Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio for three generations

1. Day 1: Arrive in San José

   Juan Santamaría International Airport to your hotel in San José

   • Drive about 45 min
   • Welcome dinner
   • Stay in San José
   Day 1 details

   Fly into Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), about 20 km west of San José in Alajuela, ideally by about 3 pm so you can join the evening briefing; later arrivals are met too. A driver meets each family in the arrivals hall and helps with the bags for the drive to the hotel, 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. San José sits at about 1,150 m in the Central Valley, so evenings are mild rather than tropical, and after the flight a rest or the hotel pool is usually the right plan for every age. At about 5 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group in the hotel for a short briefing: how the days run, which parts anyone can sit out, and an animal checklist for the children to tick off through the week. Then we walk a short way to a nearby restaurant for an early welcome dinner at about 6 pm, with Costa Rican dishes such as casado, gallo pinto, fried plantain and fresh fruit drinks. Everyone is back at the hotel early. Tomorrow starts after breakfast, at about 8:30 am.

   Included

   • Pick-up at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
   • Welcome briefing with your guide
   • Early welcome dinner

   Free time: Free until the evening briefing

   Activity: Land by about 3 pm to join the briefing; later arrivals are met and briefed the next morning.

2. Day 2: Oxcarts, topiary and the hot springs

   San José to Sarchí, then Zarcero and La Fortuna

   • Drive about 3.5 h
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in La Fortuna
   Day 2 details

   We leave San José at about 8:30 am and drive an hour through coffee farms to Sarchí, the town of Costa Rica's painted oxcarts. In a family workshop we watch wheels being shaped and painted in bright geometric patterns, a craft that sits within the oxcart traditions UNESCO lists as intangible heritage, and children can try a brush on a sample piece. Forty-five minutes further on we stop in Zarcero, a hill town at about 1,700 m, where cypress hedges in front of the church are clipped into arches and animal shapes, an easy level stroll for everyone. The road then drops through dairy pasture into the northern lowlands for an hour and a half, and Arenal Volcano appears ahead if the clouds allow. We reach La Fortuna, our base for two nights, for a late sit-down lunch, then rest at the hotel pool. At about 4:30 pm we drive a few minutes to a hot spring park, where volcano-heated water runs through warm pools with steps and handrails, and dinner there is at about 6 pm.

   Included

   • Drive from San José to La Fortuna with your guide
   • Oxcart workshop visit in Sarchí
   • Stop at the topiary park in Zarcero
   • Sit-down lunch in La Fortuna
   • Late-afternoon entry to a hot spring park near La Fortuna, with an early dinner

   Easier option: Stay on the bench by the church in Zarcero, or sit by the warmest, shallowest pool at the springs.

   Free time: An hour or two at the hotel pool before the springs

   Activity: About 3.25 hours of driving in three legs, the longest about 1.5 hours. Bring swimwear and a change of clothes for the hot springs.

   

3. Day 3: Arenal Volcano close up, then the waterfall

   La Fortuna to Arenal Volcano National Park, then La Fortuna Waterfall

   • Drive about 1.5 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in La Fortuna
   Day 3 details

   Mornings are clearest and coolest, so after an 8 am breakfast we drive about 25 minutes to Arenal Volcano National Park. With a local naturalist and a telescope we walk the park's easiest trail, about 2 km and mostly level, through secondary forest that has grown back since the 1968 eruption, looking for toucans, coatis and howler monkeys, with views of the cone when it shows. Those who want more go on to the old lava field, rough black rock with the volcano above; those who would rather rest wait at the viewpoint by the trailhead. We are back in La Fortuna for a sit-down lunch together, then the early afternoon is free at the pool. At about 3:30 pm the van takes anyone who wants to La Fortuna Waterfall, about 70 m high, ten minutes out of town: grandparents can enjoy it from the viewpoint at the top, while children and parents walk down more than 500 steps to swim in the pool below. The evening is free, with early dinners easy to find in town.

   Included

   • Arenal Volcano National Park entry and guided walk with a local naturalist
   • Sit-down lunch in La Fortuna
   • La Fortuna Waterfall entry

   Optional experiences

   • A river float, zipline, horse ride or chocolate tour around La Fortuna, booked at the operator's own price

   Easier option: Walk the first, level part of the park trail and wait at the trailhead viewpoint; see the waterfall from the top or stay at the pool.

   More active option: Continue onto the old lava field in the park, and walk down the more than 500 steps to swim below the waterfall.

   Free time: Early afternoon and the evening free

   Activity: About 2 km mostly level in the park, plus an optional rough lava-rock section; the waterfall steps are optional and steep.

