This year we decided to try a new adventure for the kids’ spring break and I’m so glad we did Costa Rica is an incredibly memorable place to visit with family. First off, we chose to spend the week in Costa Rica, during the last week of March when the weather is still dry. This means that the bugs are not a major issue and there’s no rain. It is definitely hot, particularly midday, but there are a lot of options for staying cool.
El Mangroove Hotel, Guanacaste
We found a terrific gem for our home base hotel, the El Mangroove in Guanacaste, about a 20 minute ride from the newly built Liberia airport. There’s a direct flight on Southwest Airlines from LAX that takes less than 6 hours. The El Mangroove is a boutique hotel, owned by Marriott – it has all the ease of staying in an American hotel with all the charm of an international boutique hotel. When you arrive, they greet you in an outdoor lobby with a delicious coconut water hydrating drink and a cool towel for everyone in your party – including the kids! Our kids loved the special attention of the entire staff already knowing their names (they ask you ahead of time when you first connect with the concierge or at check in) when they first arrived. I strongly recommend choosing at least one day to book one of their five poolside cabanas ahead of time, but you can also do so when you check in. The concierge team is very helpful and great at providing ideas and options, even when the hotel is fully booked (like it was the week we were there). The cabana rental is $150/full day and it includes a welcome refreshing drink of basil and mint that I’m still craving a week later, a mini-refrigetor full of soda, beer, juice and water and a series of delicious treats throughout the day. Plus, you also get a 5 minute mini-massage for 2! The whole experience is a bit indulgent, but definitely worth every penny, especially if you plan on spending days out hiking and trying the more adventurous things that are available in the area – it’s a great and relaxing day that keeps the whole family happy. Additionally, if you are a fan of relaxation as I am, their incredible spa is a once in a lifetime experience. You get to choose to have your treatment outside with a gorgeous yet private view of the forest and a beautiful breeze. But as amazing as the massage itself was, the most fun part for me was the ability to listen to all the wild animal sounds during the spa, it’s unlike any recording you’ve ever heard!
El Mangroove Spa
The other important things to know about the hotel are that they have a wonderful kids club, they call it Guppies, that runs every day and has evening events during the week. Our kids loved the staff as they got to create fun crafts, play games and try local treats. On one of the nights they held a movie night and on another it was a fun Piñata party. I’m very thankful for the hotel’s constant attention to the whole family.
We choose 2 different excursions during our week, as the kids are still a bit young for some of the higher adrenaline options that exist in the area, we decided on the less strenuous hikes and trips. The hotel was able to help us to rent a car on the days that we needed one, it was so easy to just stop by the front desk and the car was ready when we needed it! While it was a bit more expensive, the ease and convenience was well worth the extra cost.
Corobici River Tour
The first adventure we organized through Rios Tropicale – a fantastic ‘float’ rafting trip on the Corobici river that gave us the opportunity to see Howler monkeys, many different bird species, iguanas, and even a crocodile! The raft guide was fantastic, conscious of pointing out all the animals and plant species that we could see and making sure the kids had a chance to ask questions and have fun on the low level rapids (no more than level 2). We even had stop in the river to get out and ride the rapids – it was really fun and a great way to cool off. The whole rafting trip was about 2 hours which started and then ended at a delicious restaurant called Rincon Corocibi for a meal that was ready as soon as we got there. On the way back to ou hotel, we stopped to visit the Llanos de Cortez waterfall (check out the link to see a video of this gorgeous area).
Llanos de Cortez
This may have been one of my favorite parts of the trip. You walk down about 50-100 steps to this gorgeous spot and it was not overcrowded at all. The waterfall is beautiful and looks like the ones you see in movies, you can swim easily in water and all of the kids were able to make it all the way up to be right under the falls. The older kids even managed to climb behind the falls to have a special experience. It was gorgeous and the bonus was a couple of basilicas lizards showing off in one of the side pools when we were all done swimming in the waterfall.
The second excursion was to the Rincon de la Vieja to do a combination tour that included a waterfall swim, serpentarium, butterfly sanctuary and hot springs mud bath. The tour staff was very attentive and again, the tour was terrific. We had about a 2 mile walk to the waterfall and though it wasn’t as large as Llanos, it allowed us the opportunity to swim in both the pool above the waterfall and also below the falls so that was particularly unique. However the best part of this tour was the ability to go visit the hot springs and take a mud bath. The kids had a blast covering themselves in the mud with paintbrushes! Plus, the bonus for all of us was terrific smooth skin and a great warm bath in the thermal hot springs.
Rincon de la Vieja
The last but of course not least great part of the trip was the food! Costa Rican food is amazing – filled with fresh fish, flavorful sauces and incredibly sweet tropical fruit. There were plenty of options at the hotel that were both tasty and completely without sugar. It meant that Derek had a lot more to choose from beyond just the usual green salad. The El Mangroove hotel had terrific meals available all the time, so we only left the property one time for dinner. We visited the Playa de Coco to eat at Citron and although the location is a bit touristy (it’s right next to the Hard Rock), the food was delicious and everyone from both families went to bed that night very happy and definitely full!
Costa Rican Specialties
Overall, Costa Rica is an incredible family vacation destination. It’s filled with great people, beautiful landscapes and amazing accommodations. It’s one of the most fun and relaxing trips that our family has been on and I cannot recommend it more. If you go in the spring, the Guanacaste area is dry while the southern area, Puntarenas is very wet. This reverse happens in the late summer and early fall. When we were there in late March, we didn’t see one drop of rain and very few bugs.
I hope that you add any comments on your adventures in this gorgeous country and if you visit, please post here and share your experience!
