A dream in the making

Pura Vida with
the Egli Crew

A someday trip to Costa Rica built on two things we love: serving others and chasing wonder together. This is our idea board, a place to dump every dream as it comes.

🙏 Serve on mission
🌊 Explore as a family
🦥 Sloths, surf & sunsets
Why we're going

Serve first. Then play hard.

The heart of this trip is to be the hands and feet of Jesus somewhere new, together as a family. Then we stay a while to explore, rest, and soak up all the wild beauty Costa Rica is famous for.

Part 1 🤲

Serve Others

Roll up our sleeves on a mission: light construction, loving on kids, community projects, church. Let the girls and Joel see what it looks like to give, up close and hands-on.

Part 2 🌴

Explore & Play

Rainforest, wildlife, waterfalls, beaches and that sunset terrace. Slow mornings, one big adventure a day, and a whole lot of memories as a family of six.

The home base someone recommended

Casa Mono Montaña 🐒

A cliffside luxury home above Quepos, near Manuel Antonio, with a private infinity pool, a huge open terrace, and jaw-dropping ocean sunsets. Room for the whole crew (and maybe a team or the grandparents).

Infinity pool overlooking the Pacific coast Pool and ocean panorama Villa nestled in the jungle Open-air living room with a view Terrace lounge at golden hour
4Bedrooms
4Baths
10Guests
4.97★Rating

🟢 Ocean-view "Mono Montaña" house · private pool · Quepos, Puntarenas · steps from Manuel Antonio adventures.

Sunset dinners on the terrace, morning coffee over the rainforest, and monkeys in the trees. A dreamy anchor for both halves of the trip.

View the Airbnb ↗
Part 1 · Be the hands & feet

Ways we could serve

Starter ideas to explore, right in the Quepos / Manuel Antonio area. Many welcome families with kids. We'll pick what fits our season and the kids' ages.

⛪

Church-led family mission

Organizations like Experience Costa Rica partner with local, Tico-led churches: light construction, relational ministry, VBS/Bible school, teaching English.

Faith-based · families welcome
🔨

Build & renovate

Hands-on projects placed where the community needs it most, renovating a school, daycare, church or shelter (IVHQ Manuel Antonio). Kids join with a parent.

Construction · ages with guardian
📚

Espacio Comunitario, Quepos

A community garden, gym and little free library built by and for locals (Villas Jacquelina). Reading hours, garden days, donating books & supplies.

Community · all ages
🦥

Wildlife sanctuary care

Help feed & care for rescued sloths, monkeys and parrots at a Quepos sanctuary (Kids Saving the Rain Forest, ages 6+). Serving creation, kid-magic.

Conservation · ages 6+
🙏

Worship with locals

Join a local church service, a warm, unforgettable way to connect with the community and worship alongside our Costa Rican neighbors.

Relational · whole family
💡

Your idea here

Know a missionary, church or ministry connection in Costa Rica? Drop it in and I'll add it. This is the running list.

Add anytime
Part 2 · Wonder together

Ways to explore & play

Manuel Antonio packs a national park, calm beaches, mangroves, rainforest and rivers into one small stretch, all within 30 minutes of the house. Pro tip: one big adventure per day, then rest.

🐒

Manuel Antonio Nat'l Park

The anchor experience. A naturalist-guided wildlife walk to spot sloths, monkeys and toucans, then the flat trail ends right at calm, kid-safe beaches.

Go in the morning · closed Tuesdays
⛵

Catamaran + snorkel

Half-day on the water: dolphins, snorkeling at Biesanz Bay, waterslides off the boat, and a sunset BBQ cruise back. Easy, relaxing win for the kids.

Half day · dolphins & sunset
🌿

Ziplining the canopy

Rainforest canopy lines soaring above the Pacific. A big-adventure day the older girls would never forget.

Adventure · check age limits
💦

Nauyaca Waterfall

The iconic 160-ft falls with natural swimming pools below. Reached by 4x4 or a hike, cool jungle swim reward.

Half day · swim
🛶

Damas Island mangroves

A slower-paced boat tour through mangrove channels, monkeys, birds, crocs, all from your seat. Great for the little ones.

Family-easy · tide-dependent
🏄

Beaches & surf lessons

Playa Manuel Antonio & Espadilla for splashing; gentle waves where kids as young as four can try their first surf lesson.

Beach days · ages 4+
🌙

Night wildlife tour

Frogs, insects, sleeping sloths and a whole new rainforest after dark. A memorable evening that isn't another restaurant.

Evening · easy walk
🌅

Sunsets on the terrace

Some of the best moments cost nothing: dinner on the house terrace, string lights on, the whole family watching the Pacific go gold.

Free · every night
💡

Your idea here

Rafting? ATV trails? Chocolate tour? A day trip? Toss it in and I'll add it to the board.

Add anytime
The practical stuff (rough notes)

Logistics to figure out

Nothing locked in, just parking the questions so we don't lose them.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧

Who's coming

The whole crew, plus maybe grandparents or a small church team.

JaredStasi MaeNora RuthieJoel
✈️

Getting there

Fly into San José (SJO), then ~3 hr drive/shuttle to Quepos. (Quepos has a small regional strip too.) Mission orgs often include SJO transfers.

📅

When to go

Dry season (roughly Dec–Apr) is peak & sunniest. Green season is lush, quieter & cheaper. Match to the kids' school calendar.

⏳

How long

Idea: a serve week + a family week. Long enough to actually rest and not rush the adventures.

The dump zone

Idea parking lot 🌱

Everything that doesn't have a home yet. No idea too small or too wild.

  • Learn a little Spanish as a family before we go
  • Give each kid a "job" on the mission days
  • A travel journal / photo book they each keep
  • Chocolate or coffee farm tour
  • Try casado & gallo pinto (local food)
  • A "one new animal a day" spotting challenge
  • Pack a donation duffel for the community
  • Build in true rest days, don't overschedule
💬 Keep dumping. Text me any new idea, link, or connection, "add ziplining company X", "we found a church in Quepos", a date range, anything, and I'll drop it straight onto this board.