Family-Friendly Costa Rica Eco Tour: Living in the Jungle

You will be greeted at the airport by a local guide who will transfer you to a small hotel in the oldest part of San Jose. Here, there will be time to rest and refresh before discussing the afternoon with your guide. If your children need to run off some steam, your guide can lead you to a local park. Wandering around the old center will be a treat because the faded charm of San Jose greets you at most turns. A short walk can also provide you with the opportunity to hear tales of the country’s history, which will be expertly narrated by your guide. San Jose also has some excellent restaurants, so you can dine on Western cuisine before venturing to Costa Rica’s rural destinations.

After a short flight, it will be time to put your feet up and relax. Manuel Antonio National Park is famous for its biodiversity and an incredible range of wildlife, but the beaches are wonderful as well. Your lodge will be located on the beach, and you can wander barefoot straight onto the sand. A tropical forest will provide your backdrop, and some of the trees hang out over the ocean. Nothing specific will be planned for today. Over the next two days, you will be searching for rare wildlife and marveling at all the strange creatures that make their home in Manuel Antonio National Park. Today will be a chance to completely unwind on the coast.

Over these two days, a local guide will customize your eco-adventure in Costa Rica’s most celebrated rainforest park. White-faced capuchin monkeys gather in large troops and chirp from the treetops, while howler monkeys make noise throughout the day. The park’s biodiversity is crammed into a surprisingly small area. This is Costa Rica’s smallest national park, and exploring is easy because you do not need to walk very far. Your guide will explain different trails and can plan walks around the age and energy levels of your kids. There are also many marine animals that you may encounter. You will have a private catamaran cruise that will have you sailing for three hours before sunset.

Today’s journey will be the longest of your vacation, and it is roughly five hours to Santa Elena. The city of Quepos will break up your journey, and it is a great place to stretch your legs. It was once an important trading town, where bananas were weighed and sorted before continuing their journey around the world. You can stroll into town or spend an hour at the beach before continuing toward Santa Elena. Santa Elena was established by American Quakers in the 1950s and is an idyllic base for exploring Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. After checking into your lodge, you can stretch your legs in the garden.

Cloud forest enchantment and thrilling treetop adventure will be your highlights during these two days in Santa Elena. From the small town, you can easily access a quieter side of Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve that is away from the tourist crowds that gather during the middle of the day. Your guide will try to time activities around the tourist rush and the climate. It is much more enjoyable early in the morning before the midday heat, humidity, and crowds. Your guide will discuss an itinerary with you and plan activities that suit the age and energy of your kids.

Your journey to La Fortuna will be a real adventure through the heart of Costa Rica. After descending from the clouds, you can stop at a conservation project that is helping to return the forest to its indigenous origins. After this stop, you will meander to rolling hills with distant views of Costa Rica’s most famous volcano. Rather than continue by road, you will cross Lake Arenal by boat, which will prove to be a spectacular journey through emerald and turquoise scenery. After the serenity of Manuel Antonio and Santa Elena, the lively atmosphere of La Fortuna can be very pleasant. Your hotel will be located outside the main part of town, and the staff can provide you with a surplus of recommendations for places to dine.

La Fortuna is Costa Rica’s adventure capital, and you do not need to pre-plan your activities. It is best to wait until you arrive so you can check out everyone’s energy levels and plan around everyone’s interests. You can also split up and do different activities, which can be great if your family is torn on what to do. White-water rafting is only suitable for older children because it covers long sections of grade II and grade III rapids. Furthermore, the ziplines and hanging bridges can be completed by younger children, and the experience in Arenal is much different from Monteverde. Mountain biking is another option, and you can peddle along some excellent single-track trails.

From La Fortuna, it will take just over two hours to return to San Jose’s main international airport. The morning will be at your leisure, and you can reflect on how the vacation has helped to preserve Costa Rica’s incredible landscapes. Tourism provides the funds that are needed to maintain the ecosystem and environment. By exploring parks and reserves, you support their continued existence and help to keep Costa Rica pure.