Where to go, what to do -- for family travel to Costa Rica.

The entire country arguably could be considered one hug outdoor classroom – filled to the brim with amazing nature and exciting adventure. For this reason, Costa Rica has become one of the top family vacation destinations in the world.

All in one small country you can find warm tropical weather, beautiful beaches along two oceans (Pacific and Caribbean), rainforest, cloud forest, volcanoes, rivers, and fascinating wildlife that is actually "in the wild."

For families looking for a safe, educational and fun vacation, Costa Rica offers ample variety of hotels and resorts on a wide economic scale – many are all-inclusive – and plenty of kid-friendly activities. Tourism is the number one industry, so it's safe and easy to get around; and English is commonly spoken in tourism areas.

As Parents Magazine writer Judy Goldberg put it, "This Central American hot spot is fun for families – and won't bust your budget."

We've put together a list of our top family travel recommendations in Costa Rica. Enjoy!

1) Hacienda Guachipelin, Rincón de la Vieja Volcano

What kid (or adult!) wouldn't want to visit this real working horse and cattle ranch, next to a live volcano, that offers the most popular activities in Costa Rica? The all-in-one adventure park at Hacienda Guachipelin offers a unique canopy tour, waterfall rappelling and canyoning, river tubing, horseback riding, waterfall hikes, natural hot springs, butterfly farm, Serpentarium, and hiking in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park to see the live volcano in action. You can be a "cowboy for a day."

Tip: Stay at least 2 nights to take advantage of all of the things you can do.

2) Manuel Antonio

It's monkey time! The famous Manuel Antonio National Park, on the Central Pacific Coast, is home to white-faced Capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, and the endangered Squirrel Monkey. See them all, plus lots of other wildlife on a guided hike in the national park. The beaches sparkle with white sand and calm water in protected coves; snorkeling is great. The area is bursting with adventure tours – canopy ziplines, waterfall rappelling, whitewater rafting, sea kayaking, snorkeling, parasailing, catamaran sailing, dolphin & whale watching, surfing, sportfishing, horseback riding, and more.

Tip: There are many lodging options, but Sí Como No Resort with its large suites, two pools, water slide, nightly movies, and on-site wildlife refuge and butterfly atrium, is a good choice.

3) Monteverde

The mountain area of Monteverde features the country's most famous cloud forest, and a big selection of fun activities. You can hike in one of three nature reserves – go with a guide to see more wildlife. Kids will be happy zipping down cables on a canopy tour, walking trails on high-flying suspension bridges, riding horses, riding a vintage train into the forest, and visiting the local sloth sanctuary, Serpentarium, butterfly farm, frog pond, bat jungle, and hummingbird gallery.

Tip: One of the most family-friendly hotels in Monteverde is El Establo. The luxury hotel has two restaurants, two heated covered pools, a spa, tennis courts, basketball court, gym, internet room, its own trails, mountain biking, canopy tour, and unique "Night Walk" tour.

4) Arenal Volcano

Probably the most popular spot in all of Costa Rica, the Arenal Volcano is the perfect family vacation destination. Nature lovers will enjoy the Arenal Hanging Bridges, Arenal Volcano National Park, natural volcanic hot springs, La Fortuna Waterfall, and a Safari Float tour on the Penas Blancas River. Thrill-seekers will go for the SkyTrek canopy tour, waterfall canyoning, whitewater rafting, lake kayaking or windsurfing. For a little culture, visit the Maleku indigenous reserve right outside the town of La Fortuna.

Tip: Arenal Paraiso Hotel is a good family place to stay – 118 rooms with volcano views, 14 swimming pools with thermal mineral waters, two saunas, a spa, two restaurants, a small gym, its own canopy zipline tour, on-property hiking trails, and cross-country horseback riding.

5) Veragua Rainforest Research & Adventure

In Costa Rica's Caribbean region, Veragua Rainforest is the top nature and adventure attraction. It is located one hour inland from the Caribbean port of Limón in the tropical rainforest. Attractions include an aerial tram, canopy zipline tour, hiking trails, a river with waterfalls, wildlife exhibits, and science research labs. The park is safe for all ages, and nearly everywhere is wheelchair accessible.

Tip: After your day tour at Veragua Rainforest, go on to visit either Tortuguero – famous for its turtle nesting beaches and Amazon-like waterways – or the beautiful Caribbean beaches of Cahuita and Puerto Viejo.

6) Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge

Head to the very south of the country on the Golfo Dulce (Sweet Gulf), and you'll find the gigantic jungle playground of Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge. Located on a 165-acre private preserve, the eco-lodge borders the Piedras Blancas National Park and is across the Gulf from the Osa Peninsula. The rustic yet luxurious lodge is a unique adventure travel destination for its remote, pristine wilderness location. Kids will love that the only way to get to the lodge is by boat. Things to do: Rainforest hikes to see wildlife and to waterfalls, play with monkeys on a wildlife sanctuary visit, kayak to nearby botanical gardens, night hikes in the forest, visit an organic chocolate farm, yoga classes, river estuary kayaking, snorkeling, boat tour in the Gulf to see dolphins and sea turtles, fishing right off shore – eat what you catch at dinner!

Tip: Stay at least three nights, four or more if you can, to enjoy the most of your adventure. Domestic flights to the area are easy on Nature Air or Sansa Airlines. It's a 25-minute boat ride from either Puerto Jimenez or Golfito to the lodge.

7) Surf camps

For a different family vacation, go surfing. Top Costa Rica surf school, Del Mar Surf Camp, offers a Family Surf Vacation Package for adventurous families who want to try something new or get better at surfing together. Five or seven-night packages are available at the famous surfing beach of Hermosa, on the Central Pacific Coast near Jacó.

Tip: The Costa Rican national surfing championships are being held at Hermosa Beach at the end of July.

8) La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Just an hour outside of San Jose, La Paz Waterfall Gardens is a fantastic Costa Rica one-day tour. Walk paths alongside impressive jungle waterfalls, see an amazing open-air hummingbird garden, aviary, monkey habitat, insect exhibit, giant butterfly garden with laboratory, sloth habitat, jungle cat habitat, frog exhibit, orchid exhibit, Serpentarium, a trout lake, and a restaurant. La Paz is kid heaven! The park is self-guided, so you go at your own pace.

Tip: Plan to spend the day to really take in all of the park's features. The park varies greatly in elevation, and therefore also in temperature – bring raincoats, warm layers, and comfortable sport shoes for walking. Combine La Paz Waterfall Gardens with a coffee tour at Doka Estate.

9) Papagayo Gulf

The Northern Pacific area of Costa Rica is called the "Gold Coast." Surrounded by natural dry tropical forest and dazzling topography, the Gulf of Papagayo is most famous for its beaches with brilliant white sand and sparkling aquamarine sea. Several national parks are in the area: Santa Rosa, Marino las Baulas (Leatherback turtle nesting area), and Rincon de la Vieja (you could do the Hacienda Guachipelin day tour from here). Ocean activities are most popular: swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, kayaking, and boating.

Tip: Stay at the four-star Ocotal Beach Resort on a tranquil beach. The hotel has a PADI-certified scuba diving school and center, swimming pool, tennis court, restaurant, wet bar, mini gym, Jacuzzi, and spa services.

Planning a vacation to Costa Rica

Everyone knows parents are busy. There is often little time left over to plan the family vacation. That's where the Costa Rica travel agency Valle Dorado Tours can help. Valle Dorado Tours offers customized Costa Rica vacations. They use their 20+ years of local experience in Costa Rica travel to ensure you receive only the best in accommodations, transportation, tours and activities.

By Shannon Farley

Traveling with kids. For the seasoned traveler, it’s no big deal, they say.

My sister is probably the most efficient family traveler I know. She has her work cut out for her with 2-year-old and 4-year-old girls. Like a well-oiled machine, she’s ready for every contingency as ifpreparing for a survival operation. Sticky hands or nowhere to wash before eating? She pulls packets of wet wipes from a handy pocket of her carry-all, akin to Mary Poppins’ bottomless carpetbag. Hungry? She keeps Ziploc bags of healthy snacks and small juices or waters at the ready. Cold? Hot? Or dirtied your shirt? She pulls out fresh changes of clothes and layers from the bag. Need a blanket for a nap? She has one of those too. Keep them entertained is the firm conviction my sister believes. A happy, entertained child is much nicer to travel with than a bored, cranky, screaming one. True, and it works. Coloring books, crayons, sticker sheets, paper, reading books, a portable kid’s computer programmed with educational games, and portable DVD players loaded with her girls’ favorite movies all fill my sister’s arsenal. Did you know that children can be the ideal travel companions? Their excitement at nearly everything, interest in the smallest of details, energy, adaptability and rapid ability to pick up other languages makes them fun and valuable too. You’ll find that cute smiling children break down all international language barriers and bring forth smiles and warmth from adults of all countries. On the flip side, when things aren’t going so great, crying children can elicit sympathy and open doors fast by adults who aren’t used to crying bouts.Any travel with children is an educational opportunity impacting more learning than in the classroom. Kids become students of life, culture, language, geography, history, nature, art and music when taken on journeys locally or across borders. Most of the wisdom on the internet offering helpful advice for traveling with children boils down to a top 10 core points to follow:

