Still planning trip for April 2020

This was a fantastic getaway. The hotel was comfortable and nicely done. It's very typical Costa Rica so please don't assume you are going to the Ritz. The hospitality was exceptional. The staff at the hotel was friendly and bilingual. The restaurant was delicious with a well-apportioned breakfast and open for lunch and dinner. We cannot say enough about Ecoterra's tours and their guides. Daniela and Mainor (sp) were extremely knowledgeable in the Costa Rican plant and animal life. On day one, we did the Hanging Bridges hike/tour and the National Park hike/tour with the Lake Arenal boat ride. The hanging bridges hike was perfect. We saw Howler Monkeys, spider monkeys, a couple of frogs, an eyelash viper, and coatimundi. The second day we did the Trekking at Hule volcanic lagoons. This was CHALLENGING so if you do this be ready for a true hike/trek. It's not easy but the sites you will see will blow your mind. This groupon was worth every cent.

This was an amazing experience. Drivers and tours were very punctual. Everyone was friendly. Upgraded to Tabacon hot springs which was beautiful and relaxing. We added the Venado Caves Tour (also an awesome experience). The meals were ok.

We had an amazing trip to Costa Rica through Ecoterra for 7 nights 6 days. We booked through Groupon and were initially skeptical but could not have chosen a better location for our honeymoon! Being vegetarian we were nervous about food on the trip but there was not a single meal that we felt this was an issue - there were more than enough options usually lots of fresh fruit, rice and beans (pure vegetarian - not cooked with any broth or lard), plantains, fresh queso, pancakes, bread/toast, steamed vegetables, potatoes, and more. The first night was in San Jose at the Park Inn Radisson which is a good hotel and about a 1/2 hour drive from the airport on a weekend. There is nothing planned on day 1. On day 2 there is an early pick up the morning (6 am) by Laguna Lodge in Tortuguero who coordinate the 3 days / 2 nights in Tortuguero. Our guide, Rolando, was extraordinary. He really went out of his way to ensure a first class experience for everyone on the tour and would take significant time to provide great insight about the wildlife and local culture. The commentary is in spanish and english, the group size was apprx. 40. We passed through Braulio Carrillo National Park which gave us a chance to see a cloud forest and the continental divide and then had breakfast at the Selva Tropical in Guapiles about 2 hours later. From Selva Tropical it was another one hour to the port where we took a water taxi which was a wonderful experience as we were able to spot some amazing wildlife. Once you reach there is a lunch buffet at Laguna Lodge and their meals are delicious and extremely generous. In the late afternoon there was a coordinated tour of the Tortuguero town which provides a chance to buy souvenirs if desired and see how the locals live (about 1 hour). Laguna Lodge does not have A/C which was okay when we visited but it did rain a lot, especially during the main event of the nature tour on the morning of Day 3 and the afternoon is free time. Day 4 is a travel day and we left around 9 a.m. to reach La Fortuna around 3/3:30 p.m but there are two breaks, one after the water taxi and another for lunch on the same route back to Guapiles at the Selva Tropical (no dinner that day) and then approximately 2.5 hours to La Fortuna. Day 5 was the most packed starting with a ziplining tour at 8 a.m. to noon. Lunch is on your own but around 2:30 you leave again for the Volcano Tour followed by a drop off at Paradise Springs. There is an option to upgrade to Tabacon but we were very happy with the Paradise which is a beautiful property and had great privacy with plenty of pools. Dinner was included but there were no protein options (rice & beans) for vegetarians at the Paradise springs but dinner was still good. The staff at Casa Luna were phenomenal – they took care of us when we wanted to explore on our own on Day 6. Pick up is at 8 a.m. on Day 7 to go to San Jose airport which takes 3 hours. The roads are very winding and some of us started to feel motion sickness but we had a 15 min break halfway through and it helped to alleviate a bit. Overall we could not have asked for a better experience in Costa Rica, we are recommending to all our family & friends.

The customer service was excellent! The drivers were always on time and respectful. The activities were fun and the places we stayed were luxurious. It was wonderful not having to plan anything and just relax through the whole vacation. I will look to do future trips with Ecoterra and I highly recommend them!