A family trip to Rios Lodge is your ticket to unique, creative bonding in a place that has adventure around every corner and relaxation everywhere in-between. There are no roads leading to the lodge, the rainforest is right outside your room, and getting here is part of the adventure.
For kids, that can make a stay at Rios Lodge pretty unforgettable. They get to raft rivers, swim in waterfalls, look for wildlife, zip through the rainforest, and spend a few days somewhere completely different from home.
For parents, a little planning goes a long way. If you’re thinking about planning a family vacation to Costa Rica, there are some things we recommend knowing before you arrive.
Here are our top tips for families planning a trip to Rios Lodge.
1. Check Age Minimums Before You Plan Your Activities
Kids of different ages can have very different experiences at Rios Lodge, so one of the first things we recommend is checking the age requirements for the activities your family wants to do.
Activities and their age requirements:
- Rafting into Rios Lodge: Ages 6+ during dry season and 8+ during rainy season
- Rafting out through the Lower Pacuare: Ages 12+
- Ziplining: Ages 8+ and at least 60 pounds
- Tubing: Ages 10+
- Many guided hikes: Ages 6+
Rios Lodge generally welcomes children ages 6 and older. Families with younger children may be able to visit, but it’s important to understand what that means:
- We aren’t a traditional resort. Rios Lodge sits deep in the Costa Rican rainforest, surrounded by a river, rocks, plants, wildlife, and wilderness. There are inherent risks that come with being in a wild environment, and parents need to be comfortable with those risks.
- We also don’t offer babysitting or childcare. Parents and guardians are responsible for supervising their children throughout their stay.
Our insider tip: Start with the age of your youngest child before making your family’s activity wish list. It’s much easier to build an itinerary once you know which adventures everyone can participate in.
2. Have Kids Under 12? Raft In and Hike Out
Getting to and from Rios Lodge is a little different from getting to most hotels. There isn’t a road leading to our property, so guests arrive and depart by rafting or hiking.
If you have kids under 12, one of the easiest options is to raft in and hike out.
The Upper Pacuare section used to reach Rios Lodge is gentler than the Lower Pacuare Gorge that guests raft on departure. Depending on the season, children as young as 6 can raft into the lodge.
The Lower Pacuare is a different adventure, with Class III–IV whitewater, and rafters need to be at least 12 years old. Younger children can take the guided hike out instead.
Have a mix of younger and older kids? You don’t necessarily have to choose one option for the entire family. One parent can hike out with younger children while another parent and older kids raft out, and everyone can meet back up afterward.
Our insider tip: Don’t assume everyone in your family has to arrive and depart the same way. Talk to us about the ages in your group, and we’ll help you figure out what makes the most sense.
3. Don’t Overschedule Your Days
When you see everything there is to do at Rios Lodge, it’s tempting to try to fit it all in as soon as possible. (Rafting! Ziplining! Tubing! Hiking! Waterfalls!) But some of the best family moments happen when nothing is officially on the itinerary.
Leave time for swimming in waterfall pools, relaxing in a hammock, playing cards, looking for wildlife around the lodge, or simply hanging out together. Especially with younger kids, having a little downtime between bigger adventures can make the entire trip more balanced.
Our activities can be planned once you’re at the lodge, subject to availability, so you don’t need a minute-by-minute itinerary before you arrive.
Our insider tip: Pick one must-do adventure each day and leave some open space around it. You might be surprised by how quickly kids fill that time themselves.
4. Plan to Get Wet and Stay Wet
The rainforest is humid. Clothes don’t always dry as quickly as they do at home, especially during the rainy season. That means packing strategically can make a family stay much easier.
Bring quick-dry clothing and consider packing more options than you normally would for an ordinary hotel stay. Multiple swimsuits are helpful so kids don’t have to put on yesterday’s still-damp suit.
We also recommend bringing:
- Lightweight rain layers
- A dry change of clothes for after rafting or hiking
- Secure water shoes or shoes that can get completely soaked
- A small daypack for excursions
- Wet/dry bags for separating soaked clothing
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Refillable water bottles
- Any medications your child might need
See our full packing list here!
If your child is particularly sensitive to wet clothing or other textures, having plenty of dry backup options and even a small hair dryer can be especially helpful.
Our insider tip: Whatever shoes you wear into the river are probably going to get wet and stay wet. Don’t make your child’s only pair of everyday sneakers their water shoes. Bring footwear specifically intended to get soaked.
5. Choose the Right Room for Your Family
Where everyone sleeps matters, especially after a full day outside.
Our Creekside Family Suite has a king bed and two twin beds and can accommodate up to four guests. The Riverview Family Suite has a king bed and bunk beds and can also accommodate up to four guests.
Traveling as a family of five? A cot may be available depending on your room and reservation, so reach out to us before booking rather than assuming you’ll be able to add another bed.
