The best family vacations in Costa Rica

Best places to visit in Costa Rica with family

Our quest to discover the best places to visit in Costa Rica with kids has had us scouting the country from north to south and from east to west. With our toddlers to teens, we’ve driven the roads, trekked the forests, and swam in the oceans and seas to create a definitive list of the best family vacation ideas in Costa Rica.

So where could we take you? Below are just some of the regions we love – from the lava fields, volcanoes, and jungle canopies of Arenal Volcano National Park to the candy-colored coral of the Gulf of Papagayo, and the wild, jungle-fringed beaches of the Osa Peninsula to the ‘Hawaii of South America’ in the Nicoya Peninsula. One thing’s for sure: a family trip to Costa Rica will ignite your senses, kindle your curiosity, and create extraordinary memories for many years to come.

Arenal Volcano National Park

The Arenal Volcano National Park, in the north-west of the country, is where thrill-seekers gather for heart-racing, calf-quivering, eye-popping activities in one of the most jaw-dropping landscapes in the country. At its heart is the Arenal volcano, its deep craters criss-crossed by ziplines and its old lava flows forming astonishingly good hiking trails. At its base? The Laguna de Arenal – the largest lake in the country, where miles of forest-fringed shores are dotted with charming villages. It’s one of the best places to visit in Costa Rica with kids. You’ll all be screaming yourselves silly as you whizz along the continent’s longest zip line, which runs between the chocolate-brown craters of two dormant volcanoes. Or for the (bigger) adrenaline junkies amongst you, there’s the raging class IV rapids of the Sarapiqui river – one of our favorite family bonding activities. For something a bit more gentle, how about hikes to waterfalls and soothing soaks in natural thermal springs, horseback or bike rides through banana and coffee plantations, and wildlife encounters, seeking out the sleepy sloths dangling from tree branches?

Our Cream of Costa Rica trip takes you through the region in a suitably Black Tomato style: slumbering in clifftop tented suites with infinity pools at Nayara Tented Camp, rappelling down waterfalls, digging into a gourmet picnic at the side of the towering volcano, before dining in local legend Doña Priscilla’s family home.

Gulf of Papagayo

Long, sun-dappled days in the ocean, slow strolls along golden ribbons of beach, the chance to learn about the abundant marine life in this corner of the world: the Papagayo Peninsula is one of our favorite spots to slow the pace after a heady tour of Costa Rica. Your base is the Four Seasons Papagayo, which occupies a slice of land between a long beach of calm, swimmable waters and sweeping vistas of Santa Rosa National Park and the Gulf of Papagayo. Make the most of watersports, four pools, and the vast spa with its focus on ayurvedic wellness (the Wipeout massage is just what your surf-beaten body needs). But the thing you really don’t want to miss here? The chance to watch, from a respectful distance, Pacific Green and Leatherback turtles coming to shore to nest by moonlight, or later in the year, their eggs hatching. It’s a brilliantly kid-friendly adventure in Costa Rica and an extraordinarily special experience – a quiet moment to appreciate the ocean’s marine life. We love to pair this with time at the Coral Reel Propagation Project – a conservation project on the Bay of Culebra, where you’ll learn about the coral rehabilitation efforts and the importance of their preservation in an ever-changing world. It’s just one element of our hand-crafted luxury conservation adventure family trip to Costa Rica.

Osa Peninsula

Track south to the country’s southern Pacific coast and you’ll discover a far more remote region in the country, and one of the most intrepid curves of coastline in Costa Rica. Just getting here is an adventure in itself – many parts of the peninsula remain pleasingly off-grid, making it feel like yours and yours only. It’s a place to swim and snorkel in glittering ocean and ride waves beneath cyan skies, but also to appreciate wildlife, with the rainforest here homing Costa Rica’s largest remaining population of jaguars and tapirs, while sedentary sloths cling onto branches in the rainforest of Corcovado National Park. In the Golfo Dulce, dolphins dive in and out of the water alongside migrating whales. Ready to witness it in wide-eyed wonder? We can help.

Nicoya Peninsula

We love the gentle rhythm of life on the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica’s largest peninsula, which stretches along the Pacific Ocean. Some liken it to Hawaii – but with Latin American spirit – for its sun-soaked beaches and neat rolling waves that are perfect for surfing. But there’s more to it than that – it’s one of the world’s five Blue Zones, where residents live particularly long, healthy lives. Elders have a positive outlook and focus on big belly laughs to keep the heart ticking. The other focus? Family. Relishing the company of their children and grandchildren day in, day out. It’s part of the reason we’ve included this special region on this kid-friendly adventure in Costa Rica. It’s brimming with special family moments across the country, but it’s on Nicoya peninsula that you’ll snorkel in aquamarine waters, learn how to catch waves with a pro and gallop through the surf at sunset in the company of Costa Rican cowboys, all while staying at a boho boutique hotel with its sound therapy sessions, open-air spa, and dazzling location – inches from the Pacific. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Scroll on for more Costa Rica family vacations.

Family-friendly activities in Costa Rica

This truly is nature’s playground. All of the family-friendly activities in Costa Rica make the most of the spectacular setting, where volcanoes still smoulder, rainforests are alive with the call of toucans and monkeys swinging from branches, and the waves roll in along the shore.

