Arenal & Northern Lowlands
A cute family-run motel with well-maintained rooms, lovely bedding and cute curtains. Each room is named after a different jungle beast or bird, complete with hand-carved wooden sculptures. Set on the edge of town behind the Banco Nacional, this is easily the best choice in Guatuso.
The folk at Los Almendros can provide information on tours to the Maleku reservation and Río Celeste (Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio).
15.38 MILES
From 1968 until 2010, Volcán Arenal was an ever-active and awe-striking natural wonder, producing menacing ash columns, massive explosions and streams of…
18.6 MILES
If you're travelling between Monteverde and Arenal, there's no good excuse for skipping this stop. Viento Fresco is a series of five cascades, including…
9.1 MILES
Two kilometers northeast of Venado (Spanish for ‘deer’) along a good dirt road, these caves are an adventurous excursion into an eight-chamber limestone…
22.9 MILES
The exquisitely misty 310-hectare Reserva Santa Elena offers a completely different cloud forest experience from Monteverde. Cutting through the veiled…
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Caño Negro
23.36 MILES
This remote, 102-sq-km refuge has long lured anglers seeking that elusive 18kg snook, and birders hoping to glimpse rare waterfowl. During the dry season…
Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde
25.23 MILES
This beautiful cloud forest reserve came into being in 1972, when the Quaker community (which had already set aside a third of its property for…
27.36 MILES
It’s an animal rescue center. It’s a volunteer project. It’s Spanish classes. This community-based organization is doing a lot of good, and you can…
25.58 MILES
This wild-animal shelter was started in the 1960s by the late Lilly Hagnauer, a Swiss environmentalist. It’s one of the largest shelters of its kind in…
9.1 MILES
Two kilometers northeast of Venado (Spanish for ‘deer’) along a good dirt road, these caves are an adventurous excursion into an eight-chamber limestone…
2. Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio
12.05 MILES
The park's heavenly blue river, waterfalls and lagoons are among the most spectacular natural phenomena in Costa Rica; as a result, the park is known to…
14.18 MILES
Set on 22 hectares, this private reserve about 11km west of La Fortuna is a mix of primary and secondary forest, filled with life, from vibrant blue…
14.48 MILES
Located 6km west of La Fortuna, this is a well-manicured nature experience that includes frogs, turtles, snakes and crocs, all in their appointed places…
5. Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal
15.38 MILES
From 1968 until 2010, Volcán Arenal was an ever-active and awe-striking natural wonder, producing menacing ash columns, massive explosions and streams of…
16.4 MILES
Sloths, frogs, snakes, butterflies and prolific birdlife inhabit the gorgeous grounds of this finca, worth a visit to see the methods of a working organic…
17.63 MILES
This snake house offers a hands-on animal experience, as in, handling and milking a venomous snake. It's home to a red-tailed boa (one of the largest…
8. El Castillo-Arenal Butterfly Conservatory
17.81 MILES
More than just a butterfly conservatory (although it has one of the largest butterfly exhibitions in Costa Rica). Altogether there are six domed habitats …