{"id":24883,"date":"2018-02-08T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-07T21:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures?p=24883&preview=true&preview_id=24883"},"modified":"2025-03-01T04:50:31","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T17:50:31","slug":"central-america-ultimate-family-destination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/central-america-ultimate-family-destination\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Central America the ultimate family destination? All signs point to yes"},"content":{"rendered":"

The overseas family holiday. It\u2019s a difficult one to get right. It\u2019s got to be fun, but not too tough. It needs to be interesting and different, but not too heavy on the culture shock. And beaches, or at least a pool, are almost obligatory. What you need is the perfect mix of adventure, discovery, relaxation and escape.<\/strong><\/p>\n

With its wildlife-filled jungle, adventure activities, beaches, ruins and melting pot of cultures, Central America might just be the best place in the world to whisk your tribe away to. Here are some destinations that are hard to beat for that family-friendly combo of thrill and chill:<\/p>\n

1. Monteverde, Costa Rica<\/a><\/h3>\n
\"A<\/a>

Photo by Isabella Juskov\u00e1, Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n

Home to some of the most biodiverse terrain on the planet, Costa Rica is pretty much a one-stop shop for family adventure. It\u2019s not every day you can go walking in the sky, but thanks to a series of bridges hanging suspended among the trees (they were built that way, don\u2019t worry), you can do just that in the Monteverde cloud forest. If trying not to look down doesn\u2019t give you enough of an adrenaline rush, up the ante with some zip-lining.<\/p>\n

RELATED: HOW TO SPOT SLOTHS IN COSTA RICA\u2019S CLOUD FORESTS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

2. Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica<\/a><\/h3>\n
\"A<\/a>

Photo by Pedro Paulo Ferreira<\/p><\/div>\n

Anywhere you can only access by boat or plane is going to feel like a holiday, but this is no ordinary nature escape. This remote jungle is home to 13 of Costa Rica\u2019s 16 endangered species, along with howler monkeys, spider-monkeys, caimans, manatees, turtles, eagles, and sloths. Fun fact: Tortuguero\u2019s Jesus Christ lizard got its nickname for walking on water.<\/p>\n

CHECK OUT INTREPID’S 15-DAY FAMILY HOLIDAY<\/a> AND 15-DAY FAMILY HOLIDAY WITH TEENAGERS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

3. Sarapiqui, Costa Rica<\/a><\/h3>\n
\"Hiking<\/a>

Photo by Lauren Elisabeth, Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Best known as a white-water rafting destination, Sarapiqui is a nature escape with something for everyone. Stroll around old growth forest, hike across a hanging bridge to a cacao plantation for an organic chocolate tasting, watch biological research unfold at La Selva station, scan the waters for crocodiles and otters on a riverboat safari, go horse riding, or partake in some of Costa Rica\u2019s very best birdwatching. This slice of paradise has the whole clan covered.<\/p>\n

RELATED: 7 FACTS YOU PROBABLY DON\u2019T KNOW ABOUT COSTA RICA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

4. Havana, Cuba<\/a><\/h3>\n
\"Colourful<\/a>

Photo by Kendra Paice<\/p><\/div>\n

If Havana\u2019s colonial architecture and Cuban revolutionary history doesn\u2019t captivate younger travellers, then the cult of Coppelia ice cream and a trip to the baseball surely will. Cuba\u2019s capital city lives up to the \u2018city of contrasts\u2019 tag, full of head-turning scenes. One minute you\u2019re lost in the crazy street art of Fusterlandia, the next riding in a vintage Chevrolet along the Malecon, with the salty sea breeze in your hair. A deeply embedded family culture in Cuba means the locals accommodate families well, and the whole thing is easier to navigate than it looks. A mojito or two doesn\u2019t hurt either.<\/p>\n

RELATED: 6 OF THE DREAMIEST BEACHES IN CUBA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

5. Vinales, Cuba<\/a><\/h3>\n
\"Cuba\u2019s<\/a>

Photo by Cliff Bielawski<\/p><\/div>\n

To the bat cave! Cuba\u2019s most ancient geological zone, the Vinales Valley, is good for smelling the sweet aroma of tobacco fields, great for seeing an old-fashioned and multi-ethnic side of Cuba, and even better for adventures to caves\u2026 on boats! Cueva del Indio, a limestone grotto and former local Indian dwelling, makes for a particularly memorable family outing. A Google image search reveals scenes not unlike South East Asia or Australia\u2019s Great Ocean Road, but when you\u2019re there, the bats at the cave entrance make a spectacle all of their own.<\/p>\n

RELATED: WHY YOU CANNOT HELP BUT FALL FOR VINALES, CUBA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

6. Tulum, Mexico<\/a><\/h3>\n
\"Pristine<\/a>

Photo by Craig Bennett<\/p><\/div>\n

For versatile seaside destinations, Mexico is right up there with anything in the Caribbean. Enter Tulum, a white-sand beauty on the Yucatan Peninsula. The beach easily qualifies as one of the best in Mexico, but what sets this particular white-sand beauty apart from the rest is the 13th<\/sup>-century Maya ruin that overlooks it. With the crocs, turtles and flamingos of Sian Ka\u2019an nature reserve just a short trip away, and the chilled-out fishing village of Punta Allen a nice way to turn down the volume, Tulum alone could sustain a 10\/10 family getaway in Mexico.<\/a><\/p>\n

Get the lowdown on our family holidays in the Americas here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Feature\u00a0image by Timur Kulgarin, Shutterstock<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Picking the perfect spot for your next family holiday can be tricky. We\u2019ve just made the decision six times easier. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16015,"featured_media":25158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1870,455],"tags":[275,88,79,265,1275,1725,108],"class_list":["post-24883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family","category-feature","tag-central-america","tag-costa-rica","tag-cuba","tag-family-adventure","tag-family-travel","tag-family-trip","tag-mexico","ipf_theme-family","ipf_region-cuba","ipf_region-mexico"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIs Central America the Ultimate Family Destination? | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Looking for the perfect family holiday? 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