Costa Rica: A Natural Choice for Kids

We actually hit the ocean near Carara Biological Reserve. It’s one of the last habitats of the scarlet macaw. Kids, though, will get a bigger kick out of the super-sized crocodiles basking on the banks of nearby Rio Tárcoles. (The best finds of our trip were tiny wooden crocs that we scooped up from roadside vendors there for a buck apiece). Continuing south, we passed the busy beach town of Jacó and endless palm-oil plantations before finally reaching Manuel Antonio National Park.

While the park is small and the four-hour drive rather harrowing, Manuel Antonio’s varied topography proved an ample reward. Lush foliage extends almost to the tide line where it meets white sand lapped by blindingly blue water. Rainforest trails in differing degrees of difficulty invite hikers while an adjacent marine reserve, rich in sea life, lures snorkelers. Park admission is $7, and good negotiators can hire a guide at the gate for around $15 an hour. But in the Central Pacific, some of the best things in life really are free—like Playa Espadilla, a classic crescent beach just outside the entrance.

Recognized as one of the country’s finest beaches, it’s perfect for surfers, sunbathers, and sandcastle builders. The only downside is that the water is too rough for young swimmers. Thankfully the kid’s pool at Hotel Si Como No (from $165 per night)—complete with faux waterfalls, waterslides, and a mini swim-up bar—more than compensates. My hubby and I were so content poolside that we never retreated to the hotel’s adults-only version. Nor did we venture into the spa where tropical treatments (think coffee scrubs, lava rock massages, and seaweed wraps) are based on native ingredients.

Again, the accommodations work for families: even standard rooms have wet bars or kitchenettes and jaw-dropping views. Yet despite the luxuries, Si Como No is both intimate and environmentally friendly. Perhaps that’s why sloths still hang around the property and iguanas continue to sun themselves on its landscaped paths. In keeping with the green theme, it also organizes a broad selection of eco excursions. Depending on age and inclination, your kids can sign up for sport fishing, river rafting, horseback riding, or mountain biking.

From our perspective, though, nothing compares to the four-hour Damas Estuary Tour, offered through the hotel for $49 per person. Blandly billed as a “boat trip through mangrove forests,” it turned out to be much more. We wound through natural canals roofed with arching branches and maneuvered around tangles of exposed tree roots. We recoiled from bats and reached for hanging vines (wait, those were snakes!). We lost count of clamoring monkeys. In short, we lived out our own National Geographic fantasy. Hmmm … too bad all school projects can’t turn out so well.


How we got around: