Holy cow! Or rather, holy huge millipede! Was that a toucan? Get a closer look from the suspended bridges high in the rain forest canopy. Can you spot those howler monkeys you've been hearing? Swinging through the jungle, Tarzan style. Do some swinging of your own on a zip-line. Or will it be beach time? Or paddling the stunning coastline of Quepos? Or TLC at the spa? It's up to you. And you really can't go wrong. With these activities. With private charter flights connecting it all. With a week of Backroads family fun in Costa Rica.
Days 1-2 Meander through Manuel Antonio National Park
with an expert who helps us spot white-faced monkeys, butterflies, sloths and iguanas 
Hop on a charter flight to the Pacific coast Venture through Rainmaker Reserve along jungle trails and suspension bridges Opt to fly through the jungle canopy on a zip-line or relax back at the hotel.
Day 3 Take in the stunning Pacific coastline from your sea kayak
A local family invites us into their home for lunch Hike through the rain forest to our secluded jungle safari hotel Kick back on your private deck or take a plunge on the 100-foot long waterslide - look out below!
Day 4 Make a splash on a thrilling white-water rafting excursion on Río Savegre
A short scenic flight whisks us to the Nicoya peninsula Venture into tropical forest and perhaps catch a glimpse of the colorful long-tailed manakin or trogon birds Relax by a multitiered infinity pool offering sunset views of the Pacific Ocean.
Days 5-6 A tropical mountain biking adventure on some of Costa Rica's most beautiful beaches
Play or relax at our oceanfront resort: horseback ride, lounge on sublime white-sand beaches or indulge in a massage Youngsters enjoy kid-inspired fun - and possibly pick-up soccer with local niños Enjoy fresh seafood at a farewell feast.
Trip Highlights
- A perfect line-up of activities make for great family adventures throughout the country
- Spot amazing wildlife - sloths, monkeys, lizards and more - at Manuel Antonio National Park
- White-water raft Río Savegre, one of Central America's most pristine rivers
- Sublime white-sand beaches great for swimming and surfing
- Kid-inspired fun - and possibly pick-up soccer with local niños - at an arts cooperative
Premiere Inns
Parador Resort & Spa (2 nights): A Spanish-style resort with blissful views of the Manuel Antonio rain forest and the azure Pacific. (pool, spa, tennis)
Rafiki Safari Lodge (1 night): African-style luxury safari tents offer the ideal setting for enjoying the sights and sounds of the jungle. (pool)
Hotel Punta Islita (2 nights): This eco-friendly resort is tucked away between an ocean cove and the forest on the pristine Nicoya Peninsula. A Small Luxury Hotels of the World member. Condé Nast Traveler Gold List. (pool, spa, tennis, golf)
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 | 2* | 300 | ||||||||
| 2 | Hiking | 2 | 200 | 4 | 600 | ||||||
| Other | Optional zip-lining, surfing or mangrove tour | ||||||||||
| 3 | Hiking | 2* | 500 | ||||||||
| Kayaking | Around Quepos (2 hours) | ||||||||||
| 4 | Hiking | 1 | 100 | 3 | 600 | ||||||
| Rafting | On Río Savegre (2.5 hours) | ||||||||||
| 5 | Biking | 8 | 200 | 19 | 900 | 30 | 2400 | ||||
| Other | Optional surfing, horseback riding or golf | ||||||||||
| Kids | Cultural activity & games | ||||||||||
| 6 | Other | Punta Islita guided walk (1 hour) | |||||||||
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 45% dirt and 55% paved).
* Includes a shuttle
2013 Dates & Pricing*
FAMILY TRIPS
- 7/29-8/3 Price: $3898 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1010 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $565
- 8/5-10 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1010 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $565
- 8/12-17 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1010 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $565
- 12/22-27 Price: $3898 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1010 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $565
- 12/24-29 Price: $3898 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1010 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $565
- 12/26-31 Price: $3998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1010 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $565
- 12/28-1/2 Price: $4098 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1010 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $565
- 12/30-1/4 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1010 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $565
*Prices may change. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.
2014 Dates & Pricing*
FAMILY TRIPS
- 2/17-22 Price: $3698 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 3/10-15 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 3/17-22 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 3/24-29 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 4/7-12 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 4/14-19 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 7/21-26 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 7/28-8/2 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 8/4-9 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 8/11-16 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 12/21-26 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 12/23-28 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 12/25-30 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 12/27-1/1 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 12/29-1/3 Price: $3498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
*Prices may change. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.
