Tag Archives: zip line

Is Costa Rica Suitable for a Family Vacation?

Given Costa Rica is renowned as an adrenaline-junky’s dream, many families wonder if the country is a suitable destination for a family vacation. We get how the ‘crazy sport-mad country’ tag can cause confusion but, in reality, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better country for a family adventure.

Safe, fun, ridiculously easy, convenient and incredibly varied, Costa Rica offers the kind of family-friendly adventures that’ll make you scream ‘why hadn’t I thought of this before?!!!’ From guided wildlife spotting tours to soft whitewater rafting, canopy, zip line and snorkeling tours and more adventurous sports for intrepid older kids: Costa Rica HAS.IT.ALL.

Here’s an overview of the best family-friendly aspects of Costa Rica adventure tours.

Plan Your Bespoke Costa Rica Family Adventure Vacation Today!

Variety is key… and Costa Rica has plenty of that!

Not every family is the same, right? There are young dare-devils who put adults to shame on a thrilling zip line and older kids who prefer a more subdued kind of adventure. The key to a successful Costa Rica family vacation is knowing who’s in for what and what everyone’s desires and skills are. Since the country is, basically, just one colossal outdoor playground, it all boils down to how hard-core you and your family want to go.

Beginner or heart-in-your-throat zip line ride? You can choose. Class II or V whitewater rafting rapids? You can choose those too. No matter what the activity is, Costa Rica offers beginner, intermediate and advanced versions, so finding the one that’s right for your family is insanely easy.

So, what’s on offer?

Plan Your Bespoke Costa Rica Family Adventure Vacation Today!

The Most Popular Family-Friendly Activities in Costa Rica

Zip lining in Costa Rica | family vacationThere is a ton of fun family-friendly stuff to do in Costa Rica, and we’re not exaggerating in the slightest. Here’s a preview:

Canopy Tours – whether it’s walking on elevated platforms, crossing gorgeous hanging bridges, zip lining down or taking a cable-car, the sheer number of canopy tours in Costa Rica and the array of difficulty levels is outstanding.

Rafting in Costa Rica | family vacationWhitewater Rafting – Costa Rica is considered a leading rafting destination, the country home to world-class rapids that attract thrill-seekers from all over the world. But you certainly don’t need to send your 8-year-old down a Class V rapid! Instead, you can choose a river that’s best suited to their age and skill-set. Our whitewater rafting page details the most popular options for adults and families alike. Here, you’ll learn more about which rivers you ought to home in on and also learn more about the impressive options, including tours that run from just two hours to two full days.

Plan Your Bespoke Costa Rica Family Adventure Vacation Today!

Hiking in Costa RicaHiking – Perhaps the easiest outdoor activity to partake as a family, hiking is Costa Rica’s most glorious activity. When you hike, you’re immersed in sensational wilderness, will keep eyes and ears open for wildlife spotting and will get to see amazing landscapes you’ll miss if you just keep to the tarmac. In all honesty, some hiking and trekking is indispensable to soak up the best of Costa Rica.

The great news? You can hike every single day and see something different, every single day. You can hike in luscious jungles and over verdant hills, trek up a mountain or a volcano, chase waterfalls or simply take a leisurely walk through a magical butterfly garden. No matter the age of your kids, you will always find suitable hikes on offer, no matter where you go.

Read more about the best kid-friendly hikes in Costa Rica and you’ll see why sturdy shoes should take a prime spot in your suitcase.

Mountain Biking – Families with older kids will love our mountain biking tours. We’ve taken away the worry about ‘shoddy equipment’ and invested in a fleet of top-notch bikes, helmets and all the bits and bobs you need, so you and your intrepid offspring can zoom down those hair-raising volcano trails with peace of mind. Costa Rica is home to a seemingly endless array of mountain biking trails, thanks to its innumerable peaks – this is seriously the best family fun you can have on two wheels, anywhere on earth!

Read more about mountain biking in Costa Rica and we bet you’ll want to include it in your adventure tour itinerary.

