Outdoor Family Adventures in Costa Rica - 7 Days

After you've checked into your hotel and freshened up, kick the trip off with a sweet treat—a hands-on chocolate tour where you'll get to grips with chocolate production and, of course, plenty of tasting along the way! Meet your guide and drive to a local farm where you'll roll up your sleeves and join in the cacao harvest. Learn about the delicious, fruity pulp that covers the beans while they're still in their pods, watch the roasting process, and enjoy samples of the finished product. When it's time to head back to La Fortuna, you'll find a good selection of family-friendly restaurant options for dinner.

Day 2: Morning Sloth Hike, Explore the Cloud Forest Canopy at Sky Adventures

Young animal lovers will be thrilled with today's walk along the Sloth Trail. This nature trail cuts through a habitat for sloths (both two-toed and three-toed), who are often spotted hanging from the tree branches and feeding on the bright green leaves. This two-hour guided hike follows groomed trails at an easy pace that's perfect for little ones, and your bilingual guide will help them spy the adorable sloths despite their natural camouflage (if you're lucky, you might even see a mother and baby). You'll also get the chance to glimpse other animals common to this area, like the famous red-eyed tree frog.

Energetic kids might want to spend this afternoon at Sky Adventures, where there's a range of exhilarating, treetop fun for all ages. Kick things off with a scenic ride up the mountain by an open-air gondola for 360-degree views of the Arenal landscape and the volcano's southern face. Then, follow an expert guide along a series of suspended bridges and walkways as you spot intriguing plants and creatures. For the ultimate Costa Rica experience, add an adrenaline-pumping zipline tour through the forest canopy, glimpsing colorful birds and playful monkeys from 660 feet (201 m). 

Day 3: Transfer to Monteverde, Chocolate Making Experience & Night Hike

Today you'll trade La Fortuna for Costa Rica's Monteverde region—with a scenic four-hour journey that combines shuttle bus and boat. After a pickup at your hotel, transfer to the shores of Lake Arenal and step aboard a water taxi for the 30-minute cruise across the lake (keeping an eye out for herons, kingfishers, and storks along the way). When you arrive at the Monteverde side of the lake, a shuttle will be waiting to take you the rest of the way to your hotel, where you can rest and refresh before this afternoon's excursion. 

Later in the day, you'll head to a local Costa Rican farm for another glimpse at the chocolate-making process—this time with the chance to grind cacao and make your own custom chocolate bar. After your sweet masterpieces are complete, you'll set off on a night hike to watch (and listen) as the cloud forest's trails come alive after dark. Your guide will point out creatures like tarantulas, frogs, bats, sleeping birds, and bioluminescent beetles as you learn more about the plants and animals that thrive in the nocturnal world.

Day 4: Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Get ready for an expedition into the famous "green lung of Costa Rica." Fuel up with a hearty breakfast and pack some snacks for the kids, then meet your guide for a gentle half-day hike around the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, which contains a whopping 2.5% of the world's biodiversity. Unsurprisingly, the reserve is teeming with wildlife, including spider monkeys, tree frogs, sloths, spiders, and big cats like pumas and jaguars. It's also a birder's paradise, with more than 350 bird species, including the resplendent quetzal.

The kids will love exploring forest trails and getting an up-close look at the region's remarkable biodiversity as your naturalist guide points out some of the birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and insects that call the 26,000-acre (3,500 ha) reserve home. After an immersive and educational few hours in nature, you'll stop by a local women's artisan cooperative to end the experience. 

Day 6: Nature Hike in Manuel Antonio, Afternoon Catamaran Cruise & Snorkeling

You'll want to rouse the family early this morning as you set out on a guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park. At 1,680 acres (680 ha), this is the smallest of Costa Rica's national parks, but it's also one of the most biodiverse, with a vast range of plants and forested areas, and wildlife that includes sloths, monkeys, and hundreds of bird species. The rainforest here runs all the way from the mountains to the coast, stretching across white-sand beaches and coral reefs. 

Meet up with your expert naturalist guide and head out along what are mostly flat, easy trails for all fitness levels. Learn about the more than 300 species of mammals and birds that call the reserve home, and see some of them in their natural habitats. Your guide will have a spotting scope on hand so everyone can get a look at even the shyest residents. You'll also have time to walk through the rainforest to the park's expansive beaches, where the kids can take a dip in the surf. Have lunch at the park's restaurant before returning to town.

Later in the day, grab your swimsuits and sunscreen, and board a catamaran at the pier in Quepos for an afternoon of sailing along the coast. Your captain will highlight notable wildlife and vegetation as you admire islands, cliffs, and natural rock formations, then drop anchor at Biesanz Bay, where the kids will have the chance to snorkel while you relax onboard and enjoy a barbecue lunch. 

Day 7: Transfer to San José, Depart