Costa Rica Holiday Adventure for Families

Upon arrival in San Jose, you will be met and transferred to the Bougainvillea Hotel, beloved for its expansive grounds, large swimming pool and lovely gardens where hummingbirds and frogs abound. There are a restaurant and coffee shop on site.

Lodging: Hotel Bougainvillea (or similar)

Travel by road and water with your guide (breakfast en route) to Tortuguero National Park for two fun and fascinating days of exploration. The park borders the Caribbean and contains a network of canals and waterways that take you inland through the jungle. With help from your naturalist guide, search the trails and waterways for manatees, caiman, monkeys, sloths, river otters, poison dart frogs, and 300 species of birds, including the roseate spoonbill, American fin foot, great green macaws, trogons, oropendulas, and frigate birds.

It's not turtle nesting season, but you may see hawksbill, green, loggerhead, or a shy and solitary giant leatherback turtle. Spend two nights at a wonderful, small local lodge, an ideal base for families, just minutes from the National Park entrance.

Meals: 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Lodging: Evergreen Lodge (or similar)

Fly from Tortuguero to San Jose (note: 30 lb. baggage limit per person), where you'll begin the drive across the fertile Meseta Central to the highlands. En route to Arenal Observatory Lodge, enjoy lunch at Finca Don Juan, a working farm near the town of La Fortuna. Learn about coffee, sugar cane, yucca, bananas, plantains, potatoes, achiote, pineapple, and more.

Also - La Fortuna Waterfalls - 200 feet tall! Look for parrots, toucans, and hummingbirds on the trail, which passes through dense, lush rain forest and ends at a large pool at the base of the falls where you may swim if you wish. The fees for this hike (included) are used for community projects such as supporting schools, buying books, funding the town's orphanage, and recycling initiatives.

Head to your lodge, your base for the next two nights, less than two miles from the volcano. Arenal Volcano is Costa Rica's most spectacular volcano. Your lodge, built in 1987 as a research station for the Smithsonian Institute and the National University of Costa Rica, offers a great vantage point for viewing. You'll also have fantastic views of nearby Arenal Lake.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Arenal Observatory Lodge (or similar)

This morning after breakfast, head out on an exciting adventure to the Arenal Sky Tram and Sky Trek with ziplining, bird watching, and hiking in the lush tropical rain forest. Take in the rain forest views on the 20-minute Sky Tram ride to an observation deck with spectacular views of Arenal Volcano, Arenal Lake, and the Tilaran mountains. Afterward, go ziplining on the Sky Trek, an exhilarating ride of 3,280 feet (more than 6/10 mile) through the rain forest. Next, visit Danaus Ecocenter, a biological reserve near La Fortuna that's rich in wildlife. Look for sloth, birds, caiman, poison dart frogs, butterflies, and more.

Around mid-afternoon, we'll head to nearby Eco Termales for a fun and relaxing visit to geothermically-heated hot springs. This is a small and uncrowded site, family-run, with a cascading waterfall and four pools that range in temperature from 91 to 105 degrees. There is an on-site restaurant for refreshments, full facilities with changing rooms, and many paths through the lush landscape. Enjoy!

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging: Arenal Observatory Lodge (or similar)

After a hearty breakfast, take a hike with your guide in the area near Arenal Volcano on a trail rich with a variety of wildlife. While you view the volcano from a safe vantage point, your guide will reveal its fascinating history and current state of activity. Afterward, you'll be driven from the Arenal area to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, one of the most diverse and richest tropical cloud forests in the western hemisphere. This reserve and the Quaker community at Monteverde are models of commitment to environmental preservation. Search the reserve for the resplendent Quetzal; the male Quetzal is considered to be the most beautiful bird in all of Central America. There are over 400 other inhabitant bird species, 100 mammal species and 2,500 plant species in the reserve! Other optional (extra cost) activities in the vicinity include horseback riding and visits to the Butterfly Garden, the Bajo Tigre trail, or the Serpentario. The weather is typically pleasantly cool with frequent showers, even in the "dry" season. Spend two nights at a lovely small Monteverde hotel (4,200' elevation), sustainably built and operated, with lovely gardens, indoor pool and Jacuzzi hot tubs, and many activities (additional cost) ranging from horseback riding to massage.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging: Hotel Fonda Vela (or similar)

In the morning, visit the Selvatura Walkways, a system of suspension bridges and platforms constructed within the cloud forest. You'll truly feel that you're walking among the clouds as you view the tropical forest from a forest canopy perspective. In the afternoon, enjoy a hike through the reserve, exploring the misty forest with its dense vegetation and majestic trees. Return to your Monteverde hotel for the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging: Hotel Fonda Vela (or similar)

Depart for San Jose this morning after breakfast, returning to the same small hotel where your adventures began a week ago. Spend the afternoon at leisure reflecting on the fun and interesting educational experiences had by all, perhaps while also making plans for your next family adventure.

Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Hotel Bougainvillea (or similar)

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to the San Jose International Airport for your flight home.

Meals: Breakfast