cindyjo

thanks suzie2! the thought on the car is appreciated. i take it thatin your opnion 3 nights in monteverde are not too much? i checked riospariso on the net, sounded perfect for us but when contacted, they would like a check upfront for the tour. does this sound typical? seems like a long time to hold our check. they did say full refund if cancelled more than 7 days. thanks, again. you have given us all alot of information that puts the "personal" in the trip!

Suzie2

Horseback to San Luis waterfall is beautiful, hiking in Monteverde Reserve, Canopy tours, Selvatura, Santa Elena Reserve, Finca Ecologica, Butterfly garden, serpentarium, artists shops (my favorite CASEM-started by local women years ago but I believe now they have stuff from other people), cheese factory, plus numerous other things.
There is a lot of hiking involved in some of those tours. You will also be doing a bunch in Manuel Antonio. At least one hike in the Monteverde area is a good idea so you can compare. If you don't want to see all those other things then 2 nights would be enough.
El Sapo Dorado is in a good location near town.
A lot of places want up front payment. It does scare people. I honestly don't know how booked up they get so can't say for certain if you should pay now or wait until closer to your trip. They have a good reputation so I feel that they are reliable. Look at Rainmaker tour also.

cyoung2mcg

I've been reading everyone's responses! They are all informative.

I'm wondering though...a friend and I are going to CR for 1 wk in mid Feb (high season). Is it better/less expensive to book tours once we arrive or should we book reservations on the internet prior to going?

We are going to Arenal 1 night/half day, 2 nights Monteverde, 3 nights Manuel Antonio and 1 night San Jose.

We'd like to do canopy tours, boat ride, hiking, horseback riding, etc. Is there a big difference with canopy, zip lines, and sky treks? I'm not sure of the difference. Which is best? Also, has anyone been to these areas and recomend which company to do certain activities? Thanks!

Suzie2

Seeing as you are spending a good amount of time in Monteverde, I would do Sky Trek. There are things you can do without a reservation on your first afternoon. Finca Ecologica is one, Butterfly Garden. Check with the desk at your hotel. They will most likely be able to go over things to do and be able to help you set things up for your next couple of days.
1/2 day in Arenal is not much. You would have time to go to the waterfall or Hanging bridges and then Tabacon Hot Springs in the evening. Hopefully your one chance to see the volcano is a good one. That time of year should be pretty good.
Regarding setting up tours ahead of time. Arenal...you won't really have time to set up anything if you only have the one afternoon there unless you do it ahead of time. Hiking to the waterfall or hiking at the Hanging Bridges really don't need reservations. I have never used a reservation for the hot springs but have been hearing more about it lately. That is something you could think about I guess. You could do that on line.
The only thing that will really affect the cost of the "tours" is how you get to them. If you go on a formal "tour" on a bus with others, most likely it will cost more. If you hire a taxi or take a bus and just go on your own it will probably cost a little less depending on how far you are going and how much a taxi would cost to get there. Most entrance fees are fixed so transportation is the variable.

cyoung2mcg

Thanks, suzie...you seem to be very knowledgeable about Costa Rica. You should become a tour guide! Thanks again for the input. Can't wait to get to the nice weather.

Suzie2

Me too! I'll be leaving for down there in just a couple of weeks for almost a month, can't wait.