If you’ve ever phoned in a Mother’s Day, or ordered a bouquet sent “rush” at midnight the evening before, you probably weren’t in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica Mother’s Day is the most important traditional celebration after Christmas and Easter. It coincides with the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and mothers are treated to a dinner to celebrate both their own motherhood and the ultimate mother of Catholicism. Family is the cornerstone of Costa Rican culture, so it’s only fitting that while you’re here, whether observing the country’s religious Mother’s Day on August 15th, or taking Mom on vacation this May 10th, Mom is celebrated Costa Rica-style.
Waterfall Hikes
For the active mama, a hike culminating in a gorgeous vista is a favorite activity, and what could be a more stunning view that a shockingly blue waterfall? In the Tenorio Volcano National Park, the twisting Celeste River is naturally dyed by the sulfur and calcium in the riverbed, turning the water shades of teal and electric blue that seem to defy reality. A hike up to the famous Celeste Waterfall, which itself glows blue twice a year, could provide the perfect Mother’s Day photo op – #nofilter, of course.
For a horseback adventure, El Chorro Waterfall near Montezuma is popular. Ride horses to the waterfall – the hike can take 3 to 4 hours by foot – and swim in the idyllic freshwater lagoon. Nauyaca Waterfalls on the Southern Pacific is also an ideal horseback-riding destination, where multiple falls cascade into a swimmable pond.
If Mom is a bit of a thrill seeker, the suspension bridges on the way to Savegre Waterfall are not to be missed. The hike is only one mile long, but after crossing suspension bridges, and walking through the amazing variety of trees and wildflowers in this cloud forest, Mom will surely have worked up an appetite for a Mother’s Day feast.
Hot Springs
For a classic retreat, the Tabacón is one of the first hot springs resorts in Costa Rica’s thermally gifted Arenal region, home of the famous volcano and underground springs. Guests here swim, sunbathe, and are treated to the luxury Mom deserves on Mother’s Day.
When Mom wants to relax and kids want excitement, Kalambu Hot Springs Water Park provides an easy day: just two miles (3.2 km) from La Fortuna, the campus of twisting water slides is fed from the thermal springs underground.
To make the day all about the matriarch, try the Eco Thermales in La Fortuna, a gorgeous, pristine series of hot spring pools that combines natural beauty with Zen human ingenuity. After a hike around the base of the Arenal Volcano, these healing pools are especially delightful.
Spa Days
Hot springs not quite luxurious enough for Mother’s Day? Take the relaxation a step further and pamper her at one of Costa Rica’s luxe spas.
Envision your family sitting in a warm waterfall together and you’ll have a picture of the Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort. Stay at the hotel for a luxurious swim day, or schedule treatments at the spa like an “orange coffee” scrub, or a “gentleman’s facial” if Dad is coming along.
Candlelit massages and pools with scenic views abound at the aptly named Pura Vida (“pure life”). Nestled in the hills of Alajuela in the Central Valley, Pura Vida’s spa is best to celebrate a mom with older or grown-up children. Every spa treatment imaginable is offered here, from Ayurvedic “lifestyle counseling” and massage to earwax candling (worth a Google).
Need more than a day of TLC? Go on a yoga retreat at Costa Rica Yoga Spa in Nosara, an expat favorite. After a few days of meditation, massages, and yoga in the jungle – not to mention the gourmet, plant-based food – Mom will feel ready to take on the world.
Learn to Surf
A mother who spends afternoons driving her kids to karate and dance lessons deserves to learn a new trick of her own: surfing! The Pacific side of Costa Rica is considered one of the best places to learn to surf in the world, with steady waves and legitimate instruction.
Three-foot waves – perfect to learn on – are common at Playa Tamarindo, a cute beach town with plenty of surfing schools. A bonus to being in Tamarindo: great snorkeling and a chance to see turtles on the beach during their epic nesting season.
Named one of National Geographic’s 20 Best Surf Towns, Nosara Costa Rica has everything one might need on Mother’s Day: welcoming accommodations, great food, gorgeous jungle and beach, and consistent waves. With surf schools run by seasoned experts, moms with younger children can feel safe as the whole family learns to ride the tide.
The Caribbean side of the country offers fewer surfing options for beginners, but should you find yourself there with a crave for the wave, try Playa Cocles. This has gentler waves, and rental shops offer lessons.
Unless everyone in the family is a competitive surfer, this activity should be avoided in November and December, when waves can swell up to twelve feet high.
Visit a Coffee Plantation… or Learn to Make Chocolate
Many moms start the day with coffee, but might not know the amazing journey behind their morning cup. Costa Rica is world-renowned for its coffee beans, and places like the Don Juan Sugar Cane, Chocolate, and Coffee Tour in Monteverde let caffeine-and-chocolate-lovers see behind the scenes. Fascinate Mom with an up-close look at coffee production, and delight kids as they taste sugar they extracted themselves, straight from the cane.
For the true coffee lover, Espiritu Santo Coffee Plantation could be the highlight of a vacation. Though the cooperative was started 40 years ago, it employs the oldest, most traditional practices to turn its organic beans into the highest-quality coffee treasured by chains in the US, including Starbucks. Does Mom want to see how coffee was brewed in the days before coffeemakers and store-bought filters? She can both see and taste it at the old traditional coffeehouse on the plantation.
For the mom with a sweet tooth, consider keeping the tour strictly chocolate. In the La Fortuna region of San Carlos, the Rainforest Chocolate Tour takes cacao – considered a “gift from the gods” in pre-colonial Costa Rican and other Mesoamerican cultures – quite seriously. The tour is hands-on, and your entire family will participate in everything from harvesting the fruit to grinding the seed down as they learn the ancient story of chocolate. Oh, and enjoying the final product, of course.
