For family travelers, choosing a vacation destination can be equal parts frustrating and exciting. Maybe Mom and Dad love the history and the character of a place, but there’s nowhere for the kids to run around and play. Maybe it’s the opposite: the kids are happy, and there’s nothing to keep the grown-ups entertained. Or maybe there’s nothing for everyone to do together.
So, what activities can your family do on vacation in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica is among the happiest countries in the world, and it’s no coincidence. Located in the heart of Central America, the country has thriving ecosystems for the lover of forests, the beach, mountains, and traditional architecture.
Here are some fun-packed Costa Rica family vacation experiences:
Mountain biking in Costa Rica allows you to immerse yourself in the natural world, catching glimpses of amazing wildlife including monkeys, pizotes, peccaries, and a range of beautiful exotic birds.
Las Catalinas is one of the top single-track mountain biking destinations in the American tropics, offering beautiful seaside views high above the villas without the strenuous climbs many other trails require. This means that trails are suited to riders of all skill levels, for a beginning family expedition.
For families seeking a bit more of a thrill, the medium grade trails at Las Catalinas are sustainably built to offer speed and excitement without harming the local ecology. Whatever your family's preference, Pura Vida Ride, a local partner down by Danta Beach, provides rental bikes and offers guidance and tours for visitors.
Scuba diving is an engaging and memorable vacation activity, and Costa Rica is home to some of the finest scuba diving in the New World tropics. Going offshore and exploring reefs for the first time is a life changing-experience for many travelers. It’s more than seeing some fish — you become immersed in a new world, with a rich diversity of life unlike anywhere else in the world.
If your kids are 10 and older, your whole family can participate in ocean dives thanks to training and certification through partners like ConnectOcean, who also offer introductory pool courses available for visitors as young as 8.
For those who prefer to stay above the waves, the waters around Costa Rica offer plenty of opportunity for enjoyment. Paddle boarding and sea kayaking are both popular activities along parts of the coastline where waves are more mellow.
Both kayaking and paddle boarding combine beautiful views with a light workout that can’t be beat. Take your family out on the water and you might just get a chance to hang out with seabirds, dolphins, whales, or even manta rays!
Love the water, but want a bigger boat? There are many different experiences available off the coast, with expansive views of the towering cliffs, sweeping forests, and welcoming beaches that mark the shorelines of the region.
Bahia Potrero is one of the finest sailing areas in the Pacific, complete with abundant wildlife and striking views of the coast. Sailing in Costa Rica doesn’t require any skills or experience; the Costa Rica Sailing Center will give you everything you and your family need for a relaxing day on the water.
The Sailing Center offer small boats (1 or 2 passengers) for rent and sailing lessons, and the Las Catalinas concierge team can arrange sailing trips on larger sailboats or catamarans for larger family groups.
Costa Rica is famous for its big-wave surfing. Experienced surfers from every corner of the world travel come here for fast, deep rides along world-class beaches like Pavones, Playa Negra or Playa Hermosa, to name a few.
But if you don’t want to tempt 25+ foot waves, there are safer alternatives that offer family fun. For beginning surfers, the Frijoles Locos offer family surf expeditions to the world famous Playa Grande.
Another option, Playa Danta, is an excellent boogie boarding and body surfing beach, where waves are typically moderate and safe for riders of any size. Tucked away from the prevailing southern swell, these waves are unmatched for family wave riding, especially at low tide.
What will your family do in Costa Rica?