Costa Rica with kids: our 10-day family itinerary & honest tips
We spent ten days crossing Costa Rica over the New Year, from the steaming geothermal fields of the northwest to the volcano at Arenal and the cloud forest beyond. It is one of the most family-friendly adventures we have taken - here are the notes we wish we had before we went.
This is the practical companion to our Costa Rica photo diary. If you are planning your own trip, here is everything in plain terms.
The short version
Ten days let us pair two or three bases without living in the car. We split the trip between Guanacaste and the Rincon de la Vieja area, the Arenal/La Fortuna region, and the cloud forest, with a slow day or two built in. Costa Rica rewards going slow: the wildlife, the weather, and the volcano all keep their own schedules, and the best moments tend to be unplanned.
Day-by-day, the way we'd do it again
Guanacaste & Rincon de la Vieja. We started in the dry northwest, hiking near Rincon de la Vieja where the ground literally steams and bubbles - boiling mud pots and fumaroles that the kids could not get enough of, plus waterfalls and dry-forest trails.
Arenal & La Fortuna. The centerpiece. The near-perfect cone of Arenal volcano dominates the skyline (when the clouds allow), La Fortuna waterfall drops into a jade-green pool worth the long stair climb, and the volcano-heated hot springs are the perfect end to a long day. The hanging bridges through the canopy were a highlight for everyone.
Cloud forest & wildlife. Higher and cooler and dripping green, the cloud forest is a different Costa Rica entirely. Coatis crossed the trails, the canopy went on forever, and every walk turned into a wildlife hunt.
Getting around
We rented a 4x4, and we were glad we did - some of the best places sit at the end of rough roads, and the distances look shorter on the map than they drive. Fill the tank when you can, and do not count on speed; the roads are scenic, not fast.
Eating in Costa Rica with kids
Easy and fresh. Casado (rice, beans, plantains, and a protein) is the reliable, affordable, kid-approved staple, gallo pinto powers the mornings, and the fruit and fresh juices are a trip highlight on their own. Sodas - the small local diners - were our favorite stops.
What we'd do differently
We would build in even more buffer time. Wildlife and weather do not cooperate on a schedule, and the days we left open were the ones we remember. We would also pack proper rain layers and quick-dry everything - this is the rainforest, after all.
Rough costs
Costa Rica is not the cheapest Central American country, but a 4x4, casado lunches, and choosing a couple of paid activities over many kept ours reasonable. Many of the best experiences - the volcano views, the wildlife, the trails - are free or nearly so.
Planning your own version and want specifics we left out? Send us a note. And if you just want the pictures, the full trip lives in our Costa Rica photo diary.