A small ship sailing is quite possibly the best way to visit Costa Rica with your teen

Costa Rica is one of the most visited countries in Central America and it is especially loved by families because there’s so much to do and see. The country is small—it takes up less than .03% of the space on this earth and yet it is exploding with flora and fauna. It has 5% of the existing biodiversity in the entire world. In fact, 26% of the country is reserved for land conservation.

That means kids have the chance of seeing three types of monkeys when ziplining. A morning spent at Manuel Antonio National Park—Costa Rica’s crown jewel—is better than any zoo. There are sloths slowing making their way up and down trees; howler monkeys screaming loudly to let you know they are there; rainbow-colored scarlet macaws and toucans flying through the air. Plus, there are tons of active-adventure activities to be had: surfing, hiking to volcanoes, white-water rafting, scuba diving, and snorkeling—all while seeing plenty of wildlife. No matter what your child’s interest, Costa Rica has an activity for it.

Cruising on Star Clipper

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One of the best ways to see Costa Rica is on a cruise along the Pacific Coast. Star Clipper is a really unique way to travel in large part because of its small size. Unlike big cruise vessels, this is a traditional clipper ship with sails (it’s like a big sailboat). The maximum number of passengers is 166 (with a crew of 74), but there were about 100 people on our sailing. The ship has two small pools, an informal dining room (the kids will love that they don’t need to dress up for meals), and because the vessel is smaller than conventional cruise ships, it can cruise into remote ports where the big ships can’t fit.

It’s also really fun to be on what feels like an old-fashion sailing ship. The Star Clipper sails under wind power wherever possible—if there’s not enough wind, the captain can use engine power, so the ship can keep to its sailing schedules. Passengers are welcome to help the crew raise the sails (or you can sit back, relax, and watch others do it).  The sails are all raised manually by the captain and crew who are seasoned, experienced sailors—and many of the kids—and adults—aboard like to try their hand at it (under the supervision of the staff of course).

Communal Seating at Meals
Let’s face it, when you travel with your kids, sometimes it’s a lot of togetherness. That’s the joy of communal seating. The ship has tables that seat from 4-10 diners.  You can seat with other passengers and get to know their stories. The cruise caters to a very international crowd—in addition to Americans and Canadians, there were Germans, British, South Americans, and a splattering of other nationalities on our cruise. That’s a pretty impressive make-up for a ship with only 100 passengers.  Plus, the dress code is casual, so no need to force the kids to wear their nice clothes. We really enjoyed talking to the other guests on board—in fact, my son became best friends with a boy of similar age from Iceland. They became inseparable during our seven-day cruise.

Climbing the Mast
A highlight for us was climbing the mast. This is offered once or twice per cruise (depending on wind conditions) and this was a favorite activity for both kids and adults. We did it both times and we loved not only the thrill of climbing it but the amazing views from the top. The ship has four masts reaching over 200 feet and they let passengers climb 65 feet up a rope ladder to the crow’s nest—a small lookout platform with a protective railing—on the foremast. Climbing sessions are open to everyone (young and old) and are free—you just need an adventurous spirit.

Sea Days
In addition to climbing the mast, sea days offer a lot of fun activities. For adults, there’s a masseuse on board who does her magic in a small outdoor massage room (shaded and private). Her massage talent rivals that of top spas in international cities. There are also sail-related talks (interesting for both adults and kids); knot-tying lessons; and star-gazing at night. The onboard library has plenty of board games, like chess, and it’s fun to see kids put down their electronic devices and play old-school games (Internet is an additional cost, so devices tend not to be used as much).

On each cruise, weather permitting, there is a photo tender safari on a sea day. This means all the sails are raised on the ship, dramatic music is played, and the guests board the tender to take photos of the Star Clipper in all her glory.

There are no nightclubs or Broadway shows on the Star Clipper, but evenings include fun activities organized by the entertainment team, such as talent night, fashion shows, and dancing. Each ship has an open bridge policy and guests are free to come and talk to the officers and captain.

Shore Excursions 

The shore excursions offered on Star Clippers can only be booked on the ship, with the exception of Manuel Antonio National Park. The park has a limit to the number of guests able to visit per day (for conservation reasons). Be sure to book this excursion, as Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the most visited—and popular spots—in Costa Rica. We saw plenty of wildlife including three-toed sloths, white-faced capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, and snakes (the kids seem to especially love the snakes).

Another popular shore excursion is the Congo Canopy Adventure in Bahia Potrero. Ziplining here is really special because it’s a dry forest with plenty of wildlife including hundreds of different species of birds; howler monkeys; coatis (which looks similar to a raccoon) and other mammals.

Water Toys on Shore
In addition to shore excursions, the activities team takes the “water toys” ashore for parents and kids to enjoy. This is usually done twice during the seven-day cruise and it’s weather-permitting. The toys include snorkeling masks and fins; kayaks; sailing dinghies; and water-skiing equipment.

When we were on the Star Clipper, the activity team was made up of two energetic Swedish women taking a gap year before college. They had the best attitude—fun, positive, can-do spirit—and they were exactly what you want when dealing with teens and preteens. They took the kids on sailing and water-skiing trips—and the kids had a blast. They also created fun activities on board—like the game they made up which was a cross between golf and floor hockey.  While the ship is not designed for younger kids, tweens and teens had plenty to do.

Themed Weeks 

There are regular theme cruises offered throughout the year including yoga and meditation, architecture, history, and cuisine. We were on the yoga-themed cruise and even though I just started practicing yoga last year, I really loved this offering. It was what I deem “vacation yoga”—more stretching and easy moves, so really anyone could join. Yoga was offered each morning at 7 am and sometimes again at sunset. For me, the yoga was one of the highlights of the cruise. I did it every morning and became fast friends with my fellow yogis (we would grab coffee and chat after). Pilates was also sprinkled in throughout our stay. While none of the kids joined, plenty of parents did and we remarked on how great we felt after doing it.

Check out Star Clippers for additional information on their sailings!