I had not been to Costa Rica before this trip but it does pop up as a fairly regular request with families, especially with teenagers.

I have a very close working relationship with Distinctive Americas and they are my “go to” for all my Central and South American enquiries.

I loved Costa Rica and the mix of nature and wildlife, stunning scenery, adventure and the Pura Vida vibe; friendly and relaxed. In total, we spent seven nights were spent in Costa Rica, which included one night at Hotel Grano de Oro in San Jose, two nights at Pacuare Lodge in the east, two nights at Nayara Tented Camp in the central region and then we took a light aircraft flight down to the Osa Peninsula in the southwestern corner and spent a night each at Lapa Rios Lodge and Playa Cativo Lodge.

Lapa Rios Lodge in Costa Rica © Daniel Benians, Distinctive Americas

White water rafting down the Pacuare river to Pacuare Lodge, a unique rainforest lodge was one of the highlights of this trip for me. The remote eco-lodge is located amongst dense rainforest in the Limon province and is perched on the banks of the Pacuare River. It is surrounded by nature, wildlife and the roar of the rapids and offers exhilarating activities such as a zip-line canopy tour and canyoning. It is the perfect base to immerse yourself in the depths of the rainforest jungle. 

If white water rafting into and out of the lodge is not your thing then access can be achieved in a 4x4 vehicle followed by a short gondola ride across the river.

I loved my stay at Nayara Tented Camp for its beautiful luxurious tented accommodations. Think African safari style located in the Costa Rican rainforest. The tents blend sustainable luxury with a “Pura Vida” vibe and have wonderful mineral hot spring pools and outdoor showers. 

Nayara Tented Camp © Daniel Benians, Distinctive Americas

The area is home to a diverse array of birds, wildlife, and a sloth sanctuary and I really enjoyed sitting in my pool listening to the sounds of the rainforest, especially at dawn and dusk. We even saw an armadillo scuttering along the path one morning. 

Playa Cativo Lodge was another highlight for me because of its remote location in a private 1,000-acre Private Nature Reserve on the Osa Peninsula. This small boutique lodge is beautifully furnished and has a lovely homely feel to it. The food is just delicious and wildlife is in abundance.  

Access is only by boat and during our scenic boat trip across we experienced playful dolphins surfing in our boat’s wake. Between July and November, you can experience whale watching when the humpback whales migrate to mate and give birth.

Playa Cativo Lodge © Daniel Benians Distinctive Americas

Costa Rica is full of adventure activities. There’s white water rafting on some of the best white water rafting rivers in the world; ziplines and hanging bridges in the rainforest canopy of Arenal and Monteverde; waterfall rappelling and canyoning; and plenty of wildlife adventures, which include night jungle walks, sloth and monkey watching, and sea turtle nesting tours in Tortuguero. My top tip for any traveller is the pack lots of quick dry clothing when visiting the rainforest areas.

Kayaking, paddleboarding and surfing opportunities can also be found to suit all abilities. There is the opportunity to soak in natural hot springs and hike lava fields, participate in ATV and quad biking, horseback riding, diving and snorkelling too. 

There is certainly something for everyone. My personal favourite was the white water rafting into Pacuare Lodge and we would’ve repeated the experience but sadly due to heavy rain, the night before we left, the water levels were too high for us to participate in the 18km water rafting out of the lodge. Getting to the lodge was quite a gentle ride, with grade II-III rapids at most, but I think the class of rapids really does depend on water levels. 

Pacuare Lodge © Daniel Benians, Distinctive Americas

Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse in the world and during my trip I got to see all of the most prominent wildlife including sloths, monkeys of varying species, toucans, macaws, and hummingbirds. Whilst very rare and elusive, wild cats like jaguars, ocelots, and pumas inhabit remote areas. My most rewarding sightings were seeing the sloths and the brightly coloured macaws in the wild and I loved listening to the howler monkeys in the rainforest as the sun went down.

Would I go back? Absolutely, there is still so much to see and do. Costa Rica is so easy to get around using a combination of road transport and a good internal flight network that includes light aircraft. The destination is high on the leaderboard for sustainable tourism and this was evident at all the lodges we stayed at, each one running their own sustainable practices in their own way. 

The Pura Vida shines throughout and Distinctive Americas certainly knows how to create a fun and vibrant itinerary to experience the best of Costa Rica.  Especially for discerning and adventurous clients or clients that just simply love being in the outdoors and surrounded by nature. 

Now that I've experienced Costa Rica for myself, I consider it a prime destination for switch selling and that's not just for families with teenagers.  A trip there can be scaled up in terms of both activity or cost or scaled down in terms of activity or cost, which means it can be good value.  In Latin America it is probably one of the best value destinations and it can include wildlife, beach and soft adventure, a combination not always found in the region.