Sensoria Land of Senses
Sensoria Land of Senses
5
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Sensoria is one of the best gateaway to a Rainforest in Rincon de la Vieja in Guanacaste. Sensoria is located, as the last farm that neighbors Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. The tour last from 3.5 to 4 hours, walking thru a prestine rainforest, and you can swimming in blue waterfalls and in three thermal pools. You can climb to our Observatory Tree Platform, where, if you conditions allow see the Volcano, the majestic rainforest and lake of Nicaragua. Your senses would be integrated to most beautiful places of Costa Rica's nature. Sensoria is sorounded by Rincon de la Vieja National Park, which was declare World Heritage. because has 3.9% of the wild life of the planet. In Sensoria we would show you with our Ipads, what animals croos Sensoria and the National park, we have eight trap cameras inside the forest. Sensoria has an investigation program with the help o the National Universiy of Costa Rica with its Program "Jaguar". In sensoria yous senses would enjoy the beauty of our jungles. We would provide you: welcome drink, a brief introduction to Costa Ricas's rainforest, walking sticks, water (bring bottle), fruits on the blue waterfalls, peronal guide, that would take care of you and your family, acces to the observatory platform and lunch. Only few groups are allowed per day. Only with prior reservation is admited. Call our reservation phone of ask your concierge to take you to ths fantastic place. Sensoria 'Land of Senses".
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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5.0
412 reviews
Excellent
359
Very good
34
Average
14
Poor
4
Terrible
1
Erik
5 contributions
Mar 2021 • Couples
Booked through Amresorts, we spent a full day at Sensoria, near Volcano Vieja. Our guide, Lawrence, was amazing. He knew absolutely everything about the area. Very knowledgeable, talkative, funny and friendly. We loved the treehouse above the rainforest canopy. We also saw the falls, swam in the pools and finished in an amazing thermal pool. After the tour we enjoyed lunch and learned about local wildlife. The 2 hour ride to and from was great to see the country and people away from the resort. Highly recommend.
Written March 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for visiting Sensoria, we are very glad that Lawrence was your nature guide. We have very good reviews of him. Very glad you enjoy our property. Thank you for you comment.
Written April 12, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alan Connell
15 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Let me start by saying this is the real Costa Rica rain forest experience! We were guided by Joaquim, who was knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about preserving Costa Rica. We learned about the forest, swam in 4 waterfalls, and climbed up onto a platform to see Rinco de la Vieja. Afterward, we had lunch at the lodge and watched a video of the wildlife living there. All in all, a wonderful day!
Written January 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Alconnell,
For Sensoria Land it is a great pleasure to know that you have enjoyed the experience so much and that you have found it an experience in the midst of a free and lively nature.
It is great to know that you have breathed the pure air that surrounds us and that renews us every day. For us it is important that our visitors not only enjoy the environment, but learn from it so that they are part of this important mission that we have to take care of our environment.
We hope you choose us again in the future,
Sensoria
Written January 27, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Cam B
3 contributions
Dec 2022 • Couples
We stayed at the Dreams Las Mareas resort, and chose Sensoria Land of Senses as one of our excursions. The hiking trails and waterfalls here were gorgeous and well taken care of, and our tour guide Abbie was extremely knowledgeable, passionate, and friendly. Having Abbie with us was without a doubt the best part of the excursion - She knew every single detail, and was happy to answer all of our questions.
We saw a few small lizards and two snakes, I’m sure we walked past more but the wildlife is extremely hard to detect because of their ability to camouflage.
The commute from the resort was quite long, 2.5 hrs each way, but we stopped at a local coffee/snack shop which was great to see. The roads in Costa Rica are poorly maintained and extremely bumpy, but the scenery is absolutely gorgeous so it isn’t too bad.
We saw a few small lizards and two snakes, I’m sure we walked past more but the wildlife is extremely hard to detect because of their ability to camouflage.
The commute from the resort was quite long, 2.5 hrs each way, but we stopped at a local coffee/snack shop which was great to see. The roads in Costa Rica are poorly maintained and extremely bumpy, but the scenery is absolutely gorgeous so it isn’t too bad.
