Rainforest Explorers CR — Attraction in La Fortuna

We could not have been happier with our experience with Rainforest Explorers - we recommend them without pause to anyone traveling with a big group! We had two families with young kids (6-10 yo) and my parents with us. We wanted to do all the things - Arenal Volcano, hot springs, waterfalls, zip lining and beach all within one week.

Before the trip, Yuliana held a few zoom calls with us to help us think through every detail including meals, as well as the pros and cons to various activities. We decided on having a driver for the entire trip, as well as a bus that could seat 11 of us comfortably. Johan, our driver was simply lovely -- he was so accommodating, prompt, patient and kind. Not to mention incredibly skilled at navigating the (very rough) roads in the dark from La Fortuna to Monteverde! At one point on our trip, he even stopped to rescue a bird on the road with his hands. The van had AC, was so clean and like new. Also had a cooler well stocked with water bottles for every day.

The other amazing part - Rainforest Explorers set us up with a full time local guide everywhere we went sightseeing. In San Jose and La Fortuna Fabricio was with us, and in Monteverde and Manuel Antonio, Eberth. Both guides were superb and I am SO glad we made the decision to have them by our side. They were incredibly knowledgeable about the wildlife, nature, history and each was local to that area. Our kids loved the guide and followed them through the national parks and nature hikes with a million questions. The guides (both with great English), were eager to share info, always took time to pause and help my parents or the kids when necessary, and went above and beyond for us every day to make sure we had what we needed to make every excursion wonderful. With them, we safely saw everything from sloths to a pit viper! They were trustworthy, kind, honest and so helpful. They were always in sync with Yuliana and our driver, and so we had complete peace of mind.

We are so happy that our friends put us in touch with Yuliana. We will refer Rainforest Explorers...

What an amazing experience. My wife and I did the 3-in-1 excursion which included the Arenal rainforest hanging bridges, Arenal volcano hike, and La Fortuna waterfall. The services were great starting from the moment Oscar (guide) and Ronald (driver) picked us up. After picking up the rest of the group we headed to the hanging bridges. The knowledge Oscar had about the wildlife was most enjoyable. His jokes were great too. Without a guide we would have never seen the animals we saw. We saw boa’s, vipers, poison dart frogs, so many birds, night lizards, spider and howler monkeys. The views from the bridges are once in a lifetime. You are over the canopy and Oscar was great explaining the vegetation. After the bridges we had a fresh fruit snack that was provided. The pineapple and watermelon was delicious. Next we headed to the Arenal volcano. On the way Oscar explained the history of the Arenal lake as we passed. Once we arrived to the volcano Oscar began explaining the history of the volcano, last eruption, the affects to the communities that were damaged. The hike is a bit strenuous but so worth it. It was a very clear day and we were lucky enough to see the entire volcano. After the hike we headed to Rancho rainforest for a home cooked meal. The Casado meal was amazing. There was fresh coffee and the ice cream desert was one of a kind. Best part we saw a sloth on the grounds. Finally we headed to La Fortuna waterfall. Now this hike is 520 steps down to the waterfall and 520 steps back to the top. This waterfall was like no other. It was enormous and breathtaking. Once we made it to the bottom we had a bit of time to swim in the waters and it’s was so refreshing after a long day. Also we’re able to see Tuscans going into the waterfall. Overall I highly recommend this excursion with Rancho Rainforest Explorers, ask for Oscar. 10 out of 10 once in a lifetime and will never forget....

Did hanging bridges and la Fortuna waterfall with a guide, Mario. I think he was knowledgeable and friendly. He was great at spotting wildlife that no one else could see without lots of help. He was a conscientious driver as well, which I appreciated. He took a lot of great pics and offered to send me a link, but seems like we both forgot about that by the end. I did not get a link so don't have many pics of the wildlife we saw as my camera couldn't take pics of animals that were so far away. The reason I am only giving 3 stars is because waterfall swimming was the excursion I was most looking forward to of the several I had planned. Apparently we were behind schedule when we arrived and when we were about to start down the stairs he told us we had to be back at the top in 1 hour. I am not in great shape and already had tired muscles from my previous days' excursions. By the time we had walked down the 528 steps, my legs were trembling, I was hungry and tired and dreading the walk back up. I knew it would take me awhile to get to the top and I didn't want to hold up the group and make us late for lunch. So I ended up only being able to spend 15 minutes in the water. I was so mad about it.

It wasn't totally Mario's fault, there were some time issues due to other people in the group getting lost on the way to hanging bridges, so we started late... But I think Mario should have been more mindful of the time and made adjustments to get us back on track. I felt a bit cheated out of the experience I wanted to have at the waterfall.

As for lunch, I would give that 5 stars. It was absolutely the best casado I've had so far in Costa Rica in a gorgeous surrounding, with...