Diego Rivera
Hi, I'm Diego a Costa Rican travel expert with more than 13 years of experience. I consider myself a culture lover, a person who loves to listen to my travelers and I create the best experiences for every single customer with a touch of passion.
I have studied sustainable tourism management, and I have a specialty in MICE groups (meetings, incentives, conferences, and events). I love to design trips for families, couples, groups of friends and honeymoons.
I'm a big fan of coffee tasting, I love to practice sports and I try to travel every weekend to different destinations around Costa Rica (I'm very extrovert).
Thank you for giving me the possibility to design a unique travel experience around my beautiful country.
Pura Vida!
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"I love to design family vacations, honeymoon trips, I love to mix adventure tours with nature activities, and cultural experiences. Also, I have a specialty in MICE groups (meetings, incentives, conferences, and events). "
How did you get involved in travel?
"I studied sustainable tourism management and since there, I have felt a huge passion for tourism.
I have worked in tour operators a big part of my life, creating the most unique and personalized programs in Costa Rica, for many travelers around the world.
Travel is not an option for me, this is a style of life, and I love to share the knowledge that I have acquired during my experience."
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"I spent two nights sleeping in the middle of the tropical forest in Pacuare River. After doing a white-water rafting tour at the best river in Costa Rica, I arrived at one of the most luxurious lodges that I have been my entire life. It was a luxury oasis in the middle of the forest, surrounded by waterfalls, walking trails and many adventures. I loved the adrenaline of the white-water rafting, but to spend a night in the middle of the forest is magical and unforgettable. "
Featured trips & expertise
Multi-Sport Adventure in Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde, & Tamarindo - 10 Days
This trip is perfect for those who want to explore Costa Rica's highlights, combined with active tours that get your blood pumping. Start this adventure navigating rapids on the Pacuare River — one of the top 10 rivers in the world for whitewater. Explore Arenal Volcano by bike, then head to the misty cloud forest of Monteverde for nature hikes and a zip line tour. End your trip on Tamarindo Beach, one of Costa Rica's premier beach destinations. Relax on the sand, take a surf lesson, or go snorkeling, then finish things off with a sunset sail on the Pacific.
Costa Rica Wildlife & Nature - 14 Days
Take in the best of Costa Rica's wildlife and nature on this two-week trip into the rainforest. Start in Arenal to hike around the Arenal Volcano and soothe your muscles in the regenerative hot springs, then head to Monteverde for a treetops adventure in the cloud forest. You'll zip line through the canopy and hike through the nighttime forest before ending your trip in Manual Antonio, where crystal clear water and endless beaches await.
Diverse Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Tamarindo - 7 Days
Combine lush rainforests and Pacific beaches on this relaxed, weeklong road-trip through Costa Rica. Starting in the vibrant capital of San José, you'll set out for the volcanic landscapes of Arenal, where scenic hikes and natural hot springs beckon. Continue to the rare cloud forests of Monteverde to zip-line through the canopy and discover nocturnal wildlife on an evening jungle tour. End your trip on the coast, where you can surf, snorkel, and relax on the tropical white sands of Tamarindo.
Costa Rica Self-Drive Adventure: Monteverde, Tamarindo & Arenal - 10 Days
This 10-day self-drive itinerary takes you off the beaten path to discover Costa Rica's highlights at your own pace. After an evening in San José, embark from the capital and drive north to explore the cloud forests of Monteverde by zip-line. Journey west to the Pacific coast and the surf village of Tamarindo for sea kayaking and wildlife spotting, then make your way inland to La Fortuna. Here you'll explore the lush landscapes of Arenal Volcano National Park, hike the brilliant blue Río Celeste, and visit a working coffee plantation.
Manuel Antonio: Best Itinerary Ideas
Most people visiting Manuel Antonio spend about 8 to 10 days in Costa Rica, which usually includes some time in Arenal/La Fortuna and Monteverde as well. For travelers wanting to visit Manuel Antonio exclusively, plan about 5 days for a well-paced trip. A fast-paced highlights trip is possible in 3 or 4 days for travelers with limited time. Check out our favorite Manuel Antonio trips below.
