Costa Rica to Nicaragua with Kids: Border Crossing, Ometepe, Granada & Laguna de Apoyo Costa Rica to Nicaragua with Kids: Border Crossings, Birthday Volcanoes, a $10 Machete, and What My Boys Learned From Street Kids in Granada In which we cross a militarized border, celebrate a second birthday on an island that sits inside a freshwater lake, buy a machete at a market, and I attempt to feed every street child in Granada. Results: mixed. Nicaragua is not Costa Rica. I say this not as a complaint but as a geographic and cultural observation that will hit you within approximately four minutes of clearing the border. Costa Rica abolished its military in 1948 and has been more or less radiantly peaceful ever since. Nicaragua has had a rather different 20th century, and the presence of soldiers with actual weapons at the crossing was something our boys processed in real time, out loud, in a sustained stream of questions that didn't stop until we were well into the cou...

Traveling to Costa Rica With Kids (2026): Caribbean Coast Reality Check for Families Traveling to Costa Rica With Kids (2026): Caribbean Coast Reality Check for Families We moved our family of five to Costa Rica's Caribbean coast when our kids were still in preschool and early elementary school. Here's what we learned - the stuff the polished travel blogs leave out: the good, the complicated, and the parts that will unexpectedly change how your family sees the world. Costa Rica is genuinely one of the best countries in the world for families. That's not marketing copy - it's something we discovered slowly, through hundreds of ordinary days: mornings watching howler monkeys shake the mango tree outside the window while you're trying to make breakfast, afternoons when our kids came home from school muddy, exhausted, and completely alive in a way that was hard to explain to people back home. But here's the thing nobody talks about: your experience ...

Low Waste Travel: What Actually Works (From a Family of Five on the Road) We've traveled and lived abroad with three kids for years — van life across North America, extended stays in Central America, border crossings with too much luggage and not enough patience. Along the way, we figured out which low-waste swaps genuinely hold up and which ones end up at the bottom of a bag, unused. Affiliate Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear and services we personally use and love — thanks for supporting Nomadventure! This isn't a manifesto. We're not zero-waste — nobody traveling with kids really is. But a handful of straightforward product swaps cut our plastic output dramatically without adding friction to daily life. These are the ones that made the cut. 1. Reusable Water Bottle with Filter — Non-Negotiable A filter bottle is ...

Planning a two-week Costa Rica trip with kids sounds overwhelming. We know — we've done it with our family of five, year after year. So we've distilled everything into this day-by-day itinerary that balances adventure, wildlife, surf, and downtime. Whether your kids are toddlers or teenagers, this route delivers. Affiliate Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear and services we personally use and love — thanks for supporting Nomadventure! Why 2 Weeks Is the Sweet Spot for Costa Rica Families One week in Costa Rica is too rushed. Three weeks requires serious budgeting. Two weeks gives you time to cover the Pacific Coast, the cloud forest, and a volcano region without spending half your trip in a rental car. It's the itinerary we keep coming back to, before settling into our Caribbean digs. What to Pack Before You Go Before we dive in, here'...

and markers. –> El Potrero Chico: The Ultimate Climbing Guide (Plus How to Drive a Skoolie Across the Border) | Nomadventure El Potrero Chico: The Ultimate Climbing Guide (And How We Drove a School Bus to Get There) By Nomadventure | Mexico Climbing Guides | Updated 2025 There is a moment, familiar to anyone who has ever chosen adventure over sensibility, when you look up at a sheer 800-foot limestone wall and think: Yes. This is exactly where I am supposed to be. Then your palms start sweating, your rack clanks ominously, and your brain — that ancient, anxiety-prone organ — begins drafting a strongly worded letter to the rest of you about life choices. Welcome to El Potrero Chico , one of the greatest sport climbing destinations on earth, located in the municipality of Hidalgo, just outside Monterrey in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It's a place where world-class limestone pillars erupt from the desert floor like...

When I started traveling to Costa Rica as a solo backpacker in 1997, I had done a ton of homework, and thought I was prepared for 6 months of travel through Costa Rica’s extraordinarily varied microclimates. During my adventures I struggled with being perpetually damp and often cold in the cloud forests of Monteverde and San Gerardo de Rivas . Unfortunately my tent had been devoured by a type of nylon chewing ant that turned waterproof fabric into confetti! It’s hard to be prepared for everything… Now I am part of a family of 5, so planning a yearly 6 month trip has taken on new challenges. Fortunately we have years of experience now. So here is what I have to share. Whether you’re exploring the lush mountains of Monteverde or soaking up the sun on the Pacific or Caribbean coasts, packing smart is key. Costa Rica’s climate varies dramatically—humid and hot on the beaches, cool and misty in the mountains—so you’ll need a well-rounded packing list. We’re in and out of the water a lo...