Costa Rica Holidays

Costa Rica is known as one of the friendliest and safest countries in the world.

With stunning natural landscapes, a diverse population and huge commitment to sustainability, there's no wonder the resident people follow their positive and laidback "Pura Vida" (Pure Life) lifestyle.

This all translates to an incredible family holiday experience.

Costa Rica family holidays offer a mix of wildlife spotting, thrilling adventure activities and beach relaxation. For example, spend time together searching for nocturnal wildlife that include snakes, colourful frogs and spiders in the atmospheric Monteverde Cloud Forest. Then enjoy some paddleboarding out on Lake Arenal at the foot of the volcano, with the dried-up lava flow visible from its last eruption decades ago. And, to finish off, you could head over to either the east, on the Caribbean Sea, or the west, on the Pacific Sea, to relax on the white sandy beaches after all that exploration.

To help inspire your own holiday, our Costa Rica for Families sample tour introduces you to the country's natural highlights, showcasing its rainforests, volcanoes, beaches and stunning flora and fauna. Prices start from £3,195 per person for 12 nights. But, with our Latin America Travel Specialists' expertise in tailor-making family holidays to Costa Rica, you can rest assured that each detail is personalised to you.

Home to more than 500,000 species of naturally occurring animals, fungi and plants (nearly 5% of those found on the entire planet), Costa Rica is one of the top destinations in the world for wildlife spotting.

Our Costa Rica wildlife holidays cover everywhere from simmering volcanoes such as Arenal to magical cloud forests like Monteverde. Let's look a little more closely at some of those you may experience.

Arenal Volcano National Park

The near-perfect cone of Arenal is one of the most iconic volcanoes in Central America, which is an impressive feat in a region that boasts many prominent peaks. At over 1,600m high, the volcano dominates the lush forests and pastures of the northern La Fortuna area that surrounds it.

In Arenal Volcano National Park, your guide is always on hand to help you spot some of Costa Rica's most amazing wildlife inhabitants, from monkeys to sloths, iguanas, caimans and a wide variety of birds. The striking red-eyed tree frog is perhaps the most emblematic of the region's vibrant creatures.

Corcovado & Osa Peninsula

The remote, tropical rainforest of the Osa Peninsula, located in the far southern Pacific coastal area, harbours the greatest variety of plants and animals of any protected area in Costa Rica. This includes the wonderful jungle of Corcovado National Park, a region ideal for the more adventurous traveller.

Sloths, monkeys and the rare tapir live within these boundaries. In addition, Caño Island, which is ten nautical miles from shore, contains vast coral reefs and abundant marine life, making it a world-class diving and snorkelling site.

Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero National Park's peaceful atmosphere attracts nature and wildlife lovers year-round. It's managed to develop a superb low density tourist system, with the main highlight being on its sands. Visit from July to October and you’ll witness green turtles come ashore to lay eggs in their droves.

The park itself is a haven for wildlife and a boat trip along its jungle-fringed canals and lagoons may reveal everything from alligators to tapirs, peccaries, iguanas, anteaters and white-faced monkeys. Everything in Tortuguero is done by water, so access depends on boat or aeroplane availability.

Manuel Antonio National Park

The sheer beauty of Manuel Antonio National Park makes it one of the most popular destinations along Costa Rica's Pacific Coast. It's easily accessible by road from San Jose in just a few hours, where the sand beaches rise from the ocean into dense rainforest with well-marked trails and prolific wildlife.

After exploring the lush forest canopies, you can travel to the lesser-visited coastline around Uvita and Dominical to enjoy the wild, beautiful beaches. This area is well-known for its important turtle nesting sites, whale and dolphin-watching, and the humpback gatherings in Marino Ballena National Park.

Monteverde Cloud Forest

In Monteverde Cloud Forest, you can meet hummingbirds, spider monkeys, howler monkeys and three-toed sloths among a plethora of other amazing wildlife species. Their natural habitat is an enchanting land of emerald green foliage shrouded in thick, swirling mists only a few hours by road from Arenal.

The hanging bridges and walkways tied between the treetops offer a rare chance to get a little closer to some of these animals. Perhaps you may be lucky and spot the rare and majestic resplendent quetzal. This is a must-see if you're a keen birder looking for a once-in-a-lifetime Costa Rica wildlife holiday.

Savegre Valley – San Gerardo de Dota

Located in Costa Rica's beautiful Central Highlands, the Savegre Valley and small town of San Gerardo de Dota is a haven for both bird watchers and hikers alike. With more than 900 different kinds of birds, spread over 27% of protected land, you have great opportunities to spot rare species such as the resplendent quetzal.

Savegre River, on the other hand, boasts class III rapids and is full of excitement on a raft experience. Spend your time taming the rapids, taking occasional stops to rest and admire nature. At the end, the waters become calm and easy, allowing you the chance to take a closer look at birds flying overhead.

Caribbean & Pacific Coasts

More animals await along Costa Rica’s Caribbean and Pacific coasts, including humpback whales and dolphins. On the Pacific, there are plenty of reptiles to encounter. Iguanas are here in abundance in addition to caimans along the riverbanks. You could even see a group of coatis while on a boat tour.

On the Caribbean, the best way to see wildlife – including iguanas, howler monkeys, boa constrictors and the myriad of birdlife – is to explore the tranquil waterways and canals that run inland from the coast by boat. Wildlife holidays to Costa Rica from July to October here is incomplete without seeing the green turtles.

As the adventure capital of the Americas, Costa Rica provides no shortage of ways for adrenaline junkies to plunge into its beautiful surroundings – whether that's with zip lining or kayaking

Always fancied getting up close to a volcano? Costa Rica adventure holidays allow you to follow hiking trails up and around the foothills of Arenal Volcano, once Costa Rica’s most active volcano, before soaking your weary feet in volcanic hot springs. For yet more of a soaking, head to the Pacuare River to go white water rafting down a deep river gorge – you’ll be plummeting through dense, lush rainforest, although you’ll not have much time to take in the view as you tackle the swirling rapids.

You can book Costa Rica tours from the UK with Rainbow. Simply enquire to speak with one of our Latin America Travel Specialists over the phone, who'll help to tailor-make your perfect holiday experience.

On the majority of tours from the UK, you'll enter San Jose from Juan Santamaria International Airport. Then, from San Jose, your tour officially begins. Whether that involves turtle watching in Tortuguero, bathing in hot springs at Arenal or walking through the canopy treetops of Monteverde Cloud Forest, our Costa Rica package holidays allow you to explore this beautiful country exactly how you want.

Both the Caribbean Coast and Pacific Ocean halves of Costa Rica offer excellent conditions for a summer holiday or winter sun escape. Some of our Costa Rica beach holidays touch upon these areas, heading to places like the tranquil Pacific waters of the Nicoya Peninsula – an idyllic way to end a tour.

Summer holidays in Costa Rica

Costa Rica summer holidays are incredible, a time during which less tourists explore the national parks.

June to August is part of the wet season. The rains often fall in short sharp spells in the morning with the rest of the day being clear and warm, and the landscapes extra lush and verdant for you to explore.

Winter sun escapes in Costa Rica

Costa Rica winter sun holidays are spectacular, but also the busiest time of year to visit the country.

December to February is part of the dry season. Beautiful beaches like Playa Flamingo enjoy clear conditions for you to relax on the white sands while the national parks are teeming with wildlife.