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

If you are an extreme adventurer, then this is the canopy tour for you. It is 3 activities rolled into one price. A 45 minute horseback ride, then 25 cables (with two rappels) traversing over 11 beautiful waterfalls cascading down the mountain, followed by a delicious lunch. The bilingual staff is very experienced and very friendly. This canopy tour is only an hour 1/2 from Jaco. It's very scenic and well worth the drive. Don't let your hotel fool you to think that it's further, like ours tried to do. They will also provide transportation to and from your resort for an additional fee if you want/need.