Living in Costa Rica for some time as an expat gave me the opportunity to experience some of Costa Rica's best with Grettel as my personal tour guide! She is such a joy to be around and really does love her country. She is never short on recommendations or the excitement and enthusiasm she inspires. Thank you so much for all your great recommendations and for organizing our trips so thoughtfully!

We did a private night walk with Grettel and Dan, a wildlife biologist with Mindful Costa Rica who we booked through Grettel. We found lots of critters like tadpoles, small spiders, toads, butterflies, leaf cutter ants, birds, a sleeping red eyed tree frog, and caiman at the end. Our guide taught us a lot about insects and was very engaging with the kids, especially our 9 year old who was eager to learn and spot the creatures. We had to rush near the end because our 3 year old fell asleep on my back like a baby sloth and made it difficult to continue. 😆 When we were done, we had amazing refreshments! They had a variety of drinks and we chose the fresh coconut water right out of the coconut and some yummy snacks! Grettel was also helpful booking us a chocolate tour and was very prompt with answering questions I had before venturing to Costa Rica! If you want more than just a stroll and love to learn about the environment, insects and animals, I highly recommend the night tour!

Planning activities in Costa Rica can be overwhelming—there are so many options online that it’s hard to know where to start. That’s why I’m so glad we found Grettel and Mindful Life Costa Rica! What stood out most about Grettel’s service was her attention to detail and her focus on working with local guides. She recommended a night walk at a fair price, tailored perfectly to what we were looking for. Since we had our own car, she even helped us save on transportation costs, which we really appreciated. The tour itself was incredible. Our guide was a local expert, and his passion and knowledge made the experience unforgettable. He pointed out frogs, insects, nocturnal birds, and even glowing fungi that we never would have noticed on our own. It felt like we were part of something truly special. Grettel made the process so easy and stress-free. If you’re looking for a personalized and authentic experience in La Fortuna look no further, you have found it! The local way is ALWAYS the better way. Thank you Dan and Grett!! Pura Vida.

Gretel and Dan made a wonderful itinerary for us and everything felt well thought of and planned. All tours were informative and fun. It was great to be away from hoards of other tourists and have a more personalized experience. The mindfulness of using local companies and businesses was very special. I can’t wait to plan my next trip with them!

From the moment you meet Grettel you know that she cares deeply about creating an amazing experience for everyone around her. Her knowledge and passion for Costa Rica is endearing and encouraging. We can’t wait to do more of her tours and will be highly recommending to any friends and family that visit the area.

We really enjoyed it. Dan was very informative and pointed out really cool bugs and frogs we would have walked right by on our own.

Grettel arranged a fantastic trip to Arenal and the Caribbean coast. She advised us on hotels, activities and nature tours, made all arrangements and organised our transport. All went without a hitch. Communication was prompt and informative. The hotels were great and the nature tours were amazing. So much wildlife, knowledgeable guides and really good value! I can’t rate Mindful Life highly enough and we will. Be using their service and expertise when next we visit their beautiful country.

Thanks to Grettel I had a fantastic time in La Arenal. Her passion for sharing the beauty and culture of Costa Rica is inspiring. I loved that she got me off the beaten track and I felt I was experiencing the real, authentic Costa Rica away from the tourist hordes. Dan’s insect tour was a highlight as was the hike in the Eternal Rain Forest. I’m going back to Costa Rica and will be exploring more with the help of Grettel 💚

Grettel gave me some great tips of things to do in the places in Costa Rica I was due to visit. She also put me in touch with a wild sloth tour company in La Fortuna and a bird tour guide in Monteverde - both turned out to be very fun. Being a native, Grettel is passionate about showing tourists around the places she loves, whilst preserving her country in a mindful way by using ethical companies. She took the time to answer any questions I had and gave me the information I required to decide if each tour was right for me. Thank you Grettel.

I would recommend mindful life Costa Rica over and over again. The attentiveness of Grettel and her willingness to always go above and beyond is unmatched! We felt like we were learning about the beauty and nature of Costa Rica from people who truly value it. All experiences were well planned and appropriate for our group. Transportation was smooth. All experiences were fun and full of beautiful flora and fauna. Can’t wait to plan our next trip together!

I did the Arenal hike and Night walk in La Fortuna with Mindful Costa Rica and had a great experience. Everything was well organised and communication was easy. Grettel was attentive and has brilliant local knowledge. She even gave me loads of advice for visiting the Caribbean side when I mentioned I was visiting there later in my trip and she really knows her stuff about Costa Rica. I would 100% recommend

If you are looking for local authentic experienced with a guide that will help you connect with the actual country, its values, and open your eyes to the beauty then look no further! We had an absolutely flawless experience, the guide Gretel was able to adapt our journey to changing weather conditions, allowed us to connect to locals, understand their way of life, see so many birds and animals, arranged for us to just absorb so much information, on top of being so sweet and caring! We really had a great experience with Gretel and so much attention to details, to our comfort, and listened empathetically to our needs and met the with grace. No need to look anywhere else when planning your journey to Costa rica! Shes an expert guide and will bring the rest of my family and friends to her when its their time to travel!

Mindful Costa Rica organizó todos los detalles de nuestro viaje. Gracias a ellos hemos tenido experiencias maravillosas, como realizar un tour nocturno que al principio veíamos con miedo y que resultó fascinante, con un guía experto con un enorme conocimiento sobre animales y plantas, y que nos enseñó muchas cosas curiosas. Recordaremos este viaje con mucho cariño.

We recently took a night tour arranged by Grettel. We had a 6 year old with us, so we wanted to make sure we did something she would enjoy. The tour was incredible, and our guide was the best! He took his time to explain the nocturnal wildlife of Costa Rica and pointed out many different bugs, snakes and frogs. The path was easy and flashlights were provided. It's pitch black without them, such a fun part of the experience! We can't wait to book the butterfly dome to learn about the unique and wonderful butterflies that live in this amazing country. Thank you Grettel and the entire staff of Mindful Life Costa Rica for making our experience unforgettable!