“A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all.” -Michael LeBoeuf
Since our humble beginnings as a four-person team back in 2007, Pacific Trade Winds (PTW) has grown into a trusted name in Costa Rican travel. But don't just take our word for it! Over the years, we've helped over 80,000 travelers create unforgettable memories, and their experiences speak volumes.
We're incredibly proud of the feedback we've received from our amazing clients. Their stories, their adventures, and their genuine "pura vida" moments are what inspire us every day. We invite you to explore the testimonials below and discover why so many choose PTW for their Costa Rica adventure.
Curious to see more? We're easy to find! Search for "Pacific Trade Winds reviews" on Google, TripAdvisor, Facebook, or your favorite travel platform. You'll find a wealth of authentic reviews from real travelers just like you. We're confident you'll like what you see!
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Enter PTW. I told them what we hoped to do and see, and they went to work. Over the course of several months and several emails, they took our input (and multiple edits) and helped create a vacation that worked flawlessly. Any time I sent them a message or question, they were quick to respond with answers and suggestions. I'm sure they sensed my anxiety of handing someone else the keys to the planning process, but they always knew what worked best and proved that putting our trust in them was a good choice. Also, they had asked if there was any special celebrations to mention, and I told them that one member of our group was celebrating his 50th birthday. When we checked into 2 of our 4 hotels, sure enough he found they'd left nice birthday treats for him. Nice touch!
Our inbound flight from Miami was unable to land in San Jose due to weather, so we had to be redirected to Managua to refuel before another attempt. While on the ground I was able to connect with PTW via WhatsApp and they were already aware of the delay. When we finally arrived (over an hour late) into SJO I was nervous there would be issues finding our transfer, but the first person I saw at the entrance to the airport was a gentleman from PTW holding a sign with my name on it. Perfect! He guided us through the airport/immigration process, then led us right to our transfer and got us on our way. Crisis averted and confidence reinstalled, we were on our way!
10 days later, we'd met or exceeded every one of the items on our wish list. We got to see a sea turtle in Tortuguero laying and covering her eggs, and another (huge!) one work her way back down across the beach and into the water. We ziplined and rafted in Arenal, both tours recommended and arranged by PTW. We saw 4 different types of monkeys, including lots of squirrel monkeys on our villa's property at the Tulemar Resort. We woke up daily to the calls of the howler monkeys which is an amazing way to start the day.
In the end I can't recommend Pacific Trade Winds highly enough. From day 1 of planning to the day we got home from our trip, they were with us every step of the way. All the lodging choices were a perfect fit for our needs, all the transfers were on time and comfortable, and everyone in our group thought I'd planned the best vacation they'd ever been on. OK sure I'll take the credit, but PTW did all the work!" ~ funleavy
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"We just spent the most WONDERFUL last 7 days in muy bonita Costa Rica!! Our 1st time here & I will definitely consider coming back! Next time we'll try the Atlantic side. I would contact Pacific Trade Winds to help plan it again!! If anyone is considering a travel agency, look no further!!! I haven't used one in over 12 yrs and I was hesitant. After reading COUNTLESS reviews, I put my faith & trust in PTW and they did NOT disappoint!!! It was everything I expected and MORE!! 10 months ago they helped me plan this vacation for my husband and I. But it was not a vacation... this was an EXPERIENCE of a lifetime!! Every company they hired for transportation & excursions were professional!! We learned so much while here! I can go on and on!!!! Do yourself a favor, stop stressing and let them help you!!! AMAZING time here that I will NEVER forget!!! 🙏❤️" ~ Terri A Parkey
"We just had an AMAZING trip! I chose to use Pacific Trade Winds for our trip. They made travel so easy for us, especially travelling with kids. I highly recommend them! Everything was super organized and the transportation included in the trip was great for us. We did Arenal, Monteverde, and Tamarindo. We came for the adventure - we did whitewater rafting & canyoning in Arenal, Hanging Bridges & Ziplining in Monteverde, our Mountain hotel also had a great night hike, and took a surf lesson in Tamarindo. All of the hotels were wonderful. We stayed at Arenal Springs & Resort, El Establo Mountain Hotel, and Tamarindo Diria. Definitely the trip of a lifetime!" ~ Vikki Bourgeois
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"Sadly, we are headed home and leaving beautiful Costa Rica today. Our trip was phenomenal from beginning to end, and I want to suggest and shout out #PacificTradeWinds Pacific Trade Winds travel agency. Our tours were perfectly timed, the personal drivers friendly and knowledgeable, and accomodations the BEST we have ever experienced. They truly made it easy to travel in this unknown country and experience everything we wanted from this trip." ~ Gena Barnhill
"Yes! Highly recommend! We used them for everything. It was awesome, one stop shopping and everything they coordinated was amazing and lined up exactly with what we shared with them." ~ Nancy Pignataro
"Yes, they helped plan a great trip for us last February! We will use again when we go back. We told them a few things but I had an idea since I was in this group a few months prior. They booked transfers, hotels to start with since we still were not decided on excursions. Then I added excursion later. And I changed my mind few times too and it was no problem. Great service all around. Plus I left something in La Fortuna, and they called to tell me they were getting a driver doing a run to Tamarindo the next day to bring it to me. 🥰" ~ Melissa McCain
