Property
La Catarata EcoLodge has great views of Arenal Volcano on those rare days when it isn’t shrouded in clouds.  The beds are comfy and the rooms are roomy with excellent hot showers (sometimes a rarity in Costa Rica).  The included breakfast is delicious: pancakes, eggs, rice and beans, fruit, etc.

Location
La Fortuna de San Carlos (usually called just La Fortuna) is a small touristy town at the base of Arenal Volcano.  It has a very cute park downtown in front of the church which is worth visiting for the flowers and people-watching.  The lodge is