Family Trip to Costa Rica's Volcanoes, Waterfalls & Coral Reefs - 11 Days

Highlights

• Swim in a refreshing waterfall pool in a national park
• Look for monkeys, crocodiles, and colorful birds in the wild
• Try surfing or SUP (stand-up paddleboarding) on the beaches of Sámara
• Explore an underwater world on a snorkeling excursion
• Enjoy a safari-style float with the family down the Corobicí River

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Soak in the Río Negro Hot Springs

Welcome to Costa Rica! You and your family will arrive in Liberia and transfer to your hotel in Rincón de la Vieja. Thermal waters have rejuvenating and therapeutic properties that people worldwide have appreciated for millennia. Today is your chance to experience this at some of Costa Rica's loveliest hot springs. When you stay at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin, located on the edge of Rincón de la Vieja National Park and the country's most active volcano, you can take a dip in the incredible hot springs of the Río Negro. Beautiful and relaxing, these volcanic hot springs are naturally heated by the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano.

Surrounded by a dense, dry tropical forest, the Río Negro Hot Springs area is beautiful and peaceful. The river's crystal clear waters flow beside 10 thermal pools built on the riverbank, each rich in minerals and naturally heated in the volcano's depths. You can use some of the hot volcanic mud to plaster over your body: this works like a body mask in a spa, with all the associated benefits of nutrient-rich volcanic mud on your skin. Kids will have lots of fun smearing mud all over themselves! When the mud dries, you can wash it in the cold waters of the river, enter the thermal water pools, and repeat the blissful process. Read more about adventures in the national park here.

Day 2: Hike in Rincón de la Vieja National Park

Today you'll transfer to the outskirts of Rincón de la Vieja National Park and embark on a brisk 45-minute walk along a scenic forest trail to the entrance. Pause to enjoy views of the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, the largest and most active volcano in Guanacaste Province. Some of the highlights kids will enjoy along the hike are steaming fumaroles, mini-geysers, and bubbling volcanic mud pits.

You and the family will hike the Las Pailas loop trail over 2.5 miles (4 km) through tropical forest. Lookout points along the way feature some of the best views of the volcano and the wildlife that abounds nearer the trail, including tropical birds, armadillos, collared peccaries, iguanas, white-nosed coatis, and various types of monkeys. When you finish your hike, you'll be ready for a refreshing swim in the Oropendola Waterfall. It is located a short walk from the park entrance on a trail that winds along the Río Blanco (White River). The Oropendola Waterfall plunges an impressive 82 feet (25 m) down to a bright turquoise pool. Find out more about the day's activities here.

Day 3: Go on a Guided Rainforest Hike

Today the family will venture into Tenorio Volcano National Park for a moderate three-hour hike along the Río Celeste, one of the most stunning natural attractions in Costa Rica. Local legend says that after God was done painting the sky, he washed his brushes in this river, which resulted in its famous electric-blue waters. 

The hike leads you and your kids 4 miles (7 km) along the river through a rainforest ecosystem home to exotic animals like monkeys, sloths, peccaries, and anteaters. You'll pass by the specific point where two streams merge and produce the reaction in the minerals that give the Celeste its exotic color. The hike culminates with a descent of 253 steps to reach the Catarata Río Celeste, a waterfall of such profound beauty you'll think you've found your own private paradise. You'll visit hot springs (swimming is not allowed), fumaroles of volcanic gases, and the Borbollones, where exhaust gases at the base of the river give the appearance of boiling water.

Day 4: Experience Pacific Green Turtles Nesting

This morning, a driver will pick you and your family up in a private, air-conditioned minivan and transfer you to the Gulf of Papagayo. In the evening, you'll witness an incredible phenomenon of nature as hundreds of green sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs.

The departure time for the tour will be based on the tides and predictions of the park rangers for the arrival of the turtles. Naturally, sea turtles operate on their schedule, so the waiting period can vary. As soon as some of the turtles are ready to begin laying their eggs, your family will head out to the beach, making your way to the nesting place where the large sea turtles dig holes in the sand to lay between 65 to 90 eggs. Watch with the kids as the mother turtles cover their nests with sand to protect their offspring from predators. After an incubation period, the tiny hatchlings will emerge and make their way to the ocean.

