Our amazing family holiday to Costa Rica featuring laid-back beaches, wildlife and awesome activities!
Pura Vida! A term you will hear again and again in Costa Rica. Literally meaning ‘pure life’, you will hear it as a greeting and it won’t take you long after you arrival into Costa Rica to see it all around. Costa Rica is simply one of the most vibrant, dynamic and sustainable countries on Earth and arguably the most biodiverse too. No wonder its people are said to live the longest, happiest lives.
Famous for its pristine rainforest, endless sandy beaches and a bewildering range of wildlife including howler monkeys, tree frogs, nesting turtles and colourful toucans; it’s no wonder that Costa Rica is one of our very favourite family holiday destinations.
We have put together a very special itinerary which showcases the very best wildlife spotting, adventure and beach time that Costa Rica has to offer. Starting off on the Caribbean coast by exploring the wetlands of Tortuguero National Park in silent canoes, we can float along under the canopy whilst our guides point out all kinds of monkeys, reptiles and birds. The lucky may even be able to observe nesting turtles on the beach after dark. After our impressive introduction to Costa Rica’s wildlife, we visit a cacao plantation to learn all there is to know about how proper chocolate is made. For those with an adventurous streak, we have lined up an exciting rafting trip on the Rio Sarapiqui. There are a number of sections to choose from to suit your ability and thirst for adventure. An alternative available is a relaxed floating safari where we let the gentle current of the river push us along as we try and outdo each other on who can spot the most amount of wildlife! We continue to travel through Costa Rica to arrive on the slopes of the perfect volcanic cone of Arenal. Here, we explore the trails of the national park and climb to the hanging bridges to get close up and personal to the rainforest canopy layer. We then transfer to the highlands of Monteverde, its mountainous forested slopes shrouded in low-lying cloud and mist. Here, we have a cookery lesson using fresh, locally-grown ingredients and take a night-walk through a reserve, where one can spot sloth, armadillos, tree frogs and many, many other nocturnal creatures. Heading down on to the Nicoya Peninsula, we will walk through the jungle to arrive at a small, remote eco-lodge and spend the next couple of days immersed in the rainforest, awoken in the morning by the other-worldly roar of the howler monkey and the cacophony of tropical birds. After all this adventure, we will be rewarded with a few days soaking up the beach vibes at Playa Samara. Tucked away and relatively hidden, Samara is a mecca for surfers and those looking for a relaxed sand-between-toes experience. Here we can take surf lessons, ride horses or visit local communities. It is also the perfect spot to do nothing other than swing in a hammock and read a book, dipping into the sea to cool off now and again. This is the definitive family adventure holiday.