10 Days of Costa Rica Family Travel

Finally, Not a Recipe This Week

… And a return to travelling! Nope, this one is not about cooking, though there will be a mention or several about food. Instead, it’s an actual real-life account of our trip to Costa Rica this summer. We left our little virtual kitchen and like many people escaped the confines of our backyard to travel. And literally, it was breath-taking. All the activities, pushing you to the limits, the drastic and varying scenery, the monkeys stealing sugar packets off your breakfast table. Costa Rica is the perfect introduction to international family travel.

We’ve had quite a few trips get canceled/postponed/abbreviated so far this year, I wasn’t convinced we’d make it to Costa Rica until my feet touched the soil. And then, we almost didn’t make it. Due to exceptionally long lines (like longer than Disney’s ‘Space Mountain’ in the summer) at the check-in counter and TSA at DIA over the 4th of July weekend, we only got to the gate with less than five minutes to spare. All that panic to then sit on the tarmac for an extra thirty minutes. The delay then put our connecting flight at risk – we had a solid ten minutes to spare there though! Note to self – don’t assume TSA Precheck will work every time (especially when travelling with small children). Check your boarding pass the night before!

After such a weird travel year and our airport delays, I never thought we would make it to Costa Rica. To say there was a sigh of relief landing in San Jose is a complete understatement.

Novice moves aside, Chris and I have done a fair amount of international travel. Probably a bit less then we would have liked to this past several years, however, traveling has become a fundamental part of our family. We’ve taken the boys abroad a few times (Canada and various cruises), but this was really our first extended stay in a new country with time to immerse ourselves into a new culture. Five years of middle/high school Spanish and Chris’s Floridian Spanglish put to the test! We got by on his knowledge of all the naughty words.

Beautiful Costa Rica

We broke the trip up into two areas. La Fortuna in the north side of the country and Quepos near the Pacific coast. Both were about a 3 hour ride from the San Jose Airport, and about five to six hours from each other. Immediately after landing into the San Jose airport the thick jungle cover transports you right into a Jurassic Park Scene. Our driver, Diamante, was a champ professionally navigating the winding roads. Thank goodness for our random pit stop/leg stretch break for homemade Tico Tamales. We’ve lived through hurricanes and bomb cyclones, but nothing prepared us for the torrential downpour in the pitch black jungle at night.

It was however, an just an introduction to the weather here. And we learned it is so predictable – it will rain EVERY day. You just don’t know when, how long and how much. But your excursions will go on, it just adds to the experience.

La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano

Where to Stay

Our first stop was to La Fortuna, where we stayed at the Arenal Springs Resort and Spa. It is a cute little series of bungalows each over looking the volcano and hot spring pools on site. There was even a swim up sushi bar that the kids could have eaten all their meals at. Thank goodness they didn’t know they were able to start and sign off a room tab. There were several hot springs pools, a large regular pool, a jacuzzi and swim up bars. The staff was so friendly and amazing – remember my drink orders each day and leaving fun treats and surprises for the kids. We had a full itinerary the whole trip, but made sure to keep one day just for soaking and lounging at this family resort.

What to Do:

Ziplining the Canopies

The first big excursion came bright and early on our first full day after arriving into La Fortuna a little late and on empty tummies. It would only be fitting that the first one was the sky tram and ziplining the rainforest canopies near the Arenal Volcano. They were so fast and much longer than we thought going into this trip, videos and pictures just couldn’t do justice for the exhilaration of the rides. But everything seemed a lot more extreme than we ever anticipated. Apparently, you can make the necessary weight requirement by wrapping your legs around big brother for a tandem ride. And zooming at 45mph, he held on with all his might.

Horseback Riding to La Fortuna Waterfall

We got super lucky as many of the locals told us that the volcano is not usually easy to see through the thick rain cloud cover, but we had four clear days to view this majestic beauty. It made our excursion the next day, a horseback ride through the forest to the Catarata Río Fortuna (La Fortuna Waterfall) just about perfect. We walked (with a good amount of trotting) for about forty minutes, tied up the horses and walked across hanging bridges and hiked straight down for about 15 minutes to find the base of the waterfall. I don’t think I’ve ever been that up close to such a large fall and was blown away by it’s fierceness and beauty. Less fierce and beautiful was my effort hiking back up to our horses. Literally, straight for approximately infinity steps.

