Although Punta Leona is the closest beach from my house, it took me only five years to get there! After I finally made it, I was astonished by the beauty of it. Punta Leona Resort is one of the oldest private resorts in Costa Rica with 'private' accessibility to two beaches. Many people will argue this point, because technically you can't own any beach. Yet, if you try your darnest you'll never pass the guard house with 3 big men because they simply won't let you thru unless you have a room reserved here or you own a condo.

After finally passing the gate, you enter into a magical world of manicured, cobble stoned streets and a long road to paradise. Inside are two huge pools, one for lazy adults and another specifically for kids. I usually rate the magnitude of the services offered by the hotel on the basis of how long they can keep my son occupied without bothering me. I must admit, this place is one of the highest rank, so far. My son literally stayed in the safe pool all day while I chilled out and didn’t worry a bit if he was going to drown.

The other part, are the beaches.

I love beaches from a distance because I’m afraid of the waves. To me waves are something that may sweep away my son and leave me absolutely impotent on the shoreline. Yet again, this resort wins a top prize for its calm, crystal waters. My son had lots of fun in the water while I wallowed on a comfy chair under a big palm tree in the shade. To sum it up, the reality is family travel is great when everyone gets to have fun.

So if the kids are busy with something, the parents can have their own time as well. 

Marina has been living in Central America for over 7 years and her site Travel Experta is all about traveling in Central America. Marina loves to help people plan the perfect vacation to this amazing part of the world ! Join the fun on her facebook fan page and follow her on Twitter at @MarinaVillatoro.