Plan Your Bespoke Costa Rica Family Adventure Vacation Today!

Wildlife spotting – This is, hands down, the one activity that gets the whole family excited beyond words. The great news? Seeing animals in the wild is a near-daily occurrence in a country like Costa Rica, where wilderness abounds. There are a few pockets of nature, however, that simply deliver more rewards – there are a few special places like the Manuel Antonio National Park, that predictably deliver on the goods.

Wildlife in Costa RicaThis is also an easy park to visit if you have small children. From raucous monkeys to sloths, iguanas, toucans and so much more, the best wildlife spotting reserves are reason enough to plan a family adventure vacation in Costa Rica. Our tip? Always head off at first light, always opt for a guided tour with a local expert (these guys will point out wildlife you didn’t even know existed) an include at least one night-time animal spotting tour on your itinerary. It’s a whole other world out there, when the sun goes down!

Learn more about Costa Rica’s iconic wildlife and where to spot them.

All water sports – What’s a tropical family vacation without some kind of water sport?! In Costa Rica, you’ll have an abundance of water-based sports and destinations from which to choose. Whether it’s surfing, swimming, snorkeling, SCUBA diving or SUP you’re after, you’ll find it all, right here. The most family-friendly beaches in Costa Rica are any along the northwestern Pacific coast (the Nicoya Peninsula and all the Guanacaste gems), as well as a select few around Puerto Viejo, over on the southern Caribbean coast. It’s important to choose the right beach town as a base for your family vacation because not every beach in Costa Rica is kid- or even swimming-friendly. Many boast world-class surf which make them unsuitable for relaxing family trips with young children.

Not convinced yet? Then take a moment and watch this gorgeous video – let this mom tell you how amazing a family vacation in Costa Rica can be. Make sure to watch the whole video as she gives some incredibly useful pointers about things to take and be aware of when planning to take kids to Costa Rica.

Plan Your Bespoke Costa Rica Family Adventure Vacation Today!

Accommodation, food & home-comforts: the logistics of a family vacation in Costa Rica

Toucan in Costa RicaAny family vacation can be as cruisy or challenging as you’d like it to be, and Costa Rica holidays are no exception. The country has a quite refined tourist trail, one that boasts excellent infrastructure, US-style resorts with all the bells and whistles, and restaurants with recognizable kids’ menu items. What you choose to do, with all of that, is completely up to you.

What you should know is that Costa Rica is also an inherently family-friendly country because family and kids, here, are everything. Locals are warm and welcoming; the food is delicious and uncomplicated and nature offers so many adventures of its own accord that an all-inclusive resort is really not the best option here. Sports, excursions, wildlife, adventure and fun in nature are at every turn, most of it without having to pay top-dollar for accommodation to boot. To be honest, families (and children in particular) love staying in laid-back eco-lodges immersed in wilderness when in Costa Rica, the kind with wrap-around terraces visited by monkeys and toucans and the kind that boast miles of walking trails within their own property.

Family adventure vacations in Costa Rica needn’t be complicated nor exorbitantly expensive – the country is paradise on earth for families.

What more do you need?

Take inspiration for our Family Adventure Vacation Itineraries and contact us today

Plan Your Bespoke Costa Rica Family Adventure Vacation Today!

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5 of the Most AMAZING Zip Lines to Discover in Costa Rica

Costa Rica zip line canopy tours are undoubtedly one of Costa Rica’s best known (and most loved) outdoor adventures. It figures, given the thrilling sport was actually invented here by nature researchers, who wanted to reach the remotest parts of the Costa Rica wilderness back in the 1970s. It also figures that the country that invented it is the very best country that offers it still.

Zip lining in Costa Rica has been at the core of Costa Rica’s eco-tourism movement since the early 1990s. The country’s best zip line trails are set in pristine wilderness and, because this is Costa Rica, that precious wilderness is inhabited by some of the most unique and exotic wildlife on earth.

