Family Vacations In Costa Rica
Vacation Ideas

Nearby Ricardo Jimenez Oreamuno Recreation Area has camping available and walking trails to explore with.

Paos Volcano has a huge crater that will occasionally shoot steam and muddy water 600 feet into the area. The crater is a mile wide making it the second largest in the world.

Paos Volcano National Park is just a short distance from San Jose. It is the most visited volcano in Costa Rica. The most active volcano is Arenal Volcano. It erupted in 1968 and destroyed a village and its unlucky inhabitants.

Today it still rumbles and streams lava down its slopes. For a safe and spectacular view you can go to the Arenal Observatory Lodge which sits in the forest almost 2 miles away from the volcano.

In fact there are over 1,000 species of butterflies here. Close to San Jose is The Butterfly Farm. This is a fun place to visit that the kids will love. You can take a guided tour of the tropical garden where hundreds of wonderful butterflies flutter among the tropical flowers. Another fun spot is the amphibian and reptile zoo, The Serpentarium. Here you can see over 40 species of Costa Rica’s local snakes (including poisonous varieties), reptiles, spiders, land turtles.

The sights in the park are similar to what you would see in Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. There are a number of small craters that vent volcanic steam. The park also has two inactive volcanoes. You can explore the tropical forest and visit the hot springs, bubbling mudpots, craters and geysers.

The park’s many hiking trails and you can arrange for a guide if you like. A nice spot to swim here is the Hidden Falls, which is actually a series of four connected waterfalls. Take a soothing bath in the small pools thermal sulfur springs at Los Azufrales. The nearby cold water stream is perfect for cooling off when you are finished. The fun activity in the park is watching the wildlife such as the many exotic birds, monkeys and iguanas.

Your family can enjoy this unique vacation spot while staying at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Lodge. Here at the lodge you can explore the lush green jungle on 3 miles of trails that wind around their seventy acres of private forest. There are many different ways to enjoy this fantastic natural wonder. At the Selvature Park you can take a canopy tour of the forest on a zip line (for the more adventurous), explore among the tree tops on a suspension bridge walkway, and visit the butterfly and hummingbird gardens.

A very popular destination here is the Manuel Antonio National Park. The beaches here are beautiful with their edges lined by lush tropical forest. You can see white-faced monkeys, three-toed sloths, purple and orange crabs and lots of other wildlife. There are many activities for the family here. Most can be arranged by professional tour operators.

Take a four-wheel ATV adventure along the unpaved mountain and forest roads. Take a guided horseback ride to forest waterfalls for a relaxing swim. Go for a sunset sail. Grab the binoculars and get a glimpse of the scarlet macaw, red-legged honeycreeper or one of the other 270 bird species that live here. Explore the stalactite & stalagmite formations in the Caves of Damas.

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