Costa Rica Activities

While Costa Rica offers a reasonable selection of activities for holiday makers, there are few that are aimed specifically at children. Family attractions such as the national parks that make up the Costa Rican rainforest are perhaps the best places to head to in order to keep the kids entertained. Indoor alternatives include watching an afternoon movie. Some of the large hotels may offer activities for small children such as professional entertainers or games.

Cinemas
When the rain’s falling in the afternoon, Costa Rica’s cinemas are the ideal place to take the kids. The country has a good selection of venues which invariably show Hollywood productions in English with Spanish subtitles. Cine Central (222-3641), Cine Escazu (228-0510), Cine Magaly (223-0085) and Cine Metropolitan (290-1838) are just a few of the country’s many movie theatres.

Dolphin and whale watching
Take a half-day cruise in Drake Bay on the Pacific coast and you’ll be taken to the areas where indigenous sea life such as bottlenose dolphins and humpback whales live. Adults and kids alike will revel at the chance to see some of nature’s most beautiful and graceful creatures.

Parks
Costa Rica has a number of parks which are ideal for visiting with the children. The Parque Nacional de Diversiones, for example, is a 44.2-acre facility offering over 80 attractions for the young and young at heart. Small children are given the chance to ride water slides, miniature antique car replicas, an electric train and go-karts as well as a genuine Costa Rican oxcart. For older visitors, there are rides offering bigger thrills, such as the Cyclone, the Hurricane and the Skymaster.

The Rainforest
Various tours of the Costa Rican rainforest are available and make an ideal day out for families. Tours of the Tortuguero National Park give children the chance to discover the rare nesting grounds of the green sea turtle as well as the chance to take part in the turtle breeding programs. Participation involves helping the baby turtles make their way free to the surface and catching the new eggs as they are laid.

Costa Rican cuisine is characterised by its emphasis on fresh ingredients and its absence of pungent flavours. The country’s staple diet is a mix of rice with black beans which is eaten in the same way and in the same quantities that some countries eat bread or potatoes. Traditional breakfast is a dish called gallo pinto consisting of rice with either black or red beans with onion and cilantro. Salsa Lizao is a traditional sauce that is often eaten with this dish. Other foods that constitute Costa Rican staples include white cheese, picadillos and corn tortillas.

The cheese is a traditional recipe made with the addition of salt to the milk during processing, while picadillos are small dishes comprising diced vegetables and beef with spices. Corn tortillas are eaten with most meals and locals like to fill them with whatever’s on their plate at the time to make a taco-style creation.

Finding a place to eat out isn’t difficult in Costa Rica and generally speaking wherever you head for, the standards of hygiene in the kitchens are high and you run little risk of getting food poisoning. Expensive restaurants may not necessarily offer the best food and visitors are encouraged to try the smaller establishments, known as sodas, which the locals tend to frequent and the food is as authentic as it gets, while frequently of a standard equal to or higher than expensive venues.

Take away establishments are plentiful in Costa Rica and many popular fast food restaurants are well established in the country. McDonalds, Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits and In-n-Out Burger can all be found in the country’s capital city.

Restaurants tend to open for lunch at about 11am and stay open until 2pm and then open again at 6pm and close at around midnight, depending on the establishment. Eating is a relaxed affair in Costa Rica and of an evening, few people venture into a restaurant before 8pm. If you prefer an early dinner you’ll need to bear in mind that you might find yourself sitting in an empty restaurant with very little atmosphere.

Shopping in Costa Rica is a varied affair ranging from local markets selling traditional hand-crafted goods to large stores offering imported products. Most consumables that we consider essential to day to day living can be found in the country’s supermarkets and while you may not necessarily find the brand that you are familiar with back home, you can find Costa Rican made alternatives which are often of a similar standard and quality.

If you are looking for souvenirs to take home, hand-crafted wood and leather items are ubiquitous and are generally reasonably priced. If you visit a market then do feel free to try and bargain for the best price on such goods, while at regular shops you should observe the fixed price policy and simply accept what it says on the tag. The best approach to haggling is to offer half of what the vendor suggests and work up slowly until you reach a price that you are both happy with. If that point is never reached then don’t feel obliged to buy, you are at liberty to walk away and look for the same item cheaper at another stall. Often by doing so, the vendor will call you back and offer you the price that you tried for.

The ox-cart, being the country’s national symbol, is a popular souvenir and is fashioned from wood in a range of colours and sizes – you can find them at both markets and regular shopping outlets. Rocking chairs made from wood-leather combinations are also popular and can be dismantled to make taking or sending them home easier. Ceramics and jewellery are also worth looking out for.

If you’re looking to take back some of the locally produced alcohol or cigarettes then it’s worth bearing in mind that duty-free allowances for US citizens and citizens of most European countries are three litres of alcohol and half a kilogram of tobacco.

Shopping hours are generally Monday to Saturday 09:00 to 18:00 or 19:00.

Costa Rice offers no shortage of options with regard to sports and recreational activities, with something to suit those looking for energetic pursuits and those preferring something a little more relaxing also.

Horse riding
Horse riding is a favourite and visitors will find local travel companies selling horse riding tours to a variety of destinations. The Monteverde area is perhaps the most popular as it is cool all year round and offers lush green surroundings in which to ride. The Jaco Beach Equestrian Centre at Rancho Cheyenne is also a popular spot for riding with various different tours of the land available

Fishing
Fishing is also hugely popular and enthusiasts will find the Osa Peninsula (30 miles north of the Panama border) is the ideal place to catch a large number of indigenous species as well as pompano, rooster fish, snook, snapper, grouper, Sierra mackerel, amber jack, jack crevalle and more. Entire fishing holidays can be booked online or day trips can be organised with local tour companies in the resort in which you are based. Other activities available include mountain biking, scuba diving and snorkelling, waterfall climbing and white water rafting.

Golf
Golf fans are, well accommodated with a number of courses available. The country’s climate ensures that the courses remain green all year round, with many courses offering stunning backgrounds of majestic volcanoes and mountains. Golfing holidays can be found online for real enthusiasts otherwise if you just fancy a leisurely 18 holes you can enquire at your hotel or at a local tour agent.