For the intrepid Tarzans and Janes among us, zip lining is an exciting venture: not quite as death-defying as skydiving yet with just as much adrenalin-pumping fun. What’s more, taking a zip-line tour in Costa Rica is always about immersing yourself in exceptional nature and, given the family-friendly nature of the local culture, options abound for adults and children to join in on the fun.

Enjoy the best zipline in Costa Rica experience and you can start here. Here are the most AMAZING zip lines you need to discover in Costa Rica:

  1. Diamante Superman – Diamante Eco Adventure Park, Guanacaste

If you’re looking for the best ziplining in Costa Rica, Diamante is the Central America’s (and Costa Rica’s) second-longest dual zip line, which means you can soar like a superhero alongside your partner, friend or intrepid offspring. For almost a whole, seemingly endless mile, you can fly like a toucan, soaking up spectacular views of the Pacific (upside down, if you wish!) the whole way across. The 2-hour course is suitable for anyone over the age of 5 (the minimum weight limit is 60lb) which is fantastic for families with thrill-seeking kids and, of course, anyone who wants bragging rights.

With bilingual expert guides, world-class safety equipment and added COVID-precautions this year, Diamante’s outstanding thrill is bound to get your Costa Rica adventure vacation to a FANTASTIC flying start.

best zipline in costa rica

 

  1. Sky Adventures, Arenal Volcano National Park, La Fortuna

At the crossroads between a semi-active volcano, luscious rainforest and high-altitude cloud-forests, Sky Adventures enjoys the most idyllic setting. If you’re looking for best zip line in costa rica this is indeed the poster-child for Costa Rica zip line tours. Sky’s popularity is no big mystery: the convenience of its location, the ease of access and the ridiculously beautiful views, let alone the fact that you’ll be at the doorstep of one of Costa Rica’s top 2 national parks.

Sky is well set up and what we love is the sheer variety of choice – here, you can walk along a trail of suspended bridges, take an open-air gondola ride (the Sky Tram) and enjoy the thrills of a multi-active tour that combines rappelling with bridge swings, a high-rope course, canyoning and much more. The Arenal zip line tour is the return tramway trip and includes half a dozen cables set up over 650’ in the air, reaching speeds of up to 44mph. Children aged 5 and 6 will need to zip line with a guide and older kids (7-10) have the option of riding together if a guide is not available.

This is the best and most convenient choice for families adventuring together in Costa Rica for the first time. There’s an option to ‘bail out’ after the first two zips so if you’re hesitant about trying zip lining, this is a wonderful and safe first-option for you to try.

best ziplining in costa rica

 

  1. Selvatura Adventure Park, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Just next door to Arenal but high amongst the ethereal clouds, Selvatura offers an altogether different sensory overload. This is the kind of place you can spend an entire day exploring. The zipline comprises more than a dozen cables (one that is over half a mile long) and 15 platforms, with a Tarzan Swing that’ll make you wish you hadn’t overindulged at breakfast. Unreal fun! The only zip line to be stationed within the world-famous cloud forest of Monteverde, Selvatura is a nature-lover’s dream. At Selvatura, you’ll get over two miles of fox-flying fun and a canopy walking tour that serves up the best close-up encounters with the unique ecosystem here.

The combination zipline, hike and swing tour at Selvatura is suitable for kids (4+) and adults alike, although weight restrictions apply (as they do on all zip line tours).

best zip line in costa rica

 

  1. El Santuario Canopy Adventure, Manuel Antonio National Park

El Santuario’s dual Costa Rica zip line adventure is the longest in the country (and the whole Central American region) and located merely 20 minutes from Manuel Antonio, that spectacular pocket of wilderness treasure that tumbles into the Pacific, in the province of Puntarenas. The park is one of the best wildlife spotting destination given it’s so small and compact yet even at El Santuario, set across 500 acres of magnificent nature, your animal spotting chances are huge.

