Costa Rica Road Trip

We arrived without reservations, but we were traveling in the low season. I wouldn't recommend arriving during a busy season without reservations or without calling to make them because the road is long and slow.

Upon arrival, however, we were very suprised and very happy with our choice. Our huge picture window looked out onto the volocano, and we were right off of the swimming pool.

The grounds were very well kept, and there were a variety of birds to be viewed from the comfort of your air-conditioned room.

We hiked to some waterfalls on the first day, and on the second day, we hired a tour to Arenal itself.

We ate dinner at the lodge, which was pricy by Costa Rican standards, but still less than the States. It was good food, and again, we got to look at the volcano at sunset while we ate.

A buffet breakfast was included, which was very good, and consisted of eggs, breakfast meat, toast, fruit, potatoes, and vegtables, as well as a selection of cereal.

We could clearly see the volcano as well as hear its rumblings through the night. During our second night here, there was a major eruption that woke us from a sound sleep. It was so wonderful to be swept up in the awe of nature.

Overall, this was a great alternative to Tabacon.

There are 12 individual lodges built up on stilts with 40 double rooms. It is a pod-like structure with four rooms per pod and long, elevated, and covered walkways between pods. There are also five bungalows that sleep four guests each. Each room has a balcony and hammock to enjoy the natural sounds of the forest and frequent rain storms.

Rooms were spartan but adequate. Each had its own bath.

The grounds are partially landscaped and had natural rainforest.

Usually it is a stop for large tour groups and small conferences, but we stopped in and there were only five or six other families there; until the last day when a very large bus load of people came in.

The activities included guided nature walks in the primary and secondary forests, birding, butterfly gardens, rafting, boating on the Sarapiqui, swimming, horseback riding, and a learning center.

Buffet meals were served in a dining room with a nice view of the river.

It was a small hotel, with about 8-13 rooms on two levels. Very clean and the breakfast was very good. It was centrally located and we could walk to everything we wanted to see in San Jose.

There was a nice garden in the back where you could enjoy your breakfast or coffee, tea and beer. The hotel was very colorful, and it was a great set of young people staying here.

The staff was also very helpful and friendly.

We stayed here 2 nights.

It was one the closest lodges to the entrance to the volcano (5km) and cost $15 for two persons including breakfast.

The beds were not comfortable, and the room was not very nice, but it was clean and certainly worth the $7.50 per person.

The restaurant sat on the edge of a hill with sweeping views of the valley below.

We were the only guests, and the owner did not speak much English, but we had a wonderful conversation in what we could manage. Neither of us were discouraged and eventually we had a good idea of her family, situation and dreams.

This was a very good find. Plus, we got into the volcano and were leaving by the time the first tour buses arrived.

Though we didn’t see any, from June - October they have spotted the elusive Quetzal.

The front desk called us when the horses were ready, and upon showing up, we were a little surprised. I was expecting a good-size horse, but these were very short and stocky horses. They were not undernourished, but my feet were only 2 feet off the ground when I got on.

We took a trail that went up on the outside of the primary forest. Our guide didn’t speak English, so we had to make do with the little Spanish we knew. We did OK, but if you don’t know any Spanish, you will need to make sure your guide does. The trip was interesting, but not very adventurous.

Most of what we saw was wide, open spaces cleared by logging and farming. We went around the edges of the forest so we could see and hear the animals, but only saw some birds, nests, and cattle. Unfortunately, being a preserve, they do not allow the horses into the primary forest.

We crossed some pretty shaky bridges and that was very exciting, but all in all, I would recommend taking a guided walking tour of the forest rather than a horseback ride.

Of note, however, was a wonderful swimming hole where we passed with about 50 Costa Ricans. It was on the dirt road, off the main road, and east of the lodge. Though we didn’t stop, it looked like a wonderful place to get in the water and mingle with the locals.

The ride was of a good length, and we did stop and let the horses rest for about 20 minutes.

I would recommend this for families with children, as the horses were well behaved and pretty gentle to ride.

My partner and I were the only two on the boat. Our guide spoke some English, and with our Spanish, we had a good time and got a lot of information.

We went for about 45 minutes downstream, got out and yelled at the monkeys, then got back in and went back upstream.

We saw a lot of animals we never would have seen had we not had the guide.

We left from the main lodge and drove down to the entrance of the park. We hiked about 45 minutes in thick rainforest along a heavily wooded path. The hike was very easy and level except for a couple of places you had to climb. All in all, it was not a strenuous hike.

At places along the route, the guide would point out a tree, bush, insect or other feature and give a detailed description of it. He also carried a spotting scope to point out features in the canopy.

After the 45-minute hike, we got to a clearing where the volcano could be viewed as well as the surrounding lake and landscape.