   

4. Day 4: By boat across Lake Arenal to Monteverde

   La Fortuna by road to Lake Arenal, by boat across the lake, then by road up to Monteverde

   • Drive about 2 h
   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Monteverde
   Day 4 details

   There is no direct road from La Fortuna to Monteverde, and the way round Lake Arenal takes about four hours, so we cross the water instead. After breakfast a short drive takes us to a dock near the Arenal dam, where a covered boat with seats carries the group across the lake in about half an hour, with the volcano behind us on a clear morning, while our bags travel safely with the crew. Lake Arenal is a reservoir, the largest lake in Costa Rica, formed when the dam was finished in 1979. On the far shore a van meets us for the climb into the Tilarán hills, the last stretch on a winding, partly unpaved road, to Santa Elena, the village beside the Monteverde reserves at about 1,400 m. We arrive around midday; lunch and the afternoon are free for a rest. At about 5 pm, as the light fades, a naturalist leads a night walk of about 1.5 hours, included in the price, looking for sleeping birds, tree frogs and stick insects by torchlight. Anyone tired can skip it. Dinner in the village after the walk, at about 6:45 pm, is your own.

   Included

   • Van and boat crossing of Lake Arenal, with road transfers either side
   • Guided night walk with a naturalist in a private reserve near Santa Elena

   Optional experiences

   • A butterfly garden or a hummingbird café in Santa Elena, paid locally

   Easier option: Skip the included night walk and have an early dinner in the village at six; the hummingbird feeders by the reserve entrance are an easy afternoon.

   Free time: Lunch and the afternoon free in Santa Elena

   Activity: About 3 hours door to door, with a short step down into the boat; crew help at the dock. The included night walk runs from about 5 to 6:30 pm on forest paths, and dinner follows it; bring a warm layer and a torch.

   

5. Day 5: Hanging bridges, coffee and chocolate

   Santa Elena to a hanging-bridges park, then a coffee and chocolate farm, then Santa Elena

   • Drive about 30 min
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Monteverde
   Day 5 details

   We start at about 8:30 am, before any afternoon cloud, at a hanging-bridges park a few minutes from Santa Elena. With a local naturalist and a telescope we walk a loop of about 3 km on paved and gravel paths, crossing suspension bridges with high handrails that put us at eye level with the canopy: bromeliads, orchids, hummingbirds and, with luck, a quetzal or an emerald toucanet. The bridges are wide enough to stop in, and there are benches along the way. Lunch is included at a restaurant in the village. In the afternoon we visit a small family farm on the slopes below Santa Elena that grows coffee and cacao. It is a seated, hands-on visit: children pick coffee cherries in season and grind roasted cacao into chocolate, grandparents compare roasts at the tasting table, and everyone finishes with hot chocolate or a cup of coffee. We are back by about 3:30 pm, and the evening is free, with pizza and casado places within a short level walk.

   Included

   • Hanging-bridges park near Santa Elena with a local naturalist
   • Sit-down lunch in Santa Elena
   • Coffee and chocolate farm tour with a tasting

   Optional experiences

   • A zipline at a canopy park near Santa Elena (park sets age, height and weight rules) or the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve with a naturalist, booked at the operator's own price

   Easier option: Walk the first bridges and return on the short path to the café, or rest at the hotel instead of the farm.

   More active option: Take the zipline in the morning while the rest of the family walks the bridges; the guide brings everyone together for lunch.

   Free time: Late afternoon and evening free

   Activity: About 3 km on paved and gravel paths with some gentle slopes; the farm visit is mostly seated.

   

6. Day 6: Crocodiles at Tárcoles, forest at Carara

   Monteverde to the Tárcoles River bridge and Carara National Park, then Manuel Antonio

   • Drive about 4 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Manuel Antonio
   Day 6 details

   Today's drive is about 3.75 hours and 185 km, close to our 4-hour cap, so we cut it into two legs with a walk and lunch between them. We leave Monteverde at about 8 am, wind down out of the hills to the Pan-American Highway and on towards the coast, about 2.5 hours. Coming from the north, the first stop is the bridge over the Tárcoles River, where large American crocodiles usually lie on the sandbanks below, seen from the fenced walkway. A few minutes south is Carara National Park, where the dry north meets the wetter south. We walk its universal-access trail, just over a kilometre, paved and level, with a naturalist; it suits wheelchairs and pushchairs, so everyone can come. Scarlet macaws live here, but they are most active early and late in the day, so by late morning we see them only with luck. Lunch is a sit-down meal nearby on the coast road. The second leg, about an hour and a quarter, follows the Pacific past Jacó to Quepos and Manuel Antonio, our base for three nights, in time for the pool.

   Included

   • Drive from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio with your guide
   • Crocodile stop at the Tárcoles River bridge
   • Carara National Park entry and a walk on the universal-access trail with a naturalist
   • Sit-down lunch on the coast road

   Easier option: See the crocodiles from the van window at the bridge, or wait in the shade at Carara's visitor centre.

   More active option: Ask the naturalist to add a short loop on Carara's longer forest trail if time allows.

   Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Manuel Antonio

   Activity: About 3.75 hours of driving in two legs of about 2.5 hours and 1.25 hours, near the 4-hour cap, broken by the bridge stop, the Carara walk and lunch; the Carara trail is just over a kilometre, paved and level. Macaws are a with-luck sighting at this hour.

