Costa Rica with Kids: A Local’s Guide to Planning Your Trip

Traveling as a child is the most wondrous thing in the world. For adults, we can often get burdened by delayed flights, long car rides, or hotel reservation mistakes.

But children? They only see the joy and amazement of being somewhere new and exciting, and there is no place more exciting than Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is a great family vacation destination; a true wonderland for children of all ages. From the leaf-cutter ants marching through the forest floor to the monkeys and sloths hanging from the branches, endless beach days, waterfalls, and fresh rivers, and friendly guides opening fresh coconuts on the beach, Costa Rica brings out childlike wonder in even the most jaded adults. For children, it’s a surreal experience, and visiting when they are young will leave an imprint on them for the rest of their lives.

Is Costa Rica Kid-Friendly?

Why Costa Rica Is One of the Best Family Vacation Destinations

In many ways, visiting Costa Rica is like revisiting childhood. Riding bikes along dirt paths by the beach, hiking to rivers and spotting lizards and frogs along the way, and playing in the waves at the beach til dinnertime.

In Costa Rica, adventure and excitement await you around every corner, and children and adults alike delight in the simple and pure fun that this country holds. Costa Rican culture is very kid-friendly, and it’s not uncommon for families to do everything together, from young children up to grandmas and grandpas, with aunts and uncles joining in the fun.

When you travel to Costa Rica with your children, you’ll feel totally at ease, never wondering if a restaurant is kid-friendly or if babies are welcome. In Costa Rica, the whole family is always invited!

The Best Things to Do in Costa Rica with Kids

1. Hit The Beach!

Everyone can have fun at the beach, and Costa Rica has so many to choose from, the hardest part will be picking which beach to explore.

Some of the best beaches for kids are:

• Punta Uva, Limon Province
• Playa Samara, Guanacaste Province
• Manuel Antonio, Puntarenas Province

2. Explore Volcanoes

Costa Rica is home to several active and many dormant volcanoes. Visiting some involve strenuous hiking, but luckily, there are a couple that can be visited easily with small children, thanks to short hikes.

Check out:

• Poas Volcano
• Irazu Volcano
• Arenal Volcano

3. Visit National Parks

With 30 national parks and even more wildlife refuges and private reserves, you’d neve be able to explore all of the protected areas in Costa Rica. And while some feature hikes far too challenging for children, many of them are great for kids, with easy paths, and the chance to spot lots of wildlife.

Some of the best parks to visit with kids and see wildlife are:

• Manuel Antonio National Park
• Cahuita National Park
• Tenorio National Park & Rio Celeste

4. Go Chasing Waterfalls

Costa Rica has some stunning waterfalls, and what kid doesn’t love a waterfall? In fact, what adult doesn’t love a waterfall? Waterfalls sometimes mean being in more mountainous terrain, which can mean hiking, so here’s our list of waterfalls that aren’t too physically challenging to visit.

• La Paz Waterfall Gardens
• Cataratas Llanos de Cortes
• Rio Agrio Bajos del Toro

5. Taste Costa Rican Chocolate

Costa Rica is known for coffee and chocolate, but since most kids don’t drink coffee, they’re not likely to find a coffee tour that interesting. But, chocolate on the other hand! It’s a fascinating experience to learn how cacao grows and the process from the fruit to the dessert that so many people love. Some of the best chocolate tours, that include tastings, of course, are:

• Costa Rica Best Coffee, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí
• Caribeans Chocolate and Coffee, Puerto Viejo de Limon
• North Fields Coffee Tour, La Fortuna

6. Zip Line Through The Canopy

While there are height and weight restrictions for zip line and canopy tours that might not be suitable for very small, young children, older kids and teens will have a blast zip lining in Costa Rica. There are lots of zip line operators throughout the country, but some of the best ones include:

• Eco-Glide, La Fortuna
• Selvatura Park, Monteverde
• Sky Adventures, La Fortuna & Monteverde locations

Where to Go in Costa Rica with Kids

1. La Fortuna & Arenal Volcano

Best for: Volcano views, hot springs, hanging bridges, zip line tours
Ideal for: Ages 5+

La Fortuna might be the top destination for families with young kids. There are so many family-friendly activities here, you’ll have a hard time deciding which to do. La Fortuna is home to some of the best zip lining and canopy tours in Costa Rica, and most are suitable for children five years and older.

