Costa Rica is an ideal destination for a family holiday with so many exciting wildlife spotting opportunities and soft adventure activities for children. We can recommend family friendly trips to the see the volcanoes, soak in hotsprings, zipline through the rainforest, spot sloths in the treetops, frogs on the forest floor and turtles on the Caribbean beaches. Children can take surf lessons or spot dolphins and whales at the coast.
When to Go
Easter Holidays
Easter holidays are a good time to visit Costa Rica as it is still the dry season, but April can be one of the hottest months and may be tiring for very young children (temperatures in the early 30's), so it is necessary to plan carefully for the ages of your children. Most hotels in the popular tourist areas of Costa Rica have swimming pools which is ideal when travelling in the heat.
Summer Holidays
The summer holidays are also an excellent time to visit Costa Rica with your family, weather can be less hot and humid than Easter, with brief rain showers keeping temperatures down and this makes daytime activities less tiring particularly for younger children (temperatures in late 20's). Showers can occur in the Caribbean lowlands and the Arenal/La Fortuna area, particularly around the national park, as you are in the rainforest. However, you are often on excursions or doing activities in the day and under the canopy. On the Pacific coast days tend to start with sun and then short showers can occur in the late afternoon, along with thunderstorms. Weather can be drier than at other times of the year on the Caribbean coast and there are some lovely small hotels and beaches in this region. It is worth noting that the direct British Airways flights from London Gatwick to San Jose, Costa Rica do not currently operate in the summer months, best options are flying via same day connections in the US. We can provide you with the best flight options to include in your trip.
Christmas Holidays
Family holidays during the Christmas period are very popular with visitors from the US and Europe, but hotels also charge a premium and tend to get booked up very far in advance. If you want to visit Costa Rica in the Christmas holidays it is a good idea to plan very early. It is the shoulder season in December, in most parts of the country, so temperatures tend to be cooler (mid 20's) with chance of rain showers.
Half Term Holidays
It is possible to visit Costa Rica for a weeks holiday combining a few days inland at a rainforest lodge with a few days at the coast. The ideal half term would be February when it is dry season and there are direct flights with British Airways from London Gatwick. However, February is one of the most visited months in Costa Rica and so booking early is essential. October half term is an ideal time to visit the Caribbean coastline where the weather is drier at this time of year than on the Pacific, the Central Pacific coastline is best avoided due to heavy rains. May half term is shoulder season and a good time to visit
We have helped plan many family holidays for children of all ages, including multi-generational family trips. We can recommend the best routes, hotels and activities/excursions for your family based around all of your timings and interests. Do contact us to discuss your family holiday to Costa Rica and we can quote several different itineraries for you. A phone call or video meeting is very helpful to design your bespoke Costa Rica family holiday or please fill in an enquiry form with as much detail as possible including ages of children and preferred sleeping arrangements.
Call Us to Discuss Your Holiday
0208 274 8510
