Austin Adventures Costa Rica: Arenal to Tortuguero

Costa Rica is widely known as a safe and popular destination for families. Its jungles, beaches, cloud forests and volcanoes are full of experiences that are accessible yet remote enough to qualify as an adventure vacation. And no one does adventure quite like Austin Adventures. Costa Rica via their custom tours is a perfect fit for many families.

Keith and Blythe Nilsson have lived and backpacked extensively throughout Asia and are no strangers to adventure travel. However, a few years ago, with two kids ages 6 and 9, less vacation time and a child with Type 1 diabetes, being in a remote location required more consideration. The Nilssons also prefer independent travel and don’t speak Spanish.

The solution? A custom multisport tour in Costa Rica with Austin Adventures that included a private guide. For Keith and Blythe, this provided the peace of mind they needed knowing that in case of an emergency they could quickly get to the nearest hospital or airport if needed.

Highlights from a Custom Austin Adventures Costa Rica Family Tour

Two key factors influenced the Nilsson’s decision to travel with Austin Adventures in Latin America: their easy-to-download itineraries and their immediate willingness to create a custom trip for their family. Blythe was able to imagine what Costa Rican experience would be like from the online itineraries and then worked with the travel planners at Austin Adventures to create her family’s Costa Rica vacation.

Their tour closely resembled Austin Adventures Costa Rica: Arenal to Tortuguero. In a country the size of Costa Rica, a bit smaller than West Virginia, travellers can pack in a variety of sights and experiences in a week with thoughtful planning and smart transportation logistics. Austin Adventures custom 8 day/7 night itinerary provided private transportation by van, boat and small plane.

Knowledgeable, Kid-friendly Guides

Good guides can make or break a family vacation, especially when a large portion of the trip is based on guided activities. The Nilssons mentioned several times how impressed they were with their private guide, Julio, a local nature professor focusing on preservation, and the individual guides they had for activities which included a zip line experience, kayaking, rafting and hiking. Their kids still ask if they’ll see Julio when they go on vacation.

In Search of Wildlife at Tortugeuro National Park

The trip began with a visit to one of Costa Rica’s best known parks, Tortuguero National Park, a 30-minute flight from the capital of San Jose. Tortuguero is famous for its nesting sea turtles but its location, on the Caribbean side of the country, has canals, rivers and lakes full of caiman, monkeys, birds and fish. The Nilssons explored the wildlife-filled canals by kayak and private boat tour and two nighttime beach hikes to see nesting green sea turtles.

Family-friendly Rafting in Sarapiqui

Next stop on their list of family adventures was Sarapiqui, a region that borders Nicaragua, known for birds – over 400 species live here – and thrills, especially rafting. For families with young children, the class 2-3 rapids on the Sarapiqui River are exciting but not too exciting. The Nilssons felt especially comfortable with their guide who competes worldwide in river rafting races. The levels are subjective depending on age of children and rafting experience.

Arenal National Park Activities

Arenal is the area around the “sleeping” Arenal Volcano. It’s a hub of activity in the air, water and land and this itinerary combined all the elements for two active, action-packed days. Consider your family’s general level of fitness as you plan your itinerary. One travel tip: book your activities in the morning, and then you can relax and enjoy pura vida with leisurely late afternoons by the pool or soaking in hot springs.

If you want to experience the epicenter of ziplining, come to Costa Rica. The Nilsson family considered this a highlight of their vacation. Their canopy and horseback ride adventure began with a horseback ride to the observation deck followed by a natural history canopy walk to the first cable.

The Nilssons loved their guides, who rode tandem with the kids when needed. The zipline company that Austin Adventures partners with positions their cables so that guests not only experience soaring over the canopy and canyons but see waterfalls and the Arenal Volcano along the way. Lunch was followed by an afternoon of rappelling down waterfalls and canyons and a hike. The day finished on a relaxing note with a visit to the natural hot springs in La Fortuna which are volcanically heated.

The Nilssons favorite hotel of the trip was the Arenal Observatory Lodge.  The lodge is surrounded by the outdoors with  hiking paths and bridges to explore the park. They spent their last full day of the vacation hiking around the Arenal Volcano with their guide, exploring old lava flows en route to lunch and an eco-center near the town of La Fortuna. The last trail they hiked on their Costa Rica family vacation is home to over 150 species of birds, caiman, sloths, butterflies and a frog farm whose most famous resident is the tiny red poison dart tree frog.

Austin Adventures Custom Trip Information

Many Austin Adventures clients choose to create a custom trip based on the Costa Rica: Arenal to Tortuguero family itinerary or other existing trips simply because they prefer to travel only with their own family. These trips are self-paced but with guides to help you navigate everything from local restaurants to easiest driving routes. However, families can also create a completely different itinerary based on their interests and budget. For example, one family wanted a more nature/science oriented trip in Costa Rica with simpler accommodations so their trip with overnights in the Biological Reserves is significantly lower in cost than a family group tour. With Austin Adventures, custom does not always mean more expensive.

Pricing for a family of four on the Costa Rica: Arenal to Tortuguero family group tour:

Sharing one room with 2 queen sized beds in each room: Adults (12* and older): $2,898/person. Children: $2,398/person

Total: $11,092

There are no adjoining rooms on the trip but some of the hotels in Costa Rica offer suites for an additional charge.

*Children ages 12 and up are considered adults on the Costa Rica program.

 Editor’s Note: Austin Adventures compensated us to write and publish this post. Photos provided by the Nilsson family.

Relevant Links:

Costa Rica with Kids

Secret Costa Rica: Where to get off the beaten path

Costa Rica with Kids: Our favorite family-friendly adventures

Choosing between Arenal zip line and canopy tours