On our last full day, we drove back to San Jose and went on a little walking tour of downtown. It was the only time to rain was kind of a bummer, but the kids were good sports. We saw a couple of markets, parks, and theaters, as well as two truly beautiful churches. Honestly, overall, it was kind of an underwhelming city (it's not what people come to Costa Rica to see), but I think it was good for the kids to see what other cities look like so they can appreciate ours!
Eldredge Family
Monday, June 8, 2026
San Jose
Saturday, June 6, 2026
Tamarindo
For the last part of our trip, we drove several hours to Tamarindo, a town on the Pacific Ocean. Everyone loved the beach- it was one of our favorite parts of the trip. Our hotel was up on a hill about 5 minutes from the beach, but there was a shuttle that ran hourly into town and to the beach. They also partner with a Beach Club that we had access to, which was so nice: we had a bar so we could get ice water, bathrooms, lounge chairs, and a private beach area. The trees went so close to the water that we could easily be in the shade while still fully at the beach, and the water was so warm. The beach had pretty impressive waves, lots of seashells, and we just really enjoyed ourselves.
Thursday, June 4, 2026
Animals and Flowers
We kept a list of all the animals and birds we saw on our trip:
Animals: Ant Eater, Black Spiny-tailed Iguana, Lizard, Cows, Horses, Termite nests, Long-nosed bats, Crocodiles, Howler Monkeys, Rat Bull Snake, Emerald (Jesus Christ) Lizard, Blue Jean Frog, White Linated Bat, Black and Green Frog, Tilapia, Toe-toed Sloth, Glass Frog, Godi, Red Frog, Coati, Eyelast Pit Viper, Land Crabs, Catfish, and Kitten.
Birds: Chicken, Buff Rumped Warbler, Great Kiskadee, Yellow Bird, Peacock Bird, Great Curassow, Parrot, Tucan, Aningha Aningha, Tiger Heron, Lordas Parakeet, Scarlet Rumped Tanager, Yellow Tanager, Hummingbirds, Vultures, Swallows, Russet Nape Wood Rail, Jackamar, Boat Billed Heron, Stripped Owl, Blackbelly Whistling duck and ducklings, Green Heron, Chackalaka, Black Throated Oreal, Common Black Hawk, Tri Colored Heron, Warbler, White Ibis, Osprey, and Scarlet Macaw.
Here are some of our favorite pictures:























