posted by Travel Cat on Jul 2
In the shadow of the Volcano….
As with all the other destinations we visited in Costa Rica, booking in advance direct through company websites wasn’t always easy.
We actually ended up having trouble making up our minds in the end, as there was a great option in each of the different areas we were considering - 1 in La Fortuna itself, 1 under the volcano with hot springs, and 1 in a small town just outside of the main area to avoid all the fuss.
In Arenal:
We chose the basic hotel of Las Colinas in the end, as being in town does have it’s advantages. They had a great location in town (opposite a great coffee house and friendly small restaurant - and next to a supermarket) and most importantly - they responded to our emails with pride! We had seen the rooms on their web-page and were sent details of tours they recommend in advance - and at only $27 for a double - worth a look in!
Make sure you ask for one of the rooms that face the volcano if you go there (at no extra cost), but you can see it beautifully from the seated terrace anyway. The breakfast was modest, with free internet, and the main receptionist was just the friendliest and most helpful lady ever - who seemed to know everyone and everything!
With Hot Springs:
Tabacon Hot Springs was one of the favourite places for tours as it is the largest of the hot spring areas under Arenal Volcano, and it really is massive.
The rooms are very well presented, as are the grounds in this luxury hotel (around $230 minimum per night, not including taxes) - however as all the tours come here - your hotel is crammed full of strangers every night being dropped off in the bus load to spend 3 hours dunking their toes into the various pools!
You have it to yourself all day though, so we thought it might be worth the extra cost for just a few days……
Out Of Town:
We had read that the main town of La Fortuna was over-run with con artists and touts selling non-existent tours (which wasn’t 100% true from my experience), so we had considered the option of staying just the other side of the volcano in El Castillo - a small village that was away from it all.
For $75 a double, you could stay in a delightful bed and breakfast with butterfly garden and monkey visitors just off the main road - the Hummingbird Nest B&B. It is hugely recommended by Lonely Planet and we were very nearly tempted until we spoke to a couple who stayed in the area and said that you would definitely need your own transport to get into town as it was quite a drive on the famous bone-shaker roads…… Ahh, not for us then…..
Other Accommodation:
You don’t have to take my recommendations as there are plenty of hotels and hostels, B & B’s as well as luxury accommodation around La Fortuna and Arenal. Use a site like HotelsCombined.com to find hotels (which you can compare by price, location or star rating to suit your needs). Try these links to view rooms available in Arenal or to view some great hotels for the one night stop-over on your arrival in San Jose.
Hopefully - the problems I had will help you avoid such hang-ups for yourself, and get on with your vacation with the minimum of fuss…..
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