Usually when I’m traveling, I’ll stay in the cheapest hostels possible, sharing a room with 11 to 23 other people, the bed hard as a rock and the lights always flicking on and off as people walk in and out while you try to sleep off your exhausting day of adventure.
I really don’t mind it. Truly. It’s a lot of fun. It’s cheap, a great way to meet people, and a place to lay your head and recharge. But traveling with my mom for the first time was a good excuse to wander off the beaten path of hostels and communal bathrooms and live the life of LUXURY!
Maybe not quite luxury. But comparatively. What qualifies as luxury, anyway? I am just a peasant, and I do not know these things.
Arenal was obviously already on my list of places I absolutely needed to see when I visited Costa Rica, home to the Arenal Volcano National Park and brimming with all sorts of plant and animal species, but I was pleasantly surprised with the experience I had there. I literally had no idea I could enjoy a place so damn much. The magical beauty probably would have been sufficient, but everything about the Arenal Manoa Resort and Hot Springs made the experience one I will always remember (and no, buckos, I am not getting paid to write that, so you know that’s how I must sincerely feel in my little heart).
When we first arrived, the employees were there to greet us with a big pitcher of pineapple juice. One thing I have noticed about Costa Rica is they LOVE their fruit juice. I mean, who doesn’t love a good, tangy fruit juice? And Costa Rica is jam packed full of all kinds of tropical fruits, so the fruit juice craze runs rampant throughout the country. Yes, you might get the runs, but at least you won’t get scurvy.
Sleeping
My mom and I headed to our room, which actually was more of a villa, with a cozy front porch and a gigantic sliding glass door looking outwards towards the Arenal Volcano. Every suite, no matter where it was located on the grounds, had a window facing outwards towards the volcano. It truly felt like we had our own little slice of paradise in the middle of the Costa Rican jungle.
Our room, in addition to a breathtaking view and the tranquil sense of solitude, was equipped with a mini fridge and a television, with two incredibly comfortable beds and a safe for all your valuables. And the entire room is a jungle theme, bird decals strewn across the windows and a plant growing out of the bathroom floor. I live for these little details. We definitely slept and we slept good.
Eating
All of Arenal Manoa Resort is centered around the Arenal Volcano. This guy is clearly the focal point, and that cocky asshole seems to know it. For our first few days staying here, he nestled himself behind the clouds, probably snickering at my loud groans of frustration and impatience at not being able to get a full view. He clearly likes the chase. If you’re really lucky, like we were on our very last day, the skies will clear and this arrogant, stunning, gorgeous natural wonder will be completely visible from almost everywhere on the resort’s grounds. If you go during dry season (mid-November to April), you are much more likely to catch a glimpse.
My favorite spot had to be the restaurant. Hotel restaurants are truly a hit or miss, and it is unlikely that I will go to them if I have the opportunity to venture out and try some local holes-in-the-wall. But nowhere was a more perfect place to enjoy a plate of pineapple and papaya with your morning coffee than La Saca at Arenal Manoa Resort. It is an open-air restaurant, with a wide selection of tasty options as part of its breakfast buffet, some halfway decent lunch choices if you’re pressed for time, and the best view of our volcano friend in the entire resort. Plus, the staff is incredibly friendly and actually seems to want you to enjoy your meal, which is an exciting change of pace from the mid-Atlantic USA.
My mom and I came here every morning for breakfast, as well as one afternoon after a long day of horseback riding and swimming at the base of the La Fortuna waterfall for a leisurely sandwich and beer. It was the definition of perfection.
Bathing
If you weren’t clued in by the presence of the Arenal Volcano, a huge source of Costa Rica’s energy comes from geothermal means. Just like Iceland, which was a cool surprise, given the fact that Iceland and Costa Rica’s climates could not be more opposite. Along with this comes geothermal baths, sprinkled all over this region, including right within our resort! We ended up visiting Eco Termales, sort of a more tropical, less famous Blue Lagoon, and sipped fruity beverages as we let the sulfur and calcium bicarbonates illuminate our skin (I didn’t notice a difference, but this water is a great treatment for your skin, and thought to have healing and anti-inflammatory properties…PERFECT for my joints that will never cease to be injured).
Eco Termales is considered Arenal’s “only truly natural hot springs,” meaning that the water comes from the magnesia-filled waters of the region. A session in those hot springs is $40, including a towel, a locker key, and however much time you’d like to bask in the warm, natural waters. If you want to partake in a buffet-style lunch or dinner, you can pay a little extra at $62.
The hot springs were a short drive from the Arenal Manoa Resort, and very accessible, but there are hot springs within the resort if you can’t tear yourself away from THOSE VIEWS! (or if you’re trying to save a buck or two). They may not be quite as authentic, but they do offer views of the volcano and a price tag of a whopping $0.
Adventuring
Clearly one of the most exciting things about staying in Arenal is the fact that you are surrounded by nature, the type of nature you probably don’t have in your backyard at home. Just at the resort alone, there were gardens filled with birds and gorgeous tropical flowers, which, even for someone not particularly excited by birds (the risk of getting bird shit in your hair isn’t worth it) or plants (I’ve accidentally killed every house plant I’ve ever owned), is a placid reminder of the beauty of a world untouched by man. At breakfast one morning, we caught a glimpse of a crocodile scurrying across the surface of the water below. There are signs up to beware of the crocodiles, especially at night.
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, am I right?
Arenal Manoa offers an overwhelming number of opportunities to experience this serenity firsthand, with an extensive list of activities and tours that you can book right at the front desk. There are trips to the Manoa Farm, hiking in the Arenal Volcano national park over lava formations and among the unique flora and fauna, zip lining through the canopies, bird watching at the Caño Negro wildlife reserve, white water rafting on the Toro River, and trekking through the Venado Caves. Don’t expect to get bored here.
My mom and I opted to ride horseback through open country to the La Fortuna waterfall, one of Costa Rica’s most famous attractions. It was about $60 per person for a three-hour morning ride, including plenty of time to relax in the cool waters at the base of the thundering falls. Not even my fear of horses and getting violently kicked in the face could stop me from taking advantage of this experience.
Pricing
The standard rates for a double room, including two queen-sized beds and all the amenities, a farm tour, access to the hot springs, and breakfast every morning, is $200 per night. That’s $100 a person. Single rooms run at $180 a night, triple rooms at $225, and quadruple rooms at $250.
I wish there were some negative things I could say about Arenal Manoa Resort and Hot Springs to balance out my review here. It’s honestly hard. I guess it is a little pricey. I GUESS? But I am biased. I am a hostel-dweller, and anything more than $20 per night makes me anxious and grip onto my wallet for dear life.
But this isn’t any hotel. It is a resort. It has beautiful rooms, stunning views, and a staff who cares about you and puts in the effort to be kind and make your time the best it can be. The resort, like most of Costa Rica, is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and boasts a Certification of Sustainable Tourism. It’s an experience, not just a place to lay unconscious for a few hours at night.
The bottom line: you are crazy if you forego this hotel for just about anywhere else. Book your flights and book your room. It is fantastic bang for your buck in one of the most gorgeous locations in the world. You won’t regret it.
Book your stay here!! This link will take you to photos, descriptions, and reviews of this awesome resort and you’ll be able to book from there!
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which will pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you!
WISH I COULD HAVE GONE