If your travels ever lead you to Arenal, Costa Rica here are my top 3 things you must do when visiting:
Tabacon Hot Springs - So awesome!! This place is well worth the money. It's expensive, but it is truly a breathtaking and one of a kind experience. Everywhere in Arenal tries to follow Tabacon’s lead in developing hot springs; they tap into local “volcano veins” and extract warm spring water, to artificially create the natural feel at Tabacon. Tabacon is fully natural, and provides hotter hot springs water and also much more water pressure as well. The location also has a few cold pools (one with an awesome waterslide!) to balance the experience, and a great swim-up bar. The food was great, and they have several international dinner menu options depending on the date; including Tico (Costa Rican food), Asian, Indonesian, Mexican, and Spanish themed dishes in a rotating schedule. All in all it is truly the experience everyone is trying to copy, and they are doing a poor job of matching the original.**It is worth mentioning that if clients have never been to this location, or had this experience, their viewpoint of the other properties would be untarnished.**- Sky Trek/Sky Tram - All I can say is WOW!! This was the most fun I had during the whole trip. Clients are met in the main area of the property, and suited up with harnesses, gloves, and helmets. You then take the sky-tram to the top starting location for the canopy tour, which gives you a great view of Lake Arenal, and the surrounding canopy. At the top deck, you are given a small introduction of how to position your body while you are zip-lining, and a few safety instructions. Next, each client is given the opportunity to try two small test lines to ensure they want to experience the whole process. After clients have decided they are taking the 3rd zip-line, which is the start of the real lengthy lines, there is no turning back point; and the only way back to the property is to do all remaining lines. Such a thrill!
Hanging Bridges - This was a much bigger hike than we all expected. Paths are very wet and rocky, and there are lots of steps despite what they state. We saw lots of unique flora and fauna to the rainforest, and saw a few animals too. It was all worth it in the end to see the hanging bridges. **I would recommend small binoculars and closed toed shoes for this hike.**
