Things to Do in Costa Rica with Kids

If you are planning your family vacations (or holidays) in Costa Rica, you will not be disappointed with the number of family activities Costa Rica has to offer. No matter what you end up doing, kids and adults will be able to discover and be amazed by nature and some of those activities will add just the right amount of light adventure or adrenaline.

A family vacation in Costa Rica will never be forgotten because it appeals to all of your senses. The most popular of all the family activities in Costa Rica is slowly and curiously exploring the trails of any public or private parks or reserves where you will find all kinds of wildlife, but there are many more activities that your family can enjoy…especially the kids! Here are just some of our top suggestions.

Costa Rica Activities for Kids

Taste the Tropics (Delicious Costa Rican Fruit Juices)

What better way to introduce your kids to the tropics than with the taste of fresh naturally sweet fruit. Wherever you go in Costa Rica it is common to find a small fruit stand on the side of the road displaying smoothies with flavors, like pineapple, mango or papaya, and lesser-known fruits, like passion fruit, lychee, sour guava or water apple. Depending on the time of the year you can discover many of the different fruits Costa Rica offers. Also, every restaurant will offer you fresh natural juices, so remember to ask what they have before you order!

Explore the Forest from Above (Hanging Bridges, Canopy & Zip-Line Tours)

No matter how old your kids are, looking at the rainforest from a birds-eye point of view will simply amaze them–and you too. For the little ones (under the age of 6) it might be best to stick to hanging bridges or a sky tram. For older and more adventurer kids, a canopy tour is “must do” Costa Rican kids activity.

If your visit the hanging bridges, remember to ask how slippery they might be and if there is a gap between the walkway and the guardrail on the bridges. Guides in Costa Rica are very accommodating and will always offer special assistance to families with younger children.

A more exciting option is the canopy or zip-line tour. Every tour has different policies and rules when it comes to children’s participation. Safety is the obvious number one priority but factors such as minimum age, height and weight are considered. Normally, if the child fits in the harness and shows the ability to use the equipment, they are allowed to participate on some level. On average, kids should be six-years-old and around 120 cm (~4 feet) tall to zip down the cables by themselves; smaller children (those under minimum weight and height) could ride attached to a guide. As the tour goes on the guide attached to the child can assess the child’s ability and potentially offer the child to go alone on the cable.

Floating for Treasures (Boat Tours)

Boat tours are a very rewarding way to explore wildlife with your family because you will not have to worry about your child getting tired or bored and it is very likely you will see cool things, like a crocodile floating like a log in the river or monkeys flying through the canopy. The one thing you should keep in mind, especially with very young kids, is to book a tour that is not too long. Most tours last around two hours, but in certain areas, like Tortuguero, they could go for as long as three hours.

A more quiet and paced way to explore from the water is joining a sea and/or mangrove kayak tour. From a kayak, you will be able to poke into corners of the mangrove in search of little wild treasures, but remember that this can be a physically demanding activity for a kid, so children under 12 usually have to go in a double kayak, either with you or with the guide, and older kids should be up for the challenge.

If you want to add a little more excitement to the expedition, look for a river floating or tubing tour. Ages for these tours tend to depend on the river and its perceived level of rapids. As you let the water take you downstream in one of the beautiful calm rivers of Costa Rica you can spot wildlife, but every now and then get the rush of traversing little rapids.

See the Unseen (Night Tours in the Forest)

Nothing will make your kids eyes bigger than finding animals in a pitch-dark forest. Night tours are common all around Costa Rica, and it is a great kids activity for all ages. These tours usually last one to two hours, during which time you can see from very active frogs and insects to sleeping birds and wandering mammals. Bring a good headlamp with you if you book a night tour, just in case the tour you book doesn’t include the use of one.

Learn to Ride the Water (Surfing, Paddle Boarding & Kayak Tours)

Surf and Stand Up Paddle Boarding lessons are common in the North and Central Pacific and the South Caribbean of Costa Rica. Most surf schools will be happy to teach your kid if he/she is at least five-years-old. Combine these family bonding lessons with a good hike and a kayak tour and you will have the perfect combo for a Costa Rica family multisport vacation.

Learn About Conservation and Wildlife (National Parks)

You might not know this, but 25% of the Costa Rican territory is under some kind of protection. So while you are here, make sure to visit at least one national park, and take this opportunity to talk with your kids about the environment and why we need to take care of it. Just imagine talking about sea life as you walk down the sandbar in the shape of a whale’s tale in Marino National Park, or talking about reusable energies as you walk around the bubbly mud of Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park.

Children under two do not pay an entrance fee to National Parks of Costa Rica, children between two and twelve pay a discounted rate.

A Little More Adrenaline (Whitewater Rafting)

Whitewater rafting is the one Costa Rica activity for families that will give you the biggest adrenaline rush. You can go for world-class III and IV rapids on the Pacuare River and Naranjo River, or for a slightly calmer rafting experience, you can try the Sarapiquí, Corobicí and Reventazón rivers, where rapids are class I to III. As expected, there is a minimum age limit to this activity, children 8+ for the slower rivers and children above 12 for the more adventurous rapids.

7 Ways to Costa Rica & Chill

Costa Rica has a well-deserved rep as a hot spot for adrenaline-fueled adventures, from zip-lining through jungle canopies to rappelling down waterfalls. But there's also some serious local yin to balance out all that yang. So much so that you could easily create an entire -- pretty epic -- relaxation retreat here. In this version of your vacation, treetop naps lead into thermal pool soaks, which in turn set the stage for sublime spa treatments in the rain forest.

Here, seven more reasons to pack up your loose, flowy favorites and go:

1. Check in to Zen-inducing digs

Though humans have long intuited that nature relaxes us, recent advances in neuroscience, among other fields, are backing that belief with all kinds of evidence. Turns out that even brief exposure to nature can, for example, lower stress hormones, heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety. So actually staying out in nature is like megadosing on tranquility.