Written December 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for choosing Sensoria as one of your excursions. We are happy to hear you enjoyed the hiking trails and waterfalls. Thank you for the kind words about Abbie; we will let her know. It was a pleasure having you here, and we hope you will visit us again in the future.
Written December 22, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Charlie C
385 contributions
Feb 2022 • Family
Absolutely incredible experience. Sensoria is a truly special place, where you hike from waterfall to waterfall, hot spring to spring, encountering truly beautiful sights at every step of the way. Our guide, Joaquin, was extremely knowledgeable and kind, and I can’t recommend him enough. And the other very special part about Sensoria is the privacy — it’s a reserve so you have almost the entire place to yourself. We never shared any spring or waterfall with more than 1 other family. And the food is delicious! Enjoy your trip!!
Written February 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are very happy you enjoy Sensoria so much. Joaquin is one our best guides, and he knows very well the secets behind the magical rainforest. Our secert is to made a special place to all our visitors. Thank you for visiting us, hope to see you in a near future.
Written February 21, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Adam Y
12 contributions
Nov 2021
Absolutely fantastic and unique experience. Our guide Joaquin made our guided hike feel truly special. He was extremely knowledgable and passionate about his environment. The three volcanic-fed pools we got to swim in near the end of the hike were so relaxing. The arroz con pollo at the end of the hike was super delicious, too. Do not miss out on this experience!
Written November 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Adam.
Thank you for visiting Sensoria. Our guides are the best in Costa Rica, concerning to rainforest. Joaquin has been very well trained, as well his studies concerning to a tropical forest. Nice to hear you enjoy swimming in our natural thermal pools, as well as the food we served in the Casona. Thank you for your comment. Hope you can come back to Costa Rica.
Written January 4, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lori S
7 contributions
Aug 2021
This excursion was absolutely incredible. Great hike through the rainforest and our guides, Marvin and Joaquin, were so nice and knowledgeable. They went out of their way to make sure that the experience was extra special for us and that we saw lots of wildlife along the way. Highly recommend this tour, it is a nature lovers dream come true. They keep up the trails very well to make the hike easy.
Written August 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi G387.
Thank you for visitng Sensoria. Very nice you enjoy su much with our professional guide Joaquin, and Marvin. We always tray to make a special day to all our visitor. Thank for comming to Costa Rica. Hope you can come back soon. Thanks for the comment.
Written January 4, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Craig
1 contribution
Feb 2023 • Couples
My wife in I were in Costa Rica for a week. Of all the experiences we had, this was the best. Many of us have seen pictures of the rain forest but to see it in person and walk through it truly gives you a new appreciation of its beauty and the reason we need to protect it.
Our tour guide Genesis was great. She was very knowledgeable and made us very comfortable.
Swimming in the waterfalls was amazing.
I highly recommend that anyone visiting Costa Rica visit Sansoria.
Our tour guide Genesis was great. She was very knowledgeable and made us very comfortable.
Swimming in the waterfalls was amazing.
I highly recommend that anyone visiting Costa Rica visit Sansoria.
Written March 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for choosing Sensoria as one of your excursions and thanks for all your comments. We are happy to hear you enjoyed the hiking trails through the forests and you loved the nature . Thank you for the kind words about Genesis; we will let her know. It was a pleasure having you here, and we hope you will visit us again in the future to explore more beautiful places.
Written March 10, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Deborah K
Orangeville, Ontario, Canada268 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
We booked this tour from Secrets Resort through Amstar who used Swiss Travel. Everyone was super friendly.
We left our hotel at 8am on a shuttle that took us just outside of Liberia where we transferred onto a medium size bus with a total of 16 people. I believe their max is 16-18 for this tour.
The tour was 10 Hours in total. 8am to 6pm. We knew going in that it was a long drive, (about 6 hours of driving in total) but also knew that if we wanted to see Sloths on our visit to Costa Rica, this was pretty much the closest/shortest tour we could find to see them. In addition to taking a break from the intense heat of the Guanacaste area, my primary motivation was to see sloths in the Rainforest. Almost all other wild life like monkeys, crocodiles and iguanas can be seen on Palo Verde Boat Tour...which is a an absolute must do tour!!!
