Visiting Caño Negro with kids is fun! This is truly one of those “off the beaten path” destinations to enjoy peace and nature. A unique nature reserve with plenty of chances to spot wildlife. It is remote and less known to tourists. This vast nature reserve in Costa Rica, near the border with Nicaragua, is a must-visit for nature lovers as far as we are concerned. Caño Negro is the third most important wetland in the world. The nearly 10,000-hectare area is home to some 350 species of birds and many other animal species such as monkeys, sloths, pumas and jaguars. In this blog, we list all the information you need for visiting Caño Negro with the family.
General information Caño Negro
The best chance to see birds and wildlife is from a boat on the Rio Frio, although the chances of spotting a puma or jaguar remain very slim. Except for a few lodges and cottages, you will find virtually nothing here. Here it really feels like you are all alone in the world for a while. This is the place to enjoy nature, spot birds and other wildlife and totally unwind. We found this a wonderful destination to go to with our family.
Most travelers visit Caño Negro with a day trip from La Fortuna or on transit to Monteverde. We went to this park from Monteverde, stayed here for three nights and then drove on to La Fortuna. If you are staying here, it is useful to know that there is no ATM machine nearby and you can only pay in cash at the lodge. So make sure to pin enough money in advance if you visit this park with kids.
Best travel time Caño Negro
Actually, you can spot birds and wildlife all year round in Caño Negro with kids. During the rainy season from May to December, the lakes and canals are full of water coming from the mountains. The Rio Frio then bursts its banks and birds perch along Lago Caño, which is on the route of migratory birds from both South and North America.
In the dry season from January to April, the lakes dry up completely, leaving only water in the Rio Frio. At this time of year, the highest concentration of birds is along the riverbanks.
Transportation to and in Caño Negro
We traveled through Costa Rica with our daughter and loved having the freedom of having our own car. We visited Caño Negro after Monteverde. The distance in kilometers is not great, but the roads here are bad and often we drove no faster than 25 kilometers per hour on unpaved, bumpy roads.
Most families with kids rent a car at the San Jose airport. You can easily rent a car here through Sunny Cars. This organization has a tremendously good insurance package and also tremendously good terms and conditions regarding, for example, reimbursement of the deductible in the event of a claim. Look online to rent a car at the San Jose airport through Sunny Cars.
You can also reach this destination by bus. Three times a day a bus runs from Los Chiles and Upala to Caño Negro. Keep in mind, of course, that you will be on the road a lot longer than by car.
Family-friendly activities Caño Negro
#1 Boat trip on the Rio Frio
Through our lodge, we take an early morning boat ride for a few hours. Our little boat has a canopy, which is nice against the rain falling at that time. Soon it becomes dry and the canopy is pleasant against the sun. We have a private boat and guide with our family. The guide carries binoculars and stops at anything we find interesting or that he finds worthwhile.
He also has a folder with him that lists all the bird species, and he shows it regularly so we know what birds we are seeing. One bird is even more colorful than the other. From the moment we get into the boat, we already see the first caymans in the water. There are so many of them! Caño Negro has the highest population of caimans, about 100 per square kilometer.
A little further on, we see local people paddling and catching fish in the river-something we, with so many caimans around us, would rather skip. We also see many iguanas and lizards and even a mini owl that we would never have noticed without our guide. It is really extraordinary how well he knows how to find these animals. Along the way, we also hear and see howler monkeys.
It is a wonderful trip! The guide really takes the time to show us the wildlife by quietly cruising the river. We pay $60 per person; a bargain, if you ask me, for a private tour of several hours through the wetlands of Caño Negro.
#2 Swimming and relaxing at the lodge
After spending a few hours in a boat, it’s time to swim. We are staying at Hotel de Campo, which has a nice pool with sun beds in a beautiful garden. Hummingbirds and butterflies fly around us. The pool is not big and our little apartment is adjacent to it. As we sit in the pool, we hear noise above our apartment: monkeys swinging in the trees and eating fruit.
The casings drop them on our roof. Now this is life! From the pool all afternoon we have a view of playful garland monkeys. Really fantastic!
Family-friendly restaurant Caño Negro
As mentioned earlier, this destination is remote. We did not visit any other restaurants because we stayed at the lodge and had a tasty dinner there. We stayed at Hotel de Campo and ate here both nights. You can choose from a variety of dishes at this hotel’s restaurant, and the food is simple but tasty.
Every day the owner passionately told us what could be prepared for us, for example, the catch of the day. Fresh fries and breaded chicken were made for our daughter, topped with tomato and cucumber. A scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert completed the feast.
Family-friendly hotel Caño Negro
We stayed at the simple but well-kept Hotel de Campo Caño Negro. The friendly owner made us feel welcome. The fine pool in the beautiful garden, the nature around us and the monkeys swinging in the trees made the stay special. Hotel de Campo comes highly recommended as far as we are concerned.
The rooms are a bit outdated and the mattress needs replacing and luxury is definitely not it. But nature and the friendly host more than make up for this. For more information, take a look online for Hotel de Campo Caño Negro.
Furthermore, there are not that many family-friendly accommodations near the nature park that you can book with a family with kids. So you still have accommodation Poponjoche Lodge Caño Negro which is in about the same price range for a family room with two double beds.
If you are looking for a more luxurious accommodation including a pool, then Natural Lodge Caño Negro is a good option. This accommodation is also rated a generous 8 by families with kids who have stayed here overnight.
About the author: I’m Kim, married to Jeroen who works as a steward for a major Dutch airline and flies all over the world. Together we have a 4-year-old daughter and as a family we try to take a faraway trip as often as possible to discover new cultures, tastes and countries. You can follow our family on Instagram.