For kids who aren’t quite ready to zip through the treetops, you can explore the hanging bridges at Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park or Sky Adventures Arenal.

Older kids might enjoy riding ATVs through the jungle or horseback riding along the slopes of Arenal Volcano. For kids up to the challenge, visit the La Fortuna Waterfall. The hike is well maintained with paved steps, but you have to go down over 500 steps to reach the bottom, which means coming up over 500 steps on the way back up. Kids can do it, but young kids will get tired and need lots of breaks.

2. Monteverde & Santa Elena

Best for: Cooler weather, mountain views, hiking, hanging bridges
Ideal for: Ages 5+

Monteverde and the neighboring town of Santa Elena are a great family-friendly destination choice, with cooler weather, a small-town feel, and plenty of kid-friendly activities.

You can hike the trails of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and explore the hanging bridges at SelvaToura or Treetopia. For kids who are feeling brave, take a guided night hike and see the nocturnal jungle creatures that most people try to avoid.

The Bat Jungle, The Frog Pond, and the Monteverde Butterfly Gardens are wildlife exhibits that younger children enjoy, giving them the chance to have an up-close encounter in a safe environment. Monteverde gives kids and parents a jungle experience without the intense heat, creating a more relaxed vacation.

3. Beaches of Guanacaste

Best for: Beach time, surfing, snorkeling, watersports, waterfalls
Ideal for: Ages 5+

Visiting the beautiful beaches of Costa Rica’s Gold Coast is a great family vacation. You can easily fly into Liberia International Airport in Guanacaste Province. From there, it’s a short drive to some of the best Costa Rican beaches.

Beach communities like Playa del Coco, Playa Hermosa, Playa Conchal, Playa Carrillo, and Playa Samara are among the best kid-friendly beaches in Costa Rica and among the most popular destinations for all visitors.

Kids and parents will enjoy the calm waters, great for swimming, with awesome surf beaches nearby for kids wanting to take lessons. These beach locations also feature catamaran tours, whale watching, and snorkeling, depending on the season.

Guanacaste Province is also home to Rincon de la Vieja and Palo Verde National Parks, which have fun, kid-friendly activities like hiking flat trails, floating down the Tempisque River, and seeing wildlife, like monkeys and coatis.

In Guanacaste, you can also visit the Hacienda Guachipelin and the Diamante Eco-Adventure Park, both thrilling options for kids of all ages.

4. Puerto Viejo de Limón

Best for: Wildlife, jungle experience, white-water rafting, beaches
Ideal for: Ages 5+

If you have kids who can hang for a slightly longer car ride, Puerto Viejo in the Limon Province is sure to wow any child, and adult. The jungles of the Caribbean are filled with wildlife, and kids will be fascinated to see so many monkeys, sloths, iguanas, toucans, and macaws.

Check out the Jaguar Rescue Center for a wildlife experience and to learn about where and how to spot animals in the wild. This rehabilitation center offers guided tours twice a day, and kids learn so much about the environment in this experience.

The beaches in the town of Puerto Viejo are protected by reef just offshore, creating small pools safe for young children to safely play in. Punta Uva, one of the most famous beaches of Costa Rica, is another calm spot for kids to play in the waves, kayak, or spot wildlife.

Nativo Adventures offers canopy tours, night hikes, and bird watching tours for some real jungle experiences, located just outside of Puerto Viejo town center.

5. Manuel Antonio & Quepos

Best for: Wildlife, national park, hiking, beaches
Ideal for: Ages 5+

Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the most popular national parks in all of Costa Rica. The beaches inside and outside of the national park are stunning, and visitors often see tons of wildlife when they visit the park.

