Costa Rica!
Author: Stephanie Cantwell, DSAA Mom & Owner of Lost in Adventure Travel
I mentioned in my first blog that My family recently went to Costa Rica. What I failed to mention the first time was that we went to meet with one of the tour suppliers in the destination on what the needs are for families with an individual with Down syndrome. This company already has packages specific for individuals with mobility challenges and autism, so we wanted to make sure those with Down syndrome were represented in their marketing and were included in their resort and guide training! This was truly the most amazing experience of my travel career. This is the first step towards taking guided trips with individuals with Down syndrome!
Our trip was a very quick adventure through three areas of the country. What I love about Costa Rica is that you can get culture, beach, and rainforest experiences all in one week. You can do this whether you choose to fly into San José (the capital) or Liberia airports. The food they eat is very accommodating for diets free of dairy and gluten as well (lots of fresh fruit, beans, and rice).
Hacienda Guachepelin (not far from the Liberia airport)
This amazing working farm is the perfect home base for volcano adventures. There is a nice pool and two restaurants that offer traditional foods (and so much fresh fruit!). Along with that, they have river tubing (with guides that will assist if necessary), hot springs with mud baths, horseback riding, being a cowboy for the day, and more!!! The accommodations are modest, but everything is in one location, so it’s a nice home base for relaxation and adventure.
Arenal Volcano/La Fortuna
This is the highlight for most travelers to Costa Rica, and it’s rightfully so. Arenal Volcano is stunning, there are so many luxurious resorts with hot springs on site (some are even wheelchair accessible) and the hanging bridge tours are something you will never forget (especially when you almost step on a pit viper!). Zip lining was probably the highlight of the trip for my entire family (except for me). There truly is nothing like standing on a platform at the top of the rainforest canopy and then just floating over it. They had a guide go with Blake so that he was able to stop when necessary and so he didn't get stuck in the middle.
We also had the opportunity to do hippotherapy (or equinotherapy as they called it) while we were in town. Blake does hippotherapy at Chastain Park, so he is very used to the horses, but even if he wasn't, we were VERY impressed with how well the therapist and the volunteers were with him. His horse was absolutely gorgeous and was amazingly calm. He had the opportunity to paint all over her, and then had to clean it up as well as part of the experience. They used it as an opportunity to teach a bit of Spanish as well, which I thought was a neat touch.
The Pacific Coast
We specifically went to Tamarindo, which is a great location for enjoying the surf, but still having some great restaurants within walking distance. There are plenty of places to take surfing lessons, and we have some guides that are equipped to work with those that may need some additional assistance. The Pacific Ocean can be a bit wild, so I really would only recommend the ocean to those that are pretty strong swimmers. Our little adrenaline junky could have played in the waves all day long! We ramped up our adventure on the Pacific Coast with a glamping experience off the beach. For most families that I help travel to the destination, they stay on the beach, but we wanted to experience some of the outdoor living. It was an amazing experience that included a natural feathered morning alarm… the parrots. They are SO loud and definitely got us moving in the morning but it was very cool to see them gathered in their natural environment. This is also an area where a lot of expats live, so there is definitely a sense of familiarity to it.
Overall, Costa Rica is a fairly accessible country to visit thanks to my friend, Stephanie, and the work of her company. It's a unique biodiverse place where you can travel year after year and experience something new. It's a country the size of Lake Michigan that is home to around 5% of the known species on earth, has six active volcanoes (and 61 dormant or extinct ones), and has six different types of forests! I HIGHLY recommend that all families try to travel to this amazing country at least once.