Summer Fun in Costa Rica: A Family-Friendly Outing

The Trip

Pura vida and welcome to the exotic, family-friendly destination of Costa Rica! This Costa Rica tour, designed to appeal to all ages, combines the fun of water and land activities with environmental awareness. As we observe diverse animals, birds, and plants in their native habitats, we will give you the opportunity to spend quality time in a beautiful, pristine environment. We will visit (and play in) several national parks, seeing the success this country has had both in preserving its wild lands and educating visitors about Costa Rica’s natural history and the interdependence of its diverse ecosystems. Our first stop is the rural village of Monteverde, high in the Tilaran mountains north of San José, home to the famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (Reserva Bosque Nuboso) and the Children’s Eternal Rainforest (Bosque Eterno de los Niños). Then we travel to the village of La Fortuna to see Mount Arenal, an active volcano, and hike in Mt. Arenal National Park. Our final destination is a resort on the Pacific coast, where we will stay near the beach and play in the waves.

On our travels, we hope to see many species of plants and animals -- monkeys, agoutis, coatis, iguanas, and crocodiles, to name but a few. You may recognize the white-faced monkeys playing in the trees and some of the orchids and heleconium growing nearby. You will certainly hear the roar of the howler monkeys deep in the forest, and wonder at the enormous blue Morpho butterflies lazily drifting in the air. Scarlet macaws and toucans are common and will fly overhead. If we are lucky, we’ll see lizards that run on water, anteaters that climb trees, and sloths that hang from the branches. And that’s just the beginning!

An English-speaking naturalist will be with us at all times to explain what we see and help us understand the relationships and interdependence of the different species. We will try to learn a little Spanish, too! We will be traveling between locations on a comfortable bus, stopping frequently on our travel days. Our accommodations will be in simple, but comfortable, lodges with plenty of swimming opportunities and healthy, fresh local cuisine and kid-friendly snacks.

Day 1: Arrive San Jose International Airport. The Costa Rica tour leader will greet you and take you to our nearby hotel to relax and swim in the pool. Then we’ll gather in the evening for the welcome dinner and orientation.

Day 2: Off we go in the bus, traveling from San Jose to Monteverde. As we wind our way up the mountain road, we will see the scenery change as the temperature cools and the mist rolls over us. Coffee is grown and harvested on the mountain slopes; maybe we’ll stop and sample some. We’ll hike in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve this afternoon and visit the Bat Jungle to observe live bats, learn about their important roles, and dispel myths about these useful creatures.

Day 3: An exciting day! On the morning, half of us will go horseback riding past fields of sugar cane, coffee, bananas, and other crops -- perhaps greeting the local residents from atop our gentle, well-trained steeds. The other half will visit the butterfly conservatory to see the most beautiful butterfly species you can imagine. We’ll walk through a conservatory, surrounded by the fluttering of hundreds of brightly colored wings, and watch the butterflies feed on fruits and flowers. (Tomorrow we will switch groups.) After lunch, all of us will spend the rest of the day at a nature park, ascending to the treetops on the "hanging bridges" to observe the rich plant and animal life of the forest canopy.

Day 4: The morning allows each group to try the other activity of the previous morning. After lunch we will stop in the town of Santa Elena to observe some local life and possibly search for that perfect souvenir. Before dinner, we will go to the snake and frog exhibit to learn more about tropical reptiles and amphibians.

Day 5: This morning we bid Monteverde farewell and set off for La Fortuna, near Mount Arenal. Vans will take us over the local roads to Lake Arenal, which we will cross by boat. When we reach Arenal, we will visit a local farm for lunch and learn about the uses of native plants for food and medicine. Later in the day, we can relax in some nearby hot springs. After we settle in to our lodge with its views of Arenal, we’ll stroll through a local ecocenter (which is restoring the native forest) to view a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects. We may see sloths and caimans, so keep a good lookout!

Day 6: A morning of whitewater rafting! We will drive to our drop-off point on the Balsa River and “shoot the rapids” for a couple of hours before returning to our lodge. We hope to see some wildlife on the riverbanks too. After a tasty lunch, we will head to a local hot springs resort to relax and unwind in the soothing natural hot water pools. Dinner at the hot springs follows.

Day 7: In the morning, we will take the chocolate tour, in which we’ll learn the traditional methods of transforming cacao beans into delicious chocolate. We can help in the process and even sample the finished product. After lunch, we will drive to the Pacific Ocean to our seaside resort for relaxation and dinner.

Day 8: A fabulous day in paradise. This is free time for you and the family to relax, play, swim, and explore. We have left this time for you to do as you choose. We will be happy to arrange any activities available (not included in the trip price).

Day 9: This morning we can spend time at the beach then drive to San Jose in the afternoon, stopping at the famous “Crocodile Bridge” on the way. We return to our hotel near the airport and have a farewell dinner together.

Day 10: We say our goodbyes and depart for the airport.

All excursions are subject to the weather, as we want to keep you safe and happy! Rain occurs in any season in the tropics and we are traveling in the “shoulder” season, weather-wise, so we can expect some rain. This should not affect our fun at all!

Getting There

You will fly in and out of San Jose International Airport; we will pick you up there when your flight arrives. Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

Our lodges are not luxury accommodations, but they are charming and comfortable. We will be in double rooms, so siblings can share a room; or triple rooms, if a child prefers to share with parents. Costa Rican food is simple and prepared using fresh, local ingredients, especially tropical fruits.

Transportation is in a comfortable, private bus. On days when we are moving to a different location, we will stop on the way for an activity or sightseeing. Maybe we will all be fluent Spanish speakers by our last day!

Trip Difficulty

This trip is suitable for all generations; the minimum age is nine. You should all be in good health, exercise regularly, and have patience and a good sense of humor. Travel in Latin America is not as predictable as at home.

References

We will send you a pre-trip package with maps, a suggested movie and reading list, informational material on lodging and the areas that we are staying in, and a packing list.

Conservation

We will see the wonderful conservation success of the Monteverde area and the development of the educational facilities on this Costa Rica tour. Hopefully, we will meet some local experts who have spearheaded various conservation projects and visit the privately funded environmental centers there.

Evacuation and Travel Insurance

The Sierra Club provides evacuation insurance to all participants on international trips. Since this coverage does not include any trip cancellation or interruption insurance, we suggest you purchase another policy separately to provide coverage for your trip and other travel costs. This policy also does not cover pre-trip and post-trip travel. Please note the evacuation insurance provided does not cover claims resulting from any pre-existing condition that occurs within 60 days of the trip departure. If you have specific questions about this exclusion, please review the insurance brochure. For information on purchasing a separate policy, please see our travel insurance page.