Hey, y'all! I am writing this sunburned and happy from a lovely week in the city and an incredible two nights away from the city at a wonderful resort. This week was very focused on classes at the Costa Rican Language Academy (or CRLA) because we had our midterm on Thursday. After that, it was time for a break. And what a break it was.
Hotel Los Lagos
This is a resort found about three hours outside of San Jose in the Guanacaste region of the country. This region is well known for its incredible nature and the limitless opportunities to take part in outdoor adventures like zip-lining, hiking, swimming, and more. A very famous town is located here, called La Fortuna. La Fortuna is famous for its location of being at the bottom of Volcan Arenal, which has been dormant for almost 10 years now but still draws in many visitors to admire its beauty. Lake Arenal, which is the lake at the base of the volcano, is the largest volcanic lake in the entire world. We did not visit the lake, but I saw a glimpse of it and it was lovely.
The resort we stayed in was located in the most perfect place imaginable. It was right at the base of the volcano (and even had an observatory point to see the volcano*) and was insanely gorgeous. I did not know it was possible for a place to have so many different shades of green. The grounds were very extensive and there were different options for staying there. I had a hotel style room but there were condos and there were whole bungalows I believe as well for families. The meals were extremely good and the coffee and the juices were very fresh. There were generally buffet style meals with many options. The rooms were clean except for one very large centipede which cannot be helped and he was very friendly.
*TIP: During our experience here, there was a significant amount of time that the top of the volcano was covered with clouds. Generally around lunch/early afternoon was when the clouds disappeared for long enough to get good pictures. As for the hike, if you are able to drive, DRIVE. The road is straight uphill, and just over a mile one way. It took us about 45 minutes, and we went at a bad time and did not get to see the peaks from the overlook. If you can drive, wait until the sky seems clear and drive up.
The best part of the resort were the pools. There were two sets of pools: the regular, cold, boring pools, and the hot springs fed pools. For each set of pools there were multiple pools to chose from. The hot springs were amazing for the cooler nights and to relax after a long day of activities, but the regular pools were perfect for cooling down during the mornings and afternoons during tanning. There was a kiddie pool at the top of the pools with a bubbling volcano, but the kids were allowed in all of the pools and many of them had very shallow sections. My favorite part of the pools was the swim up bar that overlooked the volcano. complete with hot springs.
While on the topic of relaxation, for those who are not about the active lifestyle, there was a spa that featured treatments with the mud from the volcano. It was a lovely spa and I had the best massage I have ever had. The doors were open to the rain forest and while I was there (in the afternoon), it was raining and it made the experience extra relaxing. I did the "Tropical Sensation" package and it was wonderful. It included a coffee exfoliation, tropical fruits massage, and a mini facial of your choice (I chose mud from the volcano). There were three other similar packages to chose from as well as single treatment options.
*TIP: We were there in the winter (which for those of you, like me, who are from the Northern Hemisphere, is our summer), and it seemed to be cloudy, dark, and rainy in the afternoons and sunny in the mornings. Ask about the typical weather before booking anything!
As for the outdoor activities, the options are endless. You can book from the hotel which has more than enough options, or look into the options from the town of La Fortuna. However, the activities at the hotel were very simple to sign up for and reasonably priced. For example, for $55 (USD), the hotel had an option for zip-lining right around the hotel so you did not have to drive anywhere and, from what I heard, they had amazing instructors who let them add in a Tarzan swing for free because their group was smaller (a Tarzan swing is jumping off a cliff attached to only one rope). They had packages available as well as single excursions/activities.
Maleku Tour
One excursion that we did was a tour of the Maleku Indian Reserve, which was a very informational and fun experience. The Maleku tribe is the smallest tribe left in Costa Rica, and their reserve is located just outside of La Fortuna! The Maleku people created art which they sell there for very reasonable prices. The ladies who did the tour were very kind and they were full of information. They gave us samples of the alcohol they make and drink during special events, and they showed us an example of the traditional dance and then allowed us to join. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
Sarchi
One of the most famous towns in Costa Rica is Sarchi, located about one hour northwest of San Jose. It is famous for its art which is incredibly colorful and fun. The town itself is decorated and painted to match the art that comes from it. The bridge we used coming to the town was painted orange and had the typical style of decoration and the telephone poles were partially painted. It is probably most famous for the traditional Costa Rican cart that is painted in the traditional Sarchi painting style, making it a very famous icon of the country. We stopped at a very old store that sells all kinds of art from local artists as well as some trashy, cheap souvenirs, but most of them are things that you could buy nowhere else in the entire world. It is considered the arts and crafts capital of Costa Rica.
Places and Things:
Hotel Los Lagos: 6 km from Fortuna de San Carlos, Arenal Volcano National Park, La Fortuna de San Carlos 506, Costa Rica (For those of you who have not read my other posts, Costa Rica does not use real addresses but typing into Google Maps works). You can book everything extra like the spa or zip-lining in the lobby when you arrive. https://www.hotelloslagos.com/
Maleku Tour: If you are in the area, I highly suggest signing up for this. It was really in incredible experience. https://www.malekuindianscostarica.com/tours.html
Sarchi: Sarchi is a really cool place that can be passed through as a sort of halfway or break point from almost anywhere in the Guanacaste region if you are traveling back to San Jose!
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you have any questions or comments!
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