Costa Rica: A Natural Choice for Kids

In the rainforest, it’s the noise that gets you first. A persistent, pulsating hum: like the buzz of electrical wires. Of course, just finding myself in one was quite shocking. You see I’m not the type that typically goes for eco escapes. What started as research for my daughter’s grade school Social Studies project had simply evolved into an itinerary that would give my family a true taste of the rain forest—and a welcome break from our ho-hum beach vacations.

Narrowing down the choices was easy. Central and South America are both rife with rainforests. But when it comes to bio-diversity, Costa Rica is the undisputed champ. After all, this tiny nation boasts the greatest variety of flora and fauna on earth. Some 10,000 species of plants have been identified within its borders, plus 500 species of mammals and over 35,000 of insects, reptiles, and amphibians. Still, for all the abundant wildlife, the country remains reassuringly civilized.

Though situated in an area renowned for despots and dictators, Costa Rica is a stable democracy. There hasn’t even been a standing army here since 1949, and dollars that would have been used to fund one were diverted into social programs. As a result, the country has Latin America’s finest healthcare system and its most educated population. It has the best environmental record, too. While neighbors like Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south were busy making military messes, Costa Rica cleaned up (literally and figuratively), transforming more than one quarter of its land into parks and preserves.

A few decades ago, these factors made it a magnet for backpacking college kids. But, like those early visitors, Costa Rica’s tourism industry has grown up a lot in the intervening years. Fortunately, development has been handled with taste and tact. That means travelers can still enjoy natural wonders. The difference is you can now do it without bunking down with bugs in rustic cabanas and waking up to yet another breakfast of rice and beans.

The heightened comfort levels also make it an ideal family destination. The only caveat is that you can’t expect to take in too much in ten to fourteen days. Considering the country is only about the size of New Hampshire and Vermont combined, it’s tempting to try. However, the land Columbus called “Rich Coast” actually has two coasts and the terrain between, bisected by mountains, is challenging. Crossing it, you encounter everything from rainforests to mist-shrouded cloud forests, fertile valleys, and towering volcanoes. So it’s important to be realistic about how much territory you can cover.

Prudent planners focus on no more than two of the six basic tourist zones. The remote Caribbean and South Pacific regions are better left to intrepid adults. The Northern Pacific (home to Nicoya Peninsula all-inclusives) and the Northern Plains (famed for the Arenal Volcano and Monteverde Cloud Forest), conversely, are both manageable. The same goes for the Central Valley, a region of forests and farmlands ringing the nation’s capital; and the Central Pacific, an idyllic coast lying just a few hours west. Based largely on accessibility, my family opted for the latter pair and hopped a plane for San José.

Since it lacks the colonial architecture often found elsewhere in Latin America, this gritty city has limited appeal.