Every other year, Regine Webster and her family spend a month in a Spanish-speaking country. For the first half of the adventure they relax and enjoy the culture and for the second half, her daughters attend a Spanish school while Webster works remotely.
A few years ago, the Websters, who live in Nashville, Ten., chose Costa Rica for their work/play destination.
“I chose it because of the natural beauty, the ease of getting around, the ability to find comfortable and safe lodging, quality Spanish schools and the time zone because I work remotely and I need to be roughly in the same time zone,” says Webster. “My husband comes to our destination month for half of the time, so because I am alone with the girls, safety and comfort are really important to me.”
Arenal volcano on a clear day in Costa Rica.
While in Costa Rica, the family experienced successful stays in hotels – they highly recommend the Tabacon Resort – and rented Airbnb’s in Ojochal and Tamarindo.
The Websters spent time checking out the “cloud forests” in Monteverde, at the beautiful grey beaches in Ojochal, and in a bustling beach-and-surf town called Tamarindo. Highpoints of the trip also included the Tabacon hot springs and zip lining in Monteverde.
You are pretty much guaranteed a siting of one of these howler monkeys in Costa Rica.
“We had lots of laughter, adrenaline, and certainly-memory making experiences,” says Webster. “I will always cherish the quiet afternoons on the beach with the girls after I picked them up from the language school. Digging in the sand, swimming in the water, tootling around tide pools and watching the sunset on the ocean before heading home for dinner. That was the magic for me.”
Surfs up in Costa Rica!
Costa Rica has become a popular destination for families during the past decade because of its affordability, safety, and offerings. Aside from the beauty and lushness of the country, Costa Rica is one of the “greenest” countries in the world offering bonafide eco-tourism that will leave a lasting impression on you and your tribe.
“I think it is so important to burst your bubble every now and again – for me and my family – test your assumptions about how you live and learn from others about how they live,” says Webster. “We go to central parks, buy the bubbles from the bubble vendor, listen to people chatter and go about their daily lives, swim in pools and oceans, take lots of pictures, and enjoy the quiet that we can capture by being away from our ‘normal’.”
Costa Rica offers a perfect mix of volcanos, rainforests, beaches, and animals. We hope to see you there this July!