Coastal Fun
Learn to surf on palm-fringed beaches, snorkel in secluded coves, or water bike through tropical mangroves.
A petite paradise packed with adventure, Costa Rica checks all the boxes for a family holiday and will open your children’s eyes to the wonderful world of travel. From zip-lining over jungle canopies to exploring monkey-inhabited national parks, this is a classic Costa Rican adventure designed to provide conservation insight and fun in equal measure.
Combining activity-centric Arenal with a change of pace on the beautiful Pacific and Caribbean coasts keeps children stimulated, but not exhausted and allows parents to reconnect. Whatsmore, Costa Rica’s compact size makes it easy to travel around, so there’ll be no “are we nearly there yet” moments along the way.
Key Highlights of this Itinerary
2
Jungle Hideaways
Stay in private family lodges that set the highest benchmarks for service and sustainability.
Tropical wildlife
Meet Costa Rica’s jungle wildlife, including playful monkeys, colourful birds and fascinating frog species.
4
Rafting & Zip-Lining
Whizz through the jungle canopy along zip lines and embark on white water rafting river safaris.
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Days 1
San Jose (Grano de Oro)
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Day 2
San Jose - Tortuguero (Tortuga Lodge)
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Day 3
Tortuguero (Tortuga Lodge)
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Day 4
Tortuguero - Rio Pacuare (Pacuare Lodge)
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Days 5-6
Rio Pacuare (Pacuare Lodge)
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Day 7
Rio Pacuare - Arenal (Arenal Observatory Lodge)
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Days 8-9
Arenal (Arenal Observatory Lodge)
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Day 10
Arenal - Monteverde (Senda Monteverde Hotel)
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Day 11
Monteverde (Senda Monteverde Hotel)
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Day 12
Monteverde - Santa Teresa (Nantipa)
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Days 13-14
Santa Teresa (Nantipa)
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Day 15
Santa Teresa - Cobano Airport - San Jose
Days 1
San Jose (Grano de Oro)
On arrival, you’re met and transferred to your hotel.
Day 2
San Jose - Tortuguero (Tortuga Lodge)
Drive and then transfer by boat to Tortuguero National Park, a wetland reserve that lies on the country’s Caribbean coast. Stay at Tortuga Lodge, where iguanas roam the garden and howler monkeys hide in the trees above.
Day 3
Tortuguero (Tortuga Lodge)
Explore the wetlands from the lodge. Take a boat trip through the lagoons and a network of rivers and canals that cut through this rainforest. Home to over half of the bird and reptile species found in Costa Rica, Tortuguero is also one of the world’s major nesting sites for Atlantic green turtles.
Day 4
Tortuguero - Rio Pacuare (Pacuare Lodge)
Travel by boat and road back inland, heading towards Rio Pacuare, found in a valley of the Talamanca Mountain range. Here, jump into a raft and float to Pacuare Lodge, a jungle hideaway within a private reserve.
Days 5-6
Rio Pacuare (Pacuare Lodge)
Choose from the family activities on offer at Pacuare, including trekking, rafting, zip lining and canyoning as well as nature tours, visits to indigenous communities and culinary experiences.
Day 7
Rio Pacuare - Arenal (Arenal Observatory Lodge)
Raft out of Pacuare, navigating white water amidst spectacular scenery, then by road, head north towards the volcanoes of northern Costa Rica. Stay at the Arenal Observatory Lodge, which lies just three kilometres away from the most famous of these volcanoes, Mount Arenal.
Days 8-9
Arenal (Arenal Observatory Lodge)
With spectacular views of the volcano, this area is a hotspot for adventure. Start the first day with a zipline canopy tour, continue into the jungle in search of sloths and finish with a nighttime rainforest walk. On your second day, hike Mount Arenal for incredible views of the landscape below.
