Buena Vista Lodge adventure package

Me and the girls after going down the big water slide 3 times
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We heard about Buena Vista Lodge through one of our neighbors at the condo. We knew there were a ton of different packages and places to choose from, but were overwhelmed with all of the options.However, he convinced us that Buena Vista Lodge was a must see in the region.

The lodge is located about a 2-3 hour drive from Tamarindo and can be done in a day trip (for those who want to save money on lodging). However, our neighbor suggested to stay at least one night so you can relax at the end of doing activities instead of driving home in the dark.

A section of the water slide
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We opted for the day trip option just for the sake of saving a few bucks. It was suggested to get there by 10am so you could have enough time to do all the activities, so we left bright and early at 7am. For the most part the ride was smooth until you hit the exit where the road turns to dirt and eventually gets really bumpy. We drove at least a good 30 -40 minutes in first gear just trying to make our way up to the lodge. However, the end result was priceless when we saw the beauty of the national park.

All of us on the canopy tour
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The lodge offers an $80 combo package that includes the 420 meter water slide, horseback riding to the natural hot springs spa, a canopy tour and a home style Costa Rican lunch. Other wise you can pay for activities individually.

We opted for the package and had a blast doing everything. We rode the water slide three times, saw a family of monkeys during our canopy tour and relaxed the in hot springs. All of the staff were every friendly and nice and did everything to make you comfortable. I was so happy during this day I just could not stop smiling. At the end of the day we were all exhausted and were not in the mood to drive home, but alas when you are a penny pinching college student you gotta do what you gotta do.