Costa Rica is a magical place for nature-loving families. For us, it was particularly appealing due to the direct flights, its relative affordability (although expensive by Central American standards), the mix of nature and beach that we craved, and because it seemed easy to navigate with a young kid in tow while still offering a sense of adventure.

The Co-Pilot and I met in China and explored Southeast Asia together in our youth. We considered ourselves established travelers. In many ways our relationship was forged by our travels together. I had visions of myself as a world-traveling parent: hiking jungle paths with a child strapped to my back, grazing in bustling food markets with kiddo munching on a skewered snack, sipping cocktails on tropical beaches while baby dozed under palms. Alas, I spent the first five years of Pip’s life, not venturing very far at all. I had become a suburban mom, and a particularly boring one at that. Traveling with a young child was too intimidating.

Costa Rica was our first attempt at adventure abroad with Pip (aged 5 at the time). The stakes felt high. I must admit that, in hindsight, while Costa Rica is an absolutely gorgeous place that combines all the things I love (beach, jungle, nature, wildlife, sloths!!), some of its magic was probably personal. I was in a really good place – feeling like I was going to prove myself as the mom that I knew I always was meant to be. In reality, my parenting had very little to do with it. Pip, it turns out, is a natural traveler. She’s easygoing and flexible and enjoys the break in routine. 

The itinerary I planned was essentially the typical must-see destinations with a twist. Of course in two weeks, especially given our slow-travel preference, we did not see all the must-see places in Costa Rica – we will have to return! But Arenal/La Fortuna – Monteverde – Manuel Antonio is often considered a basic tourist itinerary. For our trip we followed that route but just not quite. We did:

Chachagua (3 nights) – Bijagua (2 nights) – Monteverde (3 nights) – Manuel Antonio (4 nights) – San Jose (1 night)

In some ways, I let the hotels pick the destinations. I was searching for places that fit our budget and offered character and experiences in the general vicinity of the tourist spots. Since this trip was all about action and adventure, I also crammed (probably too many) activities into our two-week itinerary. 

Here’s a recap of where we stayed and what we did, and the fun, fights, and memories along the way.

First stop, Chachagua. We landed in San Jose and immediately picked up our car hire with Vamos. Car hire is expensive in Costa Rica, and the hidden fees can be brutal which is why we picked Vamos. It has a reputation for transparency and service, and we had a good experience with them. We hit the road to get to the Chachagua Rainforest Hotel and Hot Springs before dark. The road out of San Jose is pure chaos, but once out of the city snarl the drive was a manageable 2.5 hours and scenic. I picked Chachagua Rainforest Hotel and Hot Springs because of its lush location and on-site activities like trails and hot springs, plus only 20-30 minutes from La Fortuna. We loved it! We spent every evening in the warm pools – what a treat. We did the free on-site guided nature walk which was lovely and included a bit of a farm experience with fresh pressed sugar cane juice. We also went to the nearby Two Little Monkeys for their chocolate tour which was excellent for kids and adults alike. We spent one day in La Fortuna doing the La Fortuna waterfall hike and then Baldi Hot Springs. I would have loved to go to Tabacon but realistically we didn’t think Pip would have complied with the chill, romantic vibe so we opted for Baldi which catered to her need for speed with some waterslides. The town of La Fortuna was bustling and touristy, but we were glad to retire to the tranquil rainforest setting in the evening. 

Bijagua was up next (2 hours away) and honestly a bit of an unnecessary break in the itinerary, although it ended up being a very good choice. I miscalculated this leg because I really wanted to do the Rio Celeste tubing experience and thought it would be nice to stay close by. In reality the entry point for the tubing was very accessible from La Fortuna and didn’t require two-nights in Bijagua. But this stop provided insight into a Costa Rica town that wasn’t so tourist oriented and for that I think it was so worth it. We stayed at Casitas Tenorio which is a delightful property and farm. We made use of the on-site nature trail, and took advantage of the morning farm tour, which included milking a cow. It was a real highlight. Core memories for $0. Pip observed the cow milking with interest, but could not be convinced to make it a hands-on experience. A farm-stay is such a cool way to connect with local culture and land. Nearby, we did Tio Miguel’s Night Tour which was lovely, but Pip was so tired she passed out on the Co-Pilot’s shoulders for half of it. We also did a Sloth Tour with Jungle Life in the area. In the end, we did all the activities that we would have slated for La Fortuna but just slightly off the beaten track. 

