Cooking with a Costa Rican Family: An Insight into Local Traditions and Customs

Experience the warmth and hospitality of a Costa Rican family as you join them in their kitchen. Learn about local traditions and customs while cooking delicious traditional dishes.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Ceibo Arenal Home - After booking our experiences, you will arrive at our kitchen where you will be very welcome and where you will share a good time with an authentic Costa Rican family.
    After introducing ourselves and getting to know each other over a refreshing drink, we will take you on a tour of our organic garden, where you will learn about…
What's Included
  • Lunch included
  • Tea and coffee provided
Meal Options
  • Chicken rice - Shredded chicken, a special marinade sauce, Vegetables, spices are added to the rice mixture.
  • Typical desserts - Organic fruit honeys
Additional Information

Our humble family of five hails from Costa Rica, composed of Lidiana, Eddie, our boys Aaron, Edison, and our dear daughter-in-law Tiffany. We live with our three feline companions and a canine pal. Each day we push to enhance our lives, holding steadfast to our goals as a Costa Rican family and farming folk – to preserve and share our cultural…

Location
Ceibo Arenal Home
Personally I wait for you with pleasure, in our parking I give you the indications of the whole experience and I put them at your disposal. It is our pleasure to serve you.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(46 Ratings)
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Lauraro6078tp
May 14, 2026
If you're in La Fortuna, you MUST book this tour! - If you're in La Fortuna, this a MUST tour to book. I come from a family of cooks and my brother is a chef, and this is hands down the best cooking experience I've ever had. Their home is beautiful and I loved how hands on it was to cook together. It reminded me how I cook with my family. It was really cool to walk through their garden and pick out fresh herbs and veggies for the food we were going to make. Eddie (the dad) made the best arroz con pollo I ever had, but it doesn't surprise me because it was made with so much love and it was his grandma's recipe. Lidiana made the most delicious passion fruit and pineapple smoothie for us to have for dinner. The best surprise was after it turned dark, we got to go back into the garden to see all the frogs. I LOVE frogs so it was so cool to see so many red eyed tree frogs in the wild. It made my trip. I HIGHLY recommend booking this tour. I regret not asking to take the food leftovers back to my Airbnb. Thank you for a beautiful experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joseph_a
Apr 27, 2026
Great people, great food, and great memories - I loved this experience. Liliana and Ari are amazing people that welcomed me into their home. Their farm and kitchen are beautiful. I will remember this evening because we shared great conversations, laughs, and amazing food. Thank you for the memories!!
Review provided by Viator
Carolinelg9585lk
Apr 13, 2026
Wonderful Experience - Lidiana and her son Aaron were so welcoming in opening up their home to us. We especially enjoyed the garden tour. The food we all made was delicious. We would definitely recommend this cooking class.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
704donaldv
Mar 12, 2026
The highlight of our trip to La Fortuna - This was a wonderful experience! We were warmly welcomed by Lidiana and her son, Aaron. Aaron guided us through their beautiful, lush organic gardens, where we picked fresh ingredients for our salad. And yes—they even have a sloth living in one of their trees! Aaron then prepared delicious mojitos for us using three different types of mint from the garden. Next, we were invited to help prepare the ingredients for dinner, which included yucca hash browns, plantain chips, and the main dish: free-range chicken with rice and vegetables, all locally sourced and organic. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and thoughtfully prepared, and the hospitality made the evening truly special. If you’re visiting the La Fortuna area, this is an experience you shouldn’t miss—an authentic, memorable way to enjoy local food and culture
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_w
Jan 15, 2026
Our Favorite Part of Costa Rica - This was truly our favorite experience while visiting CR over New Years! Our entire family enjoyed the experience so much and felt so welcomed. I can't say enough nice things about this sweet family! And the food and mojitos were excellent! Seeing the sloth, toads, frogs and sleeping birds was the icing on the cake! Thank you greatly!
Review provided by Viator
Minnesotawatergirl
Jan 9, 2026
Organic garden to delicious dinner - Such a lovely evening that was beyond our expectations. Our hosts were friendly, competent and fun. As we walked through their organic garden to collect greens and herbs for our salad., we saw a pregnant sloth. The six of us assisted in slicing and preparing the meal while drinking Mojito s. We learned how to prepare traditional foods and then dined together. After the meal we did a night walk and saw frogs, sleeping birds, and geekos. Thank you for a fabulous evening.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jill_s
Dec 23, 2025
So authentic. You are... - So authentic. You are truly immersed in the preparation of a delicious meal. The garden area cannot be put into words. Go and check it out. Plus you will get an up close view of a sloth (she was literally hanging 15 feet from our heads) and red eye frogs. My son said it was a top CR experience. Lovely family. Absolutely book!
Review provided by Viator
Brynnevans
Dec 16, 2025
This is a must-do in La Fortuna! - We read positive reviews about this place, but actually chose it because it didn't seem to have a huge internet presence. We were hoping for a local experience that helped us connect with real people in Costa Rica. This was definitely that and more! We got lucky enough to have a private experience for just our family. Lidiana and Aaron were so incredibly kind and patient. This was a full 3hr experience that started with a tour of their garden and taste-testing various plants, then a freshly prepared drink, and then we moved on to preparing ingredients for the meal. This was so fun -- a combination of dialogue and learning about the different types of foods that we don't see in the U.S. (such as whole yuca & fresh sugar cane, and even plantains, that our kids did not love or appreciate before this trip) Of course, every single thing we ate was delicious, and the kids ended up being super well-behaved around the dinner table. But the best part was getting to know the family who lived here. Lidiana and Aaron were beyond kind, generous, funny, and impatient. The evening ended with hugs and photos, and I continue to think about this experience as the highlight of our trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Teri_h_seattle
Dec 8, 2025
Your Most Memorable Experience in Costa Roca Awaits - Wow wow wow- above and beyond our expectations. Food simple, authentic, delicious and full of love. Got to see the resident sloth moving around the tree, many tree frogs and toads and even two large iguanas! Seriously- what a treat to spend the evening with such a welcoming and lovely family. Don’t hesitate to invest in this one of a kind experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
72ryanc
Dec 1, 2025
Awesome Experience! - We had an amazing time at our cooking class today! The entire family was so welcoming and kind. We got to tour their farm, try their herbs and learn how to make traditional Costa Rican food and drinks. The dinner was delicious! Aaron took us around the property to find a sloth and a night walk to see some incredible frogs. This was the best cooking class we've ever done and the most authentic experience we had during our trip to La Fortuna! Highly recommend to all!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $90
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).