A Costa Rica spring break with kids is a great fit for families who want more than a pool chair. March and April fall in Costa Rica's dry season, so you get sunny beach days plus volcanoes, hot springs and wildlife. The easiest plan for most families is to split the trip between the Arenal area and a beach in Guanacaste.
Families from Idaho, Utah and the Mountain West plan these trips with us as part of our other destinations planning. Here is what we tell parents before they book.
Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you book through them, Fun Park Go may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Costa Rica packs a lot into a small country. In one week, your kids can see a volcano, walk a hanging bridge in the rainforest and play on a Pacific beach.
It is a different kind of trip than a Mexico all-inclusive. If your family mainly wants a pool, a kids club and a buffet, read our Dreams vs Secrets resorts guide too. If your kids want to see sloths and zip lines, Costa Rica is hard to beat.
Visit Costa Rica, the country's official tourism site, lists the dry season as mid-December to late April. That covers most spring break weeks.
A few timing tips:
The Caribbean side has a different weather pattern and more rain, so most spring break families stick to the Pacific side and the Arenal area.
Our honest answer: do both if you have a week. If you only have four or five nights, pick one.
This is the rainforest and volcano side of the trip. Families love it for:
Plan one big activity per day. Kids do better with a slow morning and a pool in the afternoon.
Guanacaste is the dry, sunny beach region on the northern Pacific coast. Visit Costa Rica points to beaches like Tamarindo, Playa Conchal and Playa Grande. Some beaches have calm water, and others have bigger surf, so we match the beach to your kids' ages.
Guanacaste has more resort-style hotels, so it is the easy place to rest at the end of the trip.
Here is a plan that works for a lot of families:
The official tourism site says the Liberia airport serves Guanacaste, Monteverde and La Fortuna. That makes it a handy airport for this kind of trip. The drive between Arenal and the beach takes a few hours, so we set up transfers or a driver so you are not figuring out roads with tired kids.
Every traveler needs a passport, including babies and kids. U.S. citizens do not need a visa for a short tourist trip. Here is what to check:
If your kids do not have passports yet, start now. Spring break is closer than it feels.
We can bundle your flights and hotel into one package through our vacation partners. That means one booking and fewer things to track. We do not sell flight-only bookings.
Routes and prices change often, so we check options from Salt Lake City, Boise and Idaho Falls when we build your quote. Payment plans are available on vacation packages. Booking through a travel agent costs nothing extra. See how our planning services work.
Want to look around first? You can browse hotels and photos with our partners Funjet Vacations, Apple Vacations and Blue Sky Tours. When you find something you like, send us the hotel name and your dates. We will build the package and handle the booking for you.
Yes, with the right pace. Toddlers and preschoolers do great with hot springs, beaches and short nature walks. Save the long hikes and zip lines for kids who are a bit older. Ask about family rooms when you book, and keep transfer days short.
If your kids are still in the "characters and slides" stage, a resort trip might fit better this year. Our Nickelodeon resort guide for Punta Cana and Cancun is a good comparison. Water park fans can also look at our Aquatica vs Volcano Bay comparison for a closer-to-home Orlando option.
Yes. Spring break falls in the dry season, and kids get volcanoes, hot springs, wildlife and beaches in one trip.
Yes. Every traveler needs a passport, including babies. It should be valid for your whole stay.
If you have a week, split your time. If you have a shorter trip, pick Guanacaste for beach time or Arenal for adventure.
Many families use the Liberia airport (LIR) for Guanacaste and La Fortuna. San José (SJO) also works, depending on your route.
Yes. We can bundle your flights and hotel into one vacation package. Payment plans are available on packages.
As soon as you can. Spring break and Holy Week are busy, so popular hotels and tours fill up early.
Tell us your dates, your kids' ages and what your family loves to do. We will put together a few options side by side. Request a free quote at funparkgo.com.
Fun Park Go is an independent travel agency affiliated with Travel Leaders.
Photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
.jpg){kind=link}