Arenal Volcano & Monteverde Cloud Forest - 5 Days
Enjoy a quick and eventful five days exploring two of Costa Rica’s best-known attractions. Begin in La Fortuna, where you can take some time to explore the village and dine in town. Then, discover Arenal Volcano on a nature hike, and soak in the natural hot springs. Next, float along scenic Lake Arenal to Monteverde. Mingle with the locals and then hike through the biodiverse Cloud Forest Reserve, which is home to many species of plants and animals—including plenty of exotic birdlife. Integrate this quick trip into other travel plans, or arrive and depart from San José, depending on your preference.
Recent trip reviews for Diego
Our experience was amazing. Our guide, Alfred...
Costa Rica
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Dec 8 - Dec 16, 2022
Our experience was amazing. Our guide, Alfredo was fantastic in La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano area. Jose gave a wonderful tour in Corcovado National Park. I felt communications were not well communicated , as some timings were not correct. Giving us more complete details would have been helpful. We had to call to verify info that was incorrect and our call was not returned when they said they would call. read more
Hi Nancy,
Thank you very much for your feedback. I really enjoyed preparing your trip plan, and I'm very happy you had an amazing experience.
About timing, I'll talk with our operations department because every small change was informed by WhatsApp. Thank you for giving me this feedback.
Best regards,
Diego.
Wonderful trip
Costa Rica
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Dec 8 - Dec 16, 2022
All of the guides and van drivers were excellent. All of the hotels were clean and well appointed. read more
Hello Susan, I really appreciate your comments. I really enjoyed preparing this travel experience for you. Keep alive the Pura Vida Spirit!
All the guides we had as well as all the driv...
Costa Rica
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Dec 8 - Dec 16, 2022
All the guides we had as well as all the drivers we had were kind and caring people. They answered any questions we had and were on time so we never waited. All of our stays were amazing but we had wished we stayed closer to the airport when we arrived and departed. read more
Hi Linda, thank you very much for your comments! I'm very happy to know you have had a wonderful time in Costa Rica.
Pura Vida, Diego.
Create a CR trip with Diego!
Costa Rica
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Dec 19 - Jan 2, 2022
Diego planned a great trip for us. All the details ran perfectly and we had a trip of a lifetime! Everyone we encountered was nice but two favorites that stood out were our driver for a few legs (John I think). And our guide for the Arenal Volcano was the best guide of all our hikes. The others were great too but he was our favorite! Thank you Diego. read more
Hello Debora, Thank you very much for sharing your lovely comments with me! It was a great honor to help you design the most beautiful trip for your family. I hope you can come back soon! PURA VIDA :-)
Diego did an excellent job planning our trip!...
Costa Rica
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Jul 27 - Aug 2, 2022
Diego did an excellent job planning our trip! All the excursions and airport/city transfers were timely in picking us up. All our tour guides were knowledgeable and excited about sharing their expertise with us. The hotel selections were perfect. There was one last minute change with one of our excursion providers and we received multiple notifications to ensure we were aware of the change. Overall, my family and I had a wonderful trip! read more
Hello Shameik! Thank you very much for your comments, it was an absolute pleasure preparing your vacation and creating a memorable trip for your family. Please keep alive the Pura Vida spirit, I hope you can come back soon to explore more areas of our beautiful country.
We had a fantastic time in Costa Rica thanks ...
Costa Rica
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Apr 19 - May 1, 2022
We had a fantastic time in Costa Rica thanks to Diego. He had planned out a trip for my wife and I, and we paid for it with a credit card. 10 minutes later as we were filling out the forms on Kim Kim’s website we noticed that our passports expired the previous month. We called Diego and he managed to put a hold on the hotels. We received an expedited passport on a Monday and called Diego that day and he rescheduled the whole trip that day and we flew out on Tuesday. The trip went smoothly in spite of the last minute preparations. We can’t thank Diego enough. Pura Vida!
