How it works:
- Opening: at tourist attractions, you may encounter touts who offer a very cheap tour. However, to secure your position, you have to pay upfront.
- Version 1: when you arrive at the meeting point, you find that no such tour exists.
- Version 2: If the tour exists, you would probably end spending much time at shops where they get a commission.
Places to beware:
- Anywhere: e.g. La Fortuna; Manuel Antonio; Playas del Coco; Playa Hermosa (fishing tours)
What to do:
- Offline operators: ask – is the operator licensed (a list of licensed operators here)? Is there a website, office and working phone number? Are there real online reviews? What does the price cover – is it too cheap?
- Online platforms: GetYourGuide (leading day tour platform globally) also has many popular tours (e.g. Manuel Antonio National Park, Arenal Observatory, Tortuguero National Park, etc).
- Paying: avoid paying in full upfront (unless reputable operator) or off the (online) platform.
