Fantastic trip made effortless by kimkim

Costa Rica | Feb 27 - Mar 4, 2024

Absolutely gorgeous location and a great resort for kids! Everything about this place was HUGE from the rooms, to the property, the beautiful volcano that dominated the entire landscape. Out of the 3 places we stayed in Costa Rica, this was the favorite of my kids, and I felt completely safe letting them roam around without me glued to their sides. Our room (129) was right across from the top of the slide into the pool, so my kids were in heaven. Our room itself was enormous, with a big bathroom and great beds. The property is extensive with beautiful walking paths with plenty of activities to do directly from the resort. The hot springs and float-up bar were the best after an afternoon of hiking and horseback riding. The breakfast buffet was a fantastic mix of local and traditional breakfast foods, so there was something for everyone and the prices for on-site food options were quite reasonably priced for a resort restaurant. Only a mile or so from the center of La Fortuna, it was easy to visit town and all the excellent eateries and local restaurants. This resort will be first on our list when we return next year.

This hotel is split into 2 main parts so if you do book here, make sure that you get a room on the ocean side of the resort, so you do not have to cross the busy road to access the restaurant and beach. From the balcony of our room, we could see the beach and could also view the on-site restaurant and pool. My kids were absolutely in love with the resort pet cat, which was really friendly, and my daughter would have taken home had we let her. There was also many other animals that were right on the resort grounds (capuchin monkeys, lizards, agouti, toucans, etc.)-- so much so that we didn't think it was necessary to go on a nature walk through the reserve park, as all the same animals were right on our resort. The only downside to this resort was the prices of the items on the on-site restaurant menu--They were shockingly high, so we made an effort to eat at other local restaurants. Shout out to the Magic Bus, a local eatery right off the beach that we ate at twice, it was that good.

Our guide, Warner, made this activity for us. He was a fantastic source of local wildlife knowledge and was able to help tow my son back to the dock when he was too tired to paddle. It bears noting that the majority of the time on this excursion is spent in the kayak. The snorkeling was great, with lots of fish and sea-life to see, but the time in the water could have been longer. In addition to the kayak/snorkeling, the included lunch was fantastic. Typical fare, the chicken, rice, beans, and soursop juice was great, but what was really amazing was the dessert of warm pineapple al a mode with caramel drizzle. It was de-lish and an excellent way to end the excursion.

Horseback riding up the mountains is a unique way to appreciate the surrounding countryside. The horses were well taken care of and were used to people. Our guide, Esteban, was fantastic and clearly cared about the horses in his charge. He was knowledgeable about the area and very personable. In addition to the horseback riding was the waterfall itself. Down 500 steps into a river gorge, the climb down and then back up is pretty strenuous, but it was truly magical to be able to swim in the river and feel the spray from the water hitting the rocks.

We had originally just booked this for the zip lining and hanging bridges, but ended up adding on the sloth rescue, which really was a great decision. Zip-lining was a fantastic, outside the box adventure, that couldn't have been more exhilarating. The guides that were at each platform made safety their number 1 priority, so even though we were several hundred feet in the air at times, I felt completely safe for both myself and my kids (12 & 13). The hanging bridges were a nice walk throughout the park. We did not join a guided tour, and just walked at our own pace. The sloth rescue/rehabilitation unit was phenomenal! It was amazing to be able to view and learn about these animals and the rehabilitation process of the park. In all, we spent about 5-6 hours completing the zip line course, the hanging bridges walk, the sloth habitat tour, and having a light lunch at the onsite restaurant. It makes for a full afternoon, so great for those looking for several activities in a single place.

This hike was nice, but nothing special. It was neat to learn about the prior volcanic eruptions that impacted the area, and while it is the closest you can get to the volcano, this was a pretty strenuous uphill hike for a mediocre photo op.