Save this itinerary for your next family trip to Guanacaste
Over the summer, we spent a week in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, and it instantly became one of those “we’ll be talking about this for years” trips. If you want a vacation where you actually do the adventures with your kids instead of just watching them, this is the one.
We stayed at the JW Marriott in Guanacaste, which ended up being a great home base. The pool alone made it worth it. The restaurants are limited and expensive, but coming back to something comfortable and kid-easy each day was worth the trade.
Day 1 — Arrival
Flew into Liberia, drove to the JW Marriott, unpacked, swam, exhaled.
Day 2 — UTV Tour with ATV Tamarindo
Totally worth it. Two hours was the sweet spot. This ended up being my husband’s favorite day of the whole trip.
Day 3 — Active but calm
- Bike ride on the resort bikes
- Lunch at Cabinas Las Olas
- Horseback riding through the forest and onto an empty beach
The horseback ride was my favorite moment of the week — emerging from the trees onto the sand with nobody else around was surreal.
Day 4 — Surf day at Playa Avellana
- Lessons with Black Panther Expedition
- Beach afterward
Surfing was Haven’s favorite (age 11) and everyone’s second favorite. The guides challenged the kids just the right amount – they LOVED that.
Day 5 — Ziplining at Monkey Jungle
Zipline adventure
This was Ezra’s favorite (age 6). It was more intense than I expected, but the guides were incredibly safe and patient. After the first line my nerves were gone.
Day 6 — Departure
Took the scenic route back to the airport for one last look.
Before You Go – Things I wish someone told me
Bring cash (USD is fine).
Credit cards are discouraged and can come with huge fees — sometimes up to 20%. Most pricing is already listed in USD, so bring plenty of dollars and maybe a small amount of colones for tips.
Rent a full-size SUV (and you actually need the car).
Everything is 20–40 minutes apart and flexibility is key with kids. Roads are bumpy with potholes, so a bigger vehicle matters.
Add more drive time than Google says.
I didn’t feel comfortable driving as fast as locals, and Google Maps did not account for more cautious driving.
Final Thoughts
Guanacaste is an amazing family adventure destination. My favorite part is that we actually did everything with the kids (UTVs, surfing, horses, ziplining) and it made us feel like kids again too.
It was pricier than I expected, but the value was there. We’d absolutely go back to Costa Rica, next time for volcanoes and rain forests.
If you want a trip that blends comfort with full-on adventure, save this one.