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Costa Rica Family Adventure Itinerary
Please note that this is a typical itinerary, and actual activities may vary to take advantage of weather conditions, local events, and to allow serendipity to play a hand in your experience. Accommodations are as outlined in the itinerary, although we reserve the right to change these should the need arise.
DAY 1
Arrival in San José
Our trip begins upon the arrival of your flight into Juan Santamaria International Airport in San José. After clearing customs you are met by our driver, brought to our hotel, and greeted by our naturalist guides for a brief orientation. You are free to dine at your leisure this evening, and relax with your family after your flight.
Hotel Parque del Lago, San José
DAY 2
Transfer to Tortuguero National Park
Hike – easy, 1-2 hours.
This morning we depart San José early and drive east through the central mountains, descending through valleys of banana plantations as the climate, and your children’s excitement level, becomes increasingly jungle-like. Next, we board a river boat, African Queen-style, and make our way through the twisting rivers of the Caribbean lowlands to our home for the next two nights―a deluxe jungle lodge bordering Tortuguero National Park. We arrive mid-afternoon, and may have time to explore some of the park trails with the help of a canoe-like riverboat. Here, our naturalist guides introduce us to the mysteries of the rainforest and its complex ecosystems.
Evergreen Lodge, Tortuguero
DAY 3
Tortuguero National Park and the Caribbean Conservation Center
Hike – easy, 2-3 hours.
This morning we board a boat for an exploration of hidden lagoons, where huge trees are home to howler monkeys, chestnut-mandibled toucans, and dozens of other bird species. We then venture onto the rainforest trails, keeping our eyes and ears alert for forest creatures. Our guides have an amazing ability to spot wildlife that remains hidden to the untrained eye.
This afternoon, while the wildlife enjoys its siesta, we visit the Caribbean Conservation Center. This small museum introduces us to a variety of native flora and fauna, but its primary focus is on the life and natural history of the sea turtles which come ashore here to nest from April to September each year.
Tonight we enjoy an authentic Costa Rican dinner at our jungle lodge. During July, we follow dinner with a nighttime excursion onto the beach to look for nesting sea turtles.
Evergreen Lodge, Tortuguero
DAY 4
Transfer to Monteverde
Hike – easy, 2-3 hours.
Early this morning, we board our plane at a nearby airstrip for our flight back to San José. The roughly one-hour flight is scenic and affords us a new perspective on this special part of Costa Rica, where waterfalls cascade from the mountains we fly over.
From San José, we drive into the highlands, arriving by mid-afternoon in Monteverde. Our home for the next two nights, the Monteverde Cloud Forest is one of the richest and most diverse tropical cloud forests in the world, best known as home to the resplendent quetzal. It is also home to hundreds of other bird, mammal, and plant species. This evening we make ourselves comfortable at our hotel and enjoy its amenities, including a beautiful swimming pool on the edge of the forest.
Hotel El Establo, Monteverde
DAY 5
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Hike – easy to moderate, on hiking trails and suspension bridges, 2-3 hours. Optional zipline canopy tour.
After breakfast, we begin our day with an adventure on a series of suspension bridges, where we have the unique experience of seeing the wonders of the virgin cloud forest from a bird’s eye view in the canopy. Meandering through the trees at our own pace, we have the vantage point of eight different bridges of various lengths spanning nearly two miles of lush forest. For those wanting an exciting, unforgettable ride, a zipline canopy tour is available as well.
By midday we enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, perhaps sampling the casado (rice and beans with meat) eaten daily by the locals. The abundant local fruit is refreshing at this time of day.
In the afternoon, we continue with a hike through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, where we experience first-hand the misty, dense vegetation and majestic trees. Our naturalist guide explains the specific cycles of life in this unique and complex ecosystem. The tropical cloud forest is confined to mountain ridges where, due to frequent cloud cover, the mist moistens and fertilizes the land, resulting in the dense growth of small plants (known as epiphytes) in the trees. From the forest floor to the canopy, it is a place teeming with life.
Our day ends where it began, as we enjoy one more evening at our deluxe hotel.
Hotel El Establo, Monteverde
DAY 6
Transfer to Arenal Volcano National Park
Scenic boat ride; walk – easy, 1-2 hours.
In the morning, we say goodbye to the cloud forest and depart Monteverde for the small town of Rio Chiquito, where we board a boat for a thirty-minute ride across Lake Arenal. Arenal Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, lords over the landscape and as we travel across, our guide explains the fascinating history of this man-made lake and the original town of Arenal that now lies buried deep under the surface.
For lunch today, we meet with Doña Rosa at her highland ranch, where she teaches us to make a typical tico lunch, including fresh tortillas made from scratch. After enjoying our meal, we continue on to our lodge, with impressive views of the volcanic giant which regularly erupts with spectacular displays of vapor and lava.
Arenal Springs Resort, La Fortuna
DAY 7
Arenal Volcano and Ecotermales Hot Springs
Hike – easy to moderate, 3-4 hours.
Arenal Volcano National Park encompasses thousands of acres of pristine rainforest and is alive with tropical birds and wildlife—our grounds for exploration today.
In the morning we enjoy a hike with our guide to a nearby waterfall and a close-up exploration of a lava flow, the remnants of an eruption from just a generation ago. In the afternoon, we enjoy the benefits of this geothermal area with a relaxing dip in the Ecotermales hot springs―one of the most scenic springs in the Arenal region. While at the springs, we enjoy a final celebratory dinner before returning to our hotel. Depending on the weather conditions, we may even have the opportunity to witness one of Arenal’s frequent eruptions!
Arenal Springs Resort, La Fortuna
DAY 8
Flight to San José; Departure
Today we say goodbye to the rainforests and highlands of Costa Rica, arriving at Juan Santamaria International Airport in San José by mid-morning, in time for afternoon flights home.