Mindy’s family of four (with children ages 13 and 12) just returned from Costa Rica. The entire family agrees that this was one of the best vacations they have ever taken! Despite travel problems early on and a forced overnight in San Jose, they started their trip in Arenal and stayed at a Arenal Nayara, a lovely hotel with gorgeous landscaping at the base of this active volcano. The weather was cloudy and wet (it is a rainforest!), so they were not sure if they would ever see the volcano. The family took a great hike and the enjoyed the popular Hanging Bridges tour with a private guide. They definitely learned a lot about the flora and fauna of the rainforest and the delicate balance of plants, animals, birds and insects. With the cold and wet weather, it was a pleasure to experience one of the area’s hot springs, which flow naturally from the volcano.

The next stop was Monteverde via a boat ride over Lake Arenal and bumpy gravel roads, but up and down beautiful rolling hills. They stayed at the Hidden Canopy Treehouses Boutique Hotel, their treehouse in the clouds. They spent two nights with families from all over the world and learned about the cloud forest by taking a night hike through the private Monteverde Biological Reserve. It was amazing to see the differences in the forests by day and by night. Despite continued rain and high winds, they still managed to complete the zip line canopy tour. The scariest part was climbing the platform towers in 70 mph wind, but once they were harnessed to the lines, they felt safe. It was truly a unique experience zip lining from cloud to cloud. In the region they also explored smaller towns and had a private tour of a local organic farm. Their guide, a naturist, reminisced about picking coffee beans since he was 8 years old. He spoke of sleeping in a one room shack with his family of 10, sleeping on wood benches and using the sacks for blankets. It was fascinating for the children to see and hear how others in the world live and how little people really need to be so content. The family also learned about the importance of coffee to the country, and the primitive processes that are used (by hand of course) to pick, roast, grind and package the coffee. The farm was self sustaining and also grew pineapples, tangerines, grapefruits, bananas and plantains. They even raised their own fish!

Gorgeous weather (mid 90’s and sunny) finally appeared when they traveled to the Pacific Ocean to the Guanacaste Region with a stay at The Hideaway Hotel on Playa Samara. The children took surfing lessons and continued to use the boards on their own during their entire stay. The family also fished by trolling for mackerel and tuna and ate their catch that evening at the hotel. They also snorkeled, rode horses, went white water rafting and took banana boat rides. The most surprising part of the trip was seeing so many horses, dogs and bikes on the beach!

Costa Rica is a must see for families with its array of outdoor adventures, biodiverse destinations and educational component. The Family Traveler customizes your trip based on the ages of children, budget, bedding needs and your family’s interest. Mindy felt fortunate to have planned such a trip for herself and to experience three distinct regions of this lovely country. The entire family found the local Ticos to be simple, friendly and honest. Their way of life is “Pura Vida”- the pure and simple life. A lesson for all of us as we make our way into another decade…