Here's how to plan and pay for a jungle-themed getaway to Costa Rica using credit card rewards

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Marriott

• Costa Rica is home to adventure activities, beautiful landscapes, and animals galore. Wild macaws, monkeys, and sloths will make your stay both educational and inspiring.
• Marriott hotels are a popular option in Costa Rica due to their enormous value and family-friendly amenities. You can pay low cash prices or book Costa Rica properties for as little as 25,000 Marriott Rewards points per night.
• To build up enough points for a free stay in these hotels, consider picking up the Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card. This card doles out 75,000 Marriott Rewards points after you spend $3,000 on purchases within three months of account opening.
• Flying to Costa Rica is typically affordable thanks to competition from most major airlines. Consider using points to fly to Costa Rica on Southwest Airlines or JetBlue.
• Consider picking up a travel credit card that offers flexible points to offset flight costs.The Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard is currently offering 70,000 miles worth $700 in airfare after you sign up and spend $5,000 on your card within the first 90 days of account opening.

Planning a vacation that pleases everyone isn't always a walk in the park, and that's especially true if you have kids. Some in your family may crave adventure while others prefer a relaxing week spent at the beach. You might also want to work in an educational aspect, such as an introduction to local customs or an excursion that helps kids see the world in a different way.

While it's easy to believe no single trip can include everything you think a vacation could be, you may change your tune once you take a closer look at Costa Rica. This mountainous paradise features dramatic landscapes, dozens of volcanoes, and more than 2.6 million hectares of forest.

Adventure lovers can zipline through a jungle canopy, ride four wheelers through the wilderness, snorkel with sea turtles and stingrays, or take the family whitewater rafting. If you want your trip to be educational, you can explore the cultural heritage of old San Jose or take your children to one of the country's many animal sanctuaries, including La Paz Waterfall Gardens, to see jaguars, exotic birds, and sloths.

But, if you want the beach, they have that too. Costa Rica is flanked by the Pacific Ocean or the Caribbean Sea on either side, making it ideal for those who prefer the clear waters of the Caribbean or the surfable waves and natural beauty the Pacific Coast provides.

The bottom line: Costa Rica has it all, from exotic forests brimming with interesting plants and animals to beautiful beaches, stunning scenery, and a unique culture of its own.

So, why not plan a trip to Costa Rica in 2019?

Booking a stay in Costa Rica

One potential reason to skip travel to Costa Rica (or anywhere else) this year is money. You either have it or you don't, and travel is never free - even if you use rewards credit cards.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to save on this once-in-a-lifetime trip. If you're angling to visit Costa Rica while keeping your costs down, you'll want to make sure you keep lodging costs at a minimum. Fortunately, the Central American country features an array of lodging options that include both Airbnb-type rentals, family-run hotels, and brand name resorts.

Marriott has a strong hold on the Costa Rican hotel market thanks to its broad range of properties geared to families. The Los Suenos Marriott Ocean and Golf Resort is a popular option due to its beautiful stretch of beachfront, its giant pools, and its award-winning golf course that's home to wild macaws, monkeys, and giant iguanas. Not only can you book this hotel for less than $200 per night, but you can also book with only 35,000 Marriott Rewards points per night, making your stay entirely free.

The Costa Rica Marriott Hotel in San Jose is another popular option for families who wish to stay in the interior of the country to explore its capital city. This property boasts a beautiful courtyard interior, amazing gourmet food at its five on-site restaurants, and spectacular views of the rolling hills of Costa Rica. This hotel is also a steal at less than $200 per night certain times of the year, and you can book a free night with just 25,000 Marriott Rewards points.

To build up enough points for a free stay in these hotels, consider picking up the Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card. This card doles out 75,000 Marriott Rewards points after you spend $3,000 on purchases within three months of account opening. You also earn 6x points per $1 spent on all Marriott and SPG purchases and 2x points per $1 on everything else you buy, although there is a $95 annual fee.

Also note that Marriott is a Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner, meaning you can rack up points with a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve and transfer them to Marriott Rewards 1:1. As a bonus, Marriott's fifth-night-free promotion lets you stretch your points further since you receive a complimentary free night when you book four consecutive nights with points at most hotels.

If you want to explore more hotel options, you can always shop around using online travel discount websites like Expedia and Priceline. Both let you compare pricing for your dates at available hotels, making it easy to find a property that suits your tastes for a price you can afford.

Saving on flights to Costa Rica

While hotels in Costa Rica are definitely on the affordable side, you will need to pay for airfare to vacation here. Fortunately, Costa Rica is serviced by a wide range of airlines, including discount carriers like Spirit.

If you plan to pay cash for your flights, start your search by using Google Flights to compare prices across different airlines for your desired travel dates. While you can't book flights on Google Flights, you can use this resource to find the best price at dozens of airlines in one place. Pro tip: You'll have the best shot at savings if you're somewhat flexible with your dates. You may also save more if you're willing to fly out of alternate airports nearby, so make sure to compare.

If you think you'll pay cash for your flights, you can consider picking up a travel credit card that offers flexible points to offset the cost. The Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard is currently offering 70,000 miles worth $700 in airfare after you sign up and spend $5,000 on your card within the first 90 days of account opening. You'll also earn 2x miles for each dollar you spend, and the $89 annual fee is waived the first year.

If you plan to use airline miles, make sure to check options using the Southwest Rapid Rewards program, American AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, Frontier, JetBlue, and United. You can frequently find round-trip flights to San Jose or Liberia, Costa Rica on Southwest for less than 25,000 points round trip from US airports like Indianapolis and Chicago, for example. If you can fly out of an airport that flies direct to Costa Rica, you could even pay considerably less.

Holly Johnson/Business Insider

The same is true with JetBlue. Our search results yielded numerous round-trip flights to San Jose from cities like Chicago and Fort Lauderdale for less than 20,000 points round-trip.

Holly Johnson/Business Insider

Southwest Rapid Rewards and JetBlue TrueBlue points are also easy to earn. Not only do Southwest and JetBlue have their own co-branded airline credit cards, but they are also Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners.

While airline miles can make your flights a steal, keep in mind that you will have to pay government-mandated taxes and fees on your award flight. These usually work out to less than $100 round trip for international flights to Costa Rica, but they do vary so make sure to check.

The bottom line

Costa Rica is home to stunning mountain landscapes, tropical beaches, adventure activities, sloths, giant iguanas, and giant crocodiles. You can bring your family to explore this country's natural beauty, but you can also learn how to grow coffee, fly through the forest canopy with little more than a harness, and marvel at spectacular sea life including sea lions and whales.

Costa Rica is also a lot more affordable than people realize, which makes visiting this unique country even more appealing. Start piecing together your dream trip to Costa Rica today, and you won't regret it.

Click here to learn more about the Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card from Insider Picks' partner The Points Guy.

Click here to learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve card from Insider Picks' partner The Points Guy.

Click here to learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card from Insider Picks' partner The Points Guy.

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