Hello Eli & Ale, thank you very much for sharing these amazing comments! It was a whole challenge but I'm very happy you enjoyed the entire trip in Costa Rica. Please keep alive the Pura Vida Spirit!!!
Diego planned us an incredible trip to Costa Rica!
Costa Rica
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Apr 6 - Apr 17, 2022
Diego did such an incredible job planning the girls’ trip to Costa Rica my best friend and I went on earlier this month. He was incredibly responsive the entire time (including when we had real-time questions while we were in Costa Rica), and put together an itinerary that was perfect for us!! It was SUCH a relief not to have to plan anything ourselves and to know that everything was taken care of (especially transportation). I would 100% recommend Kim Kim (and Diego!) for anyone who is... read more
Thank you sooo much Suzi for your comment. I loved to help you. Keep always the Pura Vida spirit!
Diego
Diego truly did an *incredible* job!
Costa Rica
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Apr 6 - Apr 17, 2022
Diego truly did an *incredible* job planning our trip. He made the whole experience seamless, and whenever we hit any snags (which were few and very minor), Diego's communication was consistently responsive and helpful, and he always got things back on track immediately if needed. The activities he guided us to were amazing experiences and the transportation was just so easy! We loved all three locations (La Fortuna/Monteverde/Manuel Antonio) and were absolutely DELIGHTED with each place... read more
Thank you so much Frances. I'm so happy you enjoyed a wonderful trip in Costa Rica. It was a great pleasure helping you design your vacation. PURA VIDA!
Costa Rica trip was GREAT!
Costa Rica
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Mar 12 - Mar 21, 2022
This was one of our favorite family vacations ever. Diego was a HUGE help in planning it and making sure everything was exactly as I dreamed.
We were able to hit all the highlights we wanted to and the hotels were nothing short of spectacular. Everyone in my family had a different group of favorite activities from the trip! The zip lines and hanging bridges were a universal top-3, but we also loved all of the other excursions Diego helped plan for us. In 8 full days of vacation we... read more
It was a huge honor and pleasure to help you with this amazing trip plan. I really enjoyed creating this spectacular trip and I hope you can come back in the future with your family and explore new destinations of Costa Rica :-)
Keep the Pura Vida spirit alive!
Two weeks of PURA VIDA!
Costa Rica
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Mar 21 - Apr 2, 2022
The trip was amazing! All the transportation, lodging, and activities were seamless and there was very little additional work on my end once I arrived. Diego was also extremely accessible and helpful with any of my questions/concerns during the trip itself. Highly recommend both the country and this tour agency. read more
Thank you very much for your comment Eli, I'm so happy you have had a wonderful vacation in Costa Rica. There are many more things to see and explore, you can always contact me! Pura Vida.
New Way to Travel
Costa Rica
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Feb 26 - Mar 6, 2022
Kimkim was an easy way to customize a group visit to Costa Rica, focusing on desired types of activities on specific dates while staying withing budget. Kimkim removed the responsibility of doing research and legwork to execute a fun filled activity trip. I will use it again when appropriate. read more
Hello Ilan, thank you very much for your review, this is very valuable and important for us. Thank you for letting me be part of your trip, I hope you can come back in the near future; there are many more destinations to explore :-)
PURA VIDA - Diego.
Diego did an amazing job arranging a babymoon...
Costa Rica
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Feb 15 - Feb 24, 2022
Diego did an amazing job arranging a babymoon vacation to Costa Rica for us. Everything went seamlessly and all transfers/tours were on time. Would recommend highly!! read more
Hello Maaz. Thank you very much for letting me be part of this amazing trip. It was a great pleasure to organize your babymoon. I hope you can come back to Costa Rica soon.
A well planned trip
Costa Rica
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Jan 10 - Jan 19, 2022
Diego helped us plan the trip. He made suggestions about the itinerary and helped us select suitable hotels etc in accordance with our budget.
Our trip included most of the key parks, waterfalls, hot springs, and other must-see venues. We even ventured on a Zipline which was fun.
