After a bumpy, twisting van ride (yes—we all got carsick), we finally made it to Sámara, Costa Rica, and it ended up being such a family-friendly beach town with 4 kids. In this video I take you along as we check into Villas Kalimba, where our villa had the best outdoor space (hammock + dining table) and enough room for all of us to spread out. Having a full kitchen made it so easy to do simple meals like pasta on the deck, and morning coffee outside with the birds (including a toucan!) was honestly perfect. I also share exactly what we did in Sámara with kids: a horseback riding tour through the mountains and on the beach (the highlight for my horse-loving nine-year-old), pool time and a colorful local playground for an easy evening, and a last-minute catamaran dolphin tour that totally paid off. The water was choppy and I definitely had a moment of “did we just flush money down the toilet?”—but then we were surrounded by a pod of 200+ dolphins. I wrap up with our practical travel tip for the drive back (Dramamine!) and the huge two-bedroom suite we stayed in near the San José airport, which was the perfect pre-flight hotel with free breakfast and a free shuttle.