And that's where Costa Rica's loftiest lodgings come in: Set up in the treetops, these perches place you face-to-beak with some of the country's most colorful characters (yup, toucans included). From simple but comfortable tree house hotels to more elaborately constructed rental units, options abound.

Of course, if you'd rather stay among the trees than atop them, you have even more options that include rain forest reserves with open-air bungalows.

2. Dip into a bath that's already drawn, naturally

An active member of the Pacific Ring of Fire, Costa Rica is famous for dazzling displays of volcanism -- and all that geothermic activity makes for some amazing soaking ops. Occasionally manmade but always derived from natural springs, these steamy, mineral-rich, volcano-adjacent pools make for sublime day trips -- or focal points of your stay.

Consider a soak and mud bath near the Rincón de la Vieja volcano, or check out the geothermal waterfalls and around the Arenal volcano.

In both places -- as in so many other prime Costa Rican soaking spots -- spa facilities are obligingly close at hand. So if maximum bliss is the desired result, proceed directly from a steamy pool to a treatment table. You'll likely find yourself in an open-air cabana, with only jungle noises for a soundtrack -- and locally sourced muds, oils and botanicals for treatment ingredients.

3. Go with the (ebb and) flow

If your brand of chill involves hypnotic wave action and watching the sun rise or set over the sea, you'd do well to visit a country whose very name means Rich Coast. (Or Delicious Coast, if you prefer -- and we kind of do.)

Between the Pacific and the Caribbean, there are 912 miles of national shoreline. Of those, one of the quietest and prettiest stretches on the Caribbean side is Punta Uva (you'll have to take a twisting jungle road and some unmarked dirt roads to get there, but you'll be glad you did once you're swimming among the corals and communing with the local monkeys and macaws).

On the North Pacific side, don't miss the stunning beaches of Guanacaste. You'll find sweeping vistas, calm waters and a wild array of companions, from sloths to squirrel monkeys.

4. Find your om away from home

If yoga's your de-stressor of choice, set your out-of-office message to "namaste in the jungle" and find your perfect rain forest retreat. You can choose from group yoga retreats, private ones and add-ons that include everything from aerial silk to fire dancing.

5. Stop and smell the flowers ... every two seconds

Little Costa Rica has a disproportionate allotment of flowering plants -- at least 9000 species by most counts, of which more than 1000 are orchids (the pinky-purple variant known as the guaria morada is the national flower). You'll likely spot plenty of orchids in the wild, but you can see 400+ species in one go at the Monteverde Orchid Garden, thanks largely to the humidity and elevation of the surrounding cloud forest.

Of course, not all orchids are scented. But what they lack in aroma they more than make up for in gorgeousness, from crimson polka-dotted yellow bucket orchids to fuchsia-striped Easter orchids. And research has shown that through color, scent or a combination of the two, flowers can be stress-relieving and mood-boosting.

6. Go off the grid

Even if you have an unlocked phone or international data, wireless coverage can be spotty and extra charges can stack up -- both great reasons to put the phone down (yes, you too) and be totally present during your vacation. Okay, the occasional #SlothSelfie doesn't automatically negate mindfulness, but don't let your pics tempt you into an all-out Facebook/Insta/email-checking binge.

7. Treat yourself to a stress-fighting smoothie

Bucking notions of comfort food (i.e., anything fried), much of the produce that goes into the local blender concoctions is comforting in its own right. Examples range from papaya (combats the effects of stress) to cacao (lowers blood pressure) to mint (calms nerves).

But whatever the fresh-squeezed -- and likely organic -- ingredients in your glass, the local catch-all phrase makes for an especially appropriate toast: Pura vida! (Pure life.)

Discover even more travel tips and ways to relax, including itineraries for a Costa Rica vacation, from AlKa Concierge Services (alkaconciergeservices@gmail.com)

Guachipelin Adventure

Hacienda Guachipelin is a former cattle farm transformed into a modern adventure center. Join us on one of the most popular packages in Costa Rica.

Have the Ultimate Adventure with the Hacienda Guachipelin Day Pass. This is the tour that you came to Costa Rica to experience!

This Combo package offers Costa Rica’s best activities all wrapped into one adventure packed day and is by far our most popular tour.

Experience all the best adventures in one day! There are four main activities during this day of adventure: This fun filled day includes an 8 cable zipline zipping you back and forth over the Rio Blanco Canyon, where you will then rappel down the canyon wall and rock climb back up, a tubing adventure on the Rio Negro River with class III rapids , a horseback riding adventure, and for the last part of the day, what can be better than relaxing dip in the Rincon de la Vieja hot springs where you will be able to unwind and relax after a full day of adventure , also cover your body with volcanic mud extremely therapeutic.

The package also includes a delicious lunch at Hacienda Guachipelin Restaurant.

This is an action-packed day! Your guide provides instruction for all the activities, ensures your safety, and makes sure you have a great time! The adventures are a blast, and the views of the river, canyons, and wildlife are unbeatable.

Join us for an amazing day experiencing all the best that Costa Rica has to offer. You don’t want to miss it!

Please take into consideration that for the tubing tour, the required minimum age is 8 years old and must be at least 1,40 cm to be able to take the tour.

What’s Included

– A/C Transportation, bilingual guide, zip line tour, rock climbing, rappelling, tubing, horseback riding, mud bath, hot springs, lunch towels and lockers at the hot springs

What to Bring

Camera, Swimsuit, Long pants, Change of clothes, Closed-toe shoes that can get wet or river sandals

Ready to book One Day Adventure Combo tour? Book your Guachipelin adventure today!