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Family fun in Costa Rica

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You would be hard pushed to find a child who isn’t enthusiastic about the prospect of volcanoes, beaches, cloud forests, and all sorts of exciting creatures. Costa Rica is the perfect family destination as it is safe, small and varied. It also boasts impressive ecotourism credentials, a huge variety of family friendly activities to keep everyone interested, and because of its diminutive size and well spread out destinations, journey times are manageable allowing you to pack a lot into a trip. The icing on the cake is provided by the Costa Rican people, known locally as ‘Ticos,’ who are super friendly, keen to show off their wonderful country, and generally dote on children.

Horses graze in front of the Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

Amazing Wildlife

Dolphins frolicking in the waves? Tick. Sloths crawling slowly through the trees? Tick. 250,000 different species of insects? Tick. Turtles lumbering ashore to dig a nest and lay their eggs? Tick. Crocodiles, monkeys and anteaters? Tick, tick, tick. These are the kind of creatures that children get excited about, and they are everywhere. Let our trusted local experts know exactly which wildlife species you are interested in and they will shape your itinerary accordingly.

Capuchin monkeys on a branch in Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica

Jungle Adventures

Ziplining through the canopy of the rainforest might seem a bit daunting at first, but once you get going it’s such a buzz you’ll be queuing up for another go! Costa Rica is the original destination for these brilliant rainforest adventures, so wherever you go you will come across new and inventive ways to get closer to nature in the treetops. As if that wasn’t enough to get your pulse racing, there is also the opportunity to hike up to the crater of Arenal Volcano and bathe in its hot springs, raft down beautiful rivers, or hike through the rainforest to beautiful waterfalls.

Zip lining through the jungle canopy of Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica

Paradise beaches

Whatever your beach preference, you’ll find one to suit you in Costa Rica. Its two coasts – each with a different ambiance and climate – are sprinkled with sandy stretches, some pounded by Pacific surf and ready for some top quality wave riding, some scalloped into pretty coves garlanded by thick rainforest and populated by wildlife rather than people. If beaches aren’t your thing, treat yourselves to a wellness experience in a volcanic mud bath and come out with glowing skin and relaxed muscles, or perhaps take a boat trip to spot dolphins leaping in the surf.

A boy plays on the beach in Costa Rica

Educational ecotourism

Costa Rica is a trailblazer for sustainable tourism and environmental conservation, so it’s a great place to introduce these concepts to your kids and see how tourism can be a force for good. There is no doubt that seeing so much wildlife in its natural habitat will be a thrilling biology lesson for your children, especially if you have a guide to bring the experience to life and impart their specialist knowledge. Younger kids will be thoroughly entranced to learn about the process that turns cocoa beans into delicious chocolate, and will no doubt be very keen to taste the results. Our trusted local experts are perfectly placed to weave other age-appropriate educational experiences into your itinerary, and they can arrange activities as diverse as a visit to a local school, cookery classes or surf lessons.

Children walking along the rainforest canopy walk in Costa Rica

Make it happen

With so much to see and do in Costa Rica it’s a dream destination for families. Get in touch with our trusted local experts today and before you know it you will be whizzing through the rainforest on that zip line with a grin on your face!

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