There was one excursion, the Volcano walk, which turned out to be very difficult for us (senior citizens). The walk was considered a "leisurely" walk but instead, it was a very difficult climb on a relatively steep... read more
Hello Shiraz. Thank you very much for your feedback. I'm very happy you enjoyed the entire trip and had a wonderful time. I hope you can come back in the future. PURA VIDA!!
Costa Rica jungle and beach trip-excellent
Costa Rica
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Jan 6 - Jan 12, 2022
Planning a trip to Costa Rica on my own was confusing and frustrating. There are so many amazing places and I didn't know where to start. I found kimkim online and gave it a shot. I was very pleased with the response I got. Diego was attentive and listened to my requests. It was easy, I told him what I wanted to do and he made it happen. I didn't need to manage anything and I didn't have to at all. He booked transportation, lodging, and excursions for me. All of the planning was flawless. We... read more
Thank you very much for your feedback Maura. I'm very happy to know you had a great time in Costa Rica, it was a great pleasure helping you with your vacation. I hope you can come soon and visit more destinations. PURA VIDA :-)
What a beautiful country filled with the nice...
Costa Rica
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Dec 17 - Dec 25, 2021
What a beautiful country filled with the nicest people on the planet! Diego helped our family plan a memorable trip to Costa Rica. We trekked through the rainforest, swam in the waterfalls at La Paz, zipped lined for forever (terrifying but incredible), walked around the Arenal Volcano and ended that day at the Tabacon Hot Springs (so awesome). Our last three days were at Samara where we swam, kayaked and snorkeled on the most beautiful beach (Playa Carrillo). Our guides along the way--... read more
Thank you very much for your comments Beth! I hope you can come back in the future, there are many more places to see and explore. Pura Vida :-)
Best Vacation Ever!
Costa Rica
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Dec 19 - Jan 2, 2022
Our 14 day trip to Costa Rica was the best vacation we have ever had! Diego planned a trip that had a perfect balance of fun, adventure, relaxation, beauty, and learning! He was very easy to work with during the planning stages - and very kind and affable. Diego was also very accessible and responsive during the trip. I would highly recommend KimKim for planning your next trip and for working with Diego if your plans take you to the incredible country of Costa Rica! read more
Hello Kelly, thank you sooo much for your special review. I highly appreciate the honor of trusting your family vacation with me. I hope you and your family keep alive the Pura Vida spirit!!!
This was just an overall incredible experienc...
Costa Rica
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Dec 17 - Dec 23, 2021
This was just an overall incredible experience for us. Diego really listened and set up an extraordinary 7 day trip for our family. It was an outstanding blend of fun, culture, relaxation, and excitement.
There was one little hic-up with one of the drivers, but Diego and the team responded very quickly... we didn't miss anything.
My 7 year old daughter could not have enjoyed it more. We'll be going back and will trust Diego with all our plans. read more
Hello Peter,
Thank you very much for your comments. I've enjoyed creating this amazing trip for you and your daughter. I'm very happy you have had a great time and I hope you can come back soon.
PURA VIDA
Loved the service and customized package!
Costa Rica
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Dec 4 - Dec 8, 2021
Loved the service and customized package! read more
The trip of a lifetime in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
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Nov 20 - Dec 2, 2021
We had an amazing time during our days in Costa Rica. Our local specialist, Diego, did an awesome job planning our trip, all our days and activities. Prior to going, he was always available and patient answering our questions and adapting the trip to our preferences and needs. We lost our connection flight and consequently our first day in Costa Rica, I alerted Diego and he was super fast in answering and adapting everything, and we ended up only missing a small activity at the first place we... read more
One of the most authentic places i have ever stayed
Costa Rica
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Nov 11 - Nov 16, 2021
The trip was great, we stayed at amazing hotels and had very good activities in general.
We stayed in an absolutely beautiful treehouse that was chosen by Diego.
I think the follow-up during the trip could have been better, and the details in the trip guide were not as accurate, for example, in one activity that included swimming it wasn't stated that we should have brought swimming suit!
