Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast Family Tour
What to expect on this itinerary
Handcrafted and customizable to all ages, this one-week tour will celebrate Pura Vida and includes all the essential elements of a Costa Rican vacation. Caribbean Costa Rica is where everybody can play. You can lounge on tropical beaches, encounter jaguars and sloths, traverse through the jungle, and escape into the country’s largest national park. From beach life to monkeys and outdoor adventure, you will adventure in Braulio Carillo, Rio Pacuare, Puerto Viejo, and Manzanillo.
Customizable Itinerary
San Jose – Costa Rican Culture
Before jumping into the outdoor adventure, you will have a day in the city to rest and refresh after your flight. You will be met by a guide at the international airport and transferred to your accommodation in the heart of San Jose. The surrounding area teems with colonial-era mansions and is a beautiful place for a stroll. Your guide will customize the afternoon around your energy levels and mood. It is hard to know whether or not your kids will need some space to run off steam or a quiet place to rest after your flight. For dinner, your guide can provide you with recommendations.
What's Included:
Braulio Carrillo National Park – The Rainforest Canopy
Braulio Carrillo National Park to Rio Pacuare – Hiking and Ziplining
Rio Pacuare – White Water Rafting
Puerto Viejo – Friendly Caribbean Culture
Puerto Viejo – Jaguars and Sloths in Manzanillo
San Jose – Beach and Departure
Trip Highlights
- Encounter jaguars and sloths during a morning of wildlife adventure in Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
- Indulge in a day of white-water rafting down the Rio Pacuare, navigating rapids on an adventure that can be tailored to all ages
- Feel the pulse of Caribbean life with two nights in Puerto Viejo, which is a lively town on the beach
- Come face to face with white-faced monkeys on an open gondola tour through Costa Rica’s largest national park
- Enjoy downtime on superb Caribbean beaches with the option to walk to beaches that are inaccessible by roads
- Hike and zipline through Costa Rica’s rainforest, learning about flora and fauna as you go
- Explore modern culture and live the Pura Vida on your arrival day in San Jose
Detailed Description
The Costa Rican atmosphere is dominated by Pura Vida, and this idea of pure life is perfect for families. A laid-back culture will set the scene and make you feel comfortable in the capital city and on the Caribbean coast. Exotic national parks can help you to escape the modern world, where the splendid scenery is matched by thrilling wildlife encounters with monkeys, jaguars, and more. You can relax on pristine beaches before diving into Afro-Caribbean culture, and with this tour, you can create an adventure that is tailored to every age and every mood with private activities and transfers throughout your journey.
This handcrafted, family tour of Costa Rica includes many of the activities that the country is famous for, such as ziplining, rainforest hiking, and rocking away in a hammock on the beach. This journey does stay clear of the country’s most touristic destinations, so you can focus on Caribbean Costa Rica, where there is greater natural diversity and far fewer tourists. Destinations on the Caribbean side are better-suited to customizable activities. For example, when rafting, you can choose different sections based on the age and adventurous spirit of your kids. Braulio Carillo is Costa Rica’s largest national park, and you can choose from dozens of different trails. When on the coast at Puerto Viejo, you can lounge around a beach that is backdropped by small cafe shacks or venture to beaches that are inaccessible by road.
With one week in Costa Rica, you can really discover the country’s allure without having to travel too far. You will begin with a day in San Jose, which is the capital city that will provide you with a lively introduction to the country’s fun-loving atmosphere. On day two, you will ride an open gondola through Braulio Carrillo rainforest, which is a private family activity that will introduce you to a stunning wealth of wildlife. This is the country’s largest national park, and you will also have half a day to hike the rainforest floor and zipline through the canopy. This means that within 48 hours of landing in San Jose, you can have enjoyed many of Costa Rica’s most iconic experiences.
The rest of your vacation will be all about the water. You will spend two nights on the Rio Pacuare, which allows for a full day of white-water rafting down the river. There are 16 different sections, and your guide will tailor the experience to your ages and interests. It is a great family activity because you can ease into the rafting on flatter waters, enjoy the stunning green scenery, and choose whether to continue on a roaring stretch of river. You will culminate your Costa Rican family vacation with two nights on the coast in Puerto Viejo, which is a laid-back Caribbean town with a unique vibe and friendly culture.
