Costa Rica Travel Journal
Not every meaningful trip is a quiet one.
Some vacations are filled from sunrise to sunset—pool games, family dinners, wildlife excursions, beach walks, golf outings, and conversations that somehow continue long after dessert has been cleared from the table.
Costa Rica wasn’t a week of quiet rest. It was a week of saying yes to every opportunity to be together. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Before We Left
This was the first large group trip I booked as a travel advisor, so I spent more than a year helping our family plan every detail. The most fun part about planning a trip this size with the people you love most is that you stay excited about the trip during the whole process because someone always has a question.
We started packing for our trip days in advance so we could make sure we could go over our packing list multiple times before taking off. As we packed we got to hear how excited the boys were about seeing the beach for the first time and spending a whole week swimming in the pool.
By the time departure day finally arrived, it felt like we’d already been counting down forever. All that was left to do was board the plane and see if Costa Rica lived up to everything we’d imagined.
Arrival Day
Our arrival day could not have gone any smoother. Traveling with kids, especially out of the country, is always stressful. Even though I’ve been out of the country before, I probably checked my bag a thousand times to make sure I had everyone’s passports.
With such a large group, we decided to rent a private shuttle to take us to the airport instead of all driving separately and paying to leave our cars in the parking lot. We chose to stay closer to the Dallas area the night before we left so we didn’t have to wake up as early to get to our meeting point for our shuttle.
Once we arrived in Costa Rica, it took no time to go through immigration, customs and baggage claim. We boarded another bus before setting off on our hour drive to the resort.
We stayed at Riu Palace Costa Rica in Guanacaste, which is considered the dry side of the country. We chose Guanacaste because it offered beautiful beaches, abundant wildlife, and enough activities to keep three generations entertained all week. The drive was lined with lush greenery, mountain views, and excited chatter as we imagined the week ahead.
Once we arrived at the resort, we checked in, unpacked our belongings, changed into swimwear and spent some time greeting family members at the pool before dinner.
After months of planning, standing there with the warm Pacific breeze, watching the sky turn shades of orange and pink before dinner, it finally felt real. We had made it.
Resort Days
Every morning seemed to begin the same way: coffee in hand, breakfast with three generations around the buffet, and waiting for the rest of the family to slowly trickle in before deciding what the day would hold. Some mornings we wandered down to the beach, while others were spent browsing the gift shops or floating between the resort’s pools before meeting back up for lunch.
Somehow, we managed to get a reservation for all 33 of us at Papagayo Steakhouse on our second night. Sitting around one long dinner with everyone together felt like a celebration before the week had even really begun.
The family members that were able to join us on this trip live farther away so those afternoons spent laughing in the pool together are the moments I’ll remember most. It wasn’t about where we were—it was about finally having everyone in one place.
Excursions
We were fortunate enough to go on a few excursions on this trip. My husband and a few others decided to play golf at a local course on the first day. They were able to spot wildlife that we don’t usually see on American golf courses and have a view of three volcanoes while playing!
On the third day of our trip, my family of four and my dad swam near a beautiful waterfall, ground up cacao and coffee beans and tasted them before they were processed into chocolate and coffee. It was so interesting to learn what goes into making both chocolate and coffee.
Seeing sloths in the wild was the thing my boys were most excited about before the trip. Watching them spot their first one high in the trees while our guide pointed out wildlife we never would have noticed on our own was easily one of the highlights of the week.
On our fifth day in Costa Rica, a group of ten of us took two boats and spent the first half of the day deep sea fishing. We all caught something and spent time in nature with each other. While we were on the boat we were able to see sea turtles, pelicans, sea snakes and dolphins.
Family Time
This wasn’t just another family vacation. It was one of the few times we’ll ever have the opportunity to spend an entire week together in such a beautiful place. Watching grandparents and grandchildren experience Costa Rica side by side, listening to cousins laugh together in the pool, and ending each day around the dinner table reminded me just how special these seasons of life really are.
We spent evenings squeezed around dinner tables long after the food was gone, talking about everything we’d done that day and what we wanted to do next. My cousins and I live very different lives now, so spending an entire week catching up felt like getting to know each other all over again.
Costa Rica reminded me that the best vacations aren’t defined by how much—or how little—you do. They’re defined by who you share them with. Whether we were spotting sloths in the rainforest, cheering each other on while deep sea fishing, or lingering around the dinner table after another shared meal, every memory was made better because we experienced it together.
Long after I forget which day we visited each beach or restaurant, I’ll remember the laughter around the dinner table, the excitement of spotting wildlife, and what it felt like to spend an entire week together. In the end, that’s what made Costa Rica unforgettable.
Travel Snapshot
📍 Destination: Guanacaste, Costa Rica
📅 Length: 7 days
👨👩👧👦 Group Size: 33 family members
🏨 Resort: RIU Palace Costa Rica
🌴 Highlights:
Wildlife nature walk
Pool days
Sloth sightings
Deep sea fishing
Family dinners
Pacific sunsets
🌺 Perfect For: Families, multi-generational vacations, nature lovers, and travelers who want to combine adventure with meaningful time together.
💚 What Made This Trip Memorable: Sharing Costa Rica with the people we love. Between spotting sloths, watching the kids experience the ocean, and gathering around the table each evening, it became one of those trips we’ll talk about for years.
