TWO KIDS AND ONE MOM -EXHILARATING TRAVEL ADVENTURE TO MANUEL ANTONIO COSTA RICA

Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica is an ideal place to travel to with kids, especially if you are flying solo.  It will be and adventure for sure but one that will leave lasting impressions on your kids.

Costa Rica is a very safe country to travel to as a family and you shouldn’t worry if you are going there alone with no partner in tow. 

During our trip, people were a little surprise to see a woman traveling alone with two kids, but everyone was very nice to us and I felt safe.  At the time of this adventure, my boys were 12 and 4. 

Costa Rica is a beautiful country with diverse wildlife, rainforest and white sandy beaches.  There is certainly something to do for everybody.  However, when you have kids that have a good age gap and you are the only adult, it can be challenging.

I settled for one week in Manuel Antonio.  Here are some tips to make your solo mom travel experience the most memorable and affordable one possible.

How to get to Manuel Antonio Costa Rica

We flew from Montreal to San José, Costa Rica with a layover in Miami in the Spring (end of April). The cost of the plane ticket was $780 per person. It was the least expensive flight we could find with only one layover.  Direct flights to Costa Rica still don’t seem to exist from Montreal or if they do, you need to be really flexible with your dates.

Here is a map I found from Costa Rica Guide that you may find useful.

Tip: If you are traveling alone with kids for just one week, pay the extra money so as to only have one layover or a direct flight. The less time you spend getting there and coming back, the easier it will be for you.

Getting to Manuel Antonio from the Airport

Although it’s safe to drive as a foreigner in Costa Rica, I didn’t have the guts to rent a car nor the money as a matter of fact.  The Costa Rican roads can be a little bumpy.  There was no way in hell I would have been able to change a flat tire if that had happened.  Since my kids and I were only staying in Manuel Antonio, there wasn’t much point in renting a car either.  

Although it’s feasible and less expensive to just hop on a 3 hour bus ride from San José Airport, it’s not necessarily the safest option, especially if you are travelling alone with kids.  Petty theft is not uncommon at the bus terminal and you have to keep an eye on your bags at all times.

We opted for our hotel’s shuttle.  A driver picked us up at the airport and drove us straight to our hotel in Manuel Antonio. The cost was $180 USD.  We stopped along the way to look at crocodiles in the river or at toucans in the trees on our way back.  Private shuttles do exist and cost around $55 USD per person.

Getting around Manuel Antonio

Unless you are at the beach, the area of Manuel Antonio is not flat. In fact, it’s all hills.  Luckily my kids were of walking age so that’s what we did.  

However, taxis are plentiful and a public bus is available at a really low price (around $1 USD) which takes you into town or to the Manuel Antonio National Park.

If you book a tour with a company, they will pick you up at your hotel or close by.

Best place to sleep in Manual Antonio with kids

Since we were only there for 6 nights, we only stayed in one place in Manuel Antonio with a fabulous view over the Pacific Ocean.

I rented a small studio (efficiency) at the Costa Verde with two double beds, a kitchenette and a beautiful balcony with a panoramic ocean view. The balcony was the ideal place to have our morning breakfast.  The interior was made of exotic wood, it was perfect.  

The complex has apartments scattered throughout the tropical forest.  There is also a small pool and paths to go on walks.  The most surprising thing to see though is an airplane in a tree where you can actually sleep if you feel like it; that was not in my budget. Oddly enough, I discovered this place in one of kid’s magazines.

Cost for 6 nights (taxes included): $716.42 USD

Where to eat

The area around Manuel Antonio is very touristic.  Even if we didn’t see many people as we never went down to the city nor was it a busy period, the prices were still high.

Food prices in restaurants can be a little higher than in other parts of the country because the majority of the tourists come from the States. So who says gringos says $$$.  The prices are like in the States (too high) and you have to leave a tip.  Now I know what you are thinking, ah the French…so cheap!  

In any case, know that it’s not necessarily how it works in the rest of the country.  We spent our last night in San Jose (the capital) and had dinner in a local restaurant.  The menu was in Spanish and we were the only foreigners. Since I didn’t know if I was supposed to tip, I asked our waitress.  She made it clear that it wasn’t the custom.  

