15 Costa Rica Farm Stays You'll Love

15 family farms in Costa Rica you can visit with kids to experience the best of rural Costa Rican food and culture.

If you want to experience authentic Costa Rican culture while giving your kids an intense learning experience, Costa Rican farms are the way to go.

You’ll plan to wake up early, eat three wholesome farm-to-table meals a day, and learn more than y ou could possibly imagine.

From milking cows to feeding the animals, taking nature walks and horseback riding, there is something for everyone at a Costa Rican farm. We love to stay at the farms because our kids not only learn so much from the farmers and guides, they also learn a ton from the other kids around the farm.

Accommodations are generally quite simple, and there is a focus on sustainability and respect for Mother Earth. I don’t doubt you’ll love your stay. Here are 16 family farms in Costa Rica that you’ll love.

Family Farms In Northern Costa Rica

La Carolina Lodge

This farm is located near Bijauga, just miles from Rio Celeste and the spectacular Blue River Waterfall. On this farm, you can hike, relax in hot springs, enjoy horseback riding, and a spa area, all close to the spectacular Rio Celeste waterfall. This is a phenomenal place to visit with kids- we had the best farm stay we have ever had anywhere right here. All meals are included, and once you stay here, you’ll become part of the family forever. Don’t miss the oldest tree in Costa Rica, which is just around the corner from the lodge.

Casitas Tenorio

Close to Costa Rica’s northern border and the Miravalles Volcano, you can enjoy privacy in your own cabins on this family-friendly farm, while exploring the natural attractions of the area. Breakfast is included, and the dining area offers amazing views of local birds. In the mornings, kids can milk the cows alongside owner Pippa’s own three daughters, and you can eat breakfast with a huge golden orb spider. There are some fun hanging bridges in the area, and you’ll make sure to stop at the Rio Celeste Waterfall too.

Terra Viva

This private reserve in Monteverde offers a farm stay in beautiful wooden houses. Here, they have their own farm animals and you can learn about cheese making. The cows are the main attraction here, where kids can give the calves their milk using baby bottles!

The beautiful cloud forest around Monteverde is ideal for wildlife watching, hiking, and horseback riding, all of which Terra Viva can offer. The night tours, which we love, are included here, and the prices for horseback riding are astoundingly good for the region.

Costa Rica Farm Experiences – Central Costa Rica

Rancho Margot

East of La Fortuna and close to the Arenal Volcano and the Arenal lake, this family-run off-grid farm offers an experience that is all-inclusive while fully sustainable. You can try to milk a cow milking, explore the farm, enjoy farm-to-table meals and yoga. Read more about Rancho Margot here.

This is one of the best memories we have of taking our kids, and CNN has featured the farm multiple times as a top destination in Costa Rica. I highly recommend it!

La Finca

Voted one of CNN’s top horse destinations, this farm just 16 miles outside of La Fortuna boasts some of the best riding around. With a “back to the basics” approach to farming the way it was 30 years ago, La Fina offers some of the best family values around.

Finca Azul

On this beautiful farm close to Pozo Azul and Agua Azul in the Sarapiqui region, you can milk goats, see how cheese is made, go horseback riding, see a tapir, and much more! Warren Cordoba, a Tico who has worked as a renowned chef in California for years, offers culinary specialties in a harmonic, natural setting.

La Iguana Chocolate

This farm doesn’t allow overnight guests, but it is worth a stop all the same if you are in the area. La Iguana grows cacao and will teach you the entire chocolate-making process. They also offer intensive bean-to-bar classes for those wishing to replicate the process off the farm. La Iguana is located not far from the Jaco Beach area.

El Toledo Organic Coffee Plantation

“We want to show you how we work with nature instead of against it!” This family run coffee farm in rural Atenas lets visitors experience how coffee is grown and processed. This is a great day trip from San Ramon or Jaco.

Las Vueltas Lodge

You’ll fall in love with the big lodge building here at Las Vueltas Lodge, just 2 hours south of San Jose. Located in the cool, high mountains of Costa Rica close to the Cerro de la Muerte this place has amazing nature and hiking along with animals and homestead farming. It’s run by a big family and will make you feel right at home.

You must fill out a form to reserve your space, and the suggested stay length is 2 nights. Make sure to visit their website for more information.

Farms In Southern Costa Rica

Finca Amrta

This organic farm just outside San Isidro in the foothills of the Talamanca mountain range grows vanilla, amongst other crops. It’s billed as a health center and family farm, and they have a fun student work exchange program. There is yoga and meditation and carpentry and woodworking.

Hacienda Alta Gracia

This five-star resort in the Southern Zone around San Isidro offers an introduction to a sustainable Costa Rican family farm and will show guests how to make cheese, teach about Costa Rican cuisine, and give private coffee and wildlife tours.

They equally offer yoga and fitness as well as meditation classes. For outdoor sports, they offer mountain biking as well as horseback riding and you can go ahead and harvest some food from the sustainable farm. Hacienda Alta Gracia has private rainforest trails and access to waterfalls.

Rancho La Merced

While this beautiful farm close to Uvita does not offer housing options, they are all about horseback riding and offer tours on the stunning beaches around the Marino Ballena National Park. You can also enjoy a nice hike around their property with 506 hectares of primary and secondary wet forest, along with mangroves and beaches.

Villa Vanilla

This beautiful farm is all about high-quality spices. Here you can learn how plants like cinnamon, black pepper, and vanilla are grown and harvested… and what’s more, you can try them all.

The farm also biodynamically grows and ferments delicious cacao and offers spice-related farm and tasting tours. It is located on the Pacific coast close to Quepos and just around the corner from Costa Rica’s famous Manuel Antonio National Park.

The Yoga Farm

On the far south corner of the pacific coast in Pavones Beach, this place offers yoga and a relaxing atmosphere amongst spider monkeys and fruit trees. This farm is more for young people than families, but worth a mention here for yoga enthusiasts that may be reading.

Punta Mona

On the opposite side of the country, in the southern Caribbean, is another jungle jewel. Located in an abandoned afro-Caribbean settlement and cacao farm, that is now reclaimed by the jungle, Punta Mona is an off-grid permaculture farm, that can be reached only by hiking through the jungle or by boat.

It is perfect for day touring and seeing crops such as sugar cane grown. With the herbalists in the community, you can also learn a lot about medicinal plants and the distillation process to make alcohol for tinctures and other medicine.

Finca de la Isla

With a unique collection of tropical trees from all around the world and arguably the best chocolate in the world, this farm in Playa Negra close to Puerto Viejo is worth a visit!

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If you would like to talk to me about a customized itinerary or specific Costa Rica travel advice for your family, (zero sales- just advice!) check out my “Ask Christa” page for more information on custom Costa Rica trip planning geared towards families.