At Exodus we offer a range of exciting Costa Rica family tours designed for those with a passion for adventure and wildlife. We understand that timing is everything, so we plan our family holidays to coincide with school holidays.
All our staff are experts – in their former lives they’ve been wildlife guides, archaeologists and mountain leaders – and many of us are parents too, so we know what a big investment a holiday is. Combine this with our award-winning leaders, and you can be confident that we really know what makes the perfect family trip.
Costa Rica is a phenomenal destination to explore with your children, providing you with wildlife experiences and exhilarating outdoor activities, all set against a wildly beautiful backdrop. Family holidays in Costa Rica introduce you to the world’s most varied ecosystems where you’ll discover tropical flora and indigenous animals such as howler monkeys, toucans, and the adorable sloth. On our family adventure trip, you can even visit the Sloth Sanctuary and get up close to these furry creatures. But if you want to see the famous Green Turtles nesting, head to Tortuguero beach.
Families with a sense of adventure who are seeking adrenaline-fuelled activities will love zip-lining through the cloud forest or white water rafting on the Balsa River. But there’s plenty of time for relaxing too, with leisure time on one of the white-sand beaches where you can lie beneath a shady coconut palm or take a dip in the waters of the Caribbean Sea or Pacific Ocean.
Is Costa Rica good for a family holiday?
Our Costa Rica tours for families are designed to excite travellers of all ages. We ensure there is something for everyone with a wide range of exciting activities on offer, wildlife tours and some local history and culture thrown into the mix. While expert guides share their knowledge for those wanting to delve a little deeper into the country, outdoor adventures such as white-water rafting, snorkelling, and ziplining through the cloud forest will keep the kids happy.
We can also organise our Costa Rica family tours so that they fall inside the school holidays, and each trip has been assigned its own activity level to make it easier to select the right one.
Is Costa Rica fun for families?
Costa Rica is an incredible country bursting with fascinating things to see and fun things to do for the children. We carefully choose accommodation with swimming pools wherever possible. We understand that children can get bored easily, which is why our itineraries are packed with thrilling activities that all the family can enjoy. Whether you want to relax on a beach, go wildlife watching, swim beneath waterfalls or fly through the rainforest on a zip wire, every moment of our Costa Rica family tours is filled with excitement.
What do kids in Costa Rica like to do?
As well as exploring the beaches and rainforests, kids will be mesmerised by the Costa Rican wildlife. A boat trip through Tortuguero National Park offers close encounters with monkeys, caiman, iguanas, three-toed sloths and various species of turtle. Alternatively, if thrill-seeking activities are more their thing, they’ll love ziplining through the forest or white-water rafting down the rapids. We all know kids love their sugar fix so a chocolate tour at Tirimbina Biological Reserve will be right up their street!
Top 5 Wildlife Experiences on Costa Rica Family Tours
Dolphin Watching off Carrillo Beach: Set off on a private boat trip from Carrillo Beach to go in search of dolphins in the wild. This is a thrilling adventure where you might be fortunate enough to see spotted dolphins, common bottlenose or Central American Spinner dolphins cavorting through the water. Dolphins are extremely friendly and curious creatures so there’s a good chance you will see them diving close up to the boat.
Boat Tour of Tortuguero: Located on a small island in the Caribbean, Torguguero National Park is made up of a rugged coastline, tropical rainforest and an extensive network of wildlife-rich waterways. A morning boat trip is one of the best ways to explore the canals and get closer to the flora and fauna during our family holidays to Costa Rica. We depart in the morning because this is when the waterways come alive with wildlife and it gives you the best chance of spotting monkeys, iguanas, caimen and many different species of bird. You might even get to see the West Indian Manatee if you’re lucky. Even without the wonderful animals that live here, the boat trip is a thrilling adventure through freshwater creeks and lagoons.
Night Walk in Tirimbina Biological Reserve: Just south of Sarapiqui, the Tirimbina Biological Reserve is one of the most exciting places for children to explore in Costa Rica. The tropical rainforest is a place for ongoing scientific research and teaches you all about the environment and the endangered plants and animals. Huge, suspended bridges straddle the forest, allowing you to walk among the natural habitat of bats, native and migratory birds, reptiles and amphibians. A night time walk through the rainforest stirs your senses with the sounds, sights and smells of this natural habitat and gives you a whole new perspective on the wildlife of Costa Rica.
Nature Walk in Manuel Antonio National Park: Comprising a large marine reserve, mangrove swamp and rainforest, Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the best places to visit for wildlife experiences. An expert guide will lead you on a nature walk to go in search of the local animals. White-faced capuchin monkeys can often be seen on Manuel Antonio’s beaches while howler monkeys are more likely to be heard screeching as they swing through the trees. Keep your eyes peeled for three-toed sloths, iguanas and agouti too which are found in other parts of the national park.
La Fortuna Waterfall Walk: Plunging approximately 65 metres into the greenest of pools from the base of the Chato Volcano, La Fortuna Waterfall will take your breath away. The falls can be found inside the biological reserve in Arenal Volcano National Park along a short trail through the rainforest. The scenery is unbelievably beautiful and brimming with wild animals such as toucans, monkeys, sloths, anteaters and squirrels which you can look out for during your walk.
We went on this trip as a family of four with children aged 12 and 14, over Christmas 2022. We had an absolutely brilliant time and the memories will stay with us forever. Costa Rica just has everything- amazing wildlife, great weather, beautiful scenery, beaches, friendly people, felt very safe and just a wonderful and easy place to be. Without exception the activities were all brilliant especially the hot springs and rafting. Johnny and Victor looked after us incredibly well and really went the extra mile to make sure we had a great time. Johnny clearly has a genuine love for his country and is exceptionally knowledgeable regarding the wildlife. The travelling was all very pleasant and the only bad thing was that the trip had to end! Cannot recommend this trip highly enough if you want a great experience with loads of amazing wildlife, fun and adventure.