A short mile from our hotel there was a small supermarket which was convenient enough to shop at for breakfast and simple meals to prepare in our studio. Bring a reusable grocery bag.

We ate dinner at the restaurant twice.  It was a bit pricy but the food was good.

• El Wagon. Nothing to rave about, but the pizza was good and not overly priced. My youngest fell asleep so I ended up having a date with my eldest son.
• El Avion. We actually went to this restaurant to watch the sun set over the pacific and enjoy a meal on an outdoor terrace amidst the tropical forest overlooking the coastline.

What makes this place unique and fun to bring kids to is the old cargo plane that has been converted into a pub and restaurant.

Otherwise, if eating in a more local restaurant and for a more affordable option, pick the Casado.  It’s a meal with a set price which includes a choice of meat or chicken, salad, rice and beans.  It’s usually tasty, filling and inexpensive.  If you have brought a reusable pouch, you could put your leftovers inside for another meal inside your studio. 

Practical information

One needs to know that the coast isn’t flat in that area.  The area of Manuel Antonio has a tropical coastline. In other words, the forest stops at the ocean.  The roads are swirly, don’t have sidewalks and it extremely hilly.  

• Strollers will be useful if you stick to the main roads or the main trails in Manuel Antonio National Park.

• To observe wildlife, you might need binoculars.  We didn’t bring any but did get to see some on our own or with the help of one of our guides.

• Learn some basic Spanish words.  Not everyone speaks English or French.

• Talk about the trip with your kids ahead of time.  In fact, have them help you prepare for it.  In case you need some ideas on how to go about that, here is a Guide to preparing kids for a trip.  This is a great way for them to get involved and not feel overwhelmed if it’s their first time travelling abroad.

Weather

Even if you are travelling when it’s warm, bring a rain jacket.  Rain can come and go in the blink of an eye. It’s hot and humid.

• Shorts and T-shirts are enough as the evenings are warm.

• You’ll need some sturdy shoes or closed sandals for kids, especially if you decide to go into the forest.

• It’s really sunny there so bring hats, possibly sunglasses and lots of sunscreen and aftersun cream.  Luckily, I had brought an anti-UV water shirt for my youngest son.

Keeping up with kids routines

When traveling with kids of different ages, it can be a little difficult keeping up with their routines, especially if some of them still take naps.

When they are young, try to do half day tours instead of full day. That way, you can maintain somewhat of a routine.  But it will also depend on what kind of tour you are doing.  If it’s a boat tour, for instance, it’s probably possible for your child to take a nap on it.

• In any case, short tours are easier to handle as a single mom than full day tours.

Always ask if food will be provided during the tour but just in case, bring snacks and water.

• A stroller might come in handy for the nap or to walk around but remember, Manuel Antonio might have beaches but it has a jungle coastline.

Orientation 

One must have a great sense of orientation especially on foot in Manuel Antonio which I thought was my case; boy was I wrong.  We got lost our first day coming back from the beach.  We thought that the access to the beach on our way there was far and that we had possibly passed it.  It was only supposed to take us 10 minutes but it was much longer than that.

Our little mishap

On the way back from the beach, we walked it until the end.  A kind man gave us directions on how to get back to the road. They seemed odd to me as I thought for sure that the road was close by.  I wasn’t grasping the whole idea of left and right turns and the directions were in Spanish.  Nonetheless we followed what he said.  

We started going up a steep dirt road the three of us.  There weren’t any cars and a few scattered closed up villas. One was playing Bob Marley, but it really wasn’t the time nor the place to unwind.  We felt like cast aways! 

Suddenly, in an upcoming endless turn we heard some strange and very LOUD sounds coming from the trees and down below.  We had no clue what they were: a dog, a donkey, a lion….I admit we were a little frightened.  To make matters worse, at that very moment, it started raining and it was starting to get dark even though it was just past 5pm. 

As we approached the turn and the trees we saw hundreds of Howler Monkeys.  I swear they were giving us the evil eye.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t take pictures nor did I think that would have been a good idea.  They were quite impressive specimens. So we picked up the pace and moved on forward.  

At last we found a paved road, and my awesome sense of orientation finally kicked in. We saw other types of monkeys during that walk but I wouldn’t be able to give you their names.  We saw small redheads walking on telephone lines which we thought were very cute. That was just our first day!

