Costa Rica has a number of micro-climates, meaning that different parts of the country are better visited at different times of year. During the European summer (July – August), the weather is typically good on the north Pacific coast so this is ideal for beach time. This is also the time when you can see turtles come ashore to lay their eggs in Tortuguero, on the Caribbean coast, so this will also normally be included.

At Christmas and Easter, the weather is likely to be better over on the Pacific coast so we would usually concentrate the itinerary on the centre and west of the country to make the most of the sunshine.

In all cases the exact itinerary will be tailored to your family. Those with older children may want plenty of activities (white water rafting, zip-lining and so on) whereas those with younger children may want to spend longer at the beach and have a slower pace. You can also hop over to Panama for tropical island beaches and the impressive Panama Canal.