We stopped about an hour into the drive for a morning snack at a small town bakery. This was nice at the time, the baked goods were very good as was the coffee but I would have preferred to spend more time at Sensoria, make a quick pit stop and have our snack on the bus. Or another hour or so added onto the tour. We were stopped for about a 1/2 hour.
A fruit snack was also provided half way through hike, and ended with lunch.
A short time before arriving at Sensoria a tour bus ahead of us had stopped to view a sloth that we also stopped for thankfully! We got really lucky...this Sloth three toed was quite active, not a common occurrence. (see photo) Most often you can watch them for along time before they move if at all.
Upon arrival we were given instructions that we would be divided into 2 groups and all had to sign a waiver before beginning. This wasted time, wish they had done this on the bus or before tour began.
We were offered rain ponchos, walking sticks and told Sensoria provides one towel per couple that our tour guides carry for us. So you can leave hike as light as possible you can leave everything you like behind in a secure locker. There are changing rooms showers and bathrooms there all good and clean. I would recommend being ready to go as soon as possible with bathing suits already on and request going with the first group. You see the animals first if any, and you are done first allowing you to change out of your wet clothing, enjoy your lunch, watch the video and do a little shopping if you like.
The hike itself was nice, beautiful vegetation and waterfalls but I felt very rushed to keep up as well as time at the end.
It was also a little intimidating when you think of all the creatures that live in the forest. Do listen to your guide and stay in the middle of the trail and watch where you are going! Do not use the trees to support yourself when going up or down the stairs. You just don't know what deadly things will be there. They tell you that if bitten by poisonous anything, you need help within 3 hours, it takes 3 1/2 hours to get you help. Be careful.
In the rain forest, we saw eyelash viper snakes, howler monkeys and two sloths (monkeys and sloths were very high up). Don't expect to see birds, if you do you're very lucky, they are generally visible road side or very, very high up in the canopy.
For lunch you were offered your choice of Chicken, Fish or Vegetarian wraps. I had vegetarian wrap - hummus and mixed veggies, my husband had the chicken wrap with mixed veggies surrounded with a plate full of chips. With the humidity the chips lost their crunch a different side would have been better. More than enough food.
Key Things We Learned:
- Sloths thrive in the rainforest where the temperatures are cooler, sightings are rare on the hot dry areas of Costa Rica, don't let those selling tours tell you otherwise. You pretty much have to do a full day tour to the rainforest to see them.
- On this tour you cross the continental divide, very cool to experience the difference in climate from one area to the other
- This hike is quite challenging. Anyone with health concerns or not in good shape, should probably not do this tour. 400 - 600 (depending on your guide) steps up and down and at a fairly brisk pace. Also one hour of the drive, there and back is very rough unpaved road. Very bumpy!
- You will need bug spray! I wore pants on the hike as I commonly get bug bites which I was glad I did. I used bug spray at the start of the hike but wish I had re-applied after getting out of the water as I still got tons of bites after swimming and having lunch. :(
- If you want to photograph the monkeys and sloths in the forest you need a good zoom lenses (and plastic bag for your camera) The sloths and howler monkeys we saw were up pretty high. Yes it did RAIN!!! Our guide reminded us many time before arriving, we are going to a "RAIN" forest. I believe he said they get over 8 feet of rain annually in this area.
- Take a change of clothing. Sensoria supplies walking sticks and heavy rain ponchos but we chose to get wet rather than being hot wearing them. I tried but it was too hot and my glasses kept steaming up. We got soaked so an extra change of clothes is a must for the bus ride back. Lockers are also available so you don't have to carry everything on your hike.
- Hiking shoes are a must (no open toed shoes), water shoes would have been beneficial as the rocks getting into the first waterfall were hard on the feet, I didn't go in but saw others struggling. The thermal pool toward the end has steps going down so easier and warmer than the first. This one I did go in, it was nice, warm and refreshing. Ten minutes from the main house. Our group was only given the option to go into 2 pools, in retrospect there wasn't time for more the way it was organized.
