Why Costa Rica?
Planning our travel location, at 8 years old, Fiona kept me safety-wary, while still trying to focus on lots of active adventure and wildlife magic.
Costa seemed like the right choice for the following reasons:
1. So Many different ecosystems packed into one small country
2. 5% of the world’s biodiversity Sloths, monkeys, & endemic species.
3. Adventure without being extreme: Surfing, hiking, snorkeling, rafting, zip-lining, canyoning… a real family adventure!
4. “Pura Vida” lifestyle: laid-back, friendly, and very family orientated
5. Safety and stability: politically stable & out of the banana republic fray
6. Eco-tourism done right: a leader in global conservation & sustainability
7. Great weather: Warm year-round, a perfect get-a-way from the great white north in the depths of winter
What we wanted to do - The MUSTS!
- ZIP LINE & Adventures – Zip lining in Costa Rica got its start in the 1970s. Scientists rigged cables through the cloudforest canopy to study plants & wildlife without disturbing the forest floor. What began as a smart research tool eventually turned into an adrenaline-packed adventure.
- Spot some wildlife: In Costa Rica, wildlife isn’t just admired—it’s deeply respected and protected. Animals are seen as neighbors, the rainforest as a shared home, and conservation as a way of life. With strong environmental laws and a national pride rooted in protecting nature, Costa Rica treats its wildlife as a living treasure, ensuring it thrives for generations to come
- Education & Culture: As Fiona was going to miss over a week of school adding in education based pieces and cultural experiences was top of mind
But Where to go???
When planning our Costa Rica trip, I knew I wanted to experience the country’s truly unique ecosystems—and since February at home is absolutely miserable, beach time was non-negotiable. Fiona is a total water baby (as am I), so that sealed the deal.
I debated between several beach towns. The northern coast felt a bit too built up and condo-heavy, and honestly, if that’s the vibe we’re after, Florida is much closer—and it wasn’t. Another big factor was swim safety. Many beaches in Costa Rica are stunning to look at and great for surfing, but strong waves and rip currents can make swimming dangerous.
We also tried to strike a balance between popular destinations and places with a more local feel—without going too far in the rustic direction. Manuel Antonio, for example, is a well-known jungle-meets-beach destination, but photos of the long park lines gave us pause.
After a lot of reading, researching, and planning, we landed on Monteverde, La Fortuna, and Puerto Jiménez on the Osa Peninsula.
Websites & books & lists that helped us:
Here are the websites that really helped:
- These guys have a great site that really explains EVERYTHING. Note that some of the pages may be a bit outdated https://mytanfeet.com/
- If you are looking for info on OSA: https://osatourism.com/
Packing List: This one will be hard. I am a stickler for not, under any circumstances, no matter what, die hard carry on only luggage. And with snorkeling gear and clothing for three different climates AND room to bring back art and coffee and of course chocolate, it’s going to be tight!!!
- See the trip report for what we did end up bringing. There is a vid too 🙂
Final Itinerary
Monteverde - Four Full Days
Monteverde is a destination for wildlife and adventure, set in a cool mountainous region. There are precious few cloud forests let in the world and with climate changes they are very threatened. Think fof lush landscapes, roaring rivers, & hiking trails. The humidity hangs so thick in the air that each tree exists as its own living ecosystem, actually dripping with rain and life. This is the birder’s paradise – also a great coffee growing region!
Day 1: Arrival in the capital city of San José (SJO) at noon. Allowing apx 1–2 hours to clear customs, followed by a 3-hour private shuttle transfer to Hotel Belmar.
Day 2: El Tigre Waterfalls hike—a scenic downhill trek through multiple waterfalls. We’ve chosen to horseback ride back to the top (van option available), where we’ll enjoy lunch overlooking the cloud forest. In the afternoon, we’ll head into town to visit the Fig Tree Bridge (yep a bridge made out of fig tree roots – naturally) , Tree House Restaurant, and the nocturnal frog pond.
Day 3: A full day at Selvatura Park, featuring zip lining, an animal sanctuary, hanging bridges, and more. This is an all-day adventure—zip, zip!
Day 4: Early morning guided hike to the Curi Cancha reserve organized by the hotel in search of the elusive and stunning Resplendent Quetzal. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the hotel’s farm to tour the facilities and learn how coffee and chocolate are made.
Day 5: A relaxed morning exploring town —possibly visiting the bat caves, the artist cooperative, the Amish cheese factory (yes Amish), and a coffee farm. In the evening, we’ll enjoy a private dinner high in the forest canopy, watching nocturnal wildlife emerge for their nightly adventures.
La Fortuna / Arenal - Two Full Days
La Fortuna is the town around Areanal Volcano and lake Arenal. The volcano is still active and will “burp” from time to time. Hiking up the old lava flows is a popular activity. This is tourist destination #1, packed with outdoor adventures. In choosing our activities I tried to stay a bit out of the fray….we will see!
Day 6: Pit Stop At Rio Celeste: Our private driver will bring us from Monteverde to La Fortna via Rio Celeste. This pit stop and lunch will take the majority of the day.