"Yes!! They were nothing but AMAZING!! 100% recommended!!" ~ Amanda Feather
"Yes! Reliable and great! 100 percent recommend them" ~ Gina O'Neil Poulard
"Yes!! All 3 times I’ve booked CR I’ve used PTW. They are incredible at customizing a trip based on your interests and with all private transfers!! I recommend every chance I get!!" ~ Amber Lynn
"Yes they are the best!! Enjoy!!" ~ Meghan Cox
"YES! Best Travel agency I’ve ever used! Would use them in a heartbeat again" ~ Megan Lynn Ewy
"Yes we’ve used them for two trips to CR and both times they were phenomenal in handling the details of our trip (hotels, transfers, recommendations, etc). They were flexible and helpful if things didn’t go as planned (example: one of our tours went longer than expected and made us late for our next tour. Pacific Trade Winds worked out new transfers and times for the next tour)." ~ Heidi Furst Thompson
"Yes, we have used PTW several times to plan our trips and they always exceed our expectations. They have coordinated all of our hotels, transfers and tours. I highly recommend their company and services." ~ Regina Smith
"Just got back from a trip that I used PTW to plan for my family…everything went great! A representative meets you at immigration and gets you to your driver and you are off!" ~ Lisa Carlson
"Yes! They were wonderful! Made planning our trip so easy and everything was perfect!" ~ Emily Griffith Sanderson
"Yes we were in Costa Rica and needed new hotel accommodations last minute and they were great! Definitely booking my next trip w them." ~ Molly Clouse Welsh
"Yes. Highly recommend. Our trip was a breeze. We booked Accomodation, private transfers and activities." ~ Terri-Lee Dix
"Yes, they helped us plan an amazing vacation and continued to help us when we were in country with issues such as finding a taxi that would take a credit card and adding additional tours. We didn’t want to rent a car but also didn’t want to share transportation between locations so they arranged private transportation using Ride CR. The conversations we had with the drivers are some of our favorite memories of Costa Rica. Book through them. You won’t regret it!" ~ Elizabeth Cross
"Yes, I have. Pacific Trade Winds Will be only company that I will use for my future travels to CR." ~ Judith Annakie
"Yes! They were awesome!!!" ~ Betty Ponce
Click Here to View This Original Post. Of course, there are tens of thousands more comments just like this if you use the search feature in various Costa Rica Travel forums.
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"First mommy-daughter solo trip with my excited 7 year old little girl. We were looking for cultural experiences, wildlife interactions, and adventure! We certainly got our money’s worth, but the memories we made there are priceless. The agency’s vetting process was so helpful. I work a lot and as a single mother I don’t have a lot of mental bandwidth to do research for travel. I left everything up to the agency and after I approved the itinerary, we were all set. I loved that everything was planned for us. Transportation always on time. The drivers were all friendly and accommodating. We even had WiFi on the shuttles provided. The resorts chosen were top notch and the views were to die for. My little girl and I had the time of our lives and I’m so happy I was able to find you guys because otherwise I don’t know if my experience had been the same. Thank you for everything. I will recommend you to everyone that goes to CR!" ~ SB P
"USE THIS COMPANY IF YOU WANT THE BEST COSTA RICA TRIP! Our experience with Pacific Trade Winds planning our honeymoon was incredible. They made everything seamless and comprehensive. They were there for every step and even helped specify every tour, transfer and hotel (amongst other aspects) to make our trip easy and incredibly fulfilling. They booked us in breathtaking hotels and really helped us fall in love with Costa Rica. Thank you Pacific Trade winds. You have a lifelong customer in us. 🤙🇨🇷🦥" ~ Nick Martin
"Pacific Trade Winds made it absolutely sure for us to have the utmost best trip in Costa Rica! From the beginning the team was very informative and understood right away what sort of holiday we were after. We are a couple of 50+, but we still like to have an active vacation; however with some R&R included. And this was exactly what we ended up with! The staff of Pacific Trade Winds was helpful but not overwhelming; and their name ensured the best service with the car hire company, the hotels and the tour guides. I am very happy that we arranged our trip with Pacific Trade Winds and had the chance to spend two weeks in Paradise with their support. Pura Vida!" ~ Zsuzsanna Rozsa
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"I would love to give Pacific Trade Winds 10 stars if I could! We recently used Pacific Trade Winds for our anniversary trip to Costa Rica. We reached out to them to schedule the trip in January 2023, and the trip took place June 2024.
We had an amazing experience booking with Pacific Trade Winds for our trip to Costa Rica. They were very flexible with our requests and needs during the booking process, and they were always available for questions leading up to the trip. We took care of payment easily online through their system and received receipts for all payments made. The week of the trip, we received emails with our finalized itinerary and they set up a call to go over everything. The trip itself was so smooth—the vendors they used were all very professional and personable, and I never had to worry about any logistics issues (e.g., “would they know we already paid? Would they know to pick us up at the right hotel? Would the hotel know we have a reservation?” All of it was seamless!)
