The Number One Vacation Spot I'd Recommend with Kids

We've gone to many amazing places over the years, including Paris, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Barcelona, Alaska, Hawaii, numerous National Parks, etc. I've loved every trip for different reasons, and it's hard to pick a number one vacation spot. That being said, if I was forced to pick my number one spot to recommend everyone to travel with their kids, it would be this:

Costa Rica

Why did Costa Rica win out? Well, numerous reasons.

First off, it's incredibly accessible from the US. The flight is not terribly long, and it's much less expensive to travel to than some of those other amazing destinations I mentioned.

Fairly quick and inexpensive to travel to Costa Rica

Secondly, it's BEAUTIFUL. You go to Hawaii and expect beauty and are not disappointed, but I'm not sure anyone thinks about or realizes just how beautiful Costa Rica is.

Third, it's adventurous. But kid-friendly and out-of-shape-mom adventurous. Think ziplining through the rainforest canopy, exploring suspension bridges, hiking to remote waterfalls, and taking night hikes to see the nocturnal animals.

Fourth, there is SO much wildlife here to see. Flora (plants) and fauna (animals) galore! We saw toucans, quetzals, snakes, poison dart frogs, bugs, coatimundi, sloths, squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, iguanas, crocodiles, and more. And before that makes you think that it actually is NOT the best place to take kids, please know that I'm a super scaredy-cat when it comes to many living things, especially reptiles and bugs. That being said, I always felt safe, and the joy that kids got from seeing these things in the wild was worth every second of thinking about a snake lunging out at me! I'd recommend taking guided tours/hikes because it helps with the feeling safer piece (guides want to protect you, and they have anti-venom with them) but also because they can really help spot some easier-to-miss animals. We would've walked right by several snakes, sloths, and birds if our guides weren't trained to notice them for us. The kids can learn so much from seeing these animals and plants in-person and up close. For example, my kids will probably be able to tell you about leaf-cutter ants until they're 90 years old because they were fascinated by watching these small ants carrying leaves in huge lines.

Fifth, if you are a family who favors luxury and relaxation a bit more than my family, Costa Rica has that too. Jon and I went to Costa Rica on our honeymoon, and we stayed at a luxurious spa and soaked in the thermal hot springs. We got massages and mud wraps, took a sunset cruise, and relaxed on the beach.

Our kids aren't as into the relaxing, but we did slow down for a minute to enjoy some pipa fria (fresh coconut water)

Finally, Costa Rica also has really nice people, and quite a lot of people speak English there making it a bit easier or more accessible for families, too. In fact, Costa Rica has a large ex-pat population (as in, people from the US who now live there). When Jon and I went on our honeymoon, we stayed some of the time at a yoga retreat that was owned by three ex-pats. And this time around when we went with our kids, we stayed a few days at a farmstay/homestay with a family of ex-pats (the mother and father moved their young children to Costa Rica in the 70s I believe, and the family has grown up there and the now-adult children run the homestay, with their young children running around there).

So for these reasons, and thousands more than I'm sure I'm forgetting right now, I strongly recommend Costa Rica with kids. Go to the blog with our specific Costa Rica itinerary/trip for more information!

Kids love Costa Rica!