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  3. 🌋🌴🦋🐒🦥🌿Costa Rica: Where Family Memories Blossom: Arenal and Manuel Antonio

Great trip to Costa Rica, our first time. Fir...
Costa Rica | Dec 1 - Dec 10, 2025

Susan
Susan w.
Portland, OR | Reviewed on Dec 11, 2025

Great trip to Costa Rica, our first time. First guide from San Jose to la fortuna was our favorite. Appreciated drivers with snacks and drinks in the car. Sloth adventure was great! As was the tour with Socio in Manuel Antonio. The catamaran tour was okay….good food and drinks, BUT no visability for snorkeling apparently anytime around rainy season and they made like it was possible. The places we stayed at were wonderful. Wildlife around and incredible views! We were surprised by how much food costs here compared to Mexico and Guatemala. That would be the only reason I may not recommend it to friends.

Hotel Reviews
Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen
San José

Great pool!!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Fairly near airport—nothing else around except industrial area
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Arenal Springs Resort
La Fortuna

Great pools with natural springs wandering around. Many iguanas on trees and rocks around pools. Restaurant not our fav because of all the Italian food. Pool food offered some choices including sushi. Expensive dinners. Would have liked more ethnic choices. Great breakfast choices. Excellent view of Arenal. Cabins are duplexes and lively

Authenticity & Character
Iguanas. Some ethnic breakfast food was great
Location
View
Staff
Very punctual, friendly, lovely
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel La Mariposa
Manuel Antonio

Best views of any hotel I have stayed at. From the garden and pools to the sea, mountains, to the jungle. Several varieties of monkeys come by, and they had a mother sloth and baby in their huge garden.

Authenticity & Character
Garden, animals, flowers. Some ethnic food at breakfast
Location
Sunrise to sunset views
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
So many windows for them to clean…some streaks….forgot to supply filters in coffee.
Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Curio Collection by Hilton
San José
Authenticity & Character
Breakfast food was below average of previous hotels. Not as much ethnic food and no fresh egg section until later.
Location
Right next to opera house
Staff
Friendliness at desk
Cleanliness & Comfort
Great room service menu
Activity Reviews
Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk
Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk
Arenal/La Fortuna
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River
Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River
Arenal/La Fortuna

At the end they had some local food and drinks and chocolate demonstration. That was a lovely touch

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk
Private Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk
Arenal/La Fortuna

Excellent and came back with great pictures thanks to the guides telephoto lenses. Then after finding the sloths and birds, monkeys, etc..,you come back and they have some great local food! Excellent

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike
Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike
Costa Rica

Excellent guide. Found way more creatures that we could imagine. Got excellent pictures from our guide

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Catamaran Tour with Meal
Catamaran Tour with Meal
Costa Rica

No snorkeling anytime near rainy season. Visibility only 3 feet. Many jellyfish and people getting stung. They had a mix to spray on the blisters. Good food and drinks and sunset lovely. Dolphins around and seabirds

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Elena Mora
Elena
Elena Mora
Local specialist in Cartago, Turrialba | Replied on Dec 12, 2025
Hola Susan, Thank you so much for sharing your feedback, and I’m truly delighted to hear that you had a great first trip to Costa Rica. It’s wonderful to know that your guide from San José to La Fortuna was your favorite, and that you enjoyed the sloth adventure, the tour with Socio in Manuel Antonio, and the beautiful accommodations with their incredible wildlife and views. I also appreciate your comments regarding the catamaran tour. You are absolutely right — visibility for snorkeling is... Read more

Hola Susan,

Thank you so much for sharing your feedback, and I’m truly delighted to hear that you had a great first trip to Costa Rica. It’s wonderful to know that your guide from San José to La Fortuna was your favorite, and that you enjoyed the sloth adventure, the tour with Socio in Manuel Antonio, and the beautiful accommodations with their incredible wildlife and views.

I also appreciate your comments regarding the catamaran tour. You are absolutely right — visibility for snorkeling is often limited during the rainy season, and it should have been clearly communicated. Your feedback is very valuable, and I will share it with our operations team to ensure this is addressed moving forward.

Regarding food prices, Costa Rica is indeed more expensive than many other destinations in Central America due to local regulations, wages, and sustainability practices. I completely understand how this can impact the overall experience, and your perspective is very helpful for setting expectations with future travelers.

Thank you again for choosing us to help plan your adventure. If you ever decide to return, I would love to assist you again and make your next visit even smoother.

Thank you so much, Pura Vida!

Elena Mora
Serendipity Adventures, Costa Rica

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