- If you are being divided into 2 groups be ready first and request to go in the first group you have a bit more time for lunch etc.
- If you enjoy shopping the gift shop is small but has a few nice things. Be sure to bring enough cash. Their credit card machine could not get a strong enough signal, we didnt have enough cash to get what we wanted. :(
If you are expecting to see tons of wild life I would not recommend this tour.
If you want a break from the heat and to see lush rain forest this tour may be for you. Just know it is rather rushed through the hike and at the end.
Some birds were spotted road side by another tour bus, our guide said they flew away, not true, many saw them still there. Staying on schedule was more important to them I guess. If we were on a private tour, we would have stopped and actually seen some toucans.
So as you have read, I have mixed feelings about this tour.
Perhaps my biggest recommendation is to do more research than we did before going to be sure this is the best tour for you. Your motivation for the trip will definitely influence our enjoyment of this tour.
I was really hoping to see more wild life and not have to work so darn hard for what we did see. It was definitely a work out! When I go back, I will definitely look for more wild life focused tours in the area and maybe try to find a place to stay overnight in the area so that most of the day is not spent on a bus.
We left our hotel at 8am on a shuttle that took us just outside of Liberia where we transferred onto a medium size bus with a total of 16 people. I believe their max is 16-18 for this tour.
The tour was 10 Hours in total. 8am to 6pm. We knew going in that it was a long drive, (about 6 hours of driving in total) but also knew that if we wanted to see Sloths on our visit to Costa Rica, this was pretty much the closest/shortest tour we could find to see them. In addition to taking a break from the intense heat of the Guanacaste area, my primary motivation was to see sloths in the Rainforest. Almost all other wild life like monkeys, crocodiles and iguanas can be seen on Palo Verde Boat Tour...which is a an absolute must do tour!!!
We stopped about an hour into the drive for a morning snack at a small town bakery. This was nice at the time, the baked goods were very good as was the coffee but I would have preferred to spend more time at Sensoria, make a quick pit stop and have our snack on the bus. Or another hour or so added onto the tour. We were stopped for about a 1/2 hour.
A fruit snack was also provided half way through hike, and ended with lunch.
A short time before arriving at Sensoria a tour bus ahead of us had stopped to view a sloth that we also stopped for thankfully! We got really lucky...this Sloth three toed was quite active, not a common occurrence. (see photo) Most often you can watch them for along time before they move if at all.
Upon arrival we were given instructions that we would be divided into 2 groups and all had to sign a waiver before beginning. This wasted time, wish they had done this on the bus or before tour began.
We were offered rain ponchos, walking sticks and told Sensoria provides one towel per couple that our tour guides carry for us. So you can leave hike as light as possible you can leave everything you like behind in a secure locker. There are changing rooms showers and bathrooms there all good and clean. I would recommend being ready to go as soon as possible with bathing suits already on and request going with the first group. You see the animals first if any, and you are done first allowing you to change out of your wet clothing, enjoy your lunch, watch the video and do a little shopping if you like.
The hike itself was nice, beautiful vegetation and waterfalls but I felt very rushed to keep up as well as time at the end.
It was also a little intimidating when you think of all the creatures that live in the forest. Do listen to your guide and stay in the middle of the trail and watch where you are going! Do not use the trees to support yourself when going up or down the stairs. You just don't know what deadly things will be there. They tell you that if bitten by poisonous anything, you need help within 3 hours, it takes 3 1/2 hours to get you help. Be careful.
In the rain forest, we saw eyelash viper snakes, howler monkeys and two sloths (monkeys and sloths were very high up). Don't expect to see birds, if you do you're very lucky, they are generally visible road side or very, very high up in the canopy.
For lunch you were offered your choice of Chicken, Fish or Vegetarian wraps. I had vegetarian wrap - hummus and mixed veggies, my husband had the chicken wrap with mixed veggies surrounded with a plate full of chips. With the humidity the chips lost their crunch a different side would have been better. More than enough food.
Key Things We Learned:
- Sloths thrive in the rainforest where the temperatures are cooler, sightings are rare on the hot dry areas of Costa Rica, don't let those selling tours tell you otherwise. You pretty much have to do a full day tour to the rainforest to see them.
