Things To Do & Family Friendly Hotels

Costa Rica offers activities that will cater to almost every interest yet, it is probably best known for its nature based activities. This is a country that has conserved 26% of its national territory in a parks system, and is well known the world over for its efforts to safeguard its biodiversity. A vacation in Costa Rica will connect you and your family with nature. It will give you the experience of the lush greens of the rainforest; it will give you time to play on stretches of quiet unspoiled beach, and early mornings awakening to the sounds of monkeys parading from tree to tree. Costa Rica offers your family the opportunity to disconnect from cell phones, TVs, and computers and instead plug into fun and discovery with the natural world.

It also offers the opportunity to experience a vacation in hotels and lodges that steward the environment and are socially responsible. Places that provide top notch creature comforts and at the same time protect the environment and integrate local culture into their daily operations. These are places where you and your family can learn about sustainability – the principle that states that we should be able to provide for society’s needs today without hindering the ability of future generations to provide for theirs. This principle looks to balance economic, environmental, and socio-cultural needs. These hotels will show you what they do to be sustainable and will gladly involve you in their local conservation or education efforts. Your family can help plant trees, or choose to play soccer with the local school kids. At these hotels, your vacation can go beyond adventure and fun; it can be one where you learn a little bit about living sustainably and one where you give back a little something to the Earth and its people.

Lapa Rios Ecolodge

If your family is ready for high octane adventure, pack your bags and head to the Osa Peninsula to explore the wonders of the lowland tropical rainforest at the Lapa Rios Ecolodge. The Osa Peninsula is the place to bring your latent Indiana Jones or Lara Croft to life, and Lapa Rios will offer you plenty of opportunities to do it. There is hiking for all ages and dispositions -- for the little ones over six, for the hearty ones, and for the lazy ones. Venture on early morning walks in search of any of the 319 species of birds, or go out into the rainforest and splash around in a river next to a magnificent waterfall. For a deep immersion into unbelievable, life-giving rainforest, plan a day hike into the Corcovado National Park. Down on the beach, young and old will enjoy looking for sea stars, crabs, and sea cumbers during the Starfish walk. Ever wonder what critters come out at night? Take the guided night walk and the same rainforest of your morning waterfall hike transforms itself – the smells, the sounds, and the feeling are completely different. Remember sleeping in a tree house with your brother or sister? At Lapa Rios you can do it again - except this time, you’ll be on a platform high up in the canopy, with millions of stars above your head and the dark sounds of the rainforest all around you. Your entire family will remember this trip to the Osa Peninsula for many, many years to come.

Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort

There are places that simply beckon slowing down. Places that after a good meal entice long conversations under a star filled sky. Arenas del Mar in Manuel Antonio is the perfect spot for those families seeking fun and relaxation for all ages. The kids can play in the pool or run on the beach and you, as mom or dad, can sit under the shade of an almond tree and read, keep an eye on the kids, and relax. You can all have lunch on the beach, and share the stories of the morning fun. You can hike the nearby National park of Manuel Antonio in search of sloths and white tailed deer or you can choose to spend the day sports fishing reeling in a blue marlin or giant yellow finned tuna. The whole family will love a boat ride in search of dolphins, and for those wanting a little more exertion spend the day kayaking in and out of ocean coves. At night settle down for a yummy meal, count stars, or challenge the kids to a game of Risk or Monopoly.

Harmony Hotel

Perhaps you have memories of playing house with your sister, baking mud pies, and packing all your dolls into the wagon pretending it was a bus headed for some make believe destination; or perhaps you have memories of coming up with secret codes for the clubhouse you were setting up with your brother. Either way, it is probably time to make new memories with your siblings, and the Harmony Hotel in Nosara Guanacaste is the perfect place for just that. Learn to surf together and if you already surf, see who can catch the best wave. Or take long afternoon walks on the beach simply to enjoy each other’s company and learn more about each other’s life. Team up with the kids and build a sand castle worthy of every fairytale ever written; or gallop along the wide open beach, into the forest, up to lookout points and down to secluded beach coves. Take time for yourself, and while the children head out to plant a tree in the community take a yoga class and follow it with a massage that will melt all your cares away. A short distance away, at the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge, thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles will emerge from the sea onto the beach to nest. This is a mesmerizing experience that the whole family will remember for years to come.

Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation & Inn

Family time is often about slowing down, taking the time to enjoy each other’s company, and nothing heralds slowing down more effectively than sitting down for an afternoon cup of aromatic fresh brewed coffee and delicious piece of homemade pie with a person you love. Finca Rosa Blanca invites you and your loved ones to indulge your senses, learn how organic coffee is grown and roasted, and find countless amounts of time to play and laugh together. Tucked away in the central highlands of Costa Rica, this plantation inn is centrally located and accessible to a variety of locations for adventure that the whole family can enjoy. Young and old will marvel at the colorful winged creatures of the nearby butterfly farm. All children, and the child in you, will be awed by the huge crater of Poas Volcano, a national park where the whole family can hike right up to the edge of two volcanic craters, one now a lake. For those daring family members there is the option to bungee jump, for those less daring, or for those with more of a desire to relax, one can simply spend the day wading in and out of the pool, at ease that the kids can disappear for hours exploring the birds and critters of the lush property gardens. Come dinner time you can gather for dinner underneath the stars, delight in the tastes of organic foods, and eagerly chat about the next days adventures!

Latitude 10 Resort

We can all remember having a favorite summer hang out. Was it the beach? A tree house in a friend’s backyard? Latitude 10 is that simple yet luxurious summer hang out. It’s staying in your own beach house surrounded by abundant vegetation and the sounds of the surf. This is the perfect place for a family reunion. Book all five casitas and celebrate family in paradise; celebrate hanging out in style. There is activity for every taste in the family. This is a place where Enjoy time together just hanging out by the pool or pick your partners and journey off in search of adventure. You can start the day with your siblings in a private yoga class, or for those longing to indulge in the classical summer activity, the beach right in front of your bungalow is one of the best surfing beaches in Costa Rica. Ever wrestled with a 100lb Marlin? Book a sport fishing trip and see who can successfully reel in that prize catch! Not so into catching big fish, well, how about zipping between the canopy with the kids? Or perhaps hiking through Cabo Blanco, a jungle paradise unfolding right onto the beach and also Costa Rica’s first nature reserve? The day will pass and all will have had the time to do a little something special, be it what it may. The sun will set and you will come together in the evening to share your days’ adventures over a delicious meal, and recall the ease of long summer nights, family stories, and laughter.

Hotel Grano de Oro

If your family is planning a vacation to Costa Rica, Hotel Grano de Oro is the perfect place to start and finish your trip. Located a short distance from the country’s international airport and near the center of San Jose, Grano de Oro offers a feeling of old San Jose the entire family is sure to enjoy. Stay in our popular family suite, two bedrooms connected to a common bathroom, ideal for a family up to five. Leave one or two days available to visit the city of San José and the surrounding area. Take a guided walking tour with your family; enjoy a visit to the Children Museum, an interactive museum that your kids are sure to love. Stop and enjoy a famous Pops ice cream in the culture plaza. If you want a real adventure take a Fossil Land one day tour where you can enjoy various activities such as river climbing and a fossil excavation or experience the thrill of a canopy or river rafting tour (both activities are available for children). Finish the day off with a delicious dinner in our tropical influenced restaurant sharing the adventures of the day with each other.