Volcano Lodge

Volcano Lodge

by A TripAdvisor Member

Stayed in room 211. The rooms were okay, just needed some better lighting. Bathroom is nice and big and clean. Beds were alright. Room has a door leading to a balcony where the view of the volcano WAS JUST PLAIN AWESOME. You could see red lava at night. You have to be patient and let clouds roll by, and you will be rewarded by the best view. Surroundings of VL are very, very pretty with exotic flowers and great garden atmosphere. There are not too many bugs. The pool area is pretty and nice, and they have one pool with water from the hot springs. Breakfast was included and the buffet is okay for one or two mornings but could get tiresome after that. All in all, a pleasant experience and good value. I would not stay here again only because I like to try different places. I would recommend it for budget travellers, for the price it is a good value.

At the base of the volcano

by Rebecki about Volcano Lodge

From the moment we stepped off the van, we felt like we had arrived in a magical place. As if the open-air lobby was not inviting enough, the staff made us feel like we were at home! Check-in was easy, a golf cart whisked us off for a quick tour of the property and then to our room, where we had a bottle of wine waiting for us.
We arrived after dark, but were delighted to discover volcano view the next morning - you could watch it from bed!
The restaurants on-site were top-notch; the pools are fabulous. Being there in May/June gave us a lot of privacy - most days there were only one or two other people around! Even though the volcano is covered (and it probably will be!) - our rear patio included rocking chairs and overlooked lovely gardens. The hotel features a walking trail where you can see animals, insects, birds, flowers - and a lot of the fruit you will enjoy at breakfast each morning!

This hotel will also help you arrange tours to many of the sites around La Fortuna - they were VERY helpful!

An Active VOlcano

by kucha

Rising over a mile in height, Arenal Volcano in the northwestern region of Costa Rica offers visitors a rare opportunity to view one of the world's most active volcanoes. After sleeping quietly for over 400 years Arenal erupted with tremendous force during July 29-31, 1968.

The best place to observe all of the volcano's various activities is from the nearby Arenal Observatory Lodge where you can hike all over the lava floes ... or go further to a lovely little waterfall. Better yet, take a tour of the Arenal Hanging Bridges, a complex of suspended bridges, platforms and paths, built within the Rain Forest allowing the observation of flora and fauna from the ground level to the top of the trees.

'Enjoy' -- as we did -- the creepy sounds and sights of an active volanco throughout the night in the local volcano lodge.

Great value and comfortable hotel

by TripAdvisor Member manhattanturtle

We stayed at this hotel right after spending a night at Tabocon. Tabacon was beatiful and the hot springs were great and worth the visit, but we felt it was overpriced. The Volcano Lodge is a great value. We payed around $80 (in the off season) for our room, which was clean and comfortable with a very nice patio with a view of the volcano. Also, the breakfast buffet was very nice and it was included in the cost of the room. They also have a computer with internet (dial up) which you can use for free if you stay there.

Amazing view

by A TripAdvisor Member

I stayed at this hotel with my husband and two grown children. The rooms are very large with big bathrooms. The grounds are beautiful. We stayed here after spending a night at Tabacon which is nice but very expensive. The views from Volcano Lodge were better than from Tabacon. The pool is very nice and also has great views. For the money we feel that this hotel is a bargain and we would stay there if we visit again. We were not impressed with Fortuna but loved most of Costa Rica. Also, the driving was not nearly as bad as we expected.

Great Hotel

by TripAdvisor Member hollow

Volcano Lodge is a great hotel for visiting the Arenal area. The room and bathroom was very clean and spacious. The grounds were well kept and the rocking chairs on the veranda were wonderful for sitting outside and watching the wildlife. Breakfast was included in our deal and it was a very good buffet breakfast. We also ate at the restaurant by the main entrance a couple of times and the standard here was also good.
Trips out we went on the sky tram and then zipped wired down and experience we will never forget. We also did the lava field walk, very interesting . The heavens opened on the way back but it all added to the fun. We also spent an evening at Eco Thermales. It was excellent and not over crowded. My husband enjoyed the meal we had , said it was the best piece of Tlapia he had on the whole trip. We also did a day tour to Cano Negro, fantastic and again we saw so much wildlife. Many thanks to Aventuras Arenal who looked after us on these trips and transfered us to and from Arenal.
We never got to see the top of the volcano as it was covered in cloud but we heard it plenty of times!

Extremely Nice Place to Stay

by TripAdvisor Member nypetite36

The staff at the hotel were helpful and friendly. The room was clean and comfortable with a wonderful view of the Volcano covered in clouds (or the full volcano on nice days, so I expect, since it was covered in clouds for our stay). The breakfast was the best we had in Costa Rica with lots of fresh fruit. The pool and hot tub were well maintained and big. The hotel is spread out, so if you go without a car (as we did) you either need to do a bit of walking or request a ride in one of their golf carts (which takes a few minutes), but the location, amenities, views, and price are worth the inconvenience. Even during dry season the hotel was quiet at night. We even saw toucans in the trees right near the reception at the hotel. Both the restaurants at the hotel served delicious affordable food (although I like the one by the bigger pool better).

Comfort with a View

by TripAdvisor Member NaMakani

My wife and I stayed here for two nights in February 2006. It is a mile or so outside of La Fortuna, just off the main highway – probably not close enough to walk. The hotel is modern, comfortable, and has a great view of Arenal volcano.