The town of Quepos is a small town, and many people choose to stay in Quepos, though there are plenty of lodging options in the surrounding area if you have a rental car.

Take a mangrove boat tour through the Damas Island mangroves to spot crocodiles, play in the calm waters of Playas Espadilla and Biesanz, or zip line with Zip Coaster for a canopy tour.

You can easily fly from San Jose to Quepos on a small domestic flight with Sansa or Green Airways, making it a short trip to reach this area. Or, make the beautiful coastal drive from SJO to Manuel Antonio in just about three hours.

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Best Costa Rica Beaches for Kids

Samara Beach | Calm Bay, Gentle Waves, Walkable Town

Samara is a great destination for families. The town is small and walkable and sits right at the edge of the beach, so getting to the beach and back to the hotel is a quick trip and can be done easily without hauling lots of gear back and forth. The water is calm and gentle and there a lot of family-friendly activities in the area.

Playa Conchal | Calm Water, Tide Pools, Snorkeling

Playa Conchal is a gorgeous beach with crystal clear, calm water, perfect for young kids to enjoy. There are vendors set up on the beach selling drinks and some food, but otherwise the beach is pristine. If you’re staying at one of the resorts along the beach, you can access the beach that way, if not, you’ll have to park and walk in, about ten minutes. It’s a great day trip for families staying in Playa del Coco or Playa Hermosa.

Playa Biesanz | Shelter Cove, Calm Water

Located near the popular Manuel Antonio National Park, Playa Biesanz is a great beach for young kids. The beach is a sheltered cove, so the water is always calm here. Thanks to the calm, clear water, snorkeling conditions here tend to be ideal. This is very close to the national park, so there’s usually a lot of wildlife in this area as well.

Puerto Viejo | Calm Water, Walkable Town

Located on the Souther Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, Puerto Viejo was once a small fishing village. Now it’s an international destination with so much to offer. The town sits on the beach, with Chino Beach the most popular spot for families, as the coral reef protects the shore, creating little pools. There are restaurants right on the sand here, making spending a full day here easy, as you can hop in and out of the water, grab a bite to eat, something to drink, take a break from the sun, and then get back in the water.

Punta Uva | Calm Bay, Gentle Waves

A little further down south from the town of Puerto Viejo is the beach Punta Uva. There isn’t much of a town here, but there are some restaurants set just back from the water to buy food and drinks. The beach is a gentle bay here with waves that never get large but are very fun for older kids to play in. There are kayaks for rent, and this can be a fun place to boogie board or surf with a longboard further out by the point.

Costa Rica with Kids, by Age

Traveling with Babies & Toddlers

Best Destinations:

• La Fortuna
• Manuel Antonio

Travel Tips: Traveling with toddlers and babies can be challenging and stressful. La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio are the easiest locations in Costa Rica to travel with babies and toddlers.

Have a sturdy stroller and enjoy the paved paths in La Fortuna. Bring your own car seat to travel using Uber or ride-sharing apps, or check with the car rental service to confirm if they can provide a rental car seat.

Let Airbnb hosts and hotels know you’re traveling with a very young child and see if they have cribs you can use. Most restaurants will have highchairs, as Costa Rican babies go everywhere their parents go.

Best Activities:

• Hanging bridges in La Fortuna
• Enjoying the gentle waters at Playa Espadilla
• Seeing wildlife in the national parks

“Don’t Forget” Packing Recommendations:

• Carriers
• Sun protection
• First aid essentials
• Snacks that your kid loves

Traveling with Big Kids

Best Destinations:

• Monteverde
• Guanacaste

Travel Tips: It takes a little longer to reach Monteverde, making the car ride a bit more challenging for kids who don’t tolerate long drives or windy roads. If your kids are up for the mountain ride, it’s a great destination. Just be sure to have some motion sickness pills on hand for kids who get car sick.

