We spent the first half of our Costa Rican vacation on the coast, eating ceviche at the beach and exploring waterfalls. Costa Rica isn’t all beach though. No trip is complete without a visit inland to see the mountains, volcanos, and jungle of this Central American nation. So after a few days of beach time, we took our rental car on a 3-hour rainy, nighttime drive on curvy mountain roads to the beautiful Tabacón Thermal Resort and Spa in La Fortuna. In hindsight, we should have left earlier to arrive earlier and have a less stressful drive, but even though it was late, we were still given a warm welcome by the Tabacón staff, who greeted us with watermelon iced tea and cold towels to refresh us from our journey.

Upon our arrival, we were also asked if we wanted to pre-order the breakfast buffet at Tucanes for a discount. We decided to do this for our second morning in the hotel. We enjoyed an open air breakfast overlooking the pool, where we savored local cuisine, like beans, rice, and grilled vegetables, as well as more traditional American items, like eggs, cereal, and pastries. As is typical in Costa Rica, fresh juices were available, along with a full bar and coffee.

Our rooms at Tabacón were comfortable and spacious, with a seating area where we could enjoy coffee overlooking the lush vegetation outside our door. A few bugs and even a frog snuck into our room, but that’s not a surprise when you’re in the middle of a rainforest! Each room is also equipped with a tablet pre-loaded with all of the information you might need during your stay and also allows you to contact resort staff for reservations and requests.

Tabacón Thermal Hot Springs

Tabacón is best known for its extensive natural hot springs and thermal waterfalls located within a picturesque rainforest reserve. While anyone in the public can purchase a day pass, visits to the springs are unlimited for hotel guests between the hours of 8 am to 10 pm. Hotel guests also have exclusive access to Shangri-La Gardens, the adults-only area. You can catch the free shuttle from the resort lobby every 5 minutes while the hot springs are open.

It’s hard to describe how massive the hot springs are – we visited several pools and there were countless more. Since visitors can spread out, it generally doesn’t feel too crowded. The spring water ranges in temperature from 72 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, and is naturally heated by the Arenal volcano and mineralized underground. While our 4- and 6-year-old boys did fine in the hot springs, it’s worth noting that some pools are deep for young children. The resort also recommends keeping children under 12 out of areas with waterfalls for safety.

Make sure to wear water shoes as these are natural hot springs, meaning the floor can be quite rough and rocky on bare feet. I didn’t think to bring mine and regretted it!

Nearby Activities

There are many off-property activities nearby. The main attraction in the area is Arenal Volcano. While there are many viewpoints surrounding the mountain, we wanted to experience and view the volcano from the national park. Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal is located 15 minutes from Tabacón. Entry was $65 for our family (my husband and I were $25 each, our 6-year-old was $15, and our 4-year-old was free). There is also an option to hire a guide for an additional fee per ticket. The tickets last for two days, which was great for us – the first day we had no visibility to see the volcano and we were able to return to to the park the following day to see it and take more photos when the weather cleared up.

Once we entered the national park, we consulted the map posted at the information center, borrowed walking sticks for the boys, and decided on a trail. There are three trails to choose from that all lead to views of the volcano. We chose the Lava/Colada 86 trail, which was 4 km, or 2.5 miles. It took us about two hours from start to finish to complete the trail. It starts in the jungle, then climbs into the volcanic lava field until it reaches a view of the volcano. Unfortunately, it was so misty on the day we visited, that we weren’t able to get a good view of the volcano. However, we did see several bird species, including a crested guan and hummingbirds. There were some steep areas, especially since we decided to take the orange-marked shortcut on our descent down the volcano. The steep areas were a bit slippery from the mist and rain. At the end of the trail is a cafe that offers stunning views of the volcano on a clear day. We ordered empanadas, Imperials, and Fresca and relished a rest after our hike.

Another great family activity is visiting the Mistico Park Hanging Bridges. The self-guided tour is a 2-mile trail that includes fifteen bridges, five of which are suspension bridges. The entrance fee was $65 for our family ($32 each for my husband and I and free for the kids). The boys had a lot of fun on the walk; having so many bridges as landmarks made it exciting for them to run from one to the next. We saw some wildlife along the trail, especially birds and a few monkeys, and tropical plants and flowers. If you’re there to search for wildlife, it may be worth getting a guide. We saw a few groups with guides pointing out wildlife that we would never have spotted on our own. After you exit the park, there are a few food stands at the end. We got fresh, flavorful juices to share while we savored the beautiful view of Arenal.