Read more here about the best turtle observation experiences in Costa Rica.

Day 5: Explore the Beaches of Guanacaste

Explore the beautiful beaches surrounding the Gulf of Papagayo today. Your family will swim in crystal clear waters and relax on the sand to your heart's content. Playa Conchal consistently tops lists as one of the best beaches in Costa Rica, and with good reason. The beach is made up of small white shells instead of sand, making a striking contrast to the bright turquoise waters. The mild temperatures of the water make it a fabulous swimming spot, but be aware that the currents tend to be strong, so it's not recommended for swimming with small children.

Day 6: Free Day in Papagayo

Today can be as relaxing or adventurous as you like. Hike a jungle trail called Sensoria, part of a wildlife sanctuary featuring thermal pools and waterfalls that plunge into turquoise lagoons. Or, you can experience the rainforest from the water during a two-hour safari float with the family down the Corobicí River, where a guide will point out monkeys, bats, lizards, and even crocodiles.

You can also choose a guided trip down the Tenorio River, the best river in the Guanacaste area for whitewater rafting. Or try stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) with the kids. The water is so clear (especially during the dry season) that you can see all kinds of fascinating sea creatures below the surface from the safety of your board. See this article on the best things to do in the area.

Day 7: Snorkel Around the Catalina Islands

The Catalina Islands is a group of 20 volcanic islands and rock formations that rise above the ocean surface in front of Flamingo Bay. Today, you'll visit a local dive shop in Playas del Coco, where your family members will be outfitted in snorkeling gear. Then you'll board the dive boat for a 40-minute ride to the islands and a snorkeling tour.

Day 8: Visit a Coffee Farm & Indigenous Community

Your family will tour a working coffee farm located within the Matambú Indigenous Reserve today. The town of Matambú is a small community located on the only existing indigenous reserve in the Guanacaste province.

Day 9: Tour a Scarlet Macaw Refuge and Breeding Center

Visit a scarlet macaw rescue center today, where you and your family will learn about the conservation efforts contributing to the bird's stunning recovery from the brink of extinction. Just south of Playa Carrillo is Punta Islita, home to the Macaw Recovery Network. The network is a conservation organization dedicated to the survival of Costa Rica's native macaws. Thanks to the efforts of the Recovery Network, they are now back and on their way to thriving here again. 

Upon arrival, your family will take a walking tour through the tropical dry forest. At the same time, your guide explains how the center rescues and rehabilitates wild macaws and those affected by the illegal pet trade. They also have a program where injured birds that cannot be released are kept in safe habitats for breeding purposes. Once their offspring become old enough, they are released into the wild to thrive and further populate the forests they once thrived in.

Throughout the visit, you and your family will meet many of the birds that the center has rescued and gain firsthand knowledge of the complex restoration work performed by the organization. Thanks to the network's efforts, nearly 50 great green macaws were released on the southern Caribbean coast, and over 160 scarlet macaws were released on the Pacific Coast in Tiskita, Palo Verde, Curu, and Punta Islita in previous years. Witnessing these incredible efforts and their direct impact on the birds' survival is sure to be an experience you will cherish forever. 

Day 10: Hike in the Werner Sauter Biological Reserve

The Werner Sauter Biological Reserve paths will lead your family on a rainforest hiking adventure today. You will be hiking in one of the Guanacaste province's only private reserves. This belt of tropical dry forest is one of the rarest—and due to wildfires and large-scale deforestation, the most vulnerable—biomes of Central America. In this forest haven, water scarcity has caused wildlife to evolve and thrive in an environment with fewer nutrients than in other tropical forests.

Your experienced guide will lead you and the kids through the reserve on a hike of approximately three hours, amazing you with information about this area's biodiversity and other wonders as you walk.

Day 11: Depart Costa Rica

The trip ends today. Your family will transfer to the airport to catch your flight out. Safe travels!

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