Costa Rica Family Travel: Top Family Experiences
Best Things to Do for Families with Young Children in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is not just an eco-adventure mecca for the extreme outdoorsman, there are plenty of activities for families too – even those with young kids like ours, who were ages 3,5 & 8 when we adventured out to Costa Rica for the summer. Our Costa Rica family travel trip was the perfect balance between relaxation, adventure, and family-friendly activities.
A roundup of our family’s favorite adventures and things to do in Costa Rica, where we spent most of our time in and around the town of Nosara on the Nicoya Peninsula in Guanacaste.
Rylan’s Favorites from Costa Rica Favorites (8-years old)
Quad Riding
Doing a tour or renting on your own, riding quads/ATVs is an experience not to be missed.
Jungle Mini Golf
The Jungle Mini Golf course in Nosara is a favorite for all the kids.
Water Slides
A must-do experience is the 400m waterslide at Vandara Hot Springs Resort.
Wildlife
From monkeys to tree frogs, coatimundis to iguanas, seeing all the wildlife was spectacular.
Aubrey’s Favorites from Costa Rica Favorites (5-years old)
Collecting Hermit Crabs
The kids collected hermit crabs on several trips to Playa Guiones beach and made a habitat for them at our house.
Horseback Riding
A pony ride through the jungle and beach that all our kids could enjoy.
Smoothies at the pool
So much fun for the kids to get to order smoothies and snacks at the pool bar.
Sunset beach visits
At sunset, Playa Guiones beach is perfect for kids – cool, calm and perfect for playing especially during low tide.
Hanging Bridges
A relaxing hike amongst the Hanging Bridges near Lake Arenal is the perfect speed for younger kids.
Sierra’s Favorites from Costa Rica Favorites (3-years old)
Pool Time
All the kids loved swimming daily at our vacation rental, especially our little one who learned to swim during the trip. Having monkeys in the tree overhead made the experience especially unique.
La Fortuna Waterfall
A long descent and ascent made this a fun challenge for the kids, and the view is magnificent.
Nosara Quad Riding
All the kids enjoyed riding on the quads, but of them all, our 3-year enjoyed it most.
Beach Sand Play
Playing in sand has got to be one of the most universal favorites of little kids. no exception here.
Robin’s Ice Cream
Robin’s Ice Cream in Nosara is absolutely scrumptious, and a fun mid-day retreat.
Tim’s Costa Rica Favorites
River Rafting
The Balsa Class 2/3 river rafting trip was so much fun for the guys and older kids, not only a fun day on the river but with some neat side excursions.
Beach Dog Cafe
Breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Beach Dog has great food and a great atmosphere.
Fishing Pond
Our very own fishing pond near Lake Arenal made for an opportunity to catch some fresh fish!
Arribada Turtle Watching
In Playa Ostional, you can watch sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs.
Traditional Costa Rican Meal
We enjoyed a Tican chef who came to our house and prepared fresh, typical Costa Rica Cuisine for us and helped us practice our Spanish and ask about Costa Rican culture.
My Costa Rica Favorites
Vandara Hot Springs
I loved this out-of-the-way but worth it resort full of activities for the family.
Sunsets at the Beach
Sunsets at Playa Guiones and Playa Pelada are absolutely beautiful and worth setting aside time to enjoy and photograph.
Pelada Tidepools
The tidepools at Playa Pelada are very unique and lots of fun to climb around on.
Gelato at The Hidden Spot
Delicious gelato, a cool spot literally hidden in the jungle, and a fun drive on the quad with the kids to get there.
Traditional Relaxing at the Riu Guanacaste
Although an all-inclusive palatial resort isn’t typically my first choice for an adventure vacation, a few days at the end of our trip relaxing by the pool and beach was perfect.
Our whole family’s Costa Rica Favorites
Family Time
Getting to spend so much quality family time away from it all was priceless.
Visit from Grandparents
My parents came to visit and help with the kids for an entire week during our trip.
Casa de Sueno in Nosara
Staying long term in one place was definitely the way to go in Nosara.
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