Downtown La Fortuna

Some of our best memories as a couple are getting lost down backstreets in foreign countries. La Fortuna was a great way to let our kids be immersed into a more traditional Costa Rican culture without being worried about trying to navigate the souvenir hawking tourist traps. It is a town that compromises really of only two or three main streets but is filled with authentic Costa Rican restaurants, shops and parks. To our surprise there were also many restaurants of ethnic foods from all over, so many for just a few blocks of a down town strip!

What to Eat:

I told you food would be involved, but I had no recipes to share this week.

We learned quick the local favorite in La Fortuna was Pollo Fortuneno. Chris has a way of asking every person he meets for a restaurant recommendation in the area. This trip was no exception. (Except this time he took a stab at asking in Spanish, everyone needs a good laugh.) This chicken joint was hands down the most popular spot for anyone living in the La Fortuna area. You can watch the chickens and pork ribs go round and round the spit and is cooked to absolute perfection. The outdoor atmosphere and a family meal that might have fed four families, it was probably our favorite spot to eat of the trip. And to think we almost passed it up, thinking it was just another chicken joint.

Another great spot was the Spec-taco-lar Cantina. We shared the family plate of tacos, and they were so good we went for another, just so we could try them all. That’s elotes, guac, salsa and 24 tacos for 4 people. We found this gem in a last-minute effort to hide from the thunderstorm coming in. It is however, easily located on the main street in downtown La Fortuna. The sangria (and orange Fanta) was on point too! They were the perfect meal to end an activity-filled day!

Quepos and Manuel Antonio

Like I mentioned earlier, it was a 5-6 hour ride to get from the Arenal volcano area to Quepos, home of Manuel Antonio National Park. Even then it was so interesting to see how the scenery changed from the mountain tops as we descended to the coast. We passed coffee plantations, rice fields, dairy farms and a never ending jungle. We crossed the famous Crocodile Bridge (I’ll let you guess why it’s famous). And in it all, we found one of the best seafood restaurants we may have ever tried.

Where to Stay

Si Como No was our base hotel while staying in Quepos. Set in the jungle with an amazing ocean view, we were greeted by monkeys at breakfast in the morning and iguanas at the pools in the afternoon. (An adult and kid pool!) Of the umpteen million pools we visited this summer, this one was Jake’s winner. Being so close to Manual Antonio National Park, animal sightings are pretty common! While not directly on the beach, there are several within walking distance or shuttle stops at the hotel. We did take an afternoon just to enjoy Playa Espadilla Sur, an awesome public beach with a few shops and restaurants near by and not to crowded.

What To Do

Waterfall Jumping:

I mentioned earlier that the excursions were more extreme than we could have ever imagined, especially since we signed no waivers. Waterfall jumping through the jungles was no exception – and I am a weenie when it comes to heights. The children less so, and I think they really pushed me to my limits while really questioning my parental skills. It was an all-day tour with the boys from Paddle 9 and they were great, and just so much fun.

We started at the 15-foot ‘baby’ waterfall as a training ground. No platform to jump from, just rocks and directions for the target. I got some reprieve at the second waterfall because there was a platform at this 25′ jump. However, right next to the platform was the scarier, natural rock slide brought the confidence back to zero. Again, nothing says peer pressure like your eight-year-old telling you that you’re so embarrassing. The finale was the 35 foot jump, no platform, just a slippery boulder surrounded by other rocks. Needless to say, I couldn’t cut it. Luke did and it was almost just as scary to watch your kid do something like that. Especially when you notice him lose his footing prepping the jump.

Manuel Antonio Park

After so much excitement the day before, we decided a nice nature hike through Manuel Antonio National Park might just be the perfect stop for a relaxing day. Jake also loves some animal fun facts so he was super excited for this tour. We saw the beloved sloths, napping monkies, iguanas, deers, and all the bugs. I think they loved the extra explorer feel looking through the high power looking glass. And as if that wasn’t enough nature to take in, the beach at the end is stunning -the jungles, the cliffs, and blue waters all blended together.

