March 2011
Costa Rica is a great family destination. Our family went for a week of Spanish immersion, living with a Costa Rican family and attending classes during the day; then my parents joined up with us for a bit of more traditional touring. Both parts of the trip were terrific, and all of us could easily have stayed on longer.
There is a huge range of accommodations, from the very spiffiest to very basic. We experienced the full range, and it all was just fine. (Sure, the posh place was, in fact, posher.) Conservation is taken quite seriously throughout the country, and this seems to alter the typical tourist dynamic in a positive way. Foreign visitors are there to appreciate the (considerable) natural splendors, which is different from tourists coming to fry on the beaches and scoop up stuff from the shops.
The shopping is, in fact, limited. We didn't make it to the beaches, though I understand they are marvelous and I now hope to see them, someday. The roads also are not so great, particularly out to Monteverde. But I wonder if that's actually public policy.
What We Did:
Conversa: just outside San Jose (Santa Ana); both homestay and on-campus apartments available. We did the homestay and were really glad we did, though it may not be suitable for all families. Conversa has programs for kids & retirees. Excellent and systematic teaching program. They did a very good job accommodating the various / evolving needs of our family-- we had a full range from absolutely no Spanish at all, to fairly high intermediate level. Will arrange for tours / transport elsewhere throughout Costa Rica prior to or after school stay.
Monteverde Cloud Forest (3 nights):
Monteverde Lodge & Garden: Fodor-starred; lovely; close enough to town that you can walk, but with extensive gardens and wildlife sanctuary on the grounds, so once you get there you feel like you're in an oasis. Surprisingly good restaurant. (booked through CR Expeditions).
Addendum: To my great astonishment, a week after our return, I got an email from Michael Kaye, the founder of Costa Rica Expeditions, asking me how my trip was, what they did well and what they could do better... Turns out he keeps a chatty, informal blog and is constantly soliciting his clients' feedback.
Addendum: To my great astonishment, a week after our return, I got an email from Michael Kaye, the founder of Costa Rica Expeditions, asking me how my trip was, what they did well and what they could do better... Turns out he keeps a chatty, informal blog and is constantly soliciting his clients' feedback.
Final Night (within striking distance of airport -- 1 night):
Peace Lodge and Waterfall Garden: Fodor-rec; 1 hour N of airport on good road; also near Poas Volcano. Very posh and restful; has extensive waterfall walk, zoo and gardens on premises. The garden and zoo are a destination unto themselves (people buy day ticket admission). We were there one delightful afternoon, night and morning, and actually did not have time to see everything.
Stuff to see/do:
Cloud Forest Reserve: with trails, canopy walks, etc. Get a guide.
Selvatura Park: frommer-rec for zip lines, treetip walk, hummingbird garden and more
Sabine's Horseriding: frommer-rec, 3 hour guided tours including kids out to waterfalls for $45
SkyTrek: Alternate zipline place; may have less for seniors
Monteverde Cheese Factory: tours at 9a and 2p
El Trapiche 2 hour farm tour: Frommer rec; various CR products; includes ox cart ride (!); $30 adult / $10 kids 6-12
Monteverde Coffee: 3 hour circuit around fair trade cooperative; tours $30
CASEM: poke-a-rama cooperative; right next to coffee farm. Disappointing, actually.
Monteverde Friends School: k-12 bilingual school running continuously since first Quaker settlement in 1955. Neat. They welcome medium-duration volunteers and are actively soliciting 10th-12th graders who'd like to do a semester or year-long study there.
Other / Next time:
CPI: Another well-reputed language school with three campuses at Flamingo (beach in NW corner of country - Guanacaste region), Monteverde (cloud forest), and Heredia (outside San Jose); homestays or they will arrange apartments. They will link together multiple weeks at different campuses. We visited Monteverde campus -- very lovely; about the same number of students as Conversa; more compact campus but with many more after-class options nearby. Not walkable to town but taxis easily call-able.
Tortuga Lodge: Sister property to Monteverde Lodge in Tortuguera (NE corner of coast). Go during hatching season (June-October). Don't be put off by the website (as I was when considering Monteverde Lodge) -- CR Expeditions by all accounts does a really solid job on everything except web design. They'll string together visits to both of the lodges they manage, plus rafting trips, plus other hotels throughout the country that they recommend.
Springs Resort: Sister property to very posh Peace Lodge, near Arenal volcano (west-side of central; accessible by better roads than Monteverde side of the ridge). Doubtless very nice and breathtakingly expensive.
Small Distinctive Hotels of Costa Rica: Self-defined collection of luxury hotels throughout the country; all of which look lovely in their promotional materials
Nature Air: To avoid those Fin de Pavemento roads... for those families whose jefe permits little planes landing on little runways. Also has daily runs to Panama and Nicaragua.
Congregation B'nei Israel: Progressive, in San Jose
El Establo: Frommer-rec. resort in Monteverde with family suites (Sigh; not available on our dates...) Looks very lovely; not walkable to town.
Links to cool places, many with volunteer opportunities