While we were in Costa Rica, they were very easy to communicate with, especially over WhatsApp. Even one time I messaged their WhatsApp after hours with a question about the next day’s excursion, and I still heard back from them that evening!
It was an absolute pleasure working with them and I would 100% recommend anyone traveling to Costa Rica to use them. Every single person we interfaced with was so kind and so attentive. Honestly I wish they booked to other locations because I would use them for every trip if I could. If you’re even considering using their services, this is your sign to just do it!" ~
"My boyfriend and I booked a last minute trip to Costa Rica (Arenal and Monteverde) with Pacific Trade Winds and it was the best vacationing choice we have ever made. The staff is extremely friendly and made the entire planning process easy and stress free. You tell them what you are interested in doing and they create personalized itineraries for you to pick from. The itineraries include as much or as little as you would like. We opted to have them plan everything from hotel stay, activities, and travel to and from all our destinations and it was well worth the money! The hotels were amazing with breath taking views, the activities were adventurous and let us see the beauty of Costa Rica, and all our transportation between destinations were safe and reliable. The roads are small and have rough terrain so the local driver was much appreciated. Our flight was canceled the morning we were due to leave. I was so stressed but one call to PTW and they took care of all the last minute alterations. Do yourself a favor and book your vacation with Pacific Trade Winds, you won’t regret it." ~ Kristin Radi
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"Pacific Trade Winds provided an excellent vacation for us. We did not have to worry or think about anything. They were on top of it from the beginning to the end and even afterwards. The staff is knowledgeable, competent & friendly. Their choice of hotel vendors and tour guides was exemplary. Quite frankly, there was absolutely no glitch. I've travelled extensively and experienced very few seamless vacations. This was one of them. I highly recommend." ~ Tod B
"Highly recommend!! They are there for you every step of the way. No vacation has been so easy to plan and seamlessly executed ( and I've been on many international trips)." ~ Priti A
"If you're looking for an agency to help create a memorable vacation, look no further! Even as complicated as ours became (8 people, multiple locations and tours), they still easily helped us put together a seamless itinerary that exceeded all of our wishes. There is not one negative thing I can say about the experience. Very highly recommended!" ~ Kevin D
"My sister and I started planning a trip to Costa Rica and decided to take a chance on this company after much research. We are so thankful that we did. The assistance and reassurance was wonderful. They talked us through all our options and made sure our trip reflected our wants while also recommending some adventures that really were the highlight of our trip. Every staff member we interacted with was helpful and thorough. Before our trip they scheduled a 20 minute phone call to review our itinerary and make sure we felt prepared. Upon arrival they were there at the airport and made us feel so comfortable. Everything we scheduled happened perfectly and without issue. This company exceeded our expectations - highly recommend!" ~ Camille S
"Our family had never taken an international vacation, but Pacific Trade Winds made it possible for us to have a great time without the stress of having to work out details ourselves. I spoke with an agent who customized an itinerary around our family's abilities and interests, and then was sent a schedule and price to review. It was easy to make changes before booking. PTW communicated with us in the days leading up to the vacation and they were easy to reach out to during the vacation with questions and additions to the schedule. Private transfers between destinations were super convenient. Highly recommended company!" ~ Nicole F
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"Just returned from Costa Rica from our honeymoon and everything that Pacific Trade Winds planned was perfect. We selected the Guanacaste Adventure package (11 days). We stayed at 3 different places as apart of the package. We choose not to rent a car and instead transportation was provided for us. I was nervous that perhaps our transportation may not show up, but this was not a problem at all. All of the transfers from place to place were on-time... we did not have to worry about any of it. The excursions that were planned were also amazing and gave us a diverse look into Costa Rica. All of the places we stayed at were welcoming and clean. I really recommend this company and will be using them in the future for a second trip there." ~ Shannon O.
"We booked a wonderful Costa Rica vacation with Pacific Tradewinds of Costa Rica. All the advice and excursions were perfect. Gretchen and staff were so friendly and easy to work with. All the transportation and guides were so much fun and right on time. We will most definitely plan a second trip and always rely on Pacific Trade Winds for travel assistance. Costa Rica is such a beautiful place with delicious food and friendly people. The Rio Celeste waterfall excursion was so much fun and our guide Maria and driver Ronald made it a day to remember, they were great!! Thanks for such a amazing time." ~ T.D.
"From start to finish our trip went off without a hitch. We had never been to Costa Rica and Gretchen with PTW recommended exploring the Cloud Forest/Arenal Volcano and the beaches at Samara. I must say it was an excellent recommendation. The service was fantastic - booking and changes to itinerary a breeze. The staff was very accommodating and booked us some excellent excursions. The excursions included a boat trip along the Cano Negro river where we saw 3 different kinds of monkeys, birds, turtles, lizards and caymans. Next day was the Hanging Bridges - a "must do" adventure. Off to the Pacific coast to Samara where we kayaked, snorkeled and enjoyed an evening walk on the beach looking for egg laying turtles. I have been recommending this Pacific Trade Winds since we returned home and will be booking our next trip to Costa Rica with them. Muchas Gracias Mi Amigos!" ~ Julie K.
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