1. Make it fun, festive and happy! As in all things with kids, make it fun and interesting. For children, it’s 100% about the journey – every bug, plant, animal, rock, button or lever – along the way.
2. Plan. Pack, plan and prepare for every possible event – at least in small quantities.
3. Study. Know where you’re going, what the weather is like, activities you may do, any local cultural particularities you need to be aware of, medical contingencies, food in the area, etc. The internet stores a wealth of information. Traveler’s blogs and chat forums pertaining to the area give you first-hand insider knowledge and people you can ask questions. Involve older children in pre-trip studying and you not only increase the excitement, you also multiply your brain-storage capacity for details.
4. Pack lightly. I know, easier said than done when you have to follow point #2 to plan for every possible scenario. When flying, your carry-ons are your most important piece of luggage – here is where you need your changes of clothes, blanket, snacks, medicines, Band-Aids, and your entertainment arsenal (see above). Kids age 4 and up can manage their own carry-on bags, giving you more room to spread it all around. The latest kid’s carry-on I just saw is a red “Lightning McQueen” race car (think Disney’s “Cars” movie) mini plastic backpack-of-sorts on wheels. Fun and perfect for kids to easily wheel around. Make sure to check airline regulations in advance to know what you can and cannot take on board.
5. Feed them. Have snacks and water available at all times – in the car, at the airport, on the plane, etc. When you get past security at the airport, stock up on water bottles to bring on board the plane. Don’t rely on airline carts for your nourishment or you’ll be left waiting and wanting. There’s nothing worse than a hungry or thirsty child … or adult, for that matter.
6. Start early. Take advantage of higher energy in the mornings to start your travels. If afternoon nap time falls during your flight, try to make your child as comfortable as possible to sleep. Otherwise, when you land, get to your destination in as short a time as possible so you can all rest. I don’t advocate ever traveling on a night flight with children, unless you’re going to board the plane near normal bedtime of 8:00 or 9:00 pm and fly long-haul for 11-12 hours; be prepared to have a sleeping child on your lap most of the way. The “Start Early” tip applies to activities during your travels as well – go do that morning tour and leave the afternoon for relaxing.
7. Take breaks and take it easy. This one is important. You might be used to go-go-go, but your child might not be. Take breaks when possible. Make a mini-activity out of breathing deeply and stretching together to relax. Remember, a stressed-out parent cues a stressed-out child. When you get to your destination, follow the “take it easy” mode by choosing activities with short travel times.
8. Make the airport easy. This means arriving early for your flight – everything takes longer with kids. You’ll hopefully have already checked in on-line and have your seat assignments pre-set. You’ll have packed your carry-on bags security snag-free. Everyone dress comfortably with slip-on shoes, little jewelry, and no belts if you can help it, so security check is a breeze.
9. Wear them out. This applies more for airline travel than anything else. When you get through to the inner airport area and boarding gates, walk around, look at stuff, make it an adventure and discover new things. Your goal is to burn off extra energy before being strapped into an airplane seat for hours. Some airports even have play areas for kids.
10. Make them cozy. No matter where you are, when it’s time for bed, make your kids as cozy and comfortable as possible – preferably with that favorite blanket or toy – so they’ll sleep soundly and get rest. It won’t matter if it’s a tent, hotel, train, plane or boat, so long as they feel safe and comfortable.

The airline JetBlue offers parents a 7-tip guide for easy flying with kids, plus a free downloadable “Soar with Reading Activity Kit” from their website that includes reading material and videos to keep your kids entertained. Check out their link here. JetBlue is one of many airlines that fly to the Central American tropical paradise of Costa Rica. For travel to the popular top-international destination, turn to Team CRT for all of your travel needs. Team CRT gives you more than 20 years of expert guidance and personalized service; tell them what you want and they’ll design your dream vacation for you.
By Shannon Farley