The rooms are in single-floor duplex buildings arranged around nicely landscaped gardens, each room with a terrace that has view of the gardens and the volcano. Our room, # 107, was in the original set of buildings, but the place has recently expanded with new accommodations and a new restaurant/pool complex. From what we could tell the new rooms should also have good views. Birdwatching was surprising good right from our terrace.

Our room was moderate in size with a small open closet, desk, one night stand, one low table and two chairs. The tiled bathroom was good-sized with adequate counter space and a large shower stall. The room was equipped with a ceiling fan and a.c., but we didn’t need either since it was quiet enough to open windows for ventilation. As with several other hotels we stayed at in Costa Rica, our room was rather dark because there few lamps and they were equipped with energy-saver bulbs.

Breakfast was served in the new open-air restaurant some distance from our room. The buffet was excellent. We also had dinner at the hotel one night, in the original restaurant. It was also very good and the surroundings were very pleasant.

Poas Volcano

by SESM

"Great Overnight from San Jose"

A short hop from San Jose (relatively speaking) is Poas Volcano -- surrounded by a lovely park with well-labeled flora, trails, a visitor's center with a snack bar and gift shop and parking. The trick is to arrive early before the clouds set in and visibility is nil.

"Include a Night Nearby at Poas Volcano Lodge"

In order to catch the volcano early, stay nearby at the Poas Volcano Lodge -- a truly wonderful experience. Arrangements in advance can be made for dinner served family style in the lodge dining room. Breakfast is included.

"More about the Lodge"

Get there in daylight because the lodge road is a windy dirt road. Rooms are cosy and the lodge features a roaring fireplace, games, CD's to listen to and comfy furniture where you can enjoy a glass of wine, tea or coffee.

Iguanas and Toucans and Monkeys, oh my!

by acruz96

"Pura Vida"

My wife and I spent 9 days in Costa Rica for our honeymoon. We spent 6 nights at the Premier Fiesta hotel in Papagayo Gulf, and 3 nights at Volcano Lodge in Arenal.

We are active types and thefefore stayed quite busy during out trip. We did several tours while in Costa Rica, not spending a single day on the beach.

We had an amazing time. We loved Costa Rica so much that we briefly contemplated moving there. If you love nature and a simpler way of life you will love Costa Rica. If you're looking for a beach vacation you might want to look elsewhere, though we did run into people who did nothing but tan during their trip and they also loved the country.

Costa Ricans are very, very nice and, for the most part, seem to sincerely appreciate you visiting their country.

Pura Vida!

"Premier Fiesta Hotel, Gulf of Papagayo, Costa Rica"

Jet-skied
All-day tour to Rincon de la Vieja, a volcano just outside of Liberia.
- Zip-lined for the first time.
- We went down a 1000+ meter waterslide through the jungle.
- Horseback riding.
- Hiked down to a waterfall.
Swam and snorkeled
Kayaked
Mountain biked.
Went off-roading in our rental Volkswagen when we attempted, but ultimately failed, to get to Llanes de Cortes
We got shook-down by a polite police officer for $20.
We drove to Coco beach. There we purchased local art work that we will have framed (eventually!)
Drove to Playa Octel.

"Volcano Lodge, Arenal, Costa Rica"

My wife and I spent two days at Volcano Lodge during our honeymoon in December of 2005. We loved the place! It was clean, safe, convenient, comfortable and affordable.

We booked the Combination Tour w/Hanging Bridges. I would highly recommend this tour as both my wife and I enjoyed every activity very much. The tour includes the Hanging Bridges canopy tour, a short hike to, and an optional 30 minute swim at, La Fortuna waterfall (gorgeous), lunch at (coincidentally) Restaurante Sura (Volcano Lodge), an afternoon hike near Arenal Volcano, entrance to, and a dip at, Tabacon hot springs, and finally a tasty buffet dinner at the Tabacon restaurant. This tour alone made our 9 day honeymoon to Costa Rica a wonderful and very memorable experience. There is a volcano hike that my wife and I wished we had done; it’s a bit longer than the one in the Combination Tour. The volcano was incredible.

My wife and also did a river adventure tour. No rapids on this tour, just a leisure 2 hour float down a river with a guide pointing out wildlife and such. This was very nice, but very low-key. We saw monkeys, beautiful birds, butterflies and even a few iguanas. There is a stop at Don Pedro’s (I think that’s his name) farm. Don Pedro is 93 years old; he lives with his 91 year old brother and two of his daughters. His property is a 3 hour hike from the nearest road. This was a very interesting experience as we felt we had stepped back in time. Don Pedro and his family were warm and friendly and interesting. Very cool.

La Fortuna is a town about 10 minutes down the road from Volcano Lodge; we visited it a few times for souvenirs and once for dinner. We had a delicious and very cheap dinner at Lava Rocks on the main road in La Fortuna. I highly recommend it.

If you plan on buying coffee to bring home do so at a supermarket. Most of the souvenir shops and hotels sold the standard size bags for $8 - $10. We bought coffee at the supermarket in La Fortuna (across from the beautiful church) for $4 - $5. If you’re in town you can save some money.

Those of you visiting the area to see the volcano should be aware that most of the time the peak is covered with clouds. We spent three evenings in the area and saw the peak only once. There was a 24 hour period where we didn’t even see the top third of the volcano!