While on a 9 day trip, we had 2 free days and decided to "wing" it. We saw the advertisements on several bus stops and decided to follow the signs. Christian, one of the many hard-working employees there greeted us like family and contacted the owner to see if they had any vacancies. Barbara, the owner, said we could have room #3 for the night. This place was awesome! 5 star food, 5 star service and the best views and sunsets of the Gulf. We were treated like kings. The rooms are small but elegant, we spent 90% of our time outside watching the views and wildlife. I highly recommend the combination horseback ride and canopy tour/zip line/rappell excursion. It's lots of fun, and an experience you will never forget. All the employees, including Victor, who is one of the Zip Line Guides who turned out to be a restaurant host/bartender/jack of all trades, and Elmer the cook (call him Emeril) treated us like family. Barbara was able to squeeze us in for one more night, when they were otherwise full, making it 2 nights of pure travel enjoyment. We will be coming back! The sunsets alone were worth the price and make sure you eat here as well. Check out the pictures....

Pura Vida!

Gary and Kris, Tacoma Washington USA

In the middle of a two week cruise from San Diego to Ft Lauderdale through the Panama Canal we stopped at Puntarenas, Costa Rica. We ( my wife and I, in our sixties) were met by Dietmar Maier, at the end of the pier, just as had been planned and paid for by e-mail two months earlier. He had us driven up the mountain to his hotel where we met his wife Barbara. Dietmar and Barbara own and run the the Hotel Vista Golfo in the mountains above the town of Miramar, about a forty-five minute scenic drive from the Pier. I had originally planned to go horse back riding and then to do 25 zip lines over the canopy and water falls but had recently had a minor injury to a knee and Barbara suggested a slight change in itinerary. She "customized" our trip to favor my injury on the spot and sent the two of us off with three guides. We started out with a little zip line training and then did 11 zip lines with the last one about half a mile long. It was unbelievable. At the end of the last zip line we were met by one of the guides with horses to ride back up to the hotel. Once back at the hotel, Barbara arranged for a fourth guide to take us through an ATV training course. He then took us on a couple of hours tour through the forests and further up the mountain until we could see our ship, off in the mist, miles away. After getting back to the hotel, lunch and cold beer was waiting for us and then after time in the pool, we were driven back down the mountain to the pier and our waiting ship. It was a perfect day and much more fun than the so called zip lines that the cruise line arranged in enclosed gondola cars.

We just returned from our Panama Canal Cruise. One of our stops was in Puntarenas, Costa Rica where we independently set up our own tour with Hotel Vista Golfo to go ziplining. They met us at the Cruise Ship and transported us to this beautiful quiet resort in the mountains overlooking the ocean. We then saddled up on horses to take us to the first zipline about a 45 minute ride and by no means were these horses trail horses, they wanted to go for a ride. We did the Canopy over 11 Waterfalls with 25 Zips and 2 great repels. We have Ziplined in Belize and Colorado near the Royal Gorge and this was by far the best we have done. We were able to swim at one of the waterfalls, which was refreshing for those that took advantage of it. When we finished they served us a great meal then took us back to the cruise ship after making a quick stop to buy coffee beans at a local store. This was truly a great experience and worth doing. We are thinking about renting one of there rooms and taking our kids back to vacation.

Definitely worth the trip, although while traveling you think the road will never end. The last 3-5 miles are uphill and unbelievably curvy. The hotel itself is typical Costa Rican - hospitable staff, mostly clean and comfortable rooms, and good food. The views from the hotel are amazing, when the clouds clear.

I have been to Costa Rica 7 times, and what sets this place apart is the zip line tour. The adventure is just as promised, a 45-minute horseback ride to over 20 zip lines and two rappels over dozens of breathtaking waterfalls. The guides are helpful and friendly, making this definitely the best Costa Rican adventure we've done. Going during the rainy season means the waterfalls are raging, making it all the more exciting