- On this tour you cross the continental divide, very cool to experience the difference in climate from one area to the other
- This hike is quite challenging. Anyone with health concerns or not in good shape, should probably not do this tour. 400 - 600 (depending on your guide) steps up and down and at a fairly brisk pace. Also one hour of the drive, there and back is very rough unpaved road. Very bumpy!
- You will need bug spray! I wore pants on the hike as I commonly get bug bites which I was glad I did. I used bug spray at the start of the hike but wish I had re-applied after getting out of the water as I still got tons of bites after swimming and having lunch. :(
- If you want to photograph the monkeys and sloths in the forest you need a good zoom lenses (and plastic bag for your camera) The sloths and howler monkeys we saw were up pretty high. Yes it did RAIN!!! Our guide reminded us many time before arriving, we are going to a "RAIN" forest. I believe he said they get over 8 feet of rain annually in this area.
- Take a change of clothing. Sensoria supplies walking sticks and heavy rain ponchos but we chose to get wet rather than being hot wearing them. I tried but it was too hot and my glasses kept steaming up. We got soaked so an extra change of clothes is a must for the bus ride back. Lockers are also available so you don't have to carry everything on your hike.
- Hiking shoes are a must (no open toed shoes), water shoes would have been beneficial as the rocks getting into the first waterfall were hard on the feet, I didn't go in but saw others struggling. The thermal pool toward the end has steps going down so easier and warmer than the first. This one I did go in, it was nice, warm and refreshing. Ten minutes from the main house. Our group was only given the option to go into 2 pools, in retrospect there wasn't time for more the way it was organized.
- If you are being divided into 2 groups be ready first and request to go in the first group you have a bit more time for lunch etc.
- If you enjoy shopping the gift shop is small but has a few nice things. Be sure to bring enough cash. Their credit card machine could not get a strong enough signal, we didnt have enough cash to get what we wanted. :(
If you are expecting to see tons of wild life I would not recommend this tour.
If you want a break from the heat and to see lush rain forest this tour may be for you. Just know it is rather rushed through the hike and at the end.
Some birds were spotted road side by another tour bus, our guide said they flew away, not true, many saw them still there. Staying on schedule was more important to them I guess. If we were on a private tour, we would have stopped and actually seen some toucans.
So as you have read, I have mixed feelings about this tour.
Perhaps my biggest recommendation is to do more research than we did before going to be sure this is the best tour for you. Your motivation for the trip will definitely influence our enjoyment of this tour.
I was really hoping to see more wild life and not have to work so darn hard for what we did see. It was definitely a work out! When I go back, I will definitely look for more wild life focused tours in the area and maybe try to find a place to stay overnight in the area so that most of the day is not spent on a bus.
Written April 20, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Connie F
Westminster, MD35 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
We started our adventure by being picked up at Villa Buena Onda by, Oscar, our tour guide. He introduced himself, told us this would be a private tour(cool), then proceeded to give us a little geography lesson showing us where we would be going by using a map at our villa. I found this very helpful as I like to learn about the places we are visiting.
Next, we took the 2 to 2 1/2 hour drive to Sensoria. On the way, Oscar was great at teaching us about about what we were driving past, stopping along the way to show us points of interest. At one point, he stopped off on the side of the road in Liberia showing us a manga tree and it's fruit telling us that mangas are larger than mangoes. He even gave us one telling us to keep it on our balcony for 3 days to ripen and then eat it. I thought that was very nice,and 3 days later we did have it...Yum!
Well, as we drove farther, you can definitely see the landscape changing from the arid Guanacaste/Liberia region to a more verdant and green landscape. We went through an area where there were wind turbines and saw incredible views from this point. We stopped here to take pics. We then stopped off in a small town at Marcella's bakery for a bano break and to purchase some fine pastries.
We went a little further and came to the entrance of Sensoria,a privately owned park that has been open to the public for just 3 years. Our guide told us that there used to be only 25 people allowed in a day, now that number has increased to about 50 I believe he said.
