Our Spring Break Trip to Costa Rica - Part 1

Our family has been blessed with the opportunity to travel a lot over the years, which is something I've been intentional to prioritize as a parent. I had a wonderful childhood with lots of trips to the beach, the mountains, ski trips, NYC, Disney World and all of the Florida theme parks in high school, but it wasn't until college that I really started to explore more on my own. Going to Honduras several times and also travelling solo to Scotland for two weeks broadened my worldview, increased my confidence, and helped cement my love of travel. I travelled to Massachusetts and stood on the shores of Walden Pond. I walked across the Swilcan Bridge at the Old Course at St. Andrews. I visited the house on the banks of Loch Ness where Jimmy Page of Led Zepplin wrote Stairway to Heaven. I've climbed Mayan ruins in Copan. 

I knew as a parent that I wanted to provide the same for my children and encourage them to see the world.

That said, our vacation style as a family tends not to include cruises or all-inclusive resorts (not that I would be opposed to those), but I really value learning about other cultures and having adventures that push my limits. I also like to take advantage of any educational opportunity, and traveling feels like learning by experience. 

Family picture with a Capuchin :)

Cam had been on over fifty flights by age 9 (I've since stopped counting) and I do feel he is a very confident traveler. I am thankful we've had opportunities to share so much with him - he is the best travel companion. This was his first international trip. 

We've done a "big trip" in 2021, 2023, and 2025 with Brian's sister, so I think we'll stick to this every-other-year schedule. Vacations are expensive; there's no getting around that. Costa Rica had been on my radar for several years, so I'm glad we finally made it happen!

I started planning last fall. Once I knew Cam's spring break dates, I invited Brian's sister and boyfriend to join us and began narrowing down where to go. I liked Costa Rica because it felt safe for tourists, easy to get to, and promised lots of adventure. I knew we would not have much trouble with language barriers as many locals speak English and cater to tourism. 

At one point during the planning, I almost reconsidered because I couldn't quite figure out how to get an authentic, local Costa Rican experience without sacrificing the luxury of A/C, hot showers, and good food. It seemed like there were tons of expensive, all-inclusive hotels, or remote areas with hostels and bunk rooms. It wasn't until I came across Drake Bay that I knew we had to go there. Drake Bay was remote - only accessible by a small chartered plane or by driving several hours and taking a boat transport. Less touristy, more off-grid, but sprinkled with a few high-end accommodations, such as the place we stayed, Drake Bay Greenleaf.

I booked the lodging immediately. Dry Season in Costa Rica, especially during spring break months, is a popular time, and I knew exactly where I wanted to stay. I then tracked flight prices for several weeks in order to get the best prices, although airfare was still a bulk of the trip expense. Since we only had four full days in Costa Rica, not including travel days, I didn't want to traverse the entire country, but instead stick to one place where we could experience all it offered. Four days in Drake Bay felt like the perfect amount of time. Our host, Hellen, did all of the planning for me once I told her we were up for doing every excursion. 

We got a direct flight from Charlotte, NC to San Jose, Costa Rica. From San Jose, I booked a smaller flight on Sansa Airlines to take us to Drake Bay. Super convenient to leave home in the morning and be in Costa Rica by dinner time!

The airport at Drake Bay was a dirt runway with a tiny building. For our whole trip, I kept thinking about how much uninhabited land there was - it was just so cool to have that constant backdrop of a world mostly untouched by humans. And human survival is an amazing thing! There would be one hut on the beach in literally the middle of nowhere and you just had this sense of awe and wonder. The world is an amazing place.

Drake Bay Greenleaf was amazing. The family that hosted us, the food, the adventures, the accommodations. 10/10 all around. We got to see scarlet macaws, white-face capuchins, a tapir, a coati, an owl all on the property outside of our bungalow. The weather turned out perfect. Truly it was an amazing experience. 

In my next post, I'll detail the excursions that we went on.