Travelogue from Costa Rica: Costa Rica with children

In 2015, our colleague Meike travelled to Costa Rica. Read about her experiences below.

Costa Rica, this small country between Nicaragua and Panama, has in the space of 2 weeks managed to completely win me over. Costa Rica is in Central America, between the Caribbean and the Pacific. what the country lacks in size it makes up for with the unparalleled beauty of its landscapes and wildlife. Costa Rica was one of the first countries to start protecting its nature and encouraging ‘green tourism’. When I’m on holiday, I love really getting to know a new country and experiencing its natural world. During my tour to Costa Rica I constantly had the chance to do both.

We travelled independently, driving through the country in an off-road vehicle. If you would like to relax a bit more when travelling from place to place, our trips with organised transfers would be a great option. The route is the same. Driving in Costa Rica is not too difficult, especially as we only got the rental car after Tortuguero, which meant we didn’t have to start the tour off by driving in the capital city

Tortuguero is in the rainforest on the Caribbean coast. It really impressed us and offered a constant supply of things to be excited about. The lodges are right in the middle of the rainforest, surrounded by lagoons. As it is a very important nesting ground for turtles, the area is protected and you’ll often encounter colourful and varied wildlife by day or night. By the end of the first day we had already seen more animals than we had dared to hope we might see in the whole 2 weeks. Howler monkeys in the trees all around us, flocks of parrots above us, 2 metre long iguanas thoughtfully making their way past us and hand-sized butterflies busily zipping from one Caribbean bloom to the next. On a boat trip through the canals you’ll learn all about life in the rainforest from the expert guides.

After this green paradise, we hired the car and drove to the Arenal volcano. As well as the large national park around the volcano, we also found a small park that you can visit on your own. Active travellers can explore the volcano’s slopes, while guests who prefer a bit of rest and relaxation can just let go and soak in the hot springs.

The cloud forests of Monteverde seem almost magical when the mist descends in the afternoon and envelops the trees. We went canopying here for the second time (after Tortuguero); my son can’t get enough of it. You’re fitted out with a harness and safety straps, and then travel through the treetops on a steel cable. We could hear howler monkeys all around us – a unique experience. There are plenty of different opportunities to enjoy nature here. We went riding, walking and even tubing down the river in inflatable tyres. We also had some amazing moments at the local café, with real, freshly brewed Costa Rica coffee.

We went on a superb unaccompanied walk through the forest among volcanic springs at Rincón de la Vieja, where we managed to spot lots of animals and even saw a small snake eating a frog.

After all this excitement we spent a few days on the beach at Playa Samara, watching the surfers in the waves. Depending on the tide, you can go for a swim yourself or go for long strolls along the wide beach at low tide. You could also hire a quadbike and explore the area, while away the day in one of the welcoming cafes, or lie in the hotel pool watching the howler monkeys, which is possible at the Hotel Belvedere.

Meike, TourCompass