Guanacaste has beautiful beaches, but the temperatures can soar here. Very young kids might not tolerate the extreme heat or intense sun very well. Older kids tend to do better with the heat. Bring hats, sunshirts, and lots of sunscreen and aloe.

You can buy beach toys in the beach towns, but pack your own and save money.

Best Activities:

• Zip line and canopy tour in Monteverde
• Hit the beaches of Guanacaste
• Spend a day or two at Hacienda Guapichelin
• Hike in Rincon de la Vieja

Traveling with Teens

Best Destinations:

• Puerto Viejo de Limón
• Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí
• Corcovado

Travel Tips: For teenagers, Costa Rica is paradise. Teens can learn to surf, zip line, white-water raft, see wildlife, experience the jungle, and have cultural experiences that will forever change how they see the world.

Teenagers who can handle longer travel distances than younger children will enjoy Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, with rafting and raw jungle vibes.

Puerto Viejo de Limon has some fabulous beaches and the vibrant Limonese, or Afro-Caribbean culture that will draw teens in instantly. There’s also great surfing in this area and a fun beach hangout scene with volleyball and slack lines.

And for teens who are really into wildlife, adventure, and hiking, take them down to Corcovado for a truly unforgettable experience in one of the wildest places on the planet.

Best Activities:

• Surf lesson in Playa Cocles, Puerto Viejo
• White water raft with Aguas Bravas in Sarapiqui
• Hike in Corcovado National Park

Costa Rica Family Vacation Itineraries

Rainforest to Beach Itinerary

Visit La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano before heading to the Pacific Coast to check out Manuel Antonio, Playa Hermosa, or Samara.

Rainforest Escape

Visit both Poas and Arenal Volcanoes, exploring the Central Highlands and La Fortuna before heading out to the beaches of the Pacific to enjoy snorkeling, beaches, and a catamaran tour.

Remote Adventure

For families with older kids, this package includes white water rafting, the Osa Peninsula and Drake Bay, and packs in some high adventure that teens are sure to love

Custom Family Itinerary

Contact us at Costa Rica Escapes, and we’ll gladly create a custom itinerary, just for your family, based on your needs and wants.

Family Travel Tips and What to Pack with Kids for Costa Rica

• Pack tablets for kids to entertain themselves on longer car rides
• Download shows for times when there isn’t wifi available
• Pack some favorite snacks that you might not be able to find in Costa Rica
• Bring motion sickness medicine for kids who don’t tolerate windy roads well
• Stock up on sunscreen and insect repellent
• External battery packs to make sure phones and tablets don’t run out of power when you need them most
• Sturdy stroller; most places in Costa Rica don’t have sidewalks or paved roads
• After-sting ointments for kids who are sensitive and reactive to bug bites
• River/Water shoes; even some beaches may have coarse sand or rocks that can be tough on kids’ feet. Water shoes with good traction will help them enjoy rivers, waterfalls, and beaches without bothering their feet.
• Refillable water bottles
• Hats
• Rain jackets and quick-drying clothes
• Bathing suits
• Swimmable diapers for toddlers and babies

Is Costa Rica Safe for Kids?

Costa Rica is a very safe destination for families. The crime rates are very low, with the most common thing to watch for being petty theft.

Costa Rica is a stable country with one of the longest-standing democracies in Latin America. The country abolished its military in 1948, so Costa Rica has avoided the political instability and violence that plagued many of its neighboring countries throughout the latter half of the 20th century.

Health and Medical Care

The healthcare systems in Costa Rica are quite good, though the main hospitals are clustered in the Central Valley, around San Jose and Alajuela. Outside of this urban center, smaller towns feature smaller clinics. In touristy areas, you’ll find both public and private options.

It’s not uncommon for doctors to speak English, though don’t assume that English will always be understood in the more rural parts of the country. Google Translate works when there is a language barrier.

Many pharmacies will sell you medications that require a prescription in the US or Canada, and pharmacists are often very qualified and helpful, saving you a trip to the clinic sometimes for common ailments, like allergic reactions to bug bites, heat exhaustion, upset stomachs, or severe sunburn.

