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This past summer, my boys (ages six and ten) were finally ready for an adventurous international trip. While we’ve explored plenty around the Pacific Northwest, international travel requires a different level of planning for families. I admire those who take their kids abroad earlier, but my wife and I knew that we needed more time before braving a multi-flight journey with our two energetic boys.
We wanted to make sure that this was a vacation for the two adults as well, and that both boys would be have the interest and endurance to embark on more challenging activities like jungle hikes, rappelling and zip lining, as well as the patience to search for wildlife.
The Osa Peninsula, a wildlife mecca, was high on our list thanks to glowing recommendations from my adventure travel mentors. Lapa Rios Lodge was a must-see. We also wanted to visit Manuel Antonio for its mix of wildlife and beaches, especially since my son loves surfing despite living far from any nearby waves in Seattle.
Reccommodations for a fun Costa Rica Family Adventure
Tip #1: Keep It Simple: We chose two main locations - Lapa Rios Lodge on the Osa Peninsula and Arenas del Mar in Manuel Antonio - for our 9-day trip. There’s plenty to explore in each spot, and slowing down allowed us to truly experience the areas. We saw other families trying to cram too much into short trips, and the kids and parents looked exhausted.
Tip #2: Follow Your Kids’ Interests: I had high hopes that my boys would be little David Attenborough's in the making, glued to the guide’s every word during a 3-hour nature hike. But that didn’t go as planned. Shorter hikes worked best for us, and being surrounded by wildlife at our accommodations made for great learning moments without the need of a long rainforest trek. While we saw sloths, monkeys, and birds, my youngest’s highlight was playing with hermit crabs on the beach. Keeping things simple worked best for us—over-planning wasn’t necessary. We balanced beach time with cultural and wildlife activities, which kept everyone happy.
Tip #3: Bring Snacks from Home: Costa Rican food impressed us with its variety and flavor, far beyond the rice-and-beans dishes that I remembered from my first trip to the country. But for the kids, having familiar snacks from home was essential. Local shops mostly carry basics like chips and crackers, and sometimes the flavors weren’t what the kids were used to. Packing nutritious snacks and the occasional sweet treat helped avoid meltdowns and kept everyone energized during longer excursions.
If summer flew by too fast and you missed out on a proper family vacation, it isn't too late to make this happen in 2024! The fall months, particularly November, are still great time to visit Costa Rica and elsewhere in Central America, with great availability and value. With short flight times from major USA gateway cities, warm weather and a variety of landscapes, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala and Belize are some of our favorite destinations to suggest for a first international family adventure. Contact Jeff today at jeff@outlierjourneys.com to start discuss your goals or fill out our Design My Trip form to get started!
Inspiration Itinerary: Costa Rica Family Vacation
"I felt like Jeff really listened when I talked about our family dynamic and what we would like to experience on our trip. We absolutely loved our guide (Alfredo) and driver (Jenkins) in La Fortuna. The kids loved the tour of Proyecto Asis and getting to prepare lunch for the animals. Carlos, from Proyecto Asis, was wonderful with the kids and answered about 1 million questions about the animals for them. We also really enjoyed making lunch with Priscilla." Review from Outlier Journeys Traveler Rhiannon H.
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