Costa Rica family tour, 11 days

Planet

Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. The plethora of flora, fauna and wildlife is the primary attraction to tourists. On this trip this is evident across national parks Monteverde and Manuel Antonio where many people go to spot sloths and monkeys. For this reason, it is even more important to hold strong values of animal welfare and protection. We’re serious about this animal welfare stuff and want to do everything we can to improve the welfare of animals in tourism. We’ve therefore teamed up with animal welfare experts, ANIMONDIAL. Their vision is to minimise tourism’s impact on animals, natural environments and the people that depend upon them. They’ve helped us to improve the welfare standards of our trips even further and create long-term plans to support animals in tourism. Best of all though, we’ve worked together to create an Animal Welfare in Tourism Starter Kit for small businesses, to help other travel companies improve their animal welfare standards too. Furthermore, these national parks are also conservation centres dedicated to nature recovery.

This trip contributes to the maintenance of areas of outstanding natural beauty by promoting national parks and forests like the cloud forests of Monteverde and Manuel Antonio, which have entrance fees that feeds back into the economy and wildlife protection, and use local guides who are experts in the local flora and fauna.

We also offer tools to our customers to encourage sustainability, carbon reduction and caring for the environment both at home and away. These include 'zero waste while travelling: our top tips'.

The hotels that we work with in Costa Rica follow in the same ethos as the rest of the accommodation we offer- small, boutique style special stays that are locally owned, authentic and full of character. Costa Rica boasts some of the best examples of this policy. We steer clear of chains throughout the country.


Costa Rica is a well known destination for eco-tourism. Described as the 'greenest and happiest nation', the country now generates 98% of of its electricity from renewable resources. There is a lot that the rest of the world should learn from the Costa Rican approach to sustainability. For this reason, it is great to promote meaningful travel in Costa Rica, immersing in the incredible nature, particularly for the younger generation.

All of our accommodation in Costa Rica reflects this dedication to sustainability, complete with commitment to renewable energy. For instance, we supply accommodation that has been recognised with certifications for Sustainable tourism by the Costa Rican authorities. They pride themselves on promoting "natural and cultural experiences hand in hand with the integral growth of the community". They go the extra mile by proudly posting yearly sustainability reports on their website. Also, there is the opportunity to stay in aptly named 'ecolodges' and 'wildlife refuges.' For instance the eco-lodge we use in La Fortuna are committed to protecting local wildlife, recycling, environmental education for the local community, energy saving and the use of biodegradable products at the eco-lodge.

During this holiday you’ll stay in a Monteverde lodge which has been awarded the Ecological Blue Flag, and is making further strides in terms of energy conservation and waste management – they’re even helping to lead the auto-revolution by installing an electric car charging point! Elsewhere, you’ll also visit a non-profit wildlife sanctuary in Manuel Antonio, where rescued animals are rehabilitated and released back into the wild whenever possible.
We also make a contribution to another trusted wildlife rescue centre in Costa Rica every time we book a new holiday to the country.

This trip is an exciting and active adventure. For this reason, it includes lots of 'human powered transport' and movement. This includes rafting in Turrialba, kayaking at Arenal volcano, surfing in Samara, ziplining and walking through Monteverde and Manuel Antonio.

People

Throughout our trips we use Costa Rican guides and drivers, most of whom are originally from that specific area of the country. Not only does this mean that money is staying within the local community, but also that the service and knowledge our travellers receive is top-notch. You’ll often be picked up from the airport in San Jose by Jorge, who is from the city and whose daughter works on the operations team in the office of our local partner.

For instance we maximise local economic opportunities further by using only locally owned excursion companies where you will meet and learn from expert local guides throughout the trip, including in national parks and when learning to surf.

One of the key aspects of our itineraries is that we work with local partners who are based in Costa Rica in order to provide the most authentic insight into everyday life in the destination, and divert from the usual tourist trail (which is important when considering the mitigation of environmental degradation in tourist hotspots) but also supports the country's economy even before our customer has touched down as the local partner helps to develop their itinerary.

They are committed to sustainability and protecting the flora and fauna. They have achieved the highest sustainability accreditation possible in country as part of the Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program , this is based on complying with a sustainable model of natural, cultural and social resource management. This program combines sustainable tourism, good management practices, the environmental and social impacts of services. Our local partners in Costa Rica employ their own full-time Sustainability Manager to ensure that the hotels and services we use match their own standards. Our partner provides documentation to our customers in a welcome pack when they arrive in Costa Rica detailing how best to treat the flora and fauna, tips on social norms like dress codes and photography.

Costa Rica is renowned as one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly destinations in Latin America.