Our adventure started just a few feet into the forest with our guide, Oscar, in the front, my husband next, then me, then our non English speaking Sensoria guide. Our Sensoria guide directed us to a tree just one foot off the path with a venomous snake curled up on it. OK, now I know why we had to sign a waiver. This is not a zoo, but a real life natural rain forest with all the natural beauty and dangers associated with that reality( not that I was naive to think it was a zoo, but whoa....A bit scary. )
The path is about 2 feet wide, is mostly a dirt path, but sometimes there is a bridge, steep uneven steps, or a wooden walkway. Well, after the experience of viewing a venomous snake,we continued our journey while listening to the sounds of the jungle, walking past huge trees, and stopping occasionally for some information about what we were viewing from Oscar. Oscar was continuing to guide us on the path when all of a sudden my husband,who just in front of me said," there is a snake?". He pointed to a coiled up snake right on the path only 2 feet from him. Our guide turned around, gazing at the snake in disbelief and stated that this was a Ferdelance Snake, a highly venomous snake, a pit viper, that could kill you within an hour without antivenom. This freaked us all out. Even our Sensoria guide took pics of it. I was thinking, wow they must not see this snake often. My husband and I thanked God for His protection over us and our guide,Oscar since he had not seen it at all and could have easily stepped on it. This experience reminded us all of the brevity of life and how vital it is to have a personal relationship with Christ for one never knows when one might die. Oscar told us a bit later that you can die within the hour if you do not get the antivenom.
Well,we were all much more cautious of our footing after that as we cautiously, and slowly walked past the deadly snake by only a couple feet.
Next we came to an area with tall trees and our Sensoria guide pointed out a sloth high in the treetops. How cool!! I had been praying we would see a sloth and there he was...What a gift to behold!
The next thrilling adventures were the 2 amazing waterfalls we saw. The first one was tall with moss-laden rocks behind it spilling into a crystalline blue pool of water and down into a crystalline blue River. The colors were amazing. It looked the color of Windex. The sun was streaming down so it could not have looked more beautiful.
We came to another gorgeous crystalline blue waterfall where this time e we could swim in it. This was a dream come true for me and I enjoyed every minute. Oscar pointed out 2 One Day Flowers (orchids) blooming right by the waterfall. Another gift from God...To view these gorgeous white orchids with yellow centers that bloom but once and we got to see it!! Swimming in this cool clear water was invigorating! As I was swimming,a Blue Morpho Butterfly flew by. This a a huge bright blue butterfly. At this waterfall,our Sensoria guide gave us each a fruit cup and bottled water to refresh ourselves by the majestic waterfall. He also provided us with towels to dry off. How nice.
We hiked a bit further through the thick just for then came to a warm pool that we could swim in. The park system had dammed off a section to create this natural pool area which was perfect for wading. It was only about 15 minutes longer of a hike from the warm pool and we emerged out of the rainforest. On the way out, our Sensoria guide showed us a verdant green bird sitting on her nest in a bush just off the trail. It was a beautiful bird.
Well, after the hike,we could take showers(women's shower room was large with a toilet and sink with soap at the sink which I used to shower off with.) The men's shower room was much smaller per my husband and no soap. We were both provided towels.
After showering, we were led to our seat in the open air restaurant for lunch. We had a wonderful fruit laden refreshing drink and a very filling meal. Shortly after we started eating, a Sensoria rep invited us to view a video of the animals that were captured via hidden cameras within the park. The list was large but included: Jaguar, Puma and Tapir among many others. After the video and lunch, we were given some hot tea or coffee and a little sweet.
This day was amazing!! I thank God for His provision of viewing a sloth and beautiful waterfalls and for His protection over our group of 4 from the true hidden dangers in this gorgeous enviornment!!
Next, we took the 2 to 2 1/2 hour drive to Sensoria. On the way, Oscar was great at teaching us about about what we were driving past, stopping along the way to show us points of interest. At one point, he stopped off on the side of the road in Liberia showing us a manga tree and it's fruit telling us that mangas are larger than mangoes. He even gave us one telling us to keep it on our balcony for 3 days to ripen and then eat it. I thought that was very nice,and 3 days later we did have it...Yum!