7. Day 7: Manuel Antonio National Park at opening

   A morning in Manuel Antonio National Park, then the beach

   • Drive about 15 min
   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Manuel Antonio
   Day 7 details

   Manuel Antonio National Park is small and popular, with a daily cap on visitors, so we buy tickets ahead and go in at 7 am, when it opens, the air is cooler and the animals are most active. Your naturalist sets the telescope on whatever the forest gives us, and the children get the first look: two- and three-toed sloths, white-faced capuchins, Central American squirrel monkeys, iguanas, crabs and agoutis. The main trail is wide, flat and partly boardwalk, so grandparents can walk the whole route; we spend about two hours on it and end at Playa Manuel Antonio, a curve of sand between forested headlands, with calm water on most days for a swim. Stay on the beach until the park's beaches close at about 3 pm, or ride back with the guide at about 11 am for lunch and the pool. The park is closed on Tuesdays, and if this day falls on one, we swap it with tomorrow. The evening is free.

   Included

   • Manuel Antonio National Park entry from opening, with a local naturalist
   • Beach time at Playa Manuel Antonio inside the park

   Optional experiences

   • A catamaran cruise or snorkelling trip from Quepos, booked at the operator's own price

   Easier option: Walk the flat main trail only and rest in the shade on the park's beach, or return early with the guide.

   More active option: Add the Punta Catedral loop, a short steep trail round the headland with views along the coast.

   Free time: Afternoon and evening free on the beach or at the pool

   Activity: About 2 to 3 km on mostly flat trail and boardwalk. Bring water, swimwear and sun cream; the park does not allow some foods and plastic, so pack light.

   

8. Day 8: Mangroves by boat, then a free beach day

   Manuel Antonio to the Damas estuary near Quepos, then Manuel Antonio

   • Drive about 1 h
   • Breakfast and dinner
   • Stay in Manuel Antonio
   Day 8 details

   A slower day to finish. After breakfast we drive about 25 minutes past Quepos to the estuary behind Isla Damas, where a covered boat with seats takes us for about two hours through the mangrove channels. The boatman cuts the engine in the narrow creeks so we can watch white-faced monkeys in the branches, herons, kingfishers, mangrove crabs and, sometimes, a caiman or a boa curled on a root. There is no walking at all beyond the step into the boat, and children enjoy the monkeys at close range. We are back at the hotel before noon, and the rest of the day is yours: the pool, a long lunch, a nap, or the public beach at Playa Espadilla, where the waves are bigger than inside the park, so swim where the lifeguard flags show. At about 6 pm the whole group sits down together for a farewell dinner, with time for the children to read out the animal checklist and for everyone to swap photos, and the evening ends early ahead of tomorrow's drive.

   Included

   • Mangrove boat tour in the Damas estuary near Quepos
   • Early farewell dinner

   Optional experiences

   • Mangrove kayaking, a catamaran cruise or a surf lesson for older children, booked at the operator's own price

   Easier option: Stay at the hotel for the morning and join the group for dinner.

   More active option: Book a surf lesson on Playa Espadilla in the afternoon, or return to Manuel Antonio National Park on your own ticket.

   Free time: Afternoon free at the pool or on the beach

   Activity: About 2 hours seated in a covered boat; bring sun cream and insect repellent.

9. Day 9: Back to San José and home

   Manuel Antonio to Juan Santamaría International Airport, near San José

   • Drive about 3 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   Day 9 details

   A slow last breakfast by the sea, then we leave Manuel Antonio at about 9 am and take Route 27, the faster road over the coastal hills, about three hours and 165 km to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO). We stop halfway, near Orotina, for a stretch, a restroom and fruit from the roadside stalls, so nobody sits more than about an hour and a half at a time, and lunch is included on the way. We aim to reach the airport at about 1 pm, which works for most afternoon and evening flights home. Families on a morning flight, or grandparents who would rather not fly on the same day as a drive, can add a night in San José or near the airport; ask us when you book and we will quote it with the transfer. Your guide checks everyone's flight times the night before and says goodbye at the terminal. For international flights, plan to be at the airport about three hours before departure, so book a flight leaving after about 4 pm.

   Included

   • Drive from Manuel Antonio to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) with your guide
   • Rest stop near Orotina and lunch on the way

   Optional experiences

   • An extra night in San José or near the airport, quoted on request

   Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 4 pm, or add a night in San José for a morning flight.

Wildlife and weather: December to April is the drier season on the Pacific side and the busiest; July and August fall in the green season, with sunny mornings and afternoon showers, which suits a morning activity and a pool afternoon. Monteverde is cool and misty in any month, and Arenal's summit is often in cloud. Wildlife is wild: sloths, monkeys, toucans and macaws are seen on most trips, but we cannot promise any one animal.

• San José1 night
• La Fortuna2 nights
• Monteverde2 nights
• Manuel Antonio3 nights