The absolute highlight of the trip was the river tubing which we did with Rio Celeste Nature. What a blast! It was just our family and a guide and it was a lot of fun for each of us – enough thrill to be exciting but not scary. We also saw a sloth hanging out by the river and poison dart frogs when we took a break on the bank. A wonderful way to experience wildlife.   

Monteverde was about a 3-hour drive from Bijagua and this drive does get interesting. It’s narrow and winding as you climb in elevation towards the Cloud Forest. We stayed at Cabinas Capulin which was basic, affordable, and came with a stunning view of the Cloud Forest. The bird watching right off the balcony was fantastic. Monteverde offers a different ecosystem entirely. Don’t expect to see the same concentration of wildlife, but the birdlife is stunning. It’s also markedly cooler. Probably worth a fleece no matter the time of year. We did a night walk in the Cloud Forest on-site. It was pouring with rain and chilly, and probably not the best activity with a five-year-old. One of the main drawcards in Monteverde for Pip was the zipline. She is a thrill seeker and I am a ninny. I chose Selvatura Park because of the setting and the fact that they were open to attaching me to a guide along with Pip – I’m too scared to be on my own! 13 lines, including a 1km run, and 15 platforms – quite a spectacular way to experience the forest. In spite of my fear of heights, this activity was 100% worth the terror. We also did a self-guided walk through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. I’m sure we would have seen and learnt more with a guide, but Pip was, at this stage, over the guided stuff and it was nice to explore aimlessly.

Final stop, Manuel Antonio where we stayed at Tulemar. This was a bit of a splurge for us but wow was it worth it. The setting is spectacular, the service fantastic, the beach access priceless. We love to end a trip with a lazier beach stop and Tulemar was it. After two-weeks of non-stop activity, we treated the resort like we would an all-inclusive and had every meal there. The restaurant and cocktails were excellent. We did a guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park and it was great wildlife viewing but it was also the busiest park we experienced – you do get access to the stunning beach within the preserve which is definitely a bonus of this park. Otherwise we just enjoyed the amenities on site at Tulemar. For Pip, bodyboarding on their volcanic sand beach was topnotch fun. It made my heart stop, but my fearless kid just popped up after every wipeout and asked to go again. One day, the Co-Pilot was treated to a full day fishing excursion for his birthday, and Pip and I had a mommy-daughter day. We started at the beach but after my sunglasses were lost to the ocean, I wanted to return to base camp. Pip did not. She is stubborn and willful and I am totally incapable of calmly getting her to listen. This ended up with me – and I hope to god there is no video footage of this – swearing and stomping on the beach like a toddler in front of my nonplussed 5-year-old before Pip reluctantly agreed to cooperate. Alas, the day was rescued by the incredible array of pool options at the resort which we explored extensively, and now we both remember mommy-daughter day as a huge success. The Co-Pilot also returned from fishing victorious, with a beautiful yellowfin tuna which the resort’s TuleCafe masterfully prepared for us as sashimi and various grilled options. Super service – also worth mentioning Freddy, our concierge who facilitated our stay. Tulemar was pure relaxation and ease after the intensity of the previous week’s logistics.   

I can’t give San Jose a fair review – we didn’t really see any of it. We stayed at the Adventure Inn near the airport – which was a nice choice as a family-owned hotel. Vamos came to collect the car from the hotel and the hotel offered an airport shuttle, so it was both convenient and came with character. 

Pura vida – more than a slogan or a greeting, it’s a way of life and it’s really, wonderfully intoxicating.