Costa Rica with Teens & Preteens
Parent Q&A
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Questions
- Costa Rica this summer with 12 year old
- Costa Rica over Thanksgiving with 8 & 12 yos
- Going to Costa Rica with kids 10-13
- Costa Rica for 6th grader on a field trip
- Going to Costa Rica with 12-year-olds
Costa Rica this summer with 12 year old
Jan 2013
We're considering a vacation to Costa Rica with our 12 year old son and wondered if anyone has any advice/tips for travel. We'd love any recommendations for places to stay and things to do. We don't really want an all out deluxe resort but also don't want to deal with driving ourselves around. Thanks in advance for your help! Anne
Hi! We went to Costa Rica with our 12 and 13 year this past October and had a blast. We did rent a car and picked simple driving routes and found it very easy to get around! We flew into the north, Liberia, spent 3 days at an all inclusive beach resort RIU - it was nice and very inexpensive when we went. There we went snorkeling, pools, kayaking....
then we drove to Fortuna, saw the Arenal Volcano - had some great hikes (led by the nature guide at the Arenal Observatory where we spent 1 night), went to the Tabacon Hot Springs. We moved hotels to the Tree House Hotel outside of Fortuna, it was a thrill for the kids! Real tree houses in the middle of a rainforest - sloths outside our room - run by an nice american couple. In that area we went zip lining, rappelling, white water rafting.
We then took a 5 hr drive to Manuel Antonio - it was the highlight with a beautiful park on the beach with monkeys, sloths and many other animals. We were very fortunate to land upon an amazing guide - Mario - who showed us things we would have never seen! My son took a fantastic surfing lesson with a local. Near Manuel Antonio we rented a great 2 bedroom condo with pool right near the park - found it on VRBO. We flew out of San Jose and didn't spend any time there - big city!
If you want to ask more details I'm happy to share with you, send me an email. Amy
We just spent winter break in Costa Rica with our 10 and 12 year olds. Great trip, so much wildlife and fun things to do like surfing, snorkeling, and ziplining-- great choice for pre-teens and teens I think. We were there over two weeks which gave us enough time to do Atlantic coast and Pacific coast and the cloud forest, but if you have less time, you'll want to choose your locations more carefully. We tended to stay in cabinas (small hotels with separate cabins for our family that usually had a kitchen) and while they were on the higher end of paying for accomodations, being able to cook for ourselves was important to us. Most of the food in Costa RIca is lackluster.
We also rented a car and drove ourselves because we had a rambling itinerary. If you settle on a few locations, I know a lot of people who have just used a driver to get around and liked that. My kids particularly liked ziplining and seeing the quetzal at MOnteverde. For surfing, great locations are Playa Nosara and the Dominical area on the Pacific coast. from Dominical you can do a lot of day trips to the Osa Peninsula to see great wildlife in mangroves, at Isla Cano and at Corcovado National Forest.
If you go to Dominical we stayed at Villas Alturas (we keep meaning to put in a trip advisor on it but haven't yet) which was the most amazing place to stay-- we loved it-- great staff (managed now by two Americans)and ambiance, and the most amazing view of the Bay.
Most people want to see Manuel Antonio-- it is pretty, but it gets crowded and there are so many other places in Costa Rica to see the same things, I'd go elsewhere.
On the Atlantic Coast, we stayed in Cahuita and if you go there don't miss the Jungle Rescue Center-- you get a lot of contact with baby monkeys and see a great deal of amazing wildlife they are caring for after injuries-- but most people don't choose to go the Atlantic side-- not as developed for tourism though that is changing.