Rio Celeste looks like something straight out of a fairytale. Tucked inside Tenorio Volcano National Park, this river & waterfall is famous for its unreal, electric-blue color—created when clear volcanic minerals magically mix at a spot called Los Teñideros. ***be aware that if you go in the rainy season the color is muted with the rainwater run off and may not be worth it***
Day 6: Transfer from Monteverde to La Fortuana – Hotel Paradise Hot
Springs: A hotel with hot springs on property was one of my requirements. Many people look for the views of the volcano but from my understanding it is cloud covered much of the time making that a moot point to me. I went back and forth and ultimately messed up. Hotel Koora looks like it has better reviews but this is what we have. Hotel Paradise does have an interesting spa menu- ohlalal. We will report back!!
Day 7: We will go horse riding today, letting the horses swim through the Arenal river while riding them!! This ranch boasts their natural horsemanship. I am excited for Fiona to experience another method of riding.
Day 8: We head to Proyecto Asis to take a tour of their wildlife sanctuary and rehab clinic. We will partake in the half day tour and volunteer for a few hours! The afternoon is open to Spa or find another fun adventure.
Osa /Puerto Jiménez - 6 Full Days
OSA peninsula is THE place to go in CR if you are looking for wildlife. It is on the other side of the country and a bit of a hike so it is not too touristy yet. Coracovado is the national park in the area taking up the majority of the peninsula. Be advised you may not enter unless you are with a biologist and have a reservation which book out quick. If you are very adventurous you are able to stay at the observation station. Rustic accommodations and I’m sure many creepy crawlies. Puerto Jimenez in on the “inside” of the peninsula on the Golfo Dulce which is one of the very few tropical fjords in the world. The currents here bring marine animals from both the southern and northern hemispheres – think whales, mantas, so so many dolphins and an occasional whale shark
Day 9: We will be leaving the northern region of the country and heading down south….All the way south to the Osa Peninsula. We will be taking two light aircraft, one from La Fortuana to SJO and then from SJO to Puerto Jimenez. Here a taxi will pick us up and head us off to the Iguana Lodge. I am super excited about this independent, eco-lodge. I made the hotel choice based on their website, reviews and location. They are in the Gulfo, so not facing the open Pacific which yields calmer waters and better beaches AND bioluminescence. The owner is very hands on – as in she teaches yoga here, every activity seems curated. The owners have lots to do with the local community from building the local library to spearheading community sustainability projects. Take a look at their ” 2024 Travel Magazine” From the food, to the tours, to just the explanations I think I might just move in…forever…..
Day 11: We head to Corcovado. This is a national park – a bucket list national park. Not that we haven’t been planning bucket list items so far.. National Geographic has coined the Osa Peninsula “the most biologically intense place on earth” with over 300 endemic species. The country does not make it easy to get in. Reservations have to be made months in advance. You can NOT step foot in the park with out a guide and entry and guides are hard to get…on purpose. This area is protected, guarded, cherished. I recommend reserving through your hotel – your local hotel. The day will start at 4:30am yes, 4:30am as we have to be in PJ just before 5:30am to get on our boat that will deliver us to the beach (not dock) around 7:30, from there we hike though the jungle to the ranger station and then depart at 1:00pm to be back in PJ at 3:00pm ish. So a long long day. BUT, if we are heading to CR, and we are heading to Osa, how can we NOT go here!!!! I am excited, worried, excited, worried about this. The boat ride is two hours around the peninsula into the open Pacific – who knows what the seas will be like for TWO HOURS ONE WAY! Gulp!
Day 10, 12-15: I am leaving these days open. Lauren (hotel owner) says to plan when we get there. We for sure want to spend a day out in the tropical fjord (Gulfo Dulce) looking for all of the marine animals, maybe take a kayak through the mangroves. Also on the list are beach horse back rides, visiting the local indigenous tribe and just chillin on the beach.
Day 15: HOME, sad face. It’s a long way home. The 45 minute morning flight (830-930am) then waiting around in SJO till 1:00pm, two hour layover in Orlando and finally touching down at home just shy of midnight.
Hopefully it’s all worth it….We’re off in T-5 days.
I go to lengths to figure this out. I look at menus, calculate, think about how we are getting to locations and figure in transport, and add an extra about per day for incidentals – this amount is also for any merch purchased. On our trip report I will stack my budget and planning against what was actually spent. Hopefully this helps you finding ways to carve off expenses you don’t “need” and pad areas that your family will appreciate.
- Lunches priced includes 10% service fee and 14% tax
- Adult = 1 Entree $20, 1 N/A drink $7
- Child = 1 Entree $15, N/A drink $7, 1dessert $10
- Dinner priced includes 10% service fee and 14% tax & some padding
- Adult = App $15, Entree $35, Boozy drink $15
- Child = Entree $25, N/A drink $77, Dessert $10
- We will NOT eat this much, I hope, but I like to over budget rather than get caught unaware
- I also don’t drink much – you will have to alter this according to your party size and eating/drinking habits.
- Cheers and make sure to try the local fare