Costa Rica Family Multisport
- Bike along Lake Arenal and gaze at majestic Arenal Volcano
- Soak in hot springs hidden in a rain forest oasis
- White-water raft the Río Savegre, one Central America's most pristine rivers
- Meet experts who intimately know the country's incredible flora and fauna
- Kids paint their own Boruca masks with an indigenous artist
Call 800-462-2848, Every day 7am–5pm,PST
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Adventures in Paradise from Arenal Volcano to the Pacific Coast
Ready to treat yourself to an intimate encounter with Mother Nature? Come play with us in Costa Rica! Beloved for its national parks, biological reserves and wildlife refuges, this friendly Central American nation protects a larger proportion of its land than any country in the world. On this action-packed multisport journey, you'll experience many of Costa Rica's precious ecosystems firsthand. Marvel at a unique volcano, bask on untouched beaches, venture through lush jungles, encounter wildlife at every turn and enjoy a rich array of activity options, from rafting and hiking to surfing, horseback riding, and zip-line flying.
Days
1-2 Gaze at Arenal Volcano and walk across a barren lava field and through rain forest in Arenal National Park 
Kids check out snakes, frogs and butterflies at a serpentarium Cruise across Lake Arenal by boat, then explore its lush jungle surroundings by bike The afternoon is yours to zip-line, horseback ride, hike or simply relax by the pool Soak in hot springs hidden in a rain forest oasis.
Day
3 Walk through primary rain forest criss-crossed by hanging bridges up to 300 feet long A private charter plane whisks us to the white-sand beaches of the Pacific coast Enjoy home-cooked casado with a local family Hike through the pristine Savegre Valley and learn tips on how to survive if you're lost in the jungle Kick back at our secluded hotel on your private deck or - zoom down the 100-foot waterslide - look out below!
Day
4 Venture through the lush habitat of sloths, monkeys, toucans and lizards Make a splash during a thrilling white-water rafting excursion on Río Savegre On our naturalist-led walk through Manuel Antonio National Park, listen for the call of howler and white-faced monkeys.
Days
5-6 Kids paint their own Boruca masks with an indigenous artist Adults are as active as they like: beach walk, kayak, horseback ride, surf or relax in a hammock or at the spa Pedal on the beach, then turn inland through a landscape of banana and African palm trees Rejuvenate with a beachfront yoga class or a morning seaside stroll Shuttle back to San José, stopping along the way to look for crocodiles.
Guests Reviews About This Trip
Fabulous. The leaders were outstanding and our kids had the time of their lives. Backroads is a great way to travel for a busy family - minimal preparation required, and a rich and diverse schedule of activities and experiences that we never could have planned on our own.- Palos Verdes Estates, CA
Backroads has freed me up from the time-consuming research, planning and decision making I do to ensure an exciting adventure for our family vacations. The leaders are phenomenal and traveling with other like minded families has put a new twist on our usually independent travels. This was our first trip with Backroads and it will not be our last. I am looking forward to many more.
This trip was unbelievable! We went to places we never would have found by ourselves. Each day was packed with exciting adventures and the leaders were phenomenal. We could not have asked for anything more from them.- Walden, NY
Premiere Inns*
Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa
La Fortuna (2 nights) Take in majestic views of Arenal Volcano while soaking in your suite’s private whirlpool. (pool, spa)
Rafiki Safari Lodge
Savegre (1 night) African-style luxury safari tents offer the ideal setting for enjoying the sights and sounds of the jungle. (pool)
Alma del Pacífico Hotel
Playa Esterillos Este (2 nights) The spacious private villas at this beachside resort feature large terraces and a mosaic-tiled shower that opens to your own garden. (pool, spa)
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This Trip Is Rated Level 1-3
Routes For All Abilities
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of
interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one
day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat
from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each
day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
| Daily Route Options | |||||||||||
| Day | Activity | EASYGOING | ACTIVE | AVID | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | |||||||
| miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | ||
| 1 | Hiking | 3 | 100 | 5 | 300 | ||||||
| Kids | Serpentarium visit (2 hours) | ||||||||||
| 2 | Biking | 10* | 800 | 15 | 1300 | ||||||
| Other | Boat ride on Lake Arenal (1 hour) | ||||||||||
| Other | Optional zip-lining, kayaking or hiking | ||||||||||
| 3 | Hiking | 2 | 300 | ||||||||
| Hiking | 2 | 500 | |||||||||
| 4 | Hiking | 2 | 100 | ||||||||
| Hiking | 4 | 300 | |||||||||
| Rafting | On the Río Savegre (2.5 hours) | ||||||||||
| 5 | Biking | 5* | 0 | 14 | 100 | ||||||
| Biking | 8 | 100 | |||||||||
| Other | Optional horseback riding, surfing, kayaking or hiking | ||||||||||
| Kids | Mask painting | ||||||||||
| 6 | Walking | 2.0 | 0 | ||||||||
| Other | Optional yoga class | ||||||||||
On this trip, we'll be using titanium mountain bikes that are just right for the non-technical dirt road riding as well as the paved riding. (approximately 40% dirt and 60% paved; percentage will vary on kid's routes).
There is a lot to experience in Costa Rica and this trip is nothing short of action-packed! We have kept route distances short to ensure you have plenty of time to take advantage of the multitude of activities available. While distances suggest a Level 1–2 trip, we’ve rated it 1–3 instead due to the abundance of activities, as well as the heat, which require a bit more get-up-and-go.
* Includes a shuttle
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For 34 years, Backroads has been perfecting the art of active travel. We are the Costa Rica tour experts. See our award-winning Latin America multisport tours, Latin America biking tours and Latin America walking and hiking tours.