When traveling with little ones, it’s always smart to get travel insurance. Check out World Nomads, Seven Corners, and Travelex Insurance Services for some of the top-rated plans for US citizens in Costa Rica.

Beach Safety

With 800 miles of coastline, it’s easy to say that Costa Rica has a lot of beaches. And while some are great for swimming, not all are.

Costa Rica has a lot of famous surf spots, and many of the beaches that are great for surfing aren’t great for swimming. It’s important to focus on beaches with gentle waves, beaches with sheltered coves, and beaches without strong rip tides.

Some of the more popular beaches have lifeguards, depending on the season, with high season seeing more visitors and more lifeguards. Many beaches will have colored flags up, warning swimmers of areas with strong currents. Green is a safe for swimming beach, yellow means take caution, and red means not safe for swimming.

It’s important to listen to locals, as no one knows the beaches better than the Costa Ricans who’ve grown up in those waters. Most hotels and many Airbnbs will also provide information about the beaches to avoid and the ones to enjoy, so heed the advice and have fun.

Driving Safety

Driving in Costa Rica is an experience all on its own. Some of the roads can seem quite shocking by US standards, so it’s important to know what you’re getting into before you rent a car and hit the highway.

Google Maps and Waze are the best options for getting from Point A to Point B, but be aware that the drive will likely take you at least an hour longer than the apps say. That’s because there is often slow traffic in places caused by all kinds of Costa Rican things: bananas on the road, a sloth or other wildlife crossing the road, a fallen branch, a flat tire, or sometimes even two friends blocking traffic to chat.

To drive in Costa Rica without losing your patience or your temper, and ensuring that your family arrives safely, keep these tips in mind:

• Driving long distances at night is not recommended. Roads often lack street lamps and are seldom marked with reflectors or painted.
• Fog and rain on mountain passes can make visibility challenging. Take it slow and remember that Costa Rica has as many mountains as it has beaches, so be prepared for windy, narrow switchbacks.
• Be aware of one-way vs two-way roads. In the cities, it’s hard to tell which streets are one-way or two-way roads. Traffic signs, when present, are in Spanish, and drivers pass on the right and left, especially motorcycles. When in doubt, put on your hazard lights, stay to the right, and go slow until you feel sure you are on the right route.
• “Ceda” means “Yield”. Costa Rica is famous for its one-lane bridges that are all over the country, especially outside the major cities. When you have the Ceda, that means you yield the right of way. This can mean waiting at the bridge for several minutes until the traffic clears and you get to cross. Learning how to properly Ceda will save you loads of stress.
• Share the road. Most major highways that cross the country are still just two-lane roads, with a few exceptions. It’s not uncommon to get behind a bus or a truck going slower than you’d like. When you see breaks in the double yellow line, you have the legal chance to pass, but only when it’s safe. Driving in Costa Rica means sharing the road with trucks, buses, motorcycles, trackers, trailers with livestock, bicycles, and sometimes cattle. Buckle up and enjoy the journey and the experience.

Wildlife Safety

Remember that this jungle is alive.

When traveling with kids in a place like Costa Rica, it’s very important to lay some serious guidelines surrounding look, but don’t touch. There are a lot of things that can bite or sting in Costa Rica, so it’s important to give wildlife, both flora and fauna, lots of personal space.

Keeping in mind that young children may want to touch and interact with all kinds of beautiful things that they see, it’s a good idea to reinforce the fact that everything here is a living thing.

Listen to guides on which plants and animals to avoid, and always stay on the marked trails and paths to ensure maximum safety. Travel with some first aid kit essentials for bug bites and stings. Being prepared will be a saving grace if you need to use the kit.

Plan Your Costa Rican Family Vacation

A family vacation to Costa Rica is something that everyone will remember for years to come. Don’t miss out on making unforgettable memories with your children when they’re still young. Book your Costa Rican family vacation with Costa Rica Escapes today and see the wonder and amazement when you tell your kids to pack their bags to head to the jungle!