Costa Rica: A Natural Choice for Kids

But that’s okay: we weren’t after an urban experience and opportunities for adventure were close at hand. In fact, by the time we reached Braulio Carillo National Park (less than thirty minutes north of San José), we were deep in rainforest country. It was as if we’d substituted a five-hour flight from New York for a trip via tornado to Oz because we suddenly entered a Technicolor realm where emerald greens were offset by brilliant splashes of red, yellow, and orange.

The flora here never fails to impress. The fauna is another matter … Animal lovers must remember that this isn’t a safari park: creatures don’t appear on cue. And given how many you hear, it’s surprising how few you see on the ground. The real action occurs in the vaulting canopy. Sights, as a result, are best viewed from above—and you can do just that at the Rain Forest Aerial Tram: a private 1,200-acre reserve bordering Braulio Carillo that promises visitors a genuine “bird’s eye view.”

Buying a full Eco Pass ($105 for adults, $57.50 for kids) gets you into a multi-media presentation at the facility’s open-air theater and onto its seven-stage zip line: a contraption that clearly would give blasé, been there-done that tweens or teens something to brag about back home. Luckily for little kids (and ‘fraidy cat parents like me!), the pass also covers the signature tram ride. So my crew chose to board a six-person gondola that ferried us almost 100 feet up through the lacy ceiling of leaves.

The tram is a smart family alternative to the much-hyped zip tours because it’s accessible (even strollers and wheelchairs are welcome) and focuses on the environment rather than adrenaline alone. Best of all, keen-eyed bilingual guides, who accompany guests on the 80-minute tram trip and the 45-minute nature walk that follows, can help you spot what you’d otherwise miss. Thanks to ours, for instance, we spied anteaters, coatimundis, parrots, and enough creepy crawlers to dazzle any Discovery Channel junkie.

Personally, I could have been happy spending the entire vacation watching leaf-cutter ants onsite. However, other Central Valley attractions beckoned: among them, Poás Volcano National Park, where the highlight is a bubbling turquoise cauldron that measures almost a mile across. (Don’t panic: an observation platform lets little tykes view it from a safe distance). Twenty minutes away, yet still just an hour from the city, is La Paz Waterfall Gardens: an independent operation boasting five sublime falls and the world’s largest butterfly observatory ($29 adults, $18 children).

Those wanting to overnight in the thick of things have several choices. Both the Waterfall Gardens and Aerial Tram, for example, offer über cool lodgings for Tarzan types. But we booked into Hotel La Condesa (from $115 per night) in suburban San José. With generously-proportioned rooms, multi-level suites, and self-catering chalets, it’s well suited to families. Moreover, its setting—and set-up—helps soften culture shock. Except for the glassed-in pool featuring orchids and hummingbirds, this hillside lodge would have fit right in back home. And my usually adventuresome offspring were relieved to find a TV in our room and plain ol’ burgers and wings on the menu in the lobby lounge.

La Condesa’s central location also left us well positioned for our swing toward the Pacific.