Costa Rica is an incredible country with so much to offer, making it a great family destination. While the idea of traveling with a baby may seem daunting at first, Costa Rica is extremely safe, the people are so kind, and there’s no better place for the “Pura Vida” vacation.
Flights and the Airport
Two of the most stressful parts of traveling with a baby are the flights and the airport. Thankfully, if you’re traveling from the U.S., you can easily find day flights, which tend to be a smoother experience for everyone involved, whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth.
When traveling with a baby in Costa Rica, it’s good to know that you often receive priority treatment at the airport. While the U.S. can be hit or miss in terms of assistance for families, Costa Rica is extremely family-conscious. They often provide family lines or assist you in skipping through security and other checkpoints. Keep an eye out for the family lines to make the process smoother. We even had workers kindly help us skip ahead when boarding our plane to come home.
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Getting Around
Getting around Costa Rica offers three main options: public transportation, pre-booked transfers, and rental cars. Pre-booked transfers can be convenient, especially if you’re staying in one area for your entire trip, like a resort or a specific beach town. SunTransfers is highly recommended, with great reviews. You can customize all the details, making it super easy and more affordable than driving yourself.
We opted to rent a car for our trip. While some blogs mention how expensive it is, we found it reasonable at $250 for the week. Check out our post on Travel Hacks for Costa Rica to learn more. Renting a car made traveling with a baby in Costa Rica incredibly smooth. We had the freedom to go where we wanted and had ample space to store and carry all our baby gear. Plus, if your baby takes naps (ours refuses), they can sleep while you drive around the country. Despite putting in a lot of miles, we only spent about $80 on fuel, making it well worth it in our opinion.
It’s worth noting that the roads are narrow and windy so drive time is not always what Google says.
Activities
A major concern for parents when traveling is bringing along car seats, strollers, baby carriers, cribs, and the like. We usually take a car seat with us since we purchase an extra seat, but we understand that some people prefer not to do so. If you’re in that category, BabyQuip can be a lifesaver. They rent baby equipment worldwide. We used them to rent a baby carrier, and it was incredibly helpful. At roughly $8 a day, it saved us from having to drag a carrier throughout the trip. Check them out for your next adventure!
There are incredible jungles with simple trails, beaches on both sides of the country, waterfalls scattered everywhere, and lots of wildlife sanctuaries. If you plan these activities with naps, you can do and see a lot.
During our trip, we visited the Mistico Hanging Bridges in La Fortuna. We were initially hesitant due to the heat and the time it would take, but to our surprise, Hadley loved it, and we even got to see monkeys! The trails were easy and they even had big-wheeled strollers available for rent. While in La Fortuna, we wandered the streets, enjoying the food and exploring the area. This is always a favorite activity of ours and our baby. Often, the best part of travel is immersing ourselves in different cultures, and wandering around always leads to unexpected discoveries.
In Jaco, we explored the town and the various nearby beaches. Easy for babies and parents. We did a small hike to El Miro that was a little steep, but short and perfect for the baby. Another quick activity was the Crocodile Bridge, a cool pit stop along the road.
All that being said, it wouldn’t be fair to claim that you can do everything in Costa Rica with a baby. Unless your little one loves rope swings, ziplining, and hiking all day, you might find yourself a little limited. However, there are still plenty of enjoyable activities you can do together, and there’s no reason not to consider Costa Rica for your next family adventure.
Hotels/Airbnbs
An underrated hack for traveling with a baby is choosing the right place to stay. After all, a happy baby equals a happy vacation. Ensuring your little one has a comfortable place to sleep and relax is key. Luckily, Costa Rica is wide open and spread out with plenty of budget-friendly and family-friendly options. It’s often easy to find Airbnbs separate from other units, which is always a huge plus for us, as we constantly worry about annoying our neighbors. Many budget-friendly hotels or Airbnbs also come with pools. We booked three nights at Hotel Pumilio, which has a pool and includes breakfast, making it a perfect spot to relax and unwind. Our baby loved swimming, and we were able to soak up the Costa Rican warmth and sun.
In addition to the location and style of accommodations, you can easily filter hotels and Airbnb listings to see which ones offer cribs or pack-and-plays. We aim to keep our stays under $100 a night and had no problem finding affordable options in Costa Rica.
Before having a baby, we didn’t pay as much attention to where we stayed, but now it’s becoming increasingly crucial to keeping everyone happy. Knowing there are plenty of great options in Costa Rica makes traveling with a baby much easier. We’ve also invested in a Hiccapop, a blackout tent to help her have some privacy and darkness when sleeping.
Food/Restaurants
Costa Rica is well developed in its larger towns and cities so there are plenty of large stores carrying all your baby needs. We have been purchasing a lot of what we need for Hadley when we get to our destinations and we had no issues doing this in Costa Rica. There are even a few Walmarts scattered around the country. It is worth noting that imported goods are taxed quite heavily and some things may cause a little sticker shock. Overall, however, things were affordable and we had no issue getting what we needed.
Costa Rica’s larger towns and cities are well-developed, with plenty of large stores carrying all your baby’s needs. We’ve found it convenient to purchase most of what we need for Hadley when we arrive at our destinations, and we had no issues doing this in Costa Rica. We stopped at a Walmart on our way out of San Jose and got everything we needed for the week. It’s worth noting, however, that imported goods are heavily taxed and some items may cause some sticker shock. Overall, things are affordable, and we had no trouble getting what we needed.
Costa Rican food is delicious! The most popular dish, the casado, is a simple mix of rice, beans, and your choice of chicken, beef, or pork. It’s an easy meal for your baby or toddler, depending on their age. Hadley was just over a year old and couldn’t get enough of it. Besides the main meals, there are plenty of fresh fruits and light snacks available, perfect for keeping everyone satisfied.
For the cheapest and easiest food options, you can’t beat the roadside family shops known as Sodas. These places are super family-friendly, and we never had any trouble finding high chairs for the baby. The waiters and locals were always happy to see Hadley, and we felt completely comfortable wherever we went for food. Plus it’s a great way to experience the local cuisine without breaking the bank.
Conclusion
Traveling with a baby is never easy, but Costa Rica with a baby is absolutely doable. From the airports to the hotels and restaurants, the country is ready and waiting for you. So pack up and get ready for an unforgettable adventure in the land of Pura Vida!
Additional Tips and Reminders
If you haven’t guessed, Costa Rica is very hot and very wet. Don’t forget sunscreen and bug repellent. Hadley didn’t really get any bites but her parents sure did. It also may not hurt to bring a portable fan. Again, it’s hot. We had multiple days in the mid-90s.
The water in Costa Rica is safe and perfectly fine to drink. However, it never hurts to stick with water bottles. They’re easy to come by.