In Puerto Viejo, it can be easy to spend your time on the beach, and you will have the most immaculate beaches from which to choose. Soft, turquoise waters are perfect for young swimmers while isolated strips of sand can be found after a short rainforest hike. There are beaches for learning to surf, snorkeling along the coastline, and enjoying endless sand to run around. On day six, you will explore Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, where rescued jaguars and baby sloths provide very intimate wildlife experiences. Cahuita National Park will also bring wildlife encounters, both above and below the water. A private guide will accompany you at each destination and, Pura Vida means taking it slow and enjoying everything that life in Costa Rica has to offer.
Starting Price
$2,100 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.
Verified Traveler Reviews
Based on 612 reviews
Zicasso’s travel specialist was a dream. We booked our trip quite late, but they were still able to put together an amazing itinerary, with beautiful hotels, wonderful meals, and incredible activities and adventures, and everything went off without a hitch. We couldn't believe how every single time we had something planned, a driver showed up on time, was super-friendly, and everything went really smoothly. And the owner was always available to tweak things on the fly when necessary. It was just wonderful.
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Zicasso’s travel specialist customized a trip for us, with three nights near the Arenal Volcano, two nights near the Monteverde cloud forest, and three nights near Manuel Antonio National Park. During the planning, the travel specialist was flexible and responsive to all of our needs and questions.
All of our lodgings were outstanding and all of our adventures were great. The itinerary was executed flawlessly, from our transportation to and from airports, from one destination to the next, and to and from our adventures.
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I want everyone to know how pleased we were with the trip Zicasso’s travel specialist planned for our one-week vacation in Costa Rica. We arranged our travel through a travel company via Zicasso and our goal was to have as stress-free a vacation as possible. I only had a general idea of what we wanted to do and the travel specialist took it from there.
He designed a seven-day itinerary, with three days near Arenal Volcano and three days in Manuel Antonio on the Pacific coast. He suggested several excursions and we were able to quickly choose activities and set the pace of the trip to match our preferences. Once finalized, we were excited and ready to go.
When we arrived in San José, we were met at the airport and from that point on he handled everything seamlessly. The drivers for our transfers were bilingual, engaging, and shared insights about the people, politics, agriculture, and natural environment. Those conversations made the travel time enjoyable and informative.
Each excursion met or exceeded expectations. The guides were knowledgeable and passionate, giving us a new appreciation for coffee, chocolate, spices, and Costa Rica’s natural beauty.
One of the biggest advantages of working with the travel specialist was how he handled the unexpected. When we encountered an issue with one of our rooms, I contacted him and he resolved it quickly—he were in a new room within an hour. He also checked in three times during the week to ensure everything was going smoothly.
In conclusion, if you are looking for an authentic, stress-free vacation in Costa Rica, I highly recommend working with this travel specialist. He was excellent and we will absolutely engage him for our next trip.
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I highly recommend Zicasso’s travel specialists for their personalized and detailed service planning our trip to Costa Rica. They know the country so well that they can make sure you maximize your vacation time without feeling overbooked or stressed. They truly care about your experience in their beautiful country and maintain contact with you throughout your stay to make sure everything is going well. I would not hesitate to use them again.
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It was very well organized. The driver coming from San José to pick us up was late because of traffic. Zicasso’s travel specialist arranged another vehicle to drive us to a meeting point, where we saw a toucan and took many photos. So a delay was turned into an opportunity. Great job!
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We worked with Zicasso’s travel agency to plan our honeymoon and overall had a great experience.
There were a few communication hiccups during the trip, which caused some initial stress. However, what really stood out was how our agent handled it.
He took ownership, stayed responsive, and made sure everything was addressed. He ultimately delivered a well-organized, thoughtful itinerary that allowed us to truly enjoy our honeymoon without worrying about logistics.
We felt taken care of throughout the trip, as well as afterwards. We would recommend this travel company to anyone thinking about going to Costa Rica or Central America, for that matter.
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