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Costa Rica is a land of beautiful beaches, dense rain forests, and majestic mountain ranges. There are five active volcanos in this small country and some of the best hiking, bird-watching, and horseback riding in the world. It’s also a water sports paradise, with beaches optimal for snorkeling, sailing, and kayaking. This Central American country of around five million people is also a perfect vacation destination for family travel, offering something for all ages, interests, and abilities.
Here are the best resorts for traveling with kids of any age.
Best Beach Resorts For Families In Costa Rica
Arenas del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort
Arenas del Mar is set in the rain forest right on the beach, with full beach services and amenities that make it possible to never leave the property during your stay, including comfortable day beds, boogie board rentals, and surf lessons. Kids can learn to make tortillas, go ziplining, and venture out after dark with a headlamp looking for tree frogs. Within walking distance of Manuel Antonio National Park, this all-out-luxury property is also carbon-neutral, making it one of the most sustainable resorts in the country.
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Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo
Rooms and suites have floor-to-ceiling windows at this beach retreat nestled in the rain forest. Riverstone showers are adjacent to open-air balconies with expansive ocean views, and there are three distinct beaches and four pools, including a kid-friendly shallow pool and an adults-only tranquility pool. In other words, everyone can be happy at the Andaz. There’s also a club for kids (ages 5-12), and the property is exceptionally pet-friendly.
JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa
This hacienda-style hotel offers beautiful views of Guanacaste, a Costa Rican province in the northwest known for its biodiversity and stunning beaches. The expansive, spacious property has seven restaurants and a central pool that spans the diameter of the resort. Rooms are large and beds have plush pillow-tops and custom duvets. JW Adventure Kids Club (for ages 4 to 12) offers foosball, a sand playground, and excellently trained staff to supervise both indoor and outdoor activities.
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
At the Four Seasons, perched above the ocean in Guanacaste, the notion of luxury extends to every member of the family. Children are invited into the culture of Costa Rica to learn about the surrounding environment with programs designed to entertain and educate. Supervised explorations might include searching for local reptiles and plants, treasure collecting on the beach, building sand castles, birdwatching, and soccer.
Best Mountain Resorts For Families In Costa Rica
One of the most beautiful and most exclusive resorts in Costa Rica is Hacienda AltaGracia, an experience-driven luxury property in the foothills of the Talamanca Mountains, where you and your family can ride horses, hike through the rain forest to see raging waterfalls, learn firsthand how to process sugarcane, or even milk a cow. You can also book cooking classes for kids and, for the more adventurous, whitewater rafting expeditions. This Auberge property, located in Perez Zeledon, offers 50 individual hacienda-style casitas with dramatic valley views. For just $175 per person, you can also take a private plane chartered by the hotel.
At The Springs, you can ride horses, go tubing on the river, and hike through rugged mountain terrain without leaving the resort. There’s an animal sanctuary where you might see monkeys, sloths, and the occasional ocelot. But the real draw is the property’s 28 artesian hot springs, perfect for whiling away the hours with the whole family. Family rooms are available for more space and comfort.
Best Rainforest Resorts For Families In Costa Rica
Situated in Arenal Volcano National Park, this resort is the ultimate choice for families who want to be as close as possible to the natural world. Walk across hanging bridges with views of the volcano, visit the sloth preserve, or canoe through the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge looking for iguanas, crocodiles, and caimans. Whatever you choose, you’ll be one with the rainforest universe in your plush, locally designed room with an outdoor shower. Dining options are also among the best in the country.
Tabacon Grand Thermal Spa & Resort
Come for the hot springs and stay for the service in a luxuriously tranquil setting. Costa Rica’s largest network of naturally flowing thermal mineral springs is in Arenal, heated by the nearby volcano and ranging in temperature from 72 to 105 degrees. After a day of soaking with the whole family and walking the forest paths to see the waterfalls that punctuate the area, retire to your understatedly elegant, supremely quiet room set in the lush gardens that are an extension of the rain forest. Family suites are ideal for groups seeking more spacious accommodations; they include a dining and living room so the everyone can hang out together.
