Flying into San Jose, Costa Rica, with my family, I was excited to explore the country I had come to love by land. The Arenal region, filled with volcanoes and rainforests, is pure magic. On the Caribbean side, Tortuguero National Park forever changed me when I saw sloths in the wild. On the Pacific side, the Guanacaste region is where beach lovers flock to hop waves and enjoy the “Pura Vida” lifestyle.
While I’d had the chance to explore Costa Rica a few times over the years with friends, my family had never actually been to Central or South America together. When I went to book our Christmas break trip, I knew I wanted to go somewhere warm, where my husband and two boys (ages 13 and 16) could be surrounded by nature, and where we could get off the boat to safely explore, and maybe see some native creatures, like sloths, tropical birds, lizards, and dolphins. Other qualifications? I wanted to go somewhere familiar to me, so I wouldn’t have to research a lot beforehand, and a place where we could be active together without the distractions of video games on cell phones. On a Panama Canal voyage, our boys could work off that endless amount of energy they seem to have in spades.
I chose a cruise aboard the Windstar’s Star Pride, sailing from Costa Rica through the Panama Canal to Colon, because with one phone call, I could get us the winter vacation we all craved. Not only could I book a seven-day cruise filled with adventurous excursions that matched my teens’ interests and food I knew would be world-class thanks to its James Beard Foundation partnership, but also our flights, pre- and post-hotel stays. I’d planned plenty of international trips for us in the past, but for once, I wanted a true vacation for me, the mom who is always in charge of the research, planning, and booking. I didn’t want to think about where to go next or whether my kids would like anything at the restaurant I’d picked for dinner; I just wanted to kick back and let someone else take care of the details so I could be 100 percent present with my husband and kids and enjoy our vacation.
And I loved that on our Panama Canal cruise the majority of our active days would be in Costa Rica with rainforest tours, dolphin-watching boat rides, and even an afternoon on Windstar’s floating set up at the stern of the boat. We would continue south into Panama for a relaxing day on the beach with Windstar’s Signature Beach Barbeque, before enjoying our last cruise excursion — an educational visit to the Emberá tribe, an indigenous Panamanian tribe critical to protecting the environment and the rivers feeding into the Panama Canal.
The itinerary ended with a journey through the Panama Canal, an engineering marvel we experienced throughout a full day’s cruising, as we went in and out of several locks. On paper, it seemed like a lot, but in actuality, the itinerary was the perfect balance between active adventure and lazy days on the ship, giving all of us time to refresh from school and work.
Quepos: Rainforest Horseback, Cascades & BBQ
One of the many things my youngest son has begged me to do for the past year is ride a horse. He tried in the past but was always nervous, and would get right off the horse before our trail ride even started. When I went to book the “Rainforest Horseback, Cascades and BBQ” excursion in Quepos, I was the one who was nervous. This was a trail ride, yes, but unlike most rides in the USA, it would be on horses that weren’t necessarily out for retirement and couldn’t care less about going super slow, one behind the other.
And yet, we could not have asked for a better experience. The horses were smaller and narrower than those we had experienced in the States, which added to our comfort level right away. Although these horses would walk fast and even trot along the trail, they never got to a speed that really freaked out my youngest son. And he stayed on for the entire ride!
Although the tour was almost six hours, we were probably on horseback for only about an hour and a half. Part of the time was just getting to the farm, while about an hour was dedicated to a ranch barbecue, which consisted of chicken, rice, and plantains. The horseback ride was broken up with a stop at a gorgeous, cascading waterfall where we could cool off and have some fun splashing around with our fellow trail riders for about 30 minutes. There was nowhere to change, so we were all glad we had worn our swimsuits under our riding outfits (long pants and t-shirts).
Golfo Dulce: Dolphin Watch & Enchanted Beach
If you’re cruising in the tropics, don’t miss the chance to see local wildlife up close. Our dolphin-watching excursion took us from the ship to a tiny boat that brought us into the Golfo Dulce, a fjord-like inlet that’s home to two resident dolphin pods. Surrounded by jungle and hugging the shore, we searched for dolphins while our guide explained the local rules—boats must stay 50-100 feet away from wildlife, but the dolphins could come to us if they wanted.
It didn’t take long before our captain spotted the bottlenose dolphin pod. We watched them eat breakfast and swim right under our 12-seater boat. It was surreal that these mammals, who were longer than I am tall (I’m 5’7”, while bottlenose dolphins stretch from six to 13 feet), could glide effortlessly under us without rocking the boat. Then we found the spotted dolphin pod, and they put on a show—leaping through the air, surfing in our boat’s wake, and swimming alongside us in water so clear we could see them swimming just below the surface.
The excursion ended with a stop at a deserted beach for a swim and fresh fruit. If you thought you can get good pineapple at home, it’s nothing compared to what you’ll taste in Costa Rica.
Since our dolphin tour was only a few hours, we were back with plenty of time for lunch and to take advantage of the floating marina that is set up right off the aft of Star Pride. My boys quickly found a few friends to do what teen boys do—dive off things, belly-flop, and try to outdo each other with their antics. Meanwhile, I happily sat under the canopy of the AquaBana, a new addition that provides comfortable seating and lots of shade, with my feet in the water, chatting with a few fellow passengers. It was the perfect preview of Windstar’s other signature water experience: the Beach BBQ.
Windstar’s Signature Beach BBQÂ
The Windstar Beach BBQ can happen in Costa Rica or Panama, depending on the itinerary and weather. Our ship was in Isla Parida, Panama, just over the Costa Rican border, for our barbecue. The staff set up a water trampoline and had kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkel gear on hand for guests to use throughout the day. With lounge chairs and beach umbrellas lining the length of the beach, it was easy to sip a tropical drink while watching the kids in the calm waters surrounding the island.
The actual barbecue was so much more than your average family cookout. Yes, there were burgers and chicken, but there was also smoked salmon, rice and beans, fried sweet plantains, a plethora of salads and sides, and of course, a bar and dessert table complete with the ship’s ever-present chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies (I couldn’t get enough of the latter!)
Between conquering horseback trails, sailing with wild dolphins, and enjoying Windstar’s signature beach experience, our days were everything I hoped they’d be—active, quiet moments to reconnect in nature and aboard the ship, and perfect for a family looking to unwind. The fact that both of my boys wanted to have dinner with us each night and recap our day, along with watching a movie in our cabin to enjoy extra snuggles, was the icing on the cake.
As we sailed through the Panama Canal toward Colon, my husband and I looked back on our week of exploring this marvelous region of Central America. And our boys? They just want to know when we are going back.
