Hello,

My boyfriend and I will be in Costa Rica in mid-February. We will be in Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio.

In any of these places are there any must-sees that we will need to make reservations for? And, if so, can we wait to reserve spots once we're in Costa Rica, or given how busy it is that time of year, should we have our reservations as soon as possible?

For example, we are considering going to Eco Termales springs in Arenal. And the Children's Rain Forest in Monteverde. From reading the posts, it seems reservations are recommended for these - but how far in advance?

Is there anything in Manuel Antonio you would recommend advance reservations for? We thought about doing a horseback riding tour or a whale watching tour. If there are other things you would recommend, I would love to hear about them.

Thanks for your help!

The Mangrove Tours in Quepos (MA) are really cool, very Jurassic Park. Unbeleivable wildlife.

The Ecotermales Hot Springs needs a reservation. We are also going mid-February and have secured a reservation already.

What is the best way to make reservations for Ecotermales Hot Springs?

Thanks!

The best thing is to just call them at 506-479-8484. Just diall 011 to get outside US and then above number. The speak English.

The Finca Valmy Horseback Tour is amazing and gets rave reviews from this forum. Just got back from CR and did thie tour and it was the highlight of our trip. I think, not to be missed if you plan to horseback ride. While in Quepos, do visit Manuel Antonio Nat'l Park, it is beautiful. We also loved the Fourtrax ATV tour in Arenal - Milton was our giude and was so much fun, we had a blast.
We found the crowds to be very very low and had no problems taking tours, and Dec-Jan is supposed to be the busiest time for tourists. We were pleasantly surprised. While in MA, get the banana flambee desert at the Rico Tico bar - it is an experience!

Oops, sorry...heres the link to Finca Valmy in MA...http://valmytours.com/

have fun!