Well, as we drove farther, you can definitely see the landscape changing from the arid Guanacaste/Liberia region to a more verdant and green landscape. We went through an area where there were wind turbines and saw incredible views from this point. We stopped here to take pics. We then stopped off in a small town at Marcella's bakery for a bano break and to purchase some fine pastries.
We went a little further and came to the entrance of Sensoria,a privately owned park that has been open to the public for just 3 years. Our guide told us that there used to be only 25 people allowed in a day, now that number has increased to about 50 I believe he said.
Our adventure started just a few feet into the forest with our guide, Oscar, in the front, my husband next, then me, then our non English speaking Sensoria guide. Our Sensoria guide directed us to a tree just one foot off the path with a venomous snake curled up on it. OK, now I know why we had to sign a waiver. This is not a zoo, but a real life natural rain forest with all the natural beauty and dangers associated with that reality( not that I was naive to think it was a zoo, but whoa....A bit scary. )
The path is about 2 feet wide, is mostly a dirt path, but sometimes there is a bridge, steep uneven steps, or a wooden walkway. Well, after the experience of viewing a venomous snake,we continued our journey while listening to the sounds of the jungle, walking past huge trees, and stopping occasionally for some information about what we were viewing from Oscar. Oscar was continuing to guide us on the path when all of a sudden my husband,who just in front of me said," there is a snake?". He pointed to a coiled up snake right on the path only 2 feet from him. Our guide turned around, gazing at the snake in disbelief and stated that this was a Ferdelance Snake, a highly venomous snake, a pit viper, that could kill you within an hour without antivenom. This freaked us all out. Even our Sensoria guide took pics of it. I was thinking, wow they must not see this snake often. My husband and I thanked God for His protection over us and our guide,Oscar since he had not seen it at all and could have easily stepped on it. This experience reminded us all of the brevity of life and how vital it is to have a personal relationship with Christ for one never knows when one might die. Oscar told us a bit later that you can die within the hour if you do not get the antivenom.
Well,we were all much more cautious of our footing after that as we cautiously, and slowly walked past the deadly snake by only a couple feet.
Next we came to an area with tall trees and our Sensoria guide pointed out a sloth high in the treetops. How cool!! I had been praying we would see a sloth and there he was...What a gift to behold!
The next thrilling adventures were the 2 amazing waterfalls we saw. The first one was tall with moss-laden rocks behind it spilling into a crystalline blue pool of water and down into a crystalline blue River. The colors were amazing. It looked the color of Windex. The sun was streaming down so it could not have looked more beautiful.
We came to another gorgeous crystalline blue waterfall where this time e we could swim in it. This was a dream come true for me and I enjoyed every minute. Oscar pointed out 2 One Day Flowers (orchids) blooming right by the waterfall. Another gift from God...To view these gorgeous white orchids with yellow centers that bloom but once and we got to see it!! Swimming in this cool clear water was invigorating! As I was swimming,a Blue Morpho Butterfly flew by. This a a huge bright blue butterfly. At this waterfall,our Sensoria guide gave us each a fruit cup and bottled water to refresh ourselves by the majestic waterfall. He also provided us with towels to dry off. How nice.
We hiked a bit further through the thick just for then came to a warm pool that we could swim in. The park system had dammed off a section to create this natural pool area which was perfect for wading. It was only about 15 minutes longer of a hike from the warm pool and we emerged out of the rainforest. On the way out, our Sensoria guide showed us a verdant green bird sitting on her nest in a bush just off the trail. It was a beautiful bird.
Well, after the hike,we could take showers(women's shower room was large with a toilet and sink with soap at the sink which I used to shower off with.) The men's shower room was much smaller per my husband and no soap. We were both provided towels.
After showering, we were led to our seat in the open air restaurant for lunch. We had a wonderful fruit laden refreshing drink and a very filling meal. Shortly after we started eating, a Sensoria rep invited us to view a video of the animals that were captured via hidden cameras within the park. The list was large but included: Jaguar, Puma and Tapir among many others. After the video and lunch, we were given some hot tea or coffee and a little sweet.
