We stayed at Taranova-Villas for our 1st trip to Costa Rica. The staff and drivers were all excellent. The 4 of us signed up for Highlight Tour. We saw Ants to Crocodiles thanks to our guide Christian. He is he best. Very knowledgeable about everything. He not only knew that names of all the trees, flowers, plants, animals, we learned so much about them as well. He has an eagle eye for spotting birds, lizards, frogs that we never would have found on our own. He would set up high powered camera so everyone could a close up look and take a pictures. Chris cares deeply for his country we learned so much. I’m also happy to I retained so much info he shared with us. Mark was great explaining the tours, what to expect with weather, etc.

We just got back from a week in Costa Rica touring with Christian and Sol Tropical Tours. It was one of the most amazing vacations we’ve had – and we’ve traveled a lot! We stayed at an RCI timeshare called Villas Palmas and we signed up for the 5-day tour with Sol Tropical. We also added an extra day on top of that. Every single day was full of laughs, adventure, amazing scenery, and knowledge. Christian, our tour guide, quite literally made our vacation!! We did an ATV tour, zip-lining twice, whitewater rafting, visited two volcanoes, a night hike through the jungle, a boat safari, and spent the day on one of the most amazing beaches ever — and more! And all through that, Christian made sure we saw sloths, snakes, monkeys, learned about the gorgeous flora and fauna of the area, taught us about history, geography, and everything else that we would even think to ask about. We were there with our three teens and they all said Christian felt like part of our family. Nobody wanted to leave. I highly recommend this company and in particular, Christian, for ANY excursions in Costa Rica.

This was by far the best tour’s we have been on. Christian our guide is extremely knowledgeable of fauna and flora. Happer and Mark were also friendly and helpful. I would 100% recommend Sol Tropical.

We are first timers in Costa Rica and I picked an RCI accommodation from their web facility to use up some points. The coastal resorts were very attractive but required pricey all inclusives and did not allow children. We figured we’d rent a car or hire a guide on various days and seek what we found in YouTube. We got here late to Taranova-Villas and it seemed kind of industrial with a few eateries, motels, and a casino within walking distance In daylight it was pretty residential just a bit off the hiway. Taranova provided the shuttle to and from the airport.

The nxt morning, a Monday breakfast was held in the sunny courtyard and Mark hosted a presentation of the daily tours and options. The apprehension of getting around in a busy city and outlands, often mountainous, vanished as the program offered by Sol Tropical included something to cover most everything any tourists, especially newbies, could fit in within the 6 days, stay.

Christian, our guide, clearly explained the activities, what to bring and wear on each excursion, meals included, exertion demands and options, etc., but mostly he is a young, highly educated degreed naturalist well-versed in the flora and fauna of Costa Rica. He took pains to warn us of any dangerous bugs and plants, and was patient making sure everybody got a peek of what we came across using a laser pointer and a spotting scope. In addition, Chris is an accomplished photographer and videographer, even using a pricey drone to fly over rapids and the forest canopy.

The meals were representative of local cuisine and offered many choices in the clean eateries. Restroom stops were adequate and special stops were made at fuel stations, etc. when ya gotta go…

Our chauffeur, Umberto Happer, clipped along on hiways and twisty mountain roads, sometimes a bit choppy, in a 23 passenger van, and we had room when fellow riders didn’t hog seats for their baggage. Small to medium backpacks, shared when possible, were optimal, as we did scarf up souvenirs at a few places, so space got used. The van got up to 19 tourists on the most crowded day. If you are leggy, avoid the seats over the back wheel bubbles.

Some of used our last day to relax and use up supplies, and the small pool at the condos was most welcome. Get your phone service set up for international, but wi-fi at the condos was slow but worked ok. It seemed I didn’t need to change currency any place we went. Some knowledge of Spanish is handy, but Chris and Happer are always nearby. The tours really filled the week with experiences and an understanding I really doubt we would have attained on our own.

Wow! What an amazing experience I had with Sol Tropical Tours. If you want to truly learn the Costa Rican way, use this company! They take you to all sides of Costa Rica so you get to see many different parts of the country, they worked hard to make each day different with awesome sights and fun activities, and they also take you to true authentic restaurants so you can eat delicious food to make you feel truly apart of the culture.

Special thanks to Mark the owner who made us feel welcome from the moment we arrived, the skilled driver Happer, who maneuvered his way through traffic and windy roads in the mountains to get us to our destination safely, and Christian our amazing tour guide who was so friendly, informative, and just an overall positive person to be around. Christian can answer any question you’d ever have about Costa Rica, our group put him to the test and he loved teaching us about his country! So thankful for him!
I can’t say enough about these gentleman, they made my experience so worth it! I’d recommend them a thousand times over again. Guaranteed that I will be coming back thanks to this outstanding crew that we got to spend the whole week with!

Thank you again for the memories, the amazing sights, and the awesome Costa Rican experience!
PURA VIDA!!

Our 5-day Sol Tropical tour package and experience was outstanding in every way. From the excellent Monday morning information breakfast to the final tour on Friday. Christian was our tour guide and far exceeded other guides that we have had – in other countries – in the important ways. He is a Costa Rican local and takes great pride in showing and representing his country. He is a college-educated Naturalist and it shows. Christian was punctual, kept to the tour schedule, approachable, engaged, and professional at all times. Each day was a different adventure, locale, and/or activity to do. Mind you, from Taranova Palmas, where we stayed, the van ride is typically quite long. The shortest is 1 1/2 hours; the longest is 3 hours. But Christian plans stops and meals along the way, thereby breaking up the ride. The cost for the tour package and/or the cost for individual tours was in line with typical tour costs. But, the added value – by far – were the meals that were included in the tours. Five lunches and one dinner. These were NOT a boxed lunch with a sandwich, chips, and drink. All meals were full sit-down local restaurant meals with local cuisine and entrees. We were allowed plenty of time to enjoy them and to socialize with other members of our tour group. When I returned home and was reviewing our final vacation budget, I was very happy to calculate that the amount of money we actually spent on meals were dramatically less than what I had estimated. I couldn’t have picked better restaurants for these lunches and dinner myself. There is nothing more satisfying when on vacation than to return home feeling like you got the best bang for your buck. And that is just what my family got with Sol Tropical Tours.

I would highly recommend touring with Sol Tropical. We were able to customize a tour itinerary that included an over night in Monteverde and two nights in Manual Antonio. Touring with our guide Christian was fantastic; he knows how to find all kinds of animals, is knowledgeable about everything and is passionate about his country and his tours. The meals included were great, local and Costa Rican. Mark and Christian made touring easy and enjoyable. We typically do things on our own but having a guide in Costa Rica is definitely the way to go, we were able to see and learn so much more than could have done on our own. The tour group size was small which we were looking for. We visited the first week in August and it was great, much less busy than high season. The weather was fine and the rain did not negatively impact any activities or the trip; if you are going to the rain forest it is going to rain. If want to experience true Costa Rica with an awesome tour guide, I highly recommend Sol Tropical.