Costa Rica Family Adventure
Perfect proportions for a two-week exploration lend Costa Rica well to family adventures, travelling between a variety of vibrant landscapes from steamy cloud forests to dazzling sandy beaches and charming colonial towns. Over 14 days you can pack in plenty of sights with time to relax as a family, discovering Costa Rica’s national parks, canoeing, canopy walks, beachside lodges and ‘pura vida’ lifestyle, learning about the diverse ecosystems and coming face to face with fascinating wildlife.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Peer over the rim of an active volcano
- Stay in a tropical lodge on the Caribbean Coast
- Zip-line through the rainforest canopy for volcano views
- Spot colourful wildlife in Monteverde Cloud Forest
- Relax on the beautiful beaches of the Pacific Coast
ITINERARY
Day 1 – Arrive in Costa Rica
Fly overnight to San Jose. On arrival you will be driven to your hotel in the Central Valley.
Day 2 – Exploring the Central Valley
Spend the day exploring the Central Valley’s many natural attractions, including Poas Volcano, an active stratovolcano which simmers with energy; it has erupted 40 times since 1828 and is a powerful symbol of the geothermic reactions that formed Costa Rica. You’ll also visit La Paz Waterfall Gardens, known for its many plumes of water, dense forest and abundant wildlife.
Day 3 – Drive to Tortuguero National Park
Drive through banana plantations and towering trees to Tortuguero National Park (3-4 hours) with the last part of your journey made by a scenic boat ride along the mangrove-wooded shoreline. Stay in a tropical lodge in a tiny village for the next two nights and enjoy the 22-mile-long beach and the many trails through the steamy forest.
Day 4 – Discover Tortuguero National Park
A guided boat trip through the mangrove forest is the ideal way to learn about the region’s 11 different ecosystems and spot a wide variety of endemic wildlife, easily seen from your boat – kids will love the hidden waterways, sheltered by misty mangroves. Visit in season and you may even be able to spy female green sea turtles laying their eggs on the white sand beaches.
Day 5 – Travel to Arenal
A short internal flight in a light aircraft delivers you back to San Jose, with stunning views of the countryside beneath you. The small aircraft feels like something out of an action movie, and kids will love playing pilot (from the back, of course!) Drive to Arenal (3-4 hours) and check in to your secluded hotel with volcano views.
Day 6 – Experience Arenal
Spend the day exploring Arenal Volcano and the surrounding reserve, revived mid-way by lunch. You’ll also visit the famous hanging bridges for amazing rainforest views and wallow in the relaxing hot springs.
Day 7 – A unique perspective: Arenal
View the spectacular vistas from above on a family-friendly excursion on the Sky Tram gondola, soaring through the rainforest and affording gorgeous views of the volcano and nearby lake.
Day 8 – Drive to Monteverde
Travel through beautiful countryside to Monteverde Cloud Forest and stay in a hillside lodge. The reserve is criss-crossed by trails lined with dense forest, mosses, ferns and bromeliads, like something from Jurassic Park. Hummingbirds can regularly be seen flitting around the visitor centre – so keep your eyes peeled!
Day 9 – Uncover Monteverde
Travel through beautiful countryside to Monteverde Cloud Forest and stay in a hillside lodge. The reserve is criss-crossed by trails lined with dense forest, mosses, ferns and bromeliads, like something from Jurassic Park. Hummingbirds can regularly be seen flitting around the visitor centre – so keep your eyes peeled!
Day 10 – Drive to Manuel Antonio National Park
Drive to Manuel Antonio National Park – your home for the next four nights. Easy, mostly flat walking trails are ideal for budding explorers and unlike some of Costa Rica’s other beaches, here the coast is ideal for swimming. You may even spot dolphins and humpback whales offshore.
Days 11-13 – Relax in Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio National Park is located on Costa Rica’s central Pacific Coast, blessed with a rugged natural beauty that makes it the ideal destination for adventurous families. Staying in an eco-resort with views of the coast and rainforest, you’ll have three days to take hiking tours through the lush rainforest, zip-line through the dense canopy, cycle through quiet villages, ride horses past waterfalls and kayak along the stunning coastline.
Day 14 – Return flight
You’ll be driven back to San Jose (3 hours) where you will be dropped off at the international airport for your flight back to the UK.
For more information please contact us directly for a tailor-made travel quote.