Want to know what it feels like to be just a couple miles away from the bottom of a volcano? You can find out if you stay at the Arenal Observatory Lodge, a hotel located 1.7 miles from Arenal Volcano. This huge property of 350 hectares offers 7 miles of trails, waterfalls, daily guided hikes, a museum, an observatory tower and a garden all with incredible views of the volcano. In case you are worried, the lodge is in the Zone D (low danger) part of the volcano so the only influence would be from the eastern winds. Built in 1972 originally as a Smithsonian Institute scientific research station, it is now a hotel perfect for those seeking a vacation immersed in nature and purely want to enjoy the sights and sounds. With so many activities to do on the property, one will have a most fulfilling and enjoyable time staying at the Arenal Observatory Lodge.
Tucked away deep in the forest near the national park, Arenal Observatory Lodge offers some of the closest views of the volcano in the area. We stayed one night at the lodge in the Smithsonian room which had a little deck so you can sit outside and marvel at nature. You can easily see monkeys climbing trees, butterflies perched on flowers, hummingbirds flying around and of course, a fantastic view of the volcano. It was so amazing to look at that I can’t even imagine how much more amazing it was while magma was flowing! At night it must have been the coolest sight to see – lava running down the sides in sync with the roars of the volcano.
They have many trails to enjoy and since we didn’t have enough time for the long trail, we explored the easy hike to the waterfall. It didn’t take us more than 20 minutes to get there, the waterfall was small but still very nice to look at. You can’t bathe in it but there is a small observation area where you can feel the sprinkling of fresh water. Nearby is the Danta hanging bridge that overlooks the waterfall and you can follow the bridge back up to main building. The more difficult trails take around 4-5 hours total and it goes to a crater lagoon called Cerro Chato.
All around the property they have many gardens with gorgeous flowers and plants, a bird sanctuary and astonishing views of the volcano. The infinity pool and jaccuzzi is a great place to relax, especially at night where you can lay beneath the stars and take it all in.
The staff at this hotel is so nice, they were excited to have us here and it was fun to talk to them. We watched the Costa Rica vs Panama game in the lobby and the manager kept popping in and celebrating with us when they scored (CR won). Apparently the newest worker at the hotel has been there for 5 years already so the majority of the employees have been there for 10+ years. Talk about employee dedication!
They scheduled us to go horseback riding and based on my previous experience, I was ready for a laid back ride but this actually turned out to be the most exciting one I’ve ever been on. It was just Yeison, me and our guide and the first thing our guide asked us was, “Who wants the more calm horse?” Um, definitely me… I grabbed the reins of the brown and white beauty and the not so calm horse went to Yeison. The guide was not lying, Yeison’s horse was on a mission! He gallopped away a quarter of a mile ahead of us and good thing Yeison has riding experience because that guy was in a hurry to get somewhere. It was hilarious to watch though, everytime the guide and I caught up to Yeison his horse would trot away to be first again with no hesitation.
Even though it was a cloudy day, the whole time during our ride I think I said the word “wow” about twenty times. I kept looking around and gazing at the nature surrounding me. This property is very impressive, not just because it is so close to the volcano but also because of how tranquil and well kept it is. Despite the moderately high level of commercialism present in La Fortuna, they have kept this property pristine and unsoiled.
After our ride we went to the restaurant to grab some food. The restaurant has a magnificent view of both the volcano and lake from the balconey and they have a little garden right outside where you can enjoy your meal alongside birds and other wildlife. Yeison and I both ordered arroz con pollo and this was the best I have had yet in Costa Rica. Granted all the food I’ve had on the trip so far has been delicious but in regards to the chicken and rice, it was hands down my favorite.
One thing I noticed is that there are no TVs in the rooms. They want you to enjoy being in nature but there is a TV and free Wi-Fi in the lobby for those who want to catch the news or check your email. They have a game center in the same building as the museum with a foosball and ping pong table so we decided to try our hand at pingpong. I was so sure I’d whip Yeison’s butt… however after an hour of ping ponging, I sadly lost 2-1 (boo chinese genes, you failed me).
One thing I noticed is that there are no TVs in the rooms. They want you to enjoy being in nature but there is a TV and free Wi-Fi in the lobby for those who want to catch the news or check your email. They have a game center in the same building as the museum with a foosball and ping pong table so we decided to try our hand at pingpong. I was so sure I’d whip Yeison’s butt… however after an hour of ping ponging, I sadly lost 2-1 (boo chinese genes, you failed me).
Our room was fairly spacious with a comfortable bed and plenty of room for our things. You can tell the place is a bit older but they have done a good job taking care of it in terms of structure and fixtures while keeping a rugged wilderness feel. Yeison didn’t realize that there was an actual door to the deck so we slept with just the screen and I was awakened very early the next morning by several howler monkeys having what seemed to be a very intense conversation. After they sorted our their differences (at the very least ten minutes) I was then finally able to fall back asleep. But hey, that’s part of living in the jungle right? Experiencing nature at it’s best.
he lobby has some nice seating, a chess table, and a fireplace for guests to relax and hangout. The reception has lots of information about the volcano, they have a book of newspaper articles from the time of the biggest eruption in the 60′s up until the last major activity. It’s so interesting to flip through the pages and see the progression and the influence the volcano had on the area in the past 50 years. I’m now really wishing I was able to see all the lava flow on the volcano and I was told it might not come back for another 200 to 500 years! Guess I should make my reservation now (too soon?)
The observatory museum is small but very informative as well. They have walls and boards full of facts about the volcano and La Fortuna and there is also a seisometer that monitors the volcano’s activity. With the seisometer, you can see movement on the graph if any activity occurred which is pretty cool. Unfortunately (or fortunately), there was no movement when we were there but when it was more active, I bet you could have seen plenty. They didn’t start monitoring the volcano until after the big eruption in the 60′s so now they know what to look for and have the right instruments to do the job.
Nowadays, many hotels that are being built are more of the resort type (like the Riu) – stocked with everything from casinos to their own shopping district which keep you fairly locked in and they fail to show you real Costa Rica. Despite how big this lodge’s property is and how far away from town it is, guests still have many fun and relevant activities without compromising the feeling of being in another country. No casinos, no huge fancy buildings or rooms, just a glimpse of true Costa Rica starting from the staff to the food to the upkeep. This is not a 5 star or an all-inclusive resort but that is not the appeal of this hotel, the appeal is that it gives visitors a real taste and a chance at a true appreciation of nature at it’s finest.