Day 10
Arenal - Monteverde (Senda Monteverde Hotel)
Transfer around three hours, crossing Lake Arenal, to the cloud forests of Monteverde, home to eight different biological zones and thousands of animal, plant and bird species. Check into a private stand-alone family bungalow at Senda Monteverde Hotel.
Day 11
Monteverde (Senda Monteverde Hotel)
Hike through some of the well-marked-trails, waterfalls, rivers and the observation areas of the park keeping an eye out for an amazing variety of flora and fauna including the quetzal, one of the most beautiful birds in the world.
Day 12
Monteverde - Santa Teresa (Nantipa)
Travel down the Nicoya Peninsula, which juts out into the Pacific Ocean. Stay at Nantipa, located on a spectacular stretch of coastline, perfect for a private family surf lesson.
Days 13-14
Santa Teresa (Nantipa)
Spend the day swimming and snorkelling, or have a family day out zip lining high above the forest floor before taking a dip in the pools at Montezuma waterfalls.
Day 15
Santa Teresa - Cobano Airport - San Jose
Transfer to Cobano Airport for a domestic flight to San Jose before flying home.
More Details
Active Costa Rica
Biking & Canopy Walkways
It is difficult not to be jungle-centric when exploring Costa Rica, but this country is no one-trick pony. Whizz through the canopy along zip lines with views of Arenal Volcano, cross long suspension walkway bridges and journey on horseback to thundering waterfalls in some of the country’s most rugged terrains.
Bursting with single-track trails, Costa Rica is a mecca for mountain biking; you can embark on a full family day ride far off the beaten track with our expert guides to discover the real Costa Rica. Along the way, visit a fruit farm or take a bean-to-bar chocolate-making lesson.
Pacuare Lodge
Rafting, Hiking & Costa Rican Culture
Traverse grade III and IV rapids through outstanding scenery of deep-sided gorges and dense riverside jungles to reach Pacuare Lodge. Here, stay in a private hillside family bungalow with a spring-fed stone swimming pool and wellies to borrow for exploring the surrounding rainforest. Days are filled with canyoning, tree-to-tree zip lining and hiking to freshwater spring pools. Share stories with an indigenous Costa Rican family and learn about their traditional customs, language and beliefs – offering children a firsthand experience of another culture.
Animal Kingdom
Wildlife & Jaguar Conservation
With 12 distinctive ecological zones Costa Rica is like stepping into a real-life nature documentary. Climb “The Nest” at Arenal Observatory Lodge, a 28-metre high tower above the rainforest canopy, keeping your eyes peeled for playful monkeys, colourful toucans and other treetop creatures. See nesting turtles in Tortuguero or kayak up Tortuguero River in search of howler monkeys, colourful poison-arrow frogs and the chestnut mandible toucan. At Pacuare Lodge go on a behind-the-scenes sustainability tour and learn about their Jaguar conservation program, which has identified five individual jaguars, including a rare black jaguar – a mutation that had only been documented in one other region of Costa Rica.
How does this holiday make a positive impact?
- Relevant SDGs
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Tortuga Lodge is committed to monitoring their consumption and implementing measures to mitigate excessive use. They have installed water metres to help analyse water consumption and have since installed high-tech toilets for the most efficient water use. Through a high-tech system of filters and ultraviolet light, they also purify local water to make it drinkable. This helped them to eliminate the use of bottled water and avoid single-use plastics as much as possible.
Pacuare Lodge has purchased 340 hectares of primary rainforest along the Pacuare River. Previously under threat from developers, this prime wildlife habitat is now strictly protected and has a ‘no-visitor’ policy in place. Pacuare Lodge gives the Jaguar Program access to this protected zone and, in addition, provides food, lodging and other support to the researchers conducting vital work on jaguar conservation in Costa Rica.
Pacuare Lodge is a firm believer that responsible tourism should benefit local communities. Their community support program works to enhance the living standards of the local community by improving infrastructure in the area, for example restoring the cable car service which local residents use to cross the river. They are also invested in providing direct and indirect employment to local communities and supporting local schools with funds to support environmental education and raise awareness of the importance of protecting the environment.
