Day 1: airport shuttle from San Jose to LaFor...
Costa Rica
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Jan 21 - Jan 28, 2026
Day 1: airport shuttle from San Jose to LaFortuna: Ride Cr, driver, Christopher. He was waiting for us with a sign, barely spoke English, did not offer water, did not explain what the drive would be , minimal comments on the 3 1/2 hour drive, we had to ask to stop for a break.
ROyal Corin REsort was EXCELLENT!! Extremely clean, very helpful staff, most spoke English, Daily breakfast was a huge buffett with many items, food was delicious. room was large, comfortable and clean. thermal pools offered a variety of temps. However, there was no hydro massage, the jets were weak. restaurant up stairs has fabulous service and food. lower level, main restaurant was closed, but offered gthe menu on top floor restaurant
Day 2: sloth & bird hike in La Fortuna, La Jacamar Natural Tours, Rodney. HE WAS FABULOUS! spoke English, truly an expert guide, spent extra time with us, provided a scope to see the animals, shared photos. offered additional information about the area and Costa Rica.
Eco Termales Hot Springs,Jacamar driver was great. The Springs staff was not friendly or welcoming and did not offer explanation of the facilities, offered minimal comments, there was nice variety of springs and all appeared to be clean. Nice that drinks were offered at the springs, the food was medium quality and variety.
Day 3: safari float, Jacamar driver and guides spoke English and offered much information. the boat itself was uncomfortable. I would suggest a stop along the way for a small break. the guides were helpful and well informed of the area and the river.
Lake Arenal sunset cruise, Jacamar Tours, guide was good, cheese, snacks & drinks were good. they pointed out several birds and offered a lot of information about the area. It was a little boring and lasted a little long for us. I understand it was designed to be that way and relaxing, but it is my personal choice, I woul not do it again or recommend it.
Day 4: sky tram, sky adventures. zipline experience was excellent, guides gave very good instruction, views were amazing. sky adventures scheduled too much time between the zipline and the hike. Therefore, we had to shorten the hike in order to get back to the bus for the return. Maria, our hike guide was fabulous. offered much information and spoke English.
Day 5: shuttle from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio, Interbus Costa Rica. Larger more comfortable bus, was full of passengers (approx. 12) David was our driver, he did speak minimal English and did not comment or point out much on the drive. There were 2, 20 minute stops which made the trip more comfortable. He did not offer water.
arrived as Issimo, If I knew it was such a small seculed hotel, I would have nt chosen it. Angie, our travel agent, indicated she thought it was within walking distance to attractions & town.
the Jr. Suite was very disappointing. extremely small, not place to put away clothes, had to walk down several very steep steps to get to the room. the room smelled, ac wasn't working properly, sink area super tiny, shower floor was slippery. I spoke with Olivia from Kimkim and requested to be moved to another hotel. She said this could not be done. We spoke with hotel manager about being moved to another, possible larger & more comfortable room. Gustavo did reply on Jan 26th and was able to confirm us moving to a different room. The new room was much more comfortable, smelled better and was larger. Fortunately, we were able to taxi into the nearby town. AGain, if we knew it's location and the size of the room in advance, we would have asked for a different hotel before traveling. The staff at Issimo were fabulous, most spoke English, the breakfast every morning was delightful. Our new room was clean as well as all the facilities. I will say though, that I did see a spider and ants in our room. The view, was the best part about the hotel. The did offer complimentary hotel golf cart shuttle to very nearby beaches or bank, pharmacy.
day 6: national park nature hike, Paddle 9: Korry, our guide was definitely a 10 our of 10. He took much time to explain a lot of things alonge the way, pointed out many animals, birds, etc. He spent extra time with us, shared much information about the country and the town. and shared his photos with us. he provided binoculars and the scope to see animals. small group was best, as only 4 of us with Korry. He spoke fabulous English.
day 7: catamaran adventure, Tucanes Tours. comfortable boat, drinks included were poor quality, had to buy our own beer. I called Tucanes tours in advance and was told beer & cocktails were included. Only the poor quality cocktails were included. (watered down) great views, offered snorkeling, swimming and waterslides. The guide who did the talking to the entire boat, spoke mostly in spanish and very little in English. The quaity of the bbq, was medium. pre-cooked skewers of fish and peppers & onions. the views were amazing, saw whales. sunset was amazing and the ride was impressive.
Day 8: transfer to San Jose, Ride CR: david was our driver, he did a great job with a nice stop and break along the way. AGain, they did nor provide water, but I prepared and took my own.
He poited out points of interest, his English was minimal, but we managed to communicate well.
summary, we loved Costa Rica and learned so much from the locals and guides. I will go back, and now that I know more, will plan a little differently. Gustavo, I geatly appreciate your assistance. We always felt safe, hotels were so welcoming.
John & Susan Boggess
Hotel Reviews
somewhat seculed, had to shuttle or taxi everywhere, very quiet & small. would be perfect for those who want quite, calm. no entertainment, staff was extremely friendly and helpful.Don't get a Jr suite, pool was 5 ft deep, then a large drop off to deeper water. No shallow area.
Activity Reviews
boat was uncomfortable, suggest a short break
guide was fabulous, saw so many animals
staff was not welcoming and did not tell us what the experience would be, food was medium quality, the springs were a good experience
views were amazing and guides were very informative. it was a bit long, we thought it would be a small groupl
a must do in Costa Rica, guides were excellent in giving information and instruction.
our guide was fabulous, spent extra time with us and offered so much information about the coungtry and the town. pointed out many animals, offered the scope to see better and shared his photos.
the main guide spoke mostly in Spanish, minimal communication in English, The quality of the food was medium, only watered down cocktails were offered. We had to buy the beer, even though I called ahead and was told beer was included. HOwever, the experience, the views, the activities were great. Sunset was amazing.