A Costa Rica Adventure with Kids You Bet! 

There’s no denying that Costa Rica is the best family-vacation destination in all of Central America. With a solid transport infrastructure, very good healthcare system and a deep-seeded love of children embedded in the local culture, Costa Rica is a brilliant choice for intrepid parents who dream of taking their kids on a wild (but very safe) adventure. And that’s just logistics! As far as attractions and activities are concerned, you’d be hard pressed to find a better playground, anywhere. Enticing jungles, wildlife, beaches, forests and volcanoes dot the Costa Rican landscape. Know what you can all do once you get here? How about zip-lining, white water rafting, hiking, kayaking, horse-riding, wildlife spotting, snorkeling, swimming, surfing and so much more!! Need more convincing? Here are our top three reasons why you should pick Costa Rica for your next adventurous family vacation.

• You could pick a spot, any..and it will be ideal for you and your kid(s)!

No matter where in Costa Rica you wish to go you’ll find an abundance of wildlife, activities, accommodation and food. Enough to last you multiple vacations! Costa Rica is renowned for its remote wilderness and it is also the one country in Central America with an adequate tourist infrastructure. As long as you stick to the more popular spots, you’ll have absolutely no problem finding child-friendly hotels, tours, restaurants and activities. Many resorts and lodges in Costa Rica are built specifically to blend in with local vegetation. Not only is this utterly striking but it also helps attract native animals, so you’ll no doubt see monkeys and an abundance of birds, butterflies, and small reptiles just about everywhere. For meatier sights, head to the Arenal Volcano National Park where local rangers can guide you on walks to spot armadillos, howler and capuchin monkeys, coatis, ocelots and more. Boat trips on Lake Arenal are particularly suited to smaller tots, who perhaps can’t hike as much. Chocolate Tours here are also favored by kids (of all ages!) and include a delicious chocolate cooking class at the end of the day. Other fantastic wildlife spotting tours are found in the Manuel Antonio National Park (where Night Jungle Walks are phenomenal), Tortuguero National Park (on the Caribbean side) and the stunningMonteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, just north-west of San Jose. More active children can take surfing lessons in the idyllic stretches of pristine beach in Santa Teresaor Mal Pais on the Nicoya Peninsula, whilst parents bask in the glorious sun. No matter where you choose to go, you’ll find plenty of tour operators offering lessons for younger kids too. The beach of Playa Hermosa, in Guanacaste Province, is particularly loved by families thanks to the gentle surf. More strenuous hikes to striking waterfalls, like the one you’ll find at La Fortuna, are perfect for those kids aged 6 and above, who have a little more energy to burn. The forest-canopy tours from the Hotel Los Lagos near the Arenal Volcano offer brilliant zip-line adventures where kids can partake with accompanying professional guide. There’s a great sky-tram, walk and cheese-factory in Monteverde and about 101 other things to see and do all over the country!

• Your kids will be treated like royalty!

There are few cultures the world over whereby children are treated like kings and queens. Head to Costa Rica with your offspring and don’t be surprised to receive lots of attention. This is especially true of blonde haired, blue eyed kids. Complimenting a stranger on the beauty of his/her child, or caressing a child on the face/head may seem strange in some cultures (like ours) but in Latin America it is a very natural thing to do, so should not be cause for any alarm. In fact, this spells great news for you! Locals (young, old, male and female alike) will entertain your kids in restaurant, play with them on buses and offer them all sorts of treats to keep them happy on tour. Win-win!

• It doesn’t have to be expensive!

The wonderful thing about kids is that they actually don’t need very much to be happy. A family vacation to Costa Rica costs just a fraction of what it would cost at home. Life is simple here and the attraction/activities are aimed at enjoying the great outdoors. Yes, you could spend a lot of money doing an infinite amount of organized activities, or you could also pick one affordable, child-friendly resort and simply explore that chosen area for the duration of your stay. Not only will you minimize transport costs but you’ll also maximize valuable holiday-time. Take a football to the beach on a Sunday and your kids will make friends instantly. Take a hike to seewaterfalls, butterfly and frog farms, every second town boasts one. Convince friends with kids to come along with you, that shouldn’t be too hard! You can share baby-sitting duties so each couple can plan a more adventurous day out, and you can also share private van hire expenses for that ultimate, independent day out and about. Even the pickiest of children will find plenty to eat in Costa Rica, a country renowned for its hearty, natural yet uncomplicated cuisine. Let them drink milk straight out of a fresh coconut, eat rice and beans with their hands and try one of the many tropical fruits they’ve probably never seen before. So visit Costa Rica with your kids! You’ll gift them memorable childhood memories which they’ll treasure forever.