Costa Rica Family Friendly Vacation: Jungle, Wildlife & Beach

Welcome to the fast-paced city of San Jose. The energy swirls through the streets and jovial shopping colonnades. Mountains create an encompassing skyline and encircle the valley. Your private transfer meets you at the airport and soon you are settled into the comforts of your centrally located hotel. People roam through the Central Market, an almost three-block area filled with storefronts, fresh fruits and vegetables, and baked goods. The large pavilion is divide into aisles that makes perusing the market’s goods easy and accessible. The local flavors, from cheese to bananas, mangos to pozole, a traditional type of soup, give you insight into the culture of the city and the country.

Helados de Sorbetera is over 100 years old and serves a celebrated cinnamon-laced frozen custard; you can enjoy the refreshingly sweet treat with a cylindrical sugar cookie known as a barquillo. In the Parque Nacional shaded walkways are lined with tables and chairs where local men read the newspaper. Children kick around soccer balls and try their chances at fancy tricks. A dramatic statue displays a proud piece of Costa Rican history and sits centrally located as the jewel of the park. San Jose is always bursting with activity and you have found the family swept up in its bustling joviality.