Recommended Kids Ages
Minimum Ages:
- Recommended minimum age for the trip: 9 years
- Minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9 years
- Minimum age restriction to raft: 8 years
- Minimum age restriction to surf: 7 years
- Minimum age restriction to kayak: 5 years
- No Burleys available on this trip
General Info on Minimum Ages:
We strongly encourage families to join our Family Trips, designed with kid- and adult-friendly features. Please note that we have a minimum age requirement of 1 year for all Inn trips and 2 years for all Camping trips. Other than that, we do not restrict trips to a minimum age except in the rare case of a hotel age restriction. We do, however, recommend minimum ages based on the following criteria:- 12+ amount of cultural appreciation, difficulty of activities, routes
- 9+ difficulty of activities/activity age restrictions, routes
- 6+ several longer dinners; routes are difficult for pulling a Burley and therefore not appropriate for younger children; difficulty of activities/activity age restrictions
Guest Trip Reviews
A fantastic trip! The group was great and everything worked beautifully. To hike into Rafiki, and then to trudge down through the mud to the river where rafting guides are waiting, and then to get off the river and onto planes which take you to an unpaved airstrip on the beach where you can literally see your bikes from the air, lined up and waiting -- that is vacation nirvana.- Beverly Hills, CA
This was the best family vacation we have ever been on - and we are experienced vacationers. I have already recommended Backroads, and this trip in specific, to friends - and we only got back last night. We've gone on Backroads bike trips previously but had never taken our kids and had never done a multisport trip. We have an athletic 15 year old and a not-very-athletic 12 year old. Amazingly, this trip worked well for both kids. Everyone was happy.
For a family of 22 individuals with ages spanning from 10 to 77, I can't believe EVERYONE had such a great time. To put together a family trip like this where we have 3 generations and different levels of fitness and expectations and have everyone happy at the end of it is - well it just blows my mind. I can't thank everyone at Backroads enough.- Old Greenwich, CT
One of the best vacations I've ever been on. Our guides were knowledgeable, excellent teachers, and also patient with us. I appreciated their humor as well as their knowledge and insight. Aside from the wonderful leaders, great accommodations, and beautifully interesting country, another thing that made the trip so special was the chemistry of the group it was so enjoyable to be traveling with such a friendly and interesting mix of people. It was also amazing how well the kids in the group gelled.- West Hartford, CT
My daughter and I both felt that Backroads gave us a chance to enjoy the local culture, food, people and wildlife in Costa Rica in a way that we never would have experienced on our own.
My husband and I were in awe as to the enthusiasm of ALL the families - adults as well as children and how much fun they had - and the ease with how everyone got along together. The fun of observing them and being with all of them, yet not on top of each other, was wonderful. The activities and organization of the trip made it so easy and enjoyable. It is so nice to not be making decisions about where to go, when to eat, where to eat, arrange transportation, etc. and still have some choices.- Lakewood, WA
Fabulous trip! I can't think of a single thing I would change about it.- Hoffman Estates, IL
Our leaders were fantastic - "off the charts"! A family trip is really challenging and they had a large group of teenage boys that they were wonderful with (no small feat), encouraging them in all the activities, getting the shy ones to come into their own, keeping up with the more outgoing ones and rising to every occasion. At the same time they made a group of preteen girls fall totally in love with them. And finally, they made us parents feel truly relaxed, taking over all the logistics and details of tours, transportation, meals and much more.- Vienna,VA
Our leaders were tremendously welcoming and knowledgeable. They made the trip run smoothly and set the right tone of adventure, fun and learning. The week went by too quickly, and we are eager to experience the Backroads magic with our family again as soon as possible.- Cleveland, OH
An excellent time with many varied activities, which were great. Something new every day.- Honeoye Falls, NY
We thoroughly enjoyed our Backroads trip. It pulled our family together, got us all outside, and we felt happier and healthier by the end of the week.- Andover, MA
Another outstanding Backroads experience - flawlessly executed by your amazing leaders. You guys pack more into five or six days without ever making guests feel rushed - including cultural contacts with the locals that would be impossible to arrange on one's own. Thanks again from all of us!
I feel like my kids learned a TON and we all just had a great time!