Family vacation ideas in Costa Rica also go big on bonding thanks to the dozens of adventurous experiences you can have here. Think: seeing baby turtles hatch beneath a sky blanketed with stars, learning about the lives of sloths as they doze on trees in front of you, chartering a private sail boat for a day on the water, learning to surf with a pro, and leaping off rocks into refreshing waterfall pools. These are “did we really do that?” moments that are just some of the best things to do in Costa Rica.
Here’s a little more about them.

Sloth spotting in Arenal

More than just a tour, this is an intimate encounter with nature. It’s also one of our favorite family-friendly activities in Costa Rica, an experience that brings school text books to life as you venture into the vibrant rainforests of the Arenal Volcano National Park to seek out one of the world’s happiest looking animals, the slow-moving sleepy sloth. With an expert guide by your side you’ll tip toe through the jungle – keen to be respectful of the howler monkeys and toucans that call the lush canopy home – stopping off at sloth-viewing spots and hearing about the two- and three-toed mammals’ unique adaptations and crucial role in the ecosystem.

Your family will leave feeling connected to Costa Rica’s natural wonders with a deep appreciation for the ecosystem, how important conservation work is, and what we can do to help the world around us thrive. It’s just one element of our luxury conservation adventure through Costa Rica, a must-do trip for keen conservationists and anyone keen to relish the abundant beauty of the natural world.

Hiking the Aquetzalli Waterfall

To call this a hike only goes part of the way to explaining the thrilling day ahead of you. This is an in-depth exploration of Guanacaste’s tropical dry forest and the sparkling Rio Blanco river that flows through it. You won’t just be hiking along forest trails, but taking on the rust-red rocks and neon blue pools of water on a canyoning adventure full of cooling swims and exhilarating leaps of faith. You’ll clamber up rocky paths to find the perfect jumping off spot before hurling yourself into the water below, letting out a whoop as you go. You’ll stand beneath waterfalls, invigorated by the water pounding your shoulders, and cool off from the heat of the jungle in crystal-clear pools. As you go, your guide will bring the rainforest to life with stories of the centuries that have passed in this rarely seen untouched landscape. To finish? A Costa Rican feast next to a tranquil coyote, with plenty of time for one last dip. Consider it a must-do on your family trip to Costa Rica.

Hiking along the trails of Arenal Volcano National Park

We get it – there are plenty of teenagers out there whose idea of a good time is not a hike with their parents. But then, this isn’t a modest or mediocre hike – instead, it’s an intrepid tour of jungle canopies, lava fields, and bridges suspended 200 feet up in the air. It’s why it’s one of our most recommended family vacation ideas in Costa Rica – an adventure that’s educational, without the kids even realising it.

So, what exactly does it involve? Well, it’s a deep exploration of the Arenal region, beginning at Hanging Bridges, a 617-acre rainforest sanctuary with 16 suspended bridges that you’ll be – don’t look down – striding across. Then it’s on to La Fortuna waterfall, a 200-foot cascade with the perfect swim spot below (do dive right in). You’ll traverse ancient lava fields in the Arenal Volcano National Park, and take in panoramic lake views from the top of a cooled lava stream. Along the way, your guide will reveal fascinating facts about the area’s rich diversity and the volcano’s fiery history – elements you can dig even deeper on on our luxury conservation adventure. Trust us when we say that learning about rocks has never been more cool.

Turtle watching in the Gulf of Papagayo

There are few experiences as magical as seeing a mother turtle begin the process of nesting, and a night tour on the Papagayo Peninsula allows you to be one of the few people in the world to witness it. Beneath a moon-lit sky you’ll sit in serene silence, waiting for huge 5ft-long Pacific Green turtles to emerge from the sea, slowly make their way across the sand, and dig a hole which will house up to 90 of their eggs for the next two months. Depending on the timing of your trip, you could choose to see the eggs hatching, and watch dozens of hatchlings scatter as they make their way to the Pacific Ocean. It’s just one of the family friendly experiences in Costa Rica to feature on our conservation adventure – a nine-night journey specially designed for families eager to learn more about our natural world.

Conservation in the Talamanca Mountains

Costa Rica’s commitment to conservation and sustainability has allowed us to craft conservation adventures that are crammed with special, educational, moments in the natural world. A trip through the Talamanca Mountains, in the south-east of the country, is just one of the conservation-driven Costa Rica family vacation ideas. With an expert naturalist guide by your side, you’ll travel to the Nairi Awari Indigenous Territory to learn about the region’s Cabécar culture. From there, you and your family will head to Proyecto Asis, an animal rescue center that specializes in sloth conservation, hearing from biologists and learning about challenges the country faces to protect wild animals. You’ll then be welcomed onto the farm of conservationist Don Juan, seeing where he and his family grow tropical fruits, medicinal plants, and exotic flora you may never have heard of – let alone seen. It’s a chance to ask questions about how we, too, can live more sustainably. If you want to take something home from your vacation, this knowledge may just be it.

Every family is different, and therefore every family vacation in Costa Rica should be different, too. On the back of traveling with our own kids, we’ve knitted together some of our best encounters to create journeys brimming with that joyful pura vida essence. And as always, everything is entirely bespoke. We’ll pull together your respective passions, your ‘must dos’ and – just as importantly – ‘must not dos’, to create something truly extraordinary.