Costa Rica with Kids: Our 3-Week Family Holiday Itinerary
Done right, Costa Rica genuinely works as a family holiday destination with young children. Our Costa Rica specialist Scarlett took her sons, aged 5 and 2, on a family holiday of just under three weeks, combining coffee farms, wildlife rich national parks, volcano activities, and wild Pacific beaches, proving the country’s mix of adventure and downtime suits even the youngest travellers.
This August, I took my own two boys to Costa Rica for just under three weeks. As our Costa Rica specialist, I’ve sent countless families here, but there’s nothing like experiencing it myself with my own children in tow. Here’s exactly where we went, what worked, and why I’d recommend every stop on this itinerary to families travelling with young kids.
Written by Scarlett, Travel Differently’s Costa Rica specialist
Updated 23rd September 2026
About Scarlett
Costa Rica Specialist
Scarlett is Travel Differently’s Costa Rica specialist, with years of experience designing tailor-made trips across the country for families, couples and solo travellers alike. She lives and breathes Costa Rica’s national parks, wildlife and coastlines, and this trip, taken with her own two young sons, gave her a first-hand view of the country through a parent’s eyes rather than just a specialist’s. More about Scarlett.
Our Costa Rica Family Itinerary At a Glance
| Stop | Highlights for families |
| Finca Rosa Blanca | Boutique coffee farm stay, nature trails, pool, kids running freely among the coffee trees |
| Puerto Viejo (Caribbean coast) | Beaches, Cahuita National Park wildlife, Jaguar Rescue Centre |
| Tortuguero National Park | Boat based wildlife spotting, night time turtle watching |
| Arenal | Ziplines, hanging bridges, lava flow walks, hot springs |
| Playa Carillo (Pacific coast) | Wild beach, howler monkeys, scarlet macaws, sunsets |
| Isla Chiquita | Glamping, paddleboarding, kayaking, bioluminescence at night |
| Chayote Lodge | Relaxed final night near the airport |
Finca Rosa Blanca: A Gentle Start Among the Coffee Trees
Of course first we had to undertake a long haul flight with two young children! Once we arrived (and survived…)we began with two nights at Finca Rosa Blanca, a boutique property set right in the middle of a working, sustainable coffee plantation. Luckily it was only a short drive from the airport, which made settling in after a long flight much easier. Having the boys free to run among the coffee trees and nature trails, and swim in the pool, with no schedule to keep, was exactly what we all needed. It’s a genuinely lovely introduction to Costa Rica’s coffee culture, and young kids don’t need much more than space to explore.
Puerto Viejo and the Caribbean Coast: Wildlife on Our Doorstep
Once we’d settled into Costa Rican life and got over jet lag (again, just!), we self-drove to the Caribbean coast and spent three nights based in Puerto Viejo. This stretch of coast has a completely different feel to the rest of the country, laid-back, beach-focused, and genuinely wild. We spent our days on the beaches and exploring Cahuita National Park, which is extraordinarily wildlife rich for how easy it is to walk through with young children. The boys absolutely loved spotting bats, frogs, monkeys, sloths, and even an eyelash pit viper.
A visit to the Jaguar Rescue Centre was a highlight for my eldest in particular. Seeing rescued wildlife up close, with a clear conservation message, is exactly the kind of experience that sticks with a five year old long after the holiday ends.
Tortuguero: Boats, Wildlife and a Green Turtle Laying Her Eggs
Tortuguero National Park is only reachable by boat, which as you can imagine, the boys absolutely loved! We stayed at a beautiful property right on the waterfront, and spent our days out on the boat searching for wildlife. We spotted sloths, monkeys, a tapir, iguanas, and a huge range of bird species, often just metres from the boat.
The real highlight, though, came at night. I took our excitable five year old out turtle watching late at night, and we were lucky enough to watch a green turtle lay her eggs on the beach before making her way back into the sea. It’s one of those genuinely once in a lifetime wildlife moments, and exactly why Tortuguero deserves its place on any Costa Rica itinerary, family or otherwise.
