Costa Rica for Families: Outdoor Adventures & Wildlife - 9 Days

Day 1: Explore Downtown San José

Welcome to Costa Rica! A driver will be waiting for you at the airport to take you to your hotel in San José. After getting settled in, go for a self-guided walking tour of the city's downtown. Depending on your hotel's location, you can walk or call on a taxi to your first destination: Mercado Central (Central Market). The perfect spot to kick off your city tour, Mercado Central features over 200 shops, food stalls, and sodas (traditional restaurants). Explore the colorful fruit stands full of fresh produce, scope souvenirs, or pop over to a soda for an early lunch of traditional Costa Rican casado. 

It's a short walk to Central Park, a small plaza that is always bustling with activity. Kids will enjoy seeing various outdoor sculptures as you make your way through the park toward Catedral Metropolitana, whose interior combines Greek Orthodox, Neoclassical, and Baroque styles. Continue walking down Central Avenue until you reach the historic Teatro Nacional, an opulent Neoclassical building constructed in the late 19th century. A free guided tour is offered on the hour. If you require a caffeine fix, the theater's café is a great place for a quick coffee and pastry before exploring the city's museums. Check out dining recommendations here.

Your first museum stop is the Museo del Oro Precolumbino, accessible from beneath the Plaza de la Cultura and holds the most extensive Pre-Columbian gold collection in Latin America. A guided visit provides unique insight into the history of Costa Rica and the rest of Central America. Next, head to the Museo del Jade, the world's largest collection of pre-Columbian jade artifacts. The museum's distinctive modern architecture is hard to miss, having been built to look like a block of raw jade stone. As you wander among thousands of unique jade pieces, your family will gain an even deeper appreciation for Costa Rica's rich history. 

Next, your family will hike around Arenal Volcano with a guide. The 1.5-hour route offers some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the park, and your guide will keep a well-trained eye out for exotic birds, monkeys, and other animals along the way. In addition, you'll also walk through sections of the park devastated by the lava flow of 1968, resulting in little to no vegetation in the surroundings. The trail also provides magnificent views of the massive Arenal Volcano, pristine Lake Arenal, and the extinct volcano Cerro Chato. After hiking the trails, your guide will drop you off at Tabacon Hot Springs so you and your family can soothe your muscles with a dip in mineral-rich waters. 

Day 4: Visit the Sky Adventures Park

After breakfast, you'll head toward Monteverde, known as the "Green Lung" of Costa Rica due to its rich biodiversity. Located in the mountainous northwest region of the country, Monteverde is famed for its sprawling Cloud Forest Reserve, home to countless wildlife species. Suspension bridges throughout the reserve lead you and your kids on walks high above the forest canopy. You'll have plenty of opportunities to spot the colorfully plumed quetzal. The reserve's marked trails pass through exotic fauna and flora, including the most significant number of orchid species on the planet (500!), with new varieties discovered regularly. 

After checking in at your hotel, you'll spend the afternoon at Sky Adventures Park. Here your family will have your pick of ways to explore the cloud forest. First, you'll start with a guided Sky Walk, which combines trails and suspension bridges for close encounters with wildlife. Later, you'll ride in an open-air gondola. During this journey, you'll enjoy sweeping views across the mountains. Arriving at the end of the line, the exhilarating adventure of whizzing down the mountain begins. Connect to a zip-line cable that stretches over rainforest treetops and across clifftops, returning you to the starting point. This activity is especially well-suited to older children and teenagers.

Day 5: Discover the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve 

Although the Santa Elena Cloud Forest is only slightly higher in elevation than the nearby Cloud Forest Reserve in Monteverde, the increase in rainfall and cloud coverage is considerable. Combined with the lack of crowds, this makes the atmosphere of the cloud forest all the more ethereal and mesmerizing for you and your family. And because the local community runs the reserve, the tourism dollars generated by visitors go directly toward aiding the local schools and protecting and maintaining the forest.

Upon arrival, you'll meet up with a naturalist guide. Because the canopy is highly dense in the cloud forest, it's an exceptional challenge for the untrained eye to spot most wildlife species while walking the trails. Your guide will share stories and insights about the cloud forest with your family while keeping a careful and well-trained eye out for any wildlife that crosses your path. The cloud forest is home to an astonishing number of animals, like the elusive feline species of pumas, jaguarundi, and the endangered jaguar. More commonly seen species include spider monkeys, sloths, bright red poison dart frogs, and tarantulas. Read more about the experience here.

Day 6: Transfer to Manuel Antonio National Park

Today is a travel day. After breakfast, you'll transfer with your family to Manuel Antonio National Park in a private, air-conditioned minivan. The drive takes approximately five hours depending on traffic. Tomorrow, you'll venture into the park to explore the rainforest. Today, you'll have the afternoon and evening free to relax, take a short hike, enjoy dinner in a local restaurant, and get some rest before the next day's excursion.

Day 7: Hike, Sail & Snorkel in the Park

Explore the pristine natural beauty of the world-famous national park today. The region is filled with wildlife including monkeys, sloths, birds, reptiles, and butterflies that kids will enjoy looking for along the way. Start with a picturesque hike that leads you to a gorgeous beach. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the lush rainforest, white sandy beaches, and crystalline blue waters along the journey. 

Later in the day, you will board your catamaran at the pier in Quepos and go for a sailing adventure along the coast. Your guide will point out notable wildlife and vegetation as your family admires islands, cliffs, and natural rock formations. After touring the coastline, the captain will set anchor at Biesanz Bay, where you and your kids can snorkel or relax onboard and enjoy a barbecue lunch. If you do venture into the water, you're likely to see parrotfish, starfish, angelfish, and dolphins. 

Please note that afternoon sailing is unavailable from May through November, but morning sailing is available year-round.

Day 8: Explore the Underwater World of Isla del Caño Biological Reserve

Today your family will explore the waters of the Caño Island Biological Reserve (Isla del Caño) on a diving and snorkeling excursion. This protected marine area is located just off the northern tip of the Osa Peninsula, next to Bahía Drake. There isn't much wildlife on the island itself, but it is a different story underwater. The area is home to an abundance of marine life, including reef sharks, sea turtles, parrotfish, eels, manta rays, pufferfish, snappers, sea cucumbers, octopus, and many more. There's also a wide variety of coral-building organisms and 19 different species of coral.

The excursion to Isla del Caño begins when you board a 30-foot boat. An expert guide will offer a safety lesson geared for all ages and experience levels. Then it's time to plunge into the water. Visibility is excellent throughout the year, making Caño Island a perfect site for underwater photography. For kids and those who are not certified divers, there will be snorkeling equipment available, as well.

Day 9: Depart Costa Rica

The trip ends today. Your family will transfer to the airport to catch your flight out. Safe travels!

Looking for more inspiration for your trip to Costa Rica? Check out these other 9-day Costa Rica itineraries, with outdoor adventures, family-friendly trips, and best-of tours to hit the highlights.