Costa Rica with Kids Tour

All Tours Include a Naturalist Guide and Babysitting Services

Day 1: ARRIVAL IN COSTA RICA – BIENVENIDOS!

Arrive at Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose.  Transfer by private, air-conditioned shuttle bus to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, nestled in a lowland tropical rainforest.  Meet our host, Alex Martinez, an excellent and charming guide and a passionate frontline conservationist.  He is a volunteer game warden and helped found a local environmental-protection and education agency. Andrea Cristina Bed & Breakfast.  D.

Day 2: SARAPIQUI and TIRIMBINA RAINFOREST RESERVE

Morning free to settle in, bird watch, relax in hammocks, or wander into town.  Afternoon kids stay at the B&B for naps and activities while parents cross the longest suspension bridge in Costa Rica to explore the rainforest at nearby Tirimbina Rainforest Reserve with a naturalist guide.  Majestic tall trees, birds and colorful tiny frogs abound! Andrea Cristina B&B.  B,L,D

Day 3: FAMILY COOKING CLASS and RAFT RIO SARAPIQUI 

Early-risers optional guided birding walk.  Mid-morning family cooking class: we’ll make empanadas, batidos (traditional tropical milkshakes), and yummy plantains and then eat them for lunch!  Afternoon parents have the choice of a guided rainforest hike at La Selva, one of the top tropical ecology research stations in the world, or a thrilling whitewater rafting trip on the Rio Sarapiqui (Class 1-5 rapids) while kids play at the B&B.  Andrea Cristina B&B.  B,L,D 

Day 4: WILDLIFE BOAT RIDE and ARENAL VOLCANO

Early-risers optional guided birding walk.  Morning family boat ride on a slow, shady boat to look for monkeys, sloths, toucans, caiman and crocodiles!  Youngest/squirmiest children have the option of staying at the B&B.  Afternoon transfer to La Fortuna, at the foot of a spectacular classic cone-shaped volcano.  Settle in at cabinas and enjoy dinner.  If skies are clear and conditions right, adults and older children take an evening tour to see Volcan Arenal while the little ones have an evening snack and stories.  Cabinas in Fortuna.  B,L,D

Day 5: WATERFALL and VOLCANIC HOT SPRINGS           

Parents interested in adventure and scenery this morning can opt for the steep hike to a spectacular waterfall (La Catarata de la Fortuna) with refreshing swimming holes. Kids visit the crocodile ranch (all fenced) and play in the city square park.  Meet for lunch in la Fortuna.  After lunch, nappers return to cabinas.  Late afternoon, family visit to Baldi Thermal Hot Springs with 10 volcanically heated springs.  Second chance for an evening tour to see Volcan Arenal, where the lucky may spot red sparks or white fumes rising into the night sky (from a safe distance, of course).  Cabinas in Fortuna.  B,L,D

Day 6: MONTEVERDE CLOUD FOREST

Morning to explore this charming town.  Leave Fortuna for Monteverde.  Lunch at Toad Hall in La Union de Arenal near Lake Arenal, menu features organic vegetables, fuiret drink (a regional specialty) and espresso and has a general store with a fabulous selection of local and national handicrafts.  Dinner in Monteverde, a cloud forest community settled by Quakers that boasts a large forest preserve with some of the most diverse plant and animal life anywhere in the world.  Monteverde Cabinas.  B, L, D.

Day 7: CLOUD FOREST HIKE, HUMMINGBIRDS and FROG ZOO           

Morning parents take naturalist guided hike at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve or optional horseback ride to San Luis waterfalls, while kids take a field trip to the frog zoo.  Meet for lunch in Monteverde.  Afternoon return to the park for a short family hike and visit the Hummingbird Gallery, while nappers return to cabinas with caregivers.  On the way home, stop in at CASEM, a women’s cooperative selling local art and souvenirs.  Sample 6 roasts of organic coffee at neighboring Café Monteverde.  Monteverde Cabinas.  B,L,D. 

Day 8: FAMILY SKYWALK and ATENAS

Morning family Skywalk through the rainforest canopy on a well-maintained trail with enclosed bridges that take you over 120 feet deep valleys through the treetops.    Afternoon, transfer to Atenas, a charming coffee-growing community on the mountainside above the capital city.  Enjoy views of the central valley of Costa Rica from your cabina’s porch or swim in the pool surrounded by tropical plants and birds.  Atenas Cabinas. B,L,D.

Day 9:  ZOO AVE, COFFEE and LAS MOLAS

Morning family trip to Zoo Ave, an outdoor zoo focusing on tropical bird rehabilitation and anti-poaching efforts that also has a great mammal exhibit.  Afternoon parents visit the grocery store to stock up on locally grown coffee and check out Las Molas, a high-quality, Costa Rican-owned gift shop while younger kids nap and enjoy the hotel pool.  Las Molas also carries some wonderful textiles from Panama and shade grown (bird habitat-friendly) coffee.  Atenas Cabinas.  B,L,D 

Day 10: POAS VOLCANO and SARCHI CRAFTS

Family tour to Volcan Poas.  We’ll drive up the volcano and take an easy walk to peer into the dormant crater when the clouds part and walk the enchanting elfin cloud forest trail.  Stop in Sarchi for lunch, an artesian craft village specializing in carved wood products and leather/wood rocking chairs.  Those who want a quieter day can stay at the hotel pool or explore downtown Atenas.  Return mid-afternoon for relaxing at cabinas/pool.  Atenas Cabinas.  B,L,D 

Day 11: TRANSFER OUT – ADIOS and GRACIAS! 

Transfer (25 minutes) to Airport.  B
Please note: Global Family Adventures strives to follow the schedule, but changes may be made due to weather conditions and interesting new opportunities.

OPTIONAL BEACH EXTENSION BEGINS

(Please note that the beach extension does not include babysitting or a guide)

Day 11: CENTRAL PACIFIC BEACH

Transfer to a lovely Central Pacific beach, less than 2 hours from Atenas.  Relax on the beach and play in the sand.  Stay at a small family-owned beachfront hotel with a pool, just steps from the beach!  No big noisy resorts with bars and discos for us!  We’ve found the quiet gems perfect for families with young children.  Night at Beach.  B

Day 12: CENTRAL PACIFIC BEACH

Enjoy a quiet day at the beach or arrange a local tour or surfing lesson through the hotel.  Night at Beach.  B

Day 13: CENTRAL PACIFIC BEACH

Another relaxing day at the beach.  B
Those with late morning or afternoon flights tomorrow will stay at the beach tonight.  For those with early flights tomorrow, afternoon transfer to a hotel near the airport that provides free shuttle service to your morning flight.

Day 14: TRANSFER OUT – ADIOS and GRACIAS! 

Transfer to Airport. B

B, L, D = Notes when breakfast (B), lunch (L), or dinner (D) are included each day.