Have a great trip- we can't wait to go back. anon
Los Lagos near Arenal is great! We stayed there a couple of yrs ago w/ our then 11 yr old daughter. There's nice pools, water slides, but it's not too 'resort-y.' Prices pretty reasonable too. michael
Costa Rica over Thanksgiving with 8 & 12 yos
July 2012
Our family, including 12 and 8 year-old boys, is thinking of a week-long trip to Costa Rica. We want the kids to see a different culture and think they would be more excited to see volcanos and monkeys than museums. Is November a good time to go (i.e. warm enough to be in the water but not too rainy)? What are the not-to-miss places? Any recommendations of mid-priced places to stay? Excited to Travel
If your trip includes Drakes Bay (southern end of CR) make sure to take the night tour with the Bug Lady! The boys will love it--it's interesting, educational, and scary! http://www.thenighttour.com/drake_bay_costa_rica__the_night_tour_bug_lady.htm anon
Going to Costa Rica with kids 10-13
Feb 2008
We're heading to Costa Rica this June and I have a couple of questions I didn't find in the archives. Seems like all of the flights out of the bay area are at night.....true?? If not when did others fly out and what airlines? Of course we want the least amount of stops and to fly during the day but I'm not sure I'm being realistic. We're traveling with four kids between 10 and 13 so we want to see some fun stuff and kick back and swim. Did you have a favorite destination that you would recommend? Any and all info much appreciated. Diana
My husband and I went to Costa Rica and really enjoyed ourselves. Manuel Antonio nature preserve (in the southwest) was great for both rainforest and ocean. Also loved Monteverde and the Cloud Rainforest where you can do a zipline canopy tour which is fabulous. Tabacon hot springs at the foot of the Arenal volcano (North)was awesome and relaxing. We saw the volcano erupt at night! Because the roads are so challenging, you may prefer to stick to one area, but those destinations were all wonderful! I also recommend checking out: www.costaricanadventures.com for lots of info and ideas about place to go. They are a great, small, Bay Area-based eco-travel company. Seems to me we were going to fly at night but elected to get bumped and then traveled by day. That was 5 years ago, so options might have changed.
There are lots of options for daytime flights to Costa Rica, from both San Francisco and Oakland. While there are no nonstop flights to either San Jose or Liberia (the two international airports in Costa Rica), many carriers offer service with one stop. American, Continental, Delta, USAirways, and Frontier all have daytime flights with one change of plane. TACA, United, and Continental have overnight flights.
The one advantage of an overnight flight is that you can continue straight on to your final destination without spending the night in San Jose. There's nothing terribly wrong with San Jose, but it's not as nice as the rest of the country. Personally, I hate overnight flights, so I prefer to fly in, spend the night in San Jose, then head out to the beach or the cloud forest the next day. I have never flown in to Liberia, but if your final destination is along the north-west coast, it might make sense to fly in and out of Liberia.
Whereever you land, and whatever airport you use, Costa Rica is wonderful! Beautiful country, friendly people, and easy to get around. You will have a great time! Emma
I've only been here as an adult, but Manuel Antonio is awesome. It's in a little beach town with little Inns to stay at. There is a National Park there that is a tropical forest (surrounded by ocean) filled with habituated monkeys, iguanas, cute little crabs, etc. There is a larger town called Quepos nearby with more to do. I just hung out and ran around the beach and forest but a friend who went there jet skiied and did other exciting things. It's so beautiful! http://www.govisitcostarica.com/region/city.asp?cID=258 http://www.manuelantoniopark.com/mapk/default.asp Andi
We took American Airlines which was a day time fight with one layover. We loved Monteverde and the Monteverde Reserve. In the morning we took guided tours which is a must if you want to see anything. Those guides are amazing at finding all the birds and animals and they carry binoculars so you can see! Just book a guided tour the day before through your hotel since they sell out the day of. And in the afternoon we did the zip lines. It was scary at first but so much fun. Don't miss Morpho's Cafe for their food. It's excellent and has reasonable prices. Elaine
Costa Rica for 6th grader on a field trip
Jan 2007
My 6th grader will be going to on a week long study trip to Costa Rica to work with leatherback turtles. I am wondering if we really need to buy bug repellant clothing, which is pricey, and if so, what are the essential items? Any other survival tips? Signed, Costa Rica newbie