One of my personal highlights of our Costa Rica trip was looking for sloths. While there are places you can pay to go on sloth tours, we wanted the experience of seeing them in the wild. We found a recommendation for a reliable location to find sloths through this blog post at a wildlife reserve called Rio Danta Corredor Biologico Sendero. The reserve is in a residential area so you can park on the side of the road and walk a short way into the reserve. We knew we were on the right track when we pulled up and immediately saw a guide setting up his telescope for a group. We were grateful the guide was there because we were able to look through his telescope to take photos and see the sloths more clearly. Of course, we expressed our thanks by tipping him. If you want to see sloths closely, it’s worth getting a guide. They hang out high in the trees so it can be difficult to see them with the naked eye!

Another activity that our entire family enjoyed was a Chocolate and Coffee Tour at the Don Juan Arenal Plantation. Our guide taught us how cocoa is grown and chocolate is produced, gave us samples, and (the best part) taught us how to make our own. Our chocolate was very dark and bitter so I think we will leave it to the professionals, but we had a great time learning! We also learned how coffee is grown and produced, and got to brew and taste various blends.

A bonus of the tour was that our guide was a passionate animal-lover and showed us more wildlife than we’d seen all week! We saw sloths, lizards, birds, and even poison dart frogs. He also had a telescope so we got some fantastic wildlife photos. The tour was two hours and because we were the only ones on our tour, the guide tailored it to our interests. Of course, before leaving, we stopped in the large gift shop before leaving to stock up on coffee and chocolate souvenirs to bring home to loved ones.

Nearby Restaurants

One of my favorite meals of the whole vacation was our lunch at the Soda y Heladeria La Palma, an open air restaurant on the main road between La Fortuna and Arenal. We ate a casado típico meal, alongside local beer and finished with cups of ice cream. If you didn’t read my previous post, I explained that “casado” means married in Spanish. The meal is named as such because it is historically what wives made for their husbands after a day working in the fields. “Casado típico” includes rice, beans, a protein, salad, a side of grilled vegetables, and fried plantains. Casado is a staple for a reason – I’m telling you! It checks off all the nutritional boxes and is delicious to boot! Soda La Palma even had a little play area for kids to run around behind the dining area.

Another evening, we had an excellent dinner at Jalapas. The restaurant had a fantastic menu and great service and is in an elegant, open air setting. We ordered the ceviche and casado, and the boys shared chicken fried rice. Jalapas features an incredible view of Arenal, although we didn’t see it as we visited after dark. The drive there is a little dicey as the road quality diminishes close to the restaurant, but the food and drink (try the mojito!) more than makes up for it.

Driving to San Jose

After our night drive to La Fortuna, we learned our lesson and drove to San Jose in mostly daylight. The drive was incredibly beautiful and we enjoyed all of the stunning vistas along the way. I made a note to myself to return to the Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Retreat, a resort tucked away in the rural, misty mountains. It looked like a peaceful place to spend a vacation.

For dinner, we stopped at Soda Tramo La Balsa for more casado. The boys played with the restaurant’s karaoke machine before we got back in the car to finish out the drive. As there isn’t much along the drive until you get into San Jose, we recommend stopping for gas in San Ramon. You could also have a meal there, as it is a lively city with lots of options.

We spent the night at the Hampton by Hilton San Jose Airport to expedite our morning as we had a 3:30 wakeup call to return home. It was a nice hotel and even had a little souvenir shop if you need to get any last minute gifts. Despite the early morning flight, the airport kept us awake. It felt like Las Vegas with its loud music and bright lights!

That’s it for our Costa Rica vacation. Even typing this, I wish we could have stayed longer and want to visit again soon. It is a magical country that captured my heart and left me longing for a return to enjoy the natural beauty, welcoming people, and flavorful cuisine.

Next up, I’ll be recapping our summer vacations to Maine and North Georgia – stay tuned! Thanks for reading!

RECAP OF OUR STAY AT ANDAZ PENINSULA PAPAGAYO