Hello Jose,
Thank you very much for your evaluation and all your feedback. It makes us create better programs and better services for our travelers.
I hope you can come back in the future!
PURA VIDA!
Diego.
Great Trip!
Costa Rica
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Sep 29 - Oct 10, 2021
This is my first time using KimKim. I was a little hesitant at first, but once I filled out the questionnaire and got matched with Green World Travel, we were in good hands. Our specialist was Diego and he was fantastic. He was very quick to respond to all of our questions and comments. The itinerary he planned for us flowed very nicely and all the activities were great. Starting off with our driver who picked us up from the airport Felipe. Felipe was great! We had a 3 hour car ride to... read more
Hi Cosette,
Thank you so much for your comments. It was a great pleasure organizing your vacation in Costa Rica. I really enjoyed preparing this trip plan proposal and I'm so happy to know everything went well!
PURA VIDA!
Diego
Diego and GWA were fantastic!
Costa Rica
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Sep 25 - Oct 3, 2021
Diego and Green World Adventures did a great job helping us plan our honeymoon. We had an amazing trip to Costa Rica and Diego tailored our itinerary to exactly what we were looking for. In the process he was helpful in giving us all the information we needed to optimize our trip/timing and avoid travel pitfalls. He also coordinated all of our transportation and found amazing accommodations that were within our budget. During our travel we felt well supported and assured without the hassle... read more
Hi Kevin & Molly,
It was a great honor to help you with the preparation for your honeymoon in Costa Rica. I enjoyed working with you guys and I wish you the best for this new phase of your life!
Keep alive the Pura Vida Spirit!
Diego.
Perfect itinerary!
Costa Rica
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Jul 12 - Jul 16, 2021
It was the perfect itinerary! Mix of exciting and relaxing activities! It all even worked out with the weather. Amazing trip.
Muchas Gracias Erika!!! I really appreciate your comments, it means a lot to me! It was a great honor to prepare this amazing trip plan for you. I hope you can come back soon. PURA VIDA :-)
Costa Rica was beautiful and we did so many g...
Costa Rica
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Jul 12 - Jul 16, 2021
Costa Rica was beautiful and we did so many great activities ,and we couldn’t have done it without the help of Diego! Thanks again!
Thank you so much Ameer! I really appreciate your comment. It was a great pleasure helping you designing this amazing trip. I hope you can come back soon, and keep alive the Pura Vida spirit!
Costa Rica - Arenal, Monteverde, Manual Antonio Trip Planned by Diego
Costa Rica
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Jun 24 - Jul 4, 2021
We had a fantastic trip to Costa Rica planned by Diego. He stayed within budget yet was able to get us into very desirable locations. He was very responsive when we had questions/concerns. All the locations we stayed at were great for our family of 5. Every guide was on time and were all very professional and courteous.
Our first stop was Arenal at the Los Lagos resort where we had a tour with Marcos of La Fortuna falls and Arenal. He was extremely knowledgeable of the area and pulled... read more
Hi Denes, it was a great honor helping you with this fantastic travel experience. I really enjoyed designing your family vacation, and I'm more than happy to hear that you had a wonderful time in Costa Rica. I hope you and your family keep alive the Pura Vida spirit!
Our Flawless Costa Rican Vacation
Costa Rica
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Feb 26 - Mar 18, 2021
Kim Kim,
Diego was amazing! We told him who we were (old but not dead) and what we wanted (more forest than beach) and he listened. His plan was a 21-day drive and stay adventure that was perfect for us. Going on a great adventure means (safely) getting out of your comfort zone – anxiety without harm. Some of the roads were narrow, steep, and twisty, but traveled without incident and minimal held breaths. The fifteen-minute walk alone through the dark forest to our Treehouse was full of... read more
Thank you very much for this detailed and useful feedback. It was a great honor to help you design this amazing trip. I really enjoyed meeting you, and I hope you can come back in the near future, there are other regions that you can explore during your next trip.
Keep your spirit of "Pura Vida" with you and please stay in contact!
Diego.