Costa Rica with Kids – The Itinerary Roundup

Costa Rica is the perfect place to go with young kids. Adventurous in a very protected way and lots of great opportunities to engage kids with animals, natural environment, and beaches.

We had a truly amazing time in Costa Rica with Beija when she was 3 years old. Bugs, snakes, swimming, beaches. What more could a little kid want from a Costa Rica itinerary?

We rented a car and it was the perfect thing to give us the freedom to see back roads, small towns, and little cafes all over the country. As with most international driving, be prepared for winding, narrow roads and other drivers. Beija’s biggest complaint? The roads were toooooooo buuuummmmppy (imagine this said in the most whiny 3 year old voice possible).

Our friends Connie and Guy joined us for part of this trip. They also show up in our Cuba adventure and Beija is off to Spain with them (without us!) this summer.

 

1. Grecia

We started in Grecia, just north of San Jose. I couldn’t find the B&B we stayed in online so it may be out of business. The lovely man who owned it was partaking in some geographic therapy (when you move to another country after a breakup) so he might have recovered from his heartbreak and gone home. Grecia had just been voted the cleanest city in Latin America when we visited. We had a great time at the World of Snakes just outside of the city.

Beija made friends with some cuties in the square. Before long they were chasing each other and counting in Spanish.

The most beautiful watermelons -sandia- were at the Grecia farmer’s market.

2. Sarchi

Sarchi’s decorative oxcarts and lively colors were gorgeous! We stopped in on a lovely drive through the countryside in search of a local waterslide. We found it and had a great time swimming with the locals.

The famous oxcart. I wouldn’t lose this one in a parking lot.

3. Monteverde

Beija has her photo face on here. Isn’t it funny how all kids have a fake grin just for the camera? As they get older it turns into crazy faces.

Up to Monteverde in the pouring rain, then enjoyed some coffee and an art show. El Sapo Dorado, our hotel, had beautiful rooms in a green setting and a diverse breakfast spread. We stayed here for a few days checking out all of the fun museums and hikes that Monteverde has to offer.

Long legs! Beija wanted to take this one home as a pet.

We went to the Mundo de los Insectos at night so we could see all the little buggers active.

This rainbow over the jungle canopy was put here just for us. 

We took a nice hike in the children’s forest (Bosque Eterno de los Niños) and saw foxes, monkeys, and a nice information center at the trailheads. So quiet.

Grover after staying up all night.

The Ranario was another adventure in the dark, but since Beija’s patience searching for fun frogs in the jungle was limited it was a good way to get a sense of what was out there hiding under leaves.

Toucanet posing

The Cloud Forest was a highlight of hiking and nature tours. We saw toucans, toucanets, lots of hummingbirds, and the elusive resplendent quetzal. The adults could have spent much more time, but we followed the lead of the little one.

4. Jaco

It is really hard not to make crocodile jaw shadows when you are next to a crocodile.

It is always fun to stop at the bridge near Jaco to check out all of the crocodiles. I also use it as an excuse to say one of my favorite spanish words: el cocodrilo. Say it ten times, it is super fun.

5. Quepos/Manuel Antonio

Ok, so this is why being married to my husband is amazing (there might be one or two other reasons). He goes into Hotel Verde, jokes with everyone in Spanish, and comes out with the keys to…an airplane. The hotel had just refurbished this plane and turned it into a room but word hadn’t gotten out yet. So we were lucky enough to snag it. This website has the full set of photos.

Room 727

My absolute favorite memory of this room was taking a shower in the tail of the plane which was separated from the jungle just by a screen, and listening to the howler monkeys sing at me.

This was one of the coolest places I’ve ever stayed. You can see how brand-spanking-new it is by how untouched the new floors are. After a lovely breakfast on the wing overlooking one of the most gorgeous views in Costa Rica we headed over to Manuel Antonio to wander through the jungle to the beach.

Checking out a sloth with Guy LaRue

We all really liked the enormous lizards wandering the beach, the cutter ants, huge blue butterflies, and the monkeys shouting from the trees. We took a picnic, but were careful  not to share with the local wildlife.

So after all the salt water it seemed like a great idea to get a haircut.

I don’t really think she was hurting him

6. Dominical-San Isidro

After leaving Manuel Antonio we headed down the coast and then into the mountains. It was definitely a drive that was an end in itself, winding through a thousand shades of green on a day where you could see for miles.

This cafe overlooking the mountains had it all. Good food, great views, lovely people. Also a kid with a messy face – but you can get that anywhere.

7. Copey de Dota

After we looped through San Isidro we headed over another pass and back into the jungle to Copey de Dota. El Toucanet Lodge was a modern, airy delight with an art gallery and breakfast included. There were some beautiful hiking trails and the forest felt drier than the coast so we enjoyed having dry feet. The owners had kids so they shared their trampoline and climbing equipment with us.

Beija is often upside down. Still.

8. Orosi

The Orosi Valley is a gorgeous, green (really, where in CR doesn’t fit this description?) coffee farming community. It also has some geothermal activity that makes for a fun soak. We found our way to the Balnearios de Aguas Termales Orosi. Visit the website for an entertaining advertising jingle. We were the only non-locals here that day which made it extra fun.

I didn’t include volcanoes in this trip, but they are perfect for kids. We ran out of time, but on a previous trip we enjoyed a nighttime sojourn to Volcan Arenal to watch glowing lava running down the volcano from thermal pools near there.

There are very few destinations that are better than Costa Rica with kids. Adventure, yet easy and so many things that interest little people and big people alike. Also, I loved the food.