Larger families and groups can consider our eco bunkroom options – these rooms can fit up to 8 guests and have gorgeous facilities.
Our insider tip: Large groups with older kids can consider a bunk room for the kids and rooms for the adults. Kids get a sleepover, and parents get a little bit of quiet and privacy!
6. Prepare Your Kids for Being Mostly Offline
Rios Lodge is a great place for families to unplug, but it’s a lot easier when kids know that’s going to happen before they arrive.
Wi-Fi is limited to the common dining pavilion and isn’t available inside guest rooms. It is strong enough to send messages, but not to stream or download movies. We recommend talking about this before the trip rather than waiting for kids to discover it themselves.
If there are books, games, music, movies, or podcasts your family wants for travel days, download them before heading into the rainforest. Physical books, cards, and small travel games are also great things to throw in your luggage. We have games and books at the dining pavilion to supplement.
You can also turn being offline into part of the trip. Give kids a notebook to keep track of the animals they spot, draw what they see, or write down their favorite adventure from each day.
Our insider tip: Frame limited internet as part of the adventure before you arrive. Being offline tends to go over much better when everyone knows what to expect.
7. You Can Do Your Favorite Activities More Than Once
One thing families don’t always realize before arriving is that you don’t necessarily get only one shot at an activity.
Tubing, ziplining, guided hikes, waterfall swims, and other adventures can often be repeated during your stay. If our guides are heading out on an activity and there’s availability, you can join them again.
This is especially great for kids. If they discover on day one that tubing is officially the greatest activity ever invented, you may have time to do it again before you leave.
Our insider tip: Try the activities you think will be the biggest hits early in your stay. That way, if the kids immediately want to do them again, you’ll still have time.
8. Consider Dietary Needs Before you Arrive
Meals are part of the Rios Lodge experience, and letting us know about dietary needs in advance helps our team prepare for your family. We have a great array of fresh, local, and delicious dishes to choose from, we want to make sure your family has what they need to thrive in the rainforest.
If anyone in your group has food allergies, dietary restrictions, or other food concerns, tell us before your stay.
This is especially important because we’re in a remote location. There’s no nearby grocery store or restaurant where you can quickly grab an alternative if your child won’t eat what’s available.
Our insider tip: Snacks are not included in your meal plan at the lodge, but they are available for purchase. If you have particularly snacky kids, bring some to the lodge that you can have on hand.
9. Give Yourself Enough Time at Rios Lodge
Rios Lodge isn’t a place we recommend squeezing into a packed itinerary.
Getting here is part of the adventure, and once you’ve made it into the rainforest, you’ll want enough time to actually enjoy being here.
We generally recommend staying at least four nights. That gives families enough time to settle in, try several activities, and still have slower periods between adventures.
It also gives you some flexibility. Instead of trying to fit a hike, zipline, waterfall swim, and tubing excursion into one day, you can spread things out and let everyone recharge.
Our insider tip: Adding another night doesn’t have to mean adding another activity. Sometimes it simply means having more time to enjoy the ones you’re already excited about.
10. Let Us Help With the Rest of Your Costa Rica Trip
Getting a family from one Costa Rica destination to another can sometimes feel like its own logistical puzzle. This is one puzzle you don’t have to solve yourself!
Our team will coordinate transportation to and from Rios Lodge as well as help with accommodations in San José, and transfers to other parts of Costa Rica after your stay. We can also recommend destinations and accommodations that pair well with a visit to the Pacuare River.
This can be especially helpful for families trying to juggle several hotels, transportation providers, and activities during one vacation.
Our insider tip: Choose your Rios Lodge dates first, then build the rest of your Costa Rica itinerary around them. And if you’re not sure what should come before or after your stay, ask us.
TL;DR: Rios Lodge Family Cheat Sheet
Save this list for when you’re planning your trip:
Minimum recommended lodge age: 6+
Raft in: 6+ during dry season / 8+ during rainy season
Raft out: 12+
Zipline: 8+ and 60+ lbs.
Tubing: 10+
Kids 6–11: Plan to hike out rather than raft the Lower Pacuare
Wi-Fi: Limited and available in the common area
Best packing strategy: Quick-dry everything, plus plenty of backups
Best itinerary strategy: Don’t overschedule
Family of five: Ask us about room and cot availability
Ideal stay: At least four nights
Need help planning Costa Rica? Ask our team.
Let Us Help Plan Your Family Adventure
Every family is different, and the right Rios Lodge itinerary for a family with a 6-year-old may look very different from one with two teenagers.
If you have questions about ages, activities, rooms, transportation, or what will work best for your kids, reach out to the Rios Lodge team before you book. We can help you work through the details so you can spend less time worrying about logistics and more time looking forward to your family’s time in the rainforest.
