This is the first part of our one-month itinerary in Costa Rica. We included our recommendations for family friendly accommodations in Costa Rica as well as the main facilities available in each place. I marked the activities we did with our 2 year old miss and 6 year old mister, for some inspiration in case you plan to visit Tortuguero and La Fortuna with your kids.

Rental car. We booked the car with Adobe, the largest car rental in CR. If you get a chance, book a 4×4 as you will be more relaxed if visiting places like Tenorio NP and Monteverde. We asked the company for a quote directly and also asked a quote from the bloggers at My Tan Feet that have a reduction with Adobe (https://mytanfeet.com/costa-rica-exclusive-benefits-and-discounts/). We got a better deal going though mytanfeet.com plus the car seats, a phone sim card and a cooler. Adobe dropped the car at our first accommodation but  initially forgot the seats when they brought the car but then they went to bring them and all worked out fine. Car was picked up from the last hotel. There is no rental office directly at he airport, with most large car rental companies offering a. shuttle from the terminal to their parkings.

1. San Jose – 3 nights – we arrived very late and could not drive anywhere ourselves. We booked a transfer though Morpho Vans to our hotel. We had booked 2 nights in EL Rodeo Estancia Boutique hotel, close to the airport. They have big rooms and a decent breakfast. They also have a very good steakhouse in case you arrive in San Jose earlier in the day or decide to spend 2 nights. We paid about 80 EUR per night, a very good value given the large rooms, pool and location. We had a tropical storrm alert on the second day in San Jose and could not leave to Tortuguero as initially planned so we booked another night in a different hotel – Mariott Estancia Belem a bigger estate with a very nice pool and views over the Poas Volcano,  but also quite a bit more expensive than El Rodeo. If you are after more pampering and many food options, the Estancia Belem can be a nice place to start of end your trip in Costa Rica. Here is our full experience.

2. Tortuguero National Park– 2 nights – the drive between SJ and the docks of La Pavona where the boat leaves for Tortuguero is about 4 hours (we had road works and heavy traffic, may be less but also more). Boat leaves at set times, once you book your accommodation in Tortuguero, they will send you the timetable. We stayed in Casa Marbella -a simple BnB on the river banks. Boat dropped us directly at he BnB, second stop after the main village. They offer a simple, basic breakfast and the hosts are very kind and can organise several tours. We used the guides that they recommended for a night turtle tour, a canoe Tortuguero National Park tour – our firm favourite – and a NP walking tour. You have to buy your National Park tickets online and they are valid for one day. Once you create your online profile with the National Park authority SINAC, keep in mind the password as you will probably use them again to buy tickets for other national parks (Poas, Irazu, Manuel Antonio). The accommodation can advise on the best time slot depending on the time of the year that you visit Tortuguero.

We enjoyed this tropical corner of Costa Rica even if getting there is a bit of an adventure. If visiting in Summer/green season, the night tour to see the Turtles laying their eggs is a must. Unfortunately no cameras or phones are allowed. We also saw a turtle release by the Tortuguero Conservancy and I can recommend to go around and ask when the next release is planned as it was really memorable for kids.

3. Sarapiqui – 2 nights- about 1 h drive from La Pavona  docks. We stopped here for the whitewater rafting, that me and my husband did in separate days as only kids above 12 can attend. But it was absolutely great if you like water based activities. We stayed in La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge, a lovely rainforest lodge with a pool and eco friendly culture. La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge, in the vicinity of the Sarapiquí River, the Braulio Carrillo National Park and the world wide known La Selva Biological Station, is full of unique flora and fauna. They also. offer a good breakfast choice and options for lunch and dinner. Sarapiqui is well known for being a bit more quiet in terms of tourism so we took the opportunity to do a guided walk in La Selva Biological Reserve, the most peaceful rain forest we visited in Costa Rica. The guide was great and it was the first opportunity to spot and photograph some unique wildlife. Both the rafting and La Selva Biological reserve activities were organised with the help of the lodge. This area of Costa Rica is the top place in the country to see some of the rarest birds in the world so you should stick around for longer if this is your passion..

4.  La Fortuna and Arenal National Park – 4 nights – about 1h30 drive from Sarapiqui – La Fortuna is a large resort town with many facilities and hotels. It may feel a bit overwhelming as there are a lot of tourists stopping here but I would still not skip it. The shape of the Arenal Volcano on a clear day is a sight you will remember long after leaving the country and the many activities on offer have something for everyone. We spent 4 nights at Arenal Springs Resort and Spa in La Fortuna that had great views of the volcano, its own hot springs and a big breakfast buffet. We found the hotel a bit loud around meal times. We heard other families happy with El Silencio del Campo, in the same region.

Family Activities in La Fortuna: you can spend two weeks here and still have a new activity to try each day. We did: (i) Hike in the Arenal NP lava fields (about 3h30), (ii) visit of the La Fortuna waterfall combined with Mistico Hanging Bridges in a full day tour (you can skip the hanging bridges here if you do the Selvatura Park in Monteverde as they also have hanging bridges ), (iii) Sloth Park – you go with a guide to observe Sloths in the wild  (iv) an evening with dinner at Eco-Termales Hot Springs complex and (v) Don Olivo Chocolate Tour- that is actually a farm tour. We booked most activities directly on the website of the different operators about 2 days in advance. The combined tour Mistico and Waterfall we booked with Canoa Aventura in La Fortuna.

In the same region, there is an animal rescue centre Projecto Asis that is very popular to visit – we waited too long and we did not find tickets for our days. You can also do canyoning (they take children as of 5 yo), ATVs, horseback riding, rafting, water tubing and much more.

Drop us a comment over on YouTube if you have any questions about our trip or recommendations from your visit to Costa Rica. If you consider a visit to Costa rica with kids, do not forget to Subscibe and 👍 as we have more videos and inspiration coming.

Safe travels ❤️,

CGK