Learn more about the UN's 17 sustainability goals
Meet our experts
A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.
John Faithfull
Costa Rica is simply the best spot in Central America for nature lovers, and is always John’s top recommendation for those wishing to hike, swim, zip, raft, ride or float through outstanding scenery and rich biodiversity.
Talk with our experts
- 1 800 571 2985
Paul Bird
It wasn’t part of the script, career plans were quite different but after four global trips visiting such exciting destinations, travel became a passion that eventually led to me entering the industry. The more I have travelled the greater the desire has been to see and do more.
Talk with our experts
- 1 800 571 2985
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A note on price
This price is based on a family of four with two children aged 12-17, staying in family rooms throughout.
Prices will vary depending on the time of year you are travelling. Prices do not include international flights. Please ask one of our Travel Experts for an accurate quote. Flights purchased through Steppes Travel departing from the UK are ATOL protected.
This Itinerary
Price
From $10,784 Per person
When to travel
Costa Rica in January
January to April generally has the lowest rainfall throughout the year, though showers can still be expected in such a tropical climate. One of the most popular times of year to visit, with fantastic opportunities to view wildlife, explore the jungle, and relax on white sandy beaches. The ideal time to visit the Pacific Coast.
Costa Rica in February
January to April generally has the lowest rainfall throughout the year, though showers can still be expected in such a tropical climate. One of the most popular times of year to visit, with fantastic opportunities to view wildlife, explore the jungle, and relax on white sandy beaches. The ideal time to visit the Pacific Coast.
Costa Rica in March
January to April generally has the lowest rainfall throughout the year, though showers can still be expected in such a tropical climate. One of the most popular times of year to visit, with fantastic opportunities to view wildlife, explore the jungle, and relax on white sandy beaches. The ideal time to visit the Pacific Coast.
Costa Rica in April
January to April generally has the lowest rainfall throughout the year, though showers can still be expected in such a tropical climate. One of the most popular times of year to visit, with fantastic opportunities to view wildlife, explore the jungle, and relax on white sandy beaches. The ideal time to visit the Pacific Coast.
Costa Rica in May
May and June mark the beginning of the ‘green season’. Rainfall increases a little, but with that means fewer visitors and quieter national parks. The flora and fauna return to its lushest state and makes for beautiful photography opportunities.
Costa Rica in June
May and June mark the beginning of the ‘green season’. Rainfall increases a little, but with that means fewer visitors and quieter national parks. The flora and fauna return to its lushest state and makes for beautiful photography opportunities.
Costa Rica in July
July and August is green season, but there is a brief little summer or ‘veranillo’, which breaks up the rain in July. A great time to enjoy water sports in the country, although sun-seekers can still enjoy the beaches on the far northern Pacific coast.
Costa Rica in August
July and August is green season, but there is a brief little summer or ‘veranillo’, which breaks up the rain in July. A great time to enjoy water sports in the country, although sun-seekers can still enjoy the beaches on the far northern Pacific coast.
Costa Rica in September
While travel is not recommended on the Pacific side in September and October, as it is the peak of the wet season, it is the ideal time to visit the Caribbean coast.
Costa Rica in October
While travel is not recommended on the Pacific side in September and October, as it is the peak of the wet season, it is the ideal time to visit the Caribbean coast.
Costa Rica in November
November and December see the country start to dry up, although the exact timing of the end of the green season varies. By Christmas and New Year, it is getting busy again so it is worth booking accommodation in advance.
Costa Rica in December
November and December see the country start to dry up, although the exact timing of the end of the green season varies. By Christmas and New Year, it is getting busy again so it is worth booking accommodation in advance.
Holiday Inspiration
Our experts have created and curated these tailor-made holiday ideas to get you started. Take the time to search through them and find something that is the spark for your unique adventure.
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