Waterfall Discovery

Do NOT book with G adventure. Save your money, go somewhere else. When things go wrong on their end, they will ignore you and offer no solution. Currently on an *upgraded* tour in Costa Rica, yet some of the hotel has NO shampoo, NO elevator(uphill +3rd floor), NO hot water, NO cleaning service, NO bedding sheets, NO toilet paper, NO TV service. One of the hotels didn’t even offer a working shower, what?! Half of the place doesn’t offer AC nor heating. I have stayed at better hostels than what they have to offer as “upgraded hotels”. Can someone explain to me how this is upgraded? Called the office, and all they can do is “please fill out this survey”. This is absolutely horrible. I rarely leave bad reviews, but this is beyond terrible. Still can’t believe this is happening.

Cristian picked my husband and I up at the condo we were staying at in Tamarindo. We had a delightful day with him. We went to two waterfalls and a hot springs. It was easy and beautiful. Oh, we also had a great buffet lunch with fabulous vegan options. I would highly recommend this trip! We also asked Cristian if he could take us to the airport the next day and he agreed. So helpful and easy to work with!!

Booked this tour for a friend's birthday while we were in Tamarindo. There was a small issue with transportation (not their fault) in the morning but the owner more than made up for it! The first waterfalls were amazing, lots of time to swim around and enjoy the scenery. Lunch was great, and second waterfalls so beautiful. The spa part was a perfect end to a great day. Christian went above and beyond to make the day special, we never felt rushed and got to relax and enjoy our time. Thanks again!

We started out at 7:30am on a wonderful adventure. Our first stop was to see some unbelievably large iguanas that are in every tree in a small town park. Next, we swam in 2 different types of waterfalls. After a delicious Costa Rican lunch, we enjoyed the mud bath and hot springs. Along the entire way, Fanny and Manuel pointed out local agriculture, vegitation, and animal life. On our return, we saw a family of howler monkeys. Fanny and Manuel made this one of our most favorite days in Costa Rica.

Let’s start with the basics! Cost: $135/person (a 5% fee is added if paying with credit/debit card) Tour Guide: Juan Carlos Itinerary: 7:00 am Pick up at hotel 8:00 am Restroom & coffee break in Filadelfia (with a quick walk through the Central Park to see the largest wild iguanas I’ve ever seen!) 9:00 am Arrive at Llanos de Cortes waterfall 10:00 am Depart Llanos de Cortes waterfall 11:30 Arrive at Oropendola waterfall 12:30 Depart Oropendola waterfall 1:00 Buffet Lunch at Canon de la Vieja 1:30 Spa and mud bath at Canon de la Vieja 3:00 Depart Canon de la Vieja 5:00 Arrive back in Tamarindo Review: This was an amazing tour that included a visit to 2 waterfalls, lunch, and a visit to a spa with a sulphur mud bath and heated pools. I often shy away from full day excursions when they are paired with so many activities but I highly recommend this one! Juan Carlos was an excellent guide, a good driver, and watched our belongings while we were in the waterfalls. Both of the waterfalls are impressive and very different in experience. Llanos de Cortes is a very wide waterfall with a somewhat warm wading pool and a sandy “beach”. The day we were there there was a gentleman playing tropical tunes on an xylophone which added to the experience. Oropendola is a tall narrow waterfall with an ice cold pool. The walk to this waterfall is a bit more rustic than Llanos de Cortes (which is completely paved) and includes an amazing hanging stairway. There is an observation deck down at the waterfall. You can swim in the water or jump down off of the rocks (at your own risk) into the pool. The time spent at each waterfall is adequate although I could have spent a little longer at each one. I would almost suggest a tour that skips the spa part and just split the 2 halves of the tour between each waterfall with lunch in between. The buffet lunch was good. It consisted many of items found on a typical Tico casado plate- salad, baked yucca, white rice, black beans, pork, chicken, plantain chips, rice pudding for dessert and a few juices, water and teas to drink. For the spa portion, you begin in a sauna for 5-10 minutes to open your pores. Then you walk through the heated pool area to the river. Along the river you’ll find the area to be painted (with a wide paintbrush basically) in the sulphur mud. Warning: the smell is strong and as I write this I am washing the clothes I wore that day and the following day (since I could not get the smell off my skin) for a third time to remove the smell. You sit in the sun on the rock cliff or on the concrete beds until it dries. Then you have the option of rinsing it off in the showers or river. I chose the river; which was as cold as Oropendola waterfall but I felt a more natural experience. Following the mud bath you have time to wade in the pools of varying warmth. This water also had a sulphur smell. I highly recommend this tour! We went on a Monday which is when the Rincon de la Vieja National Park is closed and the crowds at both waterfalls was minimal (also note it was July and rainy/green/off season). I don’t think I could have found either waterfall on my own. Tips: 1. Bring or wear something to swim in (you’ll swim at both waterfalls and the pools at the spa) 2. Bring a small towel to dry off at the waterfalls 3. Bring a change of dry clothes for the ride home 4. You don’t need water as it is provided 5. And obviously don’t forget your camera, smart phone or GoPro for pictures!