Property
Arco Iris Lodge offers 12 cabins set in nicely landscaped gardens only a short walk to downtown Santa Elena. Each cabin has a private bathroom with hot water (some with cool volcanic stone shower walls) and a balcony or terrace. The cabins vary from the more luxurious “house” to budget rooms with 2 sets of bunk beds. The German owners are helpful and professional and set out a European-style breakfast with Costa Rican accents ($7) and can make reservations for area attractions.

Location
Santa Elena is a small village high in the mountains about half way between the Santa Elena and Monteverde Cloud Forest reserves. Most vistors to Monteverde stay in Santa Elena, as there are very few lodges closer to the reserve. The lodge is about a 10-minute walk from the town center (just behind the new bank) that has a many good restaurants, a big grocery store, laundromat, pharmacy and other small shops. 3 hours from La Fortuna (home of Arenal Volcano) by Jeep-Boat-Jeep and 4-5 hours from the San Jose airport.

Sleeps
2-5. All rooms/cabins sleep 4. Many can sleep 5 with the addition of a cot.

Highlights
The property is up a little hill from town which helps it escape the evening music from the few bars in town. Easy walk to restaurants. Lots of wildlife and cloudforest viewing activities in the area including the two reserves, frog zoo (popular with kids- come back after dark with your ticket and find the frogs with flashlights- fun!), ziplines, horseback riding, canopy walk, etc.

Good to know
The lodge can arrange lodge-to-lodge transport which is very convenient and comfortable. Be sure to ask for the kids’ discount- kids under a certain age are free. The Santa Elena and Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserves are basically the same forest but the Monteverde side is often packed with tourists while the less famous Santa Elena is quieter (and has a lower entrance fee). Bring a fleece jacket and a rain coat- it’s cool in the higher elevations and liable to rain or at least mist nearly year-round.

Contact
http://www.arcoirislodge.com/

September 26th, 2008 | by Jenny Jensen