Arenal recommendations
 

Have been reading varying experiences with the different hot springs and canopy tours/zip lines available in the Arenal area. Anybody want to give some recommendations on those two fronts? thanks.--Steve

SkyTrek for ziplines, defintely higher/longer than the others, a great thrill.

Tabacon is the place to be for hot springs, a lot of fun!

Just got back last week. We loved Arenal area & spent 4 nights & could have spent longer. We stayed at Arenal Paraiso 2 nights & Arenal Springs 2 nights. Paraiso is in a beautiful setting with 9 hot springs. We had them to ourselves most evenings & hopped from top to bottom. We also did the canopy tour there & had a great time (well my husband might not agree seem he came up close & personal with a tree & banged up his leg). My only negative on Paraiso is the A/C unit is very noisy & the glassed porches got very hot. Arenal Springs was newer & very nice but we missed the beautiful gardens of Paraiso. On one of our tours one couple said there most disappointing part of the trip was Tabacon. It's just too touristy. We also went by Baldi Termales & it had tour buses lined up. Not my idea of a good time when you have Paraiso.

We stayed at Montana de Fuego and it was perfect. Rooms are simple but smack, dab in front of the volcano. We had awesome views at night. Service was very good. Food at restaurant was good, not great. Spa there. Nice sized pool and jacuzzi with swim up bar.

Did not do zip line, but did a day of rafting with Rios Tropicales and it was perfect. Some rapids for a rush, but no "talking to God" under the boat or in the water.

Some of our group chose to check out the hot water springs instead of rafting and raved about Tabacon.

Sass

Did you get good views of the lava from your hotels?

I'm not sure how Tabacon can be disappointing at all. Go at night, there are plenty of pools and most were empty.

Now see, this just puzzles me. I think Tabacon must be just a matter of personal taste. We have had a fantastic time every time we've been. Never been crowded. Last month, we found it very calm and non touristy in the morning--up until about 2:00 when the crowds began to increase a bit. That night, though, it was pretty crowded. Bartender told me this was typical--more people at night. So there always seem to be lots of conflicting reports and opinions.

I still maintain that, if you've never been, it's a pretty cool place to visit. Particularly if you go earlier in the day. On the other hand, I agree that it is too expensive, but I'd rather go there than Baldi, regardless of the lesser price for Baldi. Want to try out Eco Thermales next time--many people highly recommend it.

Baldi is a budget place...not taste at all in the decor or landscaping...cheap operation...

Eco Termales only allowed 100 people every 4 hours, the food is simple but good . very good, about 4 pools they are just the best, drinks are reasonable price.

Tabacon is very nice, but they charge you for everything it is expensive! Last time I feel like swimming in a Mc Donalds parking lot.

My choice with all the respect is ECO TERMALES.

Just a word about Baldi - I cannot compare Baldi to the other two - but although it is cheaper it did not come off as a 'budget' place in my opinion. It is quite a large property with many pools so although there may be more people on site, it didn't seem crowded to me. We probably arrived at a peak time with other tour groups too. If you are looking for a very peacheful, meditation-inducing setting then this may not fit the bill, but I thought it was clean and nicely landscaped with awesome views of the volcano. We did not have any meals there so I cannot comment on that aspect. My point is that if you don't want to pay for Tabacon or can't get into Eco-Thermales then don't skip the springs because Baldi doesn't rate as high in recommendations as the other two.

I'm with shillmac and rmeyer regarding Tabacon. I knew it would be more expensive than the other hot springs, but it is just so darned opulent that it was worth budgeting the extra $$ for. I will mention that we visited in early December before peak tourist season began and it didn't feel crowded at all, but shillmac notes that it wasn't bad last month either. Soaking in the various pools and sitting under that big waterfall surrounded by all the lush tropical foliage was a great way to pamper ourselves after a busy day of sight-seeing.

We went on the Sky Trek ziplines as well and they were a blast! We had some nice views of the volcano and Lago Arenal from the various platforms. The whole Arenal area is such great fun!

I just have to chime in - went to Baldi first - lots of pools, fun time BUT.. very crowded, had to pay for a locker, rent a towel, stand in lines for both - couldn't buy drinks unless you brought your wallet into the pools (!).
In contrast, Eco Termales treated you like a guest - greeted as you came in, given a plush towel, private locker - great changing facilities. The bar/drinks were on the "honor system" - you just told them when you were leaving what you had, and then you paid. The pools were lovely, surrounded by lush vegetation, and totally uncrowded. All in all - I felt like I had been to a spa and been pampered - I highly recommend it! (And, after saying all that - it was the cheapest of the 3 - only $18/person, vs. $25 at Baldi at >45 at Tabacon!)

Other than the hot springs in Arenal, has anyone gone Canyoning with Puretrek? This was hands down the BEST activity we did in Arenal (and Costa Rica) and I highly recommend it. Granted, this is only for the adventureous, and you can't be afraid of heights, but man....what a rush! It is very well run, organized, and you get a great meal at the end of it all to boot. It was a memorable experience!