I spent one summer in a cloudforest in Ecuador and another in the Ecuadorian Amazon, both to study monkeys. I don't think you will need bug-repellant clothing, esp. for just one week. I wore just long cotton pants and long-sleeved cotton shirts. (I got cargo-style pants from REI and long-sleeved light cotton shirts from thrift shops.) He may want short-sleeved t-shirts too. Good rubber boots help with walking through mud, etc. He can get those there or perhaps just basic rubber boots at a hardware store. He's not studying monkeys like I did so he may just run around in t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops....ask the person running the course. Bug repellant will be a must, but bug-repellant clothes should not be necessary. Andi
Going to Costa Rica with 12-year-olds
April 2006
I have been looking into going to Costa Rica with my husband and soon to be twelve year old twin boys. We are an active family that likes to exert ourselves on vacation. Does anyone have a recommendation for an ecolodge in the Corcovados area? It would be nice to not spend a fortune. We would like to go to Monteverde as well and only have a week. Is it possible to link these two places without going back to San Jose? Is there a big advantage to avoiding the rainy season? Karen
We visited CR in July 2004 and stayed at La Paloma Lodge near Corcovadas park -- it was fantastic but expensive. There are definitely some less expensive options in the area but some of the ones I glimpsed on hikes etc seemed to be platform tents w/out attached bathrooms or comfortable lodge. I don't think I would recommend that during the rainy season as it rains all night long. Plus petty crime is on the rise in the area (we had camera and rain jacket stolen) so you want to be sure your accomodations are secure. Finally you should stay where all meals are included as there really isn't a town with restaurants or stores. We enjoyed being there in the rainy season -- the mornings were clear with a rainstorm in the afternoon and rain most of the night. It was pleasantly warm (probably high 70s-80s) in the south but Monteverde was quite cool, especially at night. I don't think you can avoid flying back to San Jose from the Osa peninsula but that is nothing to worry about. Your flight will most likely leave early and you will be in San Jose well before noon with plenty of time to get to Monteverde (no need to spend the night in San Jose). You will have a great time -- we did not have children at the time but met many happy families. It seems the ideal destination for a family vacation. Eve
We went to Costa Rica with our then-six-year-old a few years ago and loved it so much! If you don't have Beatrice Blake's guide The New Key to Costa Rica, you should definitely get it. That's how I planned our route and found places to stay. She emphasizes eco-friendly and locally owned places. Our first night however we stayed in a lovely place owned by a couple of ex-pat Californians in Alajuela (we avoided San Jose, Alajuela is near the airport and a good starting point). The name of that hotel was La Rosa de America. They have a beautiful garden and pool, and it is easy to arrange sightseeing of nearby attractions from there. If you stay there, ask for directions to Las Delicias de mi Tierra, a nearby restaurant. It's super and cheap, popular with locals.
Our son loved the ''canopy tours'' in which you climb up to platforms high in the trees in the rain forest, belt yourself into a harness, and go zipping from tree to tree on cables. We went on one (that included horseback riding to the forest) near the Arenal Volcano. Also near the volcano was one of our favorite spots, the Tabacon Resort (hot springs, pool, natural river heated by the volcano). We stayed at a modest but great little place, the Cerro Chato lodge outside of La Fortuna (which is very touristy town). The owner, Miguel Zamora, was a wonderful guide and very helpful. I know you don't plan to go to Arenal, but those places were special to us.
We went during the rainy season, and the basic issues were: every afternoon it poured, starting around two to three. Sometimes it would then let up in the evening, sometimes not. Occasionally the rain would start earlier but then it was lighter. Most of the time we put on ponchos and it was fine. It is in any case usually warm, which is easier to bear. The only time I was worried about the rain was when we flew to an isolated area in the south to see dolphins (Drake Bay) and we nearly couldn't get out again. But really the rain was not bad.
Wish I could go again! Linda
I visited Costa Rica 5 years ago and got a rental car (I think a compact SUV) except for when we were in San Jose. There were a lot of places we went that wouldn't have been accessible by public transportation (e.g Montezuma), and even getting between the larger cities seems difficult. Driving was not that bad - there are some newer roads that were very easy, and there wasn't so much traffic once we got out of the city. Definitely some narrow and rough ones - watch out for roads that look like bridges on Google maps but are actually just shallow streams that cross the road - but I would say it's worth the hassle.
