rainforest experience of your choices. Monteverde has a cooler, more unique ecosystem that is hard to find (there's a lot more rainforest than cloud forest) with its own unique bird species and some cool hiking/ecotours of its own.

RAC - I think we're decided on Arenal for at least 4 nights after Playa Negra. Is Sarapiqui the best rainforest area that would make sense for the this trip based on locations/driving? Is there another rainforest area to consider? I didn't really realize that.