Explore Tortuguero National Park on our Highlights of Costa Rica Holiday – 14 days from £3,237pp
Arenal: Ziplines, Lava Flows and Hot Springs
The boys didn’t want to leave the wildlife of Tortuguero, so a little bribing of upcoming ziplining was needed! We self-drove on to Arenal next, staying at Arenal Manoa. This was our most activity packed stop. We did the ziplines, walked across the hanging bridges, and took a walk across old lava flows beneath the volcano. With two young kids, having the hotel’s own hot springs to retreat to in the afternoons made all the difference. High energy mornings followed by properly relaxed afternoons is what really worked for us here.
Go rafting and ziplining yourself on our Costa Rica Active Adventure Holiday – 15 days from £4,503pp
Playa Carillo: The Most Beautiful Beach of the Whole Trip
The trip was going great, but I was really in needed of some chill-out beach time, as I’m sure anyone travelling long-haul with two kids will understand! From Arenal we made our way to the Pacific coast, where we spent four nights at a hotel just above Playa Carillo. This was, without question, the most stunning and wild beach of our entire trip. Howler monkeys and scarlet macaws could be seen in the trees, palms fringed the sand, and we had some of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen.
Our days here were pretty simple: long walks along the beach, buying coconuts from the locals, and just letting the boys play in the sand. After the activity of Arenal, this slower pace on the Pacific coast was exactly what the whole family needed. A cocktail or two by the pool helped too!
Isla Chiquita: Glamping, Paddleboards and Bioluminescence
We ended the adventurous part of our trip with two nights glamping on Isla Chiquita. The boys loved being out on paddleboards and kayaks during the day, and if you asked them they would probably say this was their joint favourite part of the holiday. We also went whale watching by boat one day, and whilst we didn’t see any whales, it was amazing just to be out on the water, as we saw turtles and a number of bird species along the way.
Then at night, we took a trip out to see the bioluminescence. Watching the water light up around the boat is a genuinely magical experience, for adults and children alike. Definitely a trip highlight for the grown ups.
Chayote Lodge: A Relaxed Final Night
For our last night, we wanted to be easy and close to the airport, so we stayed at Chayote Lodge. After weeks of moving around and two kids getting pretty tired by now, having a relaxed final stop close to the airport made the last morning far less stressful than it could have been. This is something I’d recommend building into any Costa Rica itinerary with young children.
Why This Itinerary Works for Families
Like all properties we work with at Travel Differently, almost every property on this trip was small, distinctive and owner run in feel, with the exception of Arenal and Playa Carillo, where larger properties made more sense for the activities on offer. That mix of intimate stays balanced with a couple of larger, more amenity rich hotels is something I’d definitely recommend to any family planning a similar route.
What struck me most, travelling as a parent rather than as a specialist, was just how friendly and welcoming Costa Rica felt everywhere we went, and how genuinely safe it felt with two young children in tow. That sense of ease made a real difference to how relaxed the whole trip felt.
Self-driving between destinations also gave us total flexibility with the boys’ naps and moods, which matters more than almost anything else when travelling with a two year old! Would I do it again? In a heartbeat, but after a long rest first.
Inspired? Take a look at our sample Costa Rica Holidays here, and give Scarlett a call to plan your Costa Rica trip (with or without kids!)
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Costa Rica is one of the most established family travel destinations in Latin America, with a well developed tourism infrastructure and hotels and activities well set up for young children. You can check for the latest updates on the FCDO website.
Costa Rica can be visited year round, though the dry season (December to April) is generally the most popular for families. Our specialist visited in August during the green season, which brought lush landscapes and fewer crowds.
Self driving gives families the most flexibility, particularly with young children’s nap schedules, though tailor made itineraries can also be arranged with private drivers between destinations if preferred.
This itinerary covered seven stops over just under three weeks, which worked well with an older child happy to move regularly. Families with younger toddlers may prefer to combine some of these stops for a slightly slower pace.
Most of the organised activities and guided walks are generally aimed at ages five and up, but younger children can still go out on the boat and enjoy the wildlife spotting from there, even if some of the walks are better suited to older kids.
Final Thoughts
Just under three weeks in Costa Rica with a 5 and a 2 year old confirmed everything I already tell my clients: this is a genuinely brilliant destination for family travel, offering a rare mix of adventure, wildlife and downtime in one relatively small country. From coffee farms to turtle nesting beaches to bioluminescent waters, every stop on this itinerary offered something different for the whole family. Was I rested? No. did we all love it? Absolutely!
Thinking about a family holiday to Costa Rica? Speak to me directly about tailoring a route around your children’s ages and interests.
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