Things You Need to Know to Plan an Amazing Family Vacation to Costa Rica
In this episode, Nikki Harrington joins us to talk about how to plan the best possible family trip to Costa Rica! You won’t want to miss this insider information!
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How should I get there?
The San Jose airport is the most common airport to fly into. This airport is a great location to fly into if you want to rent a car and explore different parts of the country.
The Liberia airport is a great option if you want to stay more in beachy or resort areas.
You can book a flight here.
How should I get around?
Nikki and her family have always rented a car and had a great experience!
They never felt unsafe or encountered roads that weren’t maintained.
Tip: Don’t drive at night because they get a lot of heavy rainfalls and road conditions can change quickly.
There are sometimes toll roads, so you’ll want to have some cash on you.
Where should I visit?
Nikki and her family did a big loop road trip around Costa Rica! These are the cities that they visited.
Manuel Antonio
The gorgeous Manuel Antonio National Park is here! There is so much wildlife to see. They hired a tour guide to take them around the jungle on a night tour.
Stop at the famous Croc Bridge. This is a great spot to watch crocodiles, and it’s free!
Catamaran boat tour! You can see lots of ocean wildlife here.
Costa Ballena
This is a region that’s less commercialized with lots of beaches.
Nikki and her family love the city of Ojochal in this area.
Ojochal has ziplining, ATV riding, and lots of adventure activities
Explore the beaches here
La Fortuna Lake Arenal area
This is the adventure capital of Costa Rica!
Nikki’s family rappelled over a waterfall and said it was amazing!
Baldi Hot Springs! This is very kid friendly with about 50 hot springs to choose from.
There are also hanging bridges in this area.
Puerto Viejo
This is a great place to go for a Caribbean vibe!
This city is super laid back and has more of an island feel.
Great place to hang out on the beach and relax.
How do I find places to stay?
Nikki and her family like to use points. They use Hyatt points at Los Altos in Manuel Antonio.
Airbnb is an awesome option! This gives you more space and allows you to have a kitchen to cook meals at home.
Read reviews to find the best options!
What’s the food like?
The most common dish is rice and beans with some sort of protein. They usually serve it with salad and plantains.
There are places called “sodas” which are the local restaurants with authentic foods. This is a great way to experience their culture and see how they live.
One specific “soda” restaurant that Nikki loves is called Restaurante Mirador don Roger. The food and view from the restaurant are amazing!
Other tips
Spanish is the native language, but many people do speak English. The people are so kind and patient there and are willing to let you try your minimal Spanish.
The US dollar is accepted as payment there.
Links!
Click here for Nikki’s bag company!