The twin zip line tour at El Santuari is phenomenal and staffed by some of the most passionate guides you’ll meet in your entire trip. They take the time needed to get everyone comfortable in their gear, abate their fears and continuously enlighten guests with info on surrounding nature and wildlife. The tour is open for anyone aged 4+, groups tours are possible (what an AMAZING wedding party activity idea!) and return transport is included in a visit.

Costa Rica zip line

 

  1. Pacuare River Zipline, Turrialba

Turrialba is the best whitewater rafting and kayaking base in Costa Rica (and our home!) and it’s here that you can combine the best thrill-seeking adventures the country has to offer, on the shores of the world-famous Pacuare River. This is one of the least known, and most fun, zip line options in Costa Rica because it’s enjoyed in conjunction with world-class rafting. If it’s a multi-sport adventure you’re after then this is the option you shouldn’t miss!

The in-house zip line course at the Pacuare Lodge is wonderful and includes a stunning half-hour hike through the rainforest to reach the starting point. From here, tackle a maze of zip-lines for an hour, all the way back to the front steps of the lodge. This is one of Pacuare’s best hidden secrets and an absolute delight to discover when staying overnight.

Zip lining in Costa Rica

If zip lining is a new concept for you, here’s your Complete Guide to Zip Lining in Costa Rica, where we discuss the safety aspects, what you should wear and other things to keep in mind.

The wonderful thing about the zip lining in Costa Rica is that it’s such a popular and iconic activity that for every ‘famous’ course, there are several lesser-known options, located wherever verdant forests grow. And, in Costa Rica, that’s almost the entire country!

Love to give zip lining a go? Then join us! At Costa Rica Rios, we’ve been running award-winning adventure tours in this magical playground for 25 years and have perfected the art of combining the best the country has to offer. We create bespoke itineraries for families, couples and groups of friends who want to share an unforgettable experience, and a jaw-dropping zip line adventure, in the most beautiful country on earth.

Simply contact us to know more.

Costa Rica zip line

US & Canada: 888 434-0776 | UK: 0800 612 8718 | International: +1 920 434-7485

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Building Stronger Bonds With Adventure Travel

Pile of smartphonesYou spend months planning and daydreaming about the perfect vacation, imagining smiling children, and lots of hugs and tons of laughter; but how can you ensure that you actually end up with family bonding instead of bickering over cell phone use or hogging the bathroom? An adventure vacation in Costa Rica could be just the answer you’re looking for! Adventure vacations are not only exciting, but they have the ability to bring families together like never before.

Unplug For A Moment
It’ll be pretty difficult to work during an adventure vacation to Costa Rica Rios! You’re going to be having way too much fun in the great outdoors and besides, it’s hard to e-mail your boss while dangling from a zip line! When you plan a vacation with your family you are making a commitment to spend time with them. During your adventure vacation make sure you actually unplug and allow yourself to spend quality time together enjoying the activities and sharing the amazing scenery. Remind your teenagers that all the text messages they are missing will be there when they return, and bring along only digital devices you can use to document your amazing vacation!

Cooperation and Teamwork Abound
Zipline with your groupHiking, kayaking, white water rafting, zip lining and many more unique adventures await you in a Costa Rio Rios family adventure vacation package! Your family will spend a lot of time working together to achieve common goals. Family bonds are strengthened when everyone’s voices are heard, everyone’s work is appreciated and the end result is fulfilling and worthwhile. While you will also have plenty of time for relaxation and sight-seeing – the challenges that await you will really make this vacation memorable.

Healthy Competition and Physical Activity Builds Confidence
As an added bonus, you’ll enjoy seeing your family member’s confidence soar as they try new things, take on new challenges and conquer fears. Outdoor physical activity gets the blood flowing, increases endorphins (which make us happier) and reverses the effects of stress on the body. The memories you build together through these adventures will be thought about and talked about well into your children’s adulthood. At first glance some of the activities will be a bit outside your comfort zone, even if you are an athletic family, but once you’ve conquered each one the feeling of accomplishment will be overwhelmingly positive!