Arenal Waterfall Lodge

A peaceful place with wildlife all around, while still having privacy and clean, spacious rooms. The staff were so friendly, communicative, and accommodating. Thank you, Riccardo! Breakfast was cooked fresh every morning. I’d recommend it to anyone visiting La Fortuna who wants to stay outside downtown.

The large screened porch looking onto the rainforest was my favorite part of the villa. I spent hours there listening to wildlife, and felt completely safe, though I can see how the setting might scare some people. There were no bugs, but I wish they’d supplied at least some coffee. I’d booked a bungalow and got upgraded to a villa that sleeps seven. It’s a really cool spot. The road up to the rooms is VERY steep, but I managed fine in a small, underpowered automatic sedan. I don’t think you need a 4x4, despite what some reviews say. Put it in D1 and go. You just need to know which gear to use on CR roads. The main hotel area was under construction, the pool was unavailable, and the property trails were closed because hikers heading to one of the volcanos is illegal. Breakfast was free at Geckos, a small restaurant down the road. The food was good and the staff friendly. We also got free self-guided admission to Mistico hanging bridges, which was magical. La Fortuna waterfall is steps away, and town is a short drive for dinner.

We stayed in villa 13, and the view from the back was reason enough to recommend that villa. The rooms were spacious and modern, clean and functional. From our back deck we spotted lots of beautiful birds, including TOUCANS. The private pool was a lovely quiet place to enjoy the views with my wife. The linked breakfast spot, GECKOS, was the cherry on top. They made fresh breakfast every morning, and the guys there were the best. Go chat with them: their recommendations and advice on the best time to visit places helped with our adventures. Shout out to MAXIMO, who was an absolute pleasure and easy to reach at ANY time, day or night. The lodge has beautiful views and wonderful staff. It’s a short walk, or an even shorter drive, to great coffee at Vita, whose staff are great too, and to the Arenal Waterfall. Being so close meant we could choose the best time to hike down and swim. Everything we did was within a 20-minute drive. It was a dream stay for exploring the Volcano and waterfall, highly, highly recommended.

The breakfast at gecko’s restaurant was delicious. They’ve also done a great job with the dog rescue. I’d stay here again!