I concur with your take. I visited Costa Rica in 2018 and we rented a car, to determine afterward we would not do that again. The roads were poorly marked, we got lost, and worst of all got pulled over by a fake (?) traffic cop in a speeding scam and ripped off for an "on the spot fine". I would love to visit CR again but absolutely would do an organized tour. Check out Discovery Corps, among others. Also July might not be the right time of year, temp-wise... many micro climates in CR so you'll need to decide if it's right for you.
Driving in Costa Rica is not nearly as hard as it might seem. You can avoid San Jose altogether by flying into Liberia, and renting a car there (I recommend Poas Renta Car). Then all the country “highways” are just two lane roads and when you get off, you either turn right or left. The roads are much improved and mostly paved, but I always get a 4WD and I spring for the extra insurance too. That said, hiring a driver is very easy and safe. It won’t be cheap, but rental cars aren’t either. I’m sure the hotels can help you with that, or point you in the right direction if you call them in advance. Ticos (Costa Ricans) are super friendly and helpful. As for tours, when I have taken my younger teen, I just used viator and that was fine for finding local tour operators - fun for both of us. The hotels can hook you up with all of that too.
I lived in CR in the 90s. It was very different then, but I’ve taken my son back a few times. Very easy traveling and always fantastic. You will have a great time, whether you plan it in advance or wing it. Feel free to ask the admin for my email if you want to chat offline.
PS: there is a 2 week school break in July. You may want to google that and avoid those dates. The beaches will be crowded with people from San Jose, the mountains less so.
Take this info with a grain of salt, especially because we rented a car the last time we were there -- in 2022 with an 11 and 13 year old. BUT, when I was there 20 years ago, we did it without a car. We took the bus from San Jose to Monteverde. Then we hired a driver (maybe it was a couple of taxis, I'm not sure, it was a group of friends) to take us from Monteverde to Tamarindo (on the pacific coast). It was great because the driver pointed out wildlife and stopped at one point so we could see a sloth (an animal we didn't see on our most recent trip). Then we took a van back to San Jose -- it was all tourists, so not a colectivo, but not a private van. Obviously this was a long time ago, but I can't imagine you couldn't do the same these days. I would poke around the TripAdvisor forums as there is often exactly this kind of info there.
Having said all this, almost all our driving in Costa Rica did not involve narrow rough roads. We flew in and out of Liberia which is recommended, unless you are going far south, because it's so much smaller than San Jose and there is not much to see in SJ anyway. The road from there to Samara toward the bottom of the Nicoya peninsula was fine. We then drove up to Arenal area. We did hit a snag when we followed Google maps directions to turn off the main highway for a "shortcut" that took us on more and more narrow roads until we got to a locked gate! If we had stayed on the main highway it would have been fine. (This is also in the point of the trip when we realized we left our passports in the safe at the hotel in Samara so we had to drive two hours back to retrieve them and didn't arrive to Arenal until nighttime... I wouldn't advise that.) We stayed at the Arenal Observatory Lodge which is inside the park, has amazing views, and tons of trails from there. I'm pretty sure they have a shuttle that can pick you up in La Fortuna and bring you up there. On our way from Liberia to Samara, we also stopped at a rancho near the rio Tempisque and Palo Verde nat'l park. Amazing wildlife viewing there as well! I haven't been to Manuel Antonio or Corcovado, but I've heard great things about both. Would love to see them the next time we go. Good luck with your planning and have fun! Costa Rica is such a great country to visit.
My family just returned from a wonderful trip to Arenal and Monteverde. We rented a car but you could easily arrange for transport to these and other popular tourist spots. We flew direct from SFO on United to Liberia. Check out My Tan Feet for tips and information, I found this site helpful for planning and we rented a car through Adobe with their discount. We did a couple tours in Arenal and though we had a car we could have arranged a pick up from our hotels.
Hope you have a fabulous trip!