Activities suitable for kids in Manuel Antonio

Of course you could just spend your days by the pool or at the beach.  However, the best beaches are within Manuel Antonio National Park. If anything, you’ll need to go at least there.

Since I can’t just do nothing because I get bored, we did a couple excursions. Many excursions will cost less for kids or even be free pending their age.  They don’t necessarily come cheap but you don’t have to do all of them either.

Boat tour and snorkeling

The boat tour was alright.  We always enjoy going on a boat ride and it was great to be able to see the luscious coastline from the ocean.  However, the snorkeling part was really disappointing as we didn’t see many fishes.  Nonetheless, it was the first time my 4 year old went snorkelling.  He hadn’t done much swimming at that age yet.  So that was an exciting experience.

A boat ride is an adventure in itself.

Good food and drinks were included in the price.  Even though it was a half day tour,  I managed to get sunburnt and looked like a red lobster the rest of the week.

Manuel Antonio National Park

This National Park is full of beautiful beaches which makes them hard to resist, even with a sunburnt. It’s one of the smallest in Costa Rica and protects the rainforest, beach and mangrove habitats.

We walked all the way to the park from our hotel and got there around 8h30 a.m.  The park opens at 7 a.m and is closed on Tuesdays.  On our way there we found an awesome guide called FERNANDO.  

We had him all to ourselves and it was fantastic.  I paid roughly around $80 USD for the three of us.  We had three hours of undivided guided attention.  The price included the entrance fee to the park.  We stayed an extra two hours afterward to hang out on the beach. Then actual cost to the park is $18 USD per person, 12 years old and up.

Our guide showed us so many things.  If we hadn’t had him, we would have missed out on the fauna and flora. The kids we really pleased and learned a lot. 

• The kids tasted a plant;
• We touched a leaf which closes on itself on contact to protect itself;
• He showed us how to do a leaf tattoo naturally.

Fernando also showed us in the two different types of sloths that exist: two toed and three toed.

It’s a wonderful place to observe wildlife and unwind on the beach.  There are no restaurants on site. The trails are well maintained and are easily accessible.

Since it’s hot and humid, try to bring something to create a canopy with at the beach like a large towel.  There isn’t much shade so make sure to bring a hat for your kids and plenty of water.

Rainmaker Biological Reserve

A canopy tour will give you a bird’s-eye view of the tropical forest. Hanging bridges are a more suitable option when travelling with young kids.  If your kids are of age, you could go for the zip lining option.

Our private tour with Fernando (again) took us inside the primary forest where we walked on suspended bridges, and took some dips in waterfalls (very refreshing).  We didn’t have a time limit and weren’t rushed either, which was great. There was barely anybody there at the time of our visit which made our visit a lot more appreciative.

Sturdy shoes and a rain jacket (just in case) will be practical.  The path can get slippery if it has just rained or around waterfalls.  Bring your travel towel, bathing suit, water bottle and maybe some easy snacks. A stroller will be useless, bring a baby carrier instead.

There aren’t enough words to describe how amazing it was to be surrounded by such lush untouched colours. 

Learn about this hidden gem HERE. The cost is about $23 USD per person for a self-guided tour.  A delicious lunch can be provided on site which we recommend.

Horseback riding

On our last day in Costa Rica, we went horseback riding in the morning before heading back to San José.  We booked the tour through Fernando but he was not part of the tour.  It was fantastic because we had a guide all to ourselves.

We took a three-hour horse ride through the rainforest, crossed a stream and took a short hike (on foot) to a hidden waterfall. The horses looked in good shape and seemed to be well taken care of.

It was such a great way to spend our last day in Manuel Antonio before heading home. A little snack was also provided.

Practical information: Before heading out for our excursion, we dropped off our bags at our hotel’s reception.  Once we got back, our shuttle to San José was waiting for us.

Even though we only caught a glimpse of what Costa Rica has to offer, we hope to go back there some day.  It was such an adventure! I can honestly say that my kids adored their time in Manuel Antonio so much that they want to go back.  I told them to hold their horses because there are other countries to visit! 

Hopefully next time,  two weeks will give us enough time to explore the volcano, other beaches and forests.  Costa Rica is a great country to travel to with kids.