Arenal Lodge

Desayuno at Arenal Lodge

Caterpillar to Butterfly

The restaurant at the Arenal Lodge has a striking view of the volcano, but it’s even better to watch the lava show from the jacuzzi at night. This was probably the nicest hotel in which we stayed, but also the most formal. The long driveway from the main road gave it more of a secluded, resort feel. It wasn’t bad, just a bit of a change from the places we had been to that point. There is a nice walking trail on the property that leads to a butterfly garden.

Volcan Arenal

Tip: It’s best to check Monteverdeinfo's Arenal volcano map to see what the lava viewing angle is, if you want a view from your hotel. The lava flow changes direction periodically, so the travel guidebooks may not have the latest information about lava views.

Arenal Observatory Lodge

Up close from the Observatory Lodge

We paid a visit to the Arenal Observatory Lodge hoping to hike through some of the old lava trails. Unfortunately, the Old Lava trail was closed because the lava was once again flowing in that direction. That also means that there are some outrageous views from the rooms in the lodge. The volcano is so close that you can hear rocks spewing out of the cone and rolling down the side. Not to mention the occasional deafening rumble, which can be pretty scary.

Munching rambutan on the Waterfall Trail

An alternate hiking trail south of the lodge takes you through lush forest to a beautiful waterfall. This is a short hike, so if you are there don’t miss it!

If you go further along this trail, you'll run into secondary forest, which contains younger trees and newer vegetation. Pick up some tropical fruits at the local markets to enjoy on your hike. My fave is rambutan; red and spiny on the outside, sweet and juicy on the inside.

Cabinas Los Guayabos

Cabinas Los Guayabos

Arenal eruption at night

We stayed at Cabinas Los Guayabos on our second night, which was a less expensive lodging option than the previous night’s hotel. However, these cabinas aren't as convenient if you don't have a car.

There was no lava view from there, so we drove down the road leading to the Arenal National Park and observatory lodge. There are places where you can park along the side of the road and get a pretty good view of the eruptions. There were even tico families having volcano-watching tailgate parties here, complete with folding tables and chairs.

Boat portion of Jeep-Boat-Jeep

Laguna Arenal

Arenal to Monteverde

We returned our rental car in La Fortuna. To avoid the long, bumpy bus ride to Monteverde, we used the jeep-boat-jeep service, which saves time by cutting across Lake Arenal. We arranged this through Destiny Tours in La Fortuna.

This was a door-to-door service. Our van picked up several passengers from various hotels in La Fortuna and dropped us all off at one end of the lake. We enjoyed a relaxing boat ride across the lake and then were met by a van on the other side.

The roads are not paved, so expect a bumpy van ride. But it was pleasant enough and our driver was friendly. Best of all, we were dropped off right at our hotel in Santa Elena. »