Costa Rica Family Vacation - Pacific Coast
A truly fun family vacation means finding an environment that is safe with the right combination of amenities and activities.Families have different tastes, children come in all ages, and different people have varying levels of adventurousness.
Our goal is to provide ideas and recommendations for a fun family vacation. You can adjust things to fit your individual family requirements. Have fun!
Caribbean Costa Rica Family Vacation
The Caribbean coast is less populated, has a Jamaican flair (reggae music, great surfing, party bars), and provides less amenities when compared to typical Pacific coast beaches or larger cities in the Central Valley.
Puerto Limón is a good sized port city. The other villages are small, rustic, and have a wonderful Caribbean flair ideal to include in a Costa Rica vacation package.
The green (wet) season here is not greatly different than the dry season. This makes for great vacationing year round. The green season provides cheaper rates for lodging and an uncrowded vacation. Actually, the Caribbean side is a "get away from it all" paradise year round.
Here the tropics, wildlife, and miles of deserted beaches make for a wonderful vacation for families. If you prefer more civilization and amenities the Pacific coast is a more suitable Costa Rica vacation package for you.
A fun 4-6 day Costa Rica family vacation planner
Fly into San José. Arrange to be picked up by a driver at the airport if not renting a car. (For information about direct flights to San José see our Costa Rica facts page.)
Poas Volcano about 30 miles (50 km) from San José. Arrive early to beat the clouds that form later in the day. Pack food and drink since the park has no restaurant. The La Paz waterfall is about 20 minutes from the park and is the most photographed of all waterfalls.
Irazu Volcano is about 2 hours from San José. It is the highest active volcano in Costa Rica affording a view of the Pacific and Atlantic ocean on a clear day. Bring a light coat since the high altitude means cool weather.
A short distance from San José across the continental divide take a two hour float down the Sarapiqui river on a motorboat. Surrounded by rain-forest birds, caimans, iguanas, monkeys, and sloths may be seen. The Braulio Carrillo National Park cloud forest with horseback riding is also a unique treat.
South of Puerto Viejo enjoy swimming and snorkeling at Playa Chiquita, Punta Uva, and Manzanillo. Puerto Viejo is a medium sized village with a night-life, discos, hotels, and restaurants. Salsa Brava in Puerto Viejo is for expert surfers only but the harbor area in Puerto Viejo is calm and peaceful. South of Puerto Viejo many calm protected spots more suitable for relaxing swimming can be found.
Between March and July see nesting sea turtles, go on a Dolphin watch tour or hike to Monkey Point to see dolphins.
Pacific North Costa Rica Family Vacation
The Pacific north region is one of the driest regions in the Country and makes a perfect year round Costa Rica family vacation spot. Varying amenities ranging from budget to luxury accommodations are plentiful in this area. The Pacific region has a European flair compared to the Jamaican / Caribbean influence discussed earlier.
The area is much more developed and some areas do not have the rain-forest right up to the beach areas. Playa Flamingo is the most well known beach area in the country and provides amenities and luxury accommodations, restaurants, clubs, and other activities. Other nearby beach areas like Playa Hermosa and Nosara provide more secluded, quieter, and provide less expensive accommodations.
For direct flight information to the Liberia airport see our
Costa Rica facts
page.
A Fun 4-6 day Costa Rica Family Vacation planner
Fly into Liberia International Airport. Arrange to be picked up by a driver at the airport or rent a car.
Arenal Volcano is about 4 hours by car from San José and provides nightly eruptions, beautiful scenery, the La Fortuna waterfall with swimming areas, and the soothing hot springs in Tabacon.
Playa Flamingo provides great infrastructure, amenities, & highest prices with excellent family activities.Here you will find casinos, marinas, large resorts, and many restaurant options.
Playa Hermosa provides excellent swimming, a calmer atmosphere, and a good range of lodging options.
Playa Nosara is a secluded, quiet alternative with a village type atmosphere.
Between December and February Playa Tamarindo and Playa Grande are nesting places for huge sea turtles.
(tram recommended for families not zip line)
For a unique view of the rainforest take a canopy tour (top of the trees viewpoint of rainforest) on a tram. Zip lines are for the bravest of souls only. The tram provides the opportunity to see the rainforest from a different perspective but don't expect to see much wildlife (I never have)
