Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [141]
Most of the road is paved and in decent condition, though you’ll encounter some big potholes. Buses run about every two hours, and hotel owners can tell you when to catch your ride. If you’re heading to Monteverde via the jeep-boat-jeep transfer, you’re in for a lovely ride.
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Dam to Nuevo Arenal
This beautiful stretch of road is lined on both sides with cloud forest, and there are a number of fantastic accommodations strung along the way.
AROUND THE DAM
Unlike the fly-by view you’ll get on a zip-line canopy tour, a walk through Puentes Colgantes de Arenal (Arenal Hanging Bridges; Map; 2479-1128; www.hangingbridges.com; adult/student/child under 12yr US$22/12/free; 7:30am-4:30pm) allows you to explore the rainforest and canopy from trails and suspended bridges at a more natural and peaceful pace. Reservations are required for guided bird-watching tours (three hours, from 6am) or informative naturalist tours (8am and 2pm).
The bridges are easily accessible by car and well signed, though most tourists arrive on a package tour from La Fortuna. The Tilarán bus can drop you off at the entrance, but it’s a 3km climb from the bus stop.
If you want to stay in the area, Arenal Lodge (Map; 2290-4232; www.arenallodge.com; d standard US$88, superior US$124, junior ste US$155, chalet US$161, matrimonial ste US$185, all incl breakfast; ) is 400m west of the dam, at the top of a steep 2.5km ascent, though the entire lodge is awash with views of Arenal and the surrounding cloud forest. Standard rooms are just that, but junior suites are spacious, tiled and have wicker furniture, a big hot-water bathroom and a picture window or balcony with volcano views. Ten chalets sleep four and have kitchenette and good views. The lodge also has a Jacuzzi, a billiards room, a sophisticated restaurant (mains ₡4000 to ₡9000), complimentary mountain bikes and private stables.
Alternatively, Lost Iguana Resort (Map; 2267-6148, 2479-1331; www.lostiguanaresort.com; r US$215-300, ste US$300-535, casitas US$460, all incl breakfast; ) is easily the area’s most stylish place to lay your head. This resort occupies a serene mountainside that affords phenomenal volcano views, sequestered far from the activity in La Fortuna. Even the standard rooms have private balconies looking out on Arenal, beds boasting Egyptian cotton sheets, satellite TV, and an invaluable sense of peace and privacy. Surrounded by rainforest, the rooms are tastefully decorated with bamboo furniture, open-beamed ceilings and large windows. Reception and restaurant areas are romantic enough to appeal, even if leaving your cozy casita seems a tragedy.
UNIóN AREA
Attractions below are listed in order of their distance from the dam.
You can’t miss Hotel Los Héroes (2692-8012/3; www.hotellosheroes.com; d with/without balcony US$65/55, tr US$80, apt US$115, all incl breakfast; ), a slightly incongruous alpine chalet 13.5km west of the dam, complete with carved wooden balconies and Old World window shutters – and that’s just on the outside. Large, immaculate rooms with wood paneling and hot-water bathrooms are decorated with thickly hewn wood furniture that may make Swiss-Germans a little homesick, particularly when viewing paintings of tow-headed children in lederhosen smooching innocently. There are also two apartments (each sleeps up to five) with full kitchen, huge bathroom and balcony overlooking the lake. Facilities include a Jacuzzi, swimming pool, a church complete with Swiss chimes, and a restaurant (mains ₡3000 to ₡7000; open from 7:30am to 4pm and 6pm to 8:30pm) that allows Swiss folks who’ve been on the road too long to indulge in authentic Zürcher Geschnetzeltes (Zurich-style veal served over potatoes) and fondues. Former US President Jimmy Carter once dined here. The owners have even built a miniature train (₡5500) that brings you up a hill to an underground station beneath the Rondorama Panoramic Restaurant