This day was amazing!! I thank God for His provision of viewing a sloth and beautiful waterfalls and for His protection over our group of 4 from the true hidden dangers in this gorgeous enviornment!!
Written April 29, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bianca
7 contributions
Jun 2017 • Family
We visited Costa Rica in mid-June and did a few tours, all were great, however, our Sensoria trip was exceptional. We had a very knowledgeable guide as we drove to Sensoria as well as through the forest. We saw Macaw, Hollower Monkeys, White Faced Monkeys, huge butterflies, different insects, spiders and we were fortunate enough to see an Eye-lash Viper. Sensoria had a great walking path that was very maintained and groomed. We wore hiking boots, but it was not necessary - running shoes would be fine to wear. The waterfalls and pools were so cool, especially the thermal pool. The volcano just erupted a few days before our tour so we weren't able to access the entire park, but that did not lessen our trip. Lunch was great and filling.
Written June 23, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If we stay in Del Coco Beach will the shuttle pick us up from our air bnb or will we have to get to a specific pick up location?
Written April 26, 2022
You can try our offer in Trip Advisor with hotel pick up.
Written August 26, 2022
How far is Dreams Las Mareas Resort from this tour? What is a recommended (cost efficient) transportation service?
We (2 adults, 2 kids) are looking to do an tropical forest (waterfall, thermal pool, etc.) excursion but do not want to take a full day with the kids to do it- Most places seem to be two hours away which is not doable for us:(
Written December 9, 2019
It’s 1 hour 50 minutes. You can call WA +506 8955-4971 they can arrange to pick you up. No half day, It’s worth the full day.
Written March 21, 2021
What is the closest hotel and how far of a ride? Is guachepelin close? Thanks!
Written October 25, 2019
I don’t know the closest hotel. We were staying close to La Cruz, one of the most northern towns, close to the border of Nicaragua. It was a two hour drive, but definitely worth it!
Written January 11, 2020
How deep are the swimming areas?
Written September 10, 2019
Not too deep. I am 5'6 and I was able to touch the bottom in all swimming areas.
Written November 16, 2019
Absolutely, some of the steps are spaced a bit far but they could do it. Maybe not real small children, 6 and up I would think
Written April 23, 2019
How long is the hike? Is this an all day activity?
Do they have transport to and from your hotel? We are thinking of staying at the Blue River Resort and Hot Springs.
Thank you!
Written March 10, 2019
It was an all day activity for us, but it depends greatly on where your hotel is located. Our transportation was 1.15 hours each way.
The hike and lunch took half day.
Written April 23, 2019
are sloths commonly seen and close enough to take a picture of? Does the rain change the likeness of seeing some more interesting wildlife?
Written March 26, 2018
Yes slotha are usually spotted on your walking tour. We were lucky enough to see two different species the day we were there the two clawed and the three clawed. It will definitely rain while you are there and the wildlife is used to that. You will not regret it!
Written March 27, 2018
Somos 3 amigas que llegaremos en auto a Ricon de la vieja el 9 de abril , 2018 quisieramos saber como contactarnos con el guia Joaquin y en que zona nos recomiendan alojarnos. Gracias Zulma
Written February 20, 2018
if we have a rental car can we just go there on our own and just pay admission or are we required to book a tour with outside company to go? How much is admission?
Written February 5, 2018
We also saw things with guides, that we would never have known where there, or what they were. I hope that helps. The guides took us to 5 different hot springs /pools along the way and fed us a home cooked meal. The guides are well versed with the flora and fauna. It truly is a once in a lifetime experience! You also need to walk in pairs or stay with a group --Jaguars live in this area.....
Written February 13, 2018
Can I ask how you traveled there? We are staying in Tamarindo and were quoted $250.00 per person, not including the $120.00 fee for the park......ridiculous
Written January 14, 2018
I booked through Swiss Travel Costa Rica. It was about $160-$170 per person including hotel picked up and drop off ( we stayed at Conchal beach), park entry fees, lunch and snacks and coffee, English speaking tour guide. I love my tour so much.
Written January 15, 2018
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