ATV Riding through the Palm Jungle

It was our last excursion of the trip – and it did not disappoint. Going into it, Chris and I were a little hesitant to pick this one, thinking the kids would be a little bored on some glorified go-karts. There were about ten wrong assumptions in that one thought. One, they were not glorifed go-karts and had no governor, they went fast. Really fast. Two, it rained hard the day before and it was muddy, dirty and slipper and leads right to point number three. The kids LOVED it! They weren’t able to drive themselves, but by this point of the trip had mastered the art of ‘just hold on tight’.

We started off with a quick lesson in semi-automatic driving – this chica only knows nothing less than 100% automatic driving. I do not know the appropriate time to down shift/up shift, etc. I learned how to drive in Florida, I can handle long stretches of flat and straight, and that is about it. And despite living in Colorado now , I work from home – I’ve managed to pretty much avoid all the extreme driving situations. Semi-automatic had me nervous from the get go.

Then the real fun started. We were going through a forest of king palms and mud ditches and watching other friends on the tour get stuck in the ditches. Later there was pelting rain. After we went through some farm land until we made it to yet another hike full of wonder ending with a dazzling waterfall.

What To Eat

What would a whole story about Costa Rica be if we didn’t mention the coffee. We had enjoyed a cup with breakfast every morning of the trip, but had gone about 7 days into the trip before making it to a local shop. And that is where we found Cafe Milagro. Chris and I made an excuse for a quick afternoon date and walk in the rain to this cute and local coffee shop near the hotel. We sipped delicious coffee drinks and enjoyed the sweet desserts on the patio. And naturally, we also managed to bring home multiple bags of coffee to keep us going back to this moment in time.

Luke realized he may have a new food he enjoys more than crab legs. The whole fish. The fascination started off when our driver ordered it at lunch. We were served a whole fish after a hard earned day of jumping off waterfalls and cliffs. And then came the menu at Claro Que Si. The whole snapper. Large, fried, and a fish that brings him home – it checked all the boxes for a middle school aged boy.

It was the restaurant connected to the hotel, but still offered the vibe we were after. A good menu, live music and a long wine list.

One Day in San Jose

Where to Stay

We stayed at the Hotel Grano de Oro. This may have been our favorite hotel of the trip, but we only had one night to spend! It was also centrally located to most of the major sites (Mercado Central, Teatro Nacional, and a handful of museums) making it ideal when you don’t have much time in the city. We also just happened to enjoy a little in the rooftop jacuzzi’s with our final Ron Centenario’s before a nice dinner in the hotel restaurant.

What To Do

We really didn’t even have a whole day to spend in San Jose after the three hour drive from the Manuel Antonio area. We were determined though to squeeze in every last minute we had in Costa Rica discovering all it had to offer. When travelling, we always try to make a point of visiting the local markets. We arrived into the city just after lunch, dropped the suitcases and made the quick jaunt over to Mercado Central. San Jose was not a huge city, but the markets moved fast nonetheless. It did not disappoint. I think the boys may have been a little overwhelmed by how much there was just to look at. The market has been going since 1880 and offered just about anything you could think to find. All the meats, spices, toys and trinkets, home goods, and more coffee.

What To Eat

With only such a short amount of time to take (eat?) it all in, this was the day we became gluttons. There were so many things to try. The markets, the down town strip and even the hotel restaurant was toted as being top notch. Bring on the churros, empanadas, coffees and fruits all before our dinner reservations. Our dinner reservations (at the hotel) also happened to being during happy hour, so keep bringing it on – all the appetizers and some wine, pretty please. We had totally earned it walking and running all throughout the city in the rain.

This was the trip we had been waiting a lifetime for. Literally, Costa Rica had been at or near the top of our bucket list travel, just waiting for it to be the right time to take the boys. Between all the excursions planned, and the people we met along the way, it simply exceeded all expectations. We absolutely, loved our family travel to Costa Rica.

Costa Rica Family Travel

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