Vida Aventura Nature Park — Attraction in Mogote

This your was fantastic. Now full disclosure, If you have even the slightest fear of horses, this won't cure it! Lol! But it was certainly fun. The ziplining was BOMB! The view was beautiful after the horses stopped trying to 1-up each other(which was never), But it was the sights we got to see! They fed us well! It was the first time we got to try simple and delicious local food! The staff was lovely! The baños were super clean as well. LiLi and Leonardo, our tour guides, just to name a few, were very nice to even us hardheaded ones. Plus size ppl are accommodated for riding the zipline as well which was great. The volcanic mud bath and hot springs were soothing. Also, 2 people in our group did not want to do the zipline, so they got 30 minute massages in place of it (offered by Ana our CATours rep & included!). The waterslide left much to be desired bc you had to walk up a steep rocky path, then about 25feet on the slide before you really got to be moved by the water. It's not a well thought out slide but I just went to the hammocks after the first slide anyway! This was super fun! The bus driver, Javier, tried to let us see a Tucan, but it hid and then flew away by the time we got off the bus. I cannot remember our actual guide's name, but he was very knowledgeable, had great English and many jokes for the ride. That Costa Rican car massage was the bomb too!!😂😂 If you decide top go on a combination tour you won't go wrong with the CATour's super combo which takes you here. Even if you take your own private tours or guides, ask them to take you here. It is about an hour and a half drive from where we stayed (Riu Guanacaste) but it...

Think of this place like camping with a shower and a toilet. If you want to get away from the world, this is one place to do it. The rooms are clean, relatively modern, the beds are the same as in any Holiday Inn. The kitchenette in the Studio apartments is functional, if you’re not expecting gourmet food. Cell service is non-existent and wifi is spotty, depending on where your room is - they’re really committed to getting you away from it all. The screens on the doors were ripped, the fan is too small for the room, but you’re high enough up that it gets pretty cool at night. The views are spectacular, with beautiful sunsets. Overall, I’ve definitely stayed in far worse places in the US.

Where this place is really missing the boat is it’s marketing: it’s less a “working” ranch than an abandoned haunted amusement park. Sure, there’s some cows and horses, but I haven’t seen any ranch hands much less saddles or tack for riding in the empty, decaying stables. The pool is still there and you could probably swim in it without getting dysentery. I don’t know that I would let my kids on the water slide, the top of which is not easily accessible, and the zip lines may or may not still exist - I couldn’t find them. There’s an empty restaurant or snack bar, with tables and chairs and counters still set up like opening day is around the corner. The mud pits and hot baths are decrepit and the hiking trails overgrown. It’s like staying a few nights in Jurassic Park 3, the one where they go back to the park years later. A few fiberglass dinosaurs and a soundtrack might make this a kitschy destination for people who grew up with the Spielberg...

This was the highlight of our trip to Guanacaste. It's an absolutely stunning farm property, hundreds of acres large, including both forested areas and open plains. You get to see it all from their 7 ziplines and a horseback ride. They also have a spa on the property with mud baths, a hot tub, and a cold water pool with a giant slide. The lunch was typical Costa Rican cuisine and was very tasty. The family that runs the establishment was friendly and knowledgeable; they offered to take a lot of photos of us during the activities, which we appreciated. They have three dogs, who are very cute and follow you on all of your activities, including the ziplines and horseback ride, with great enthusiasm. The whole experience was a couple of hours long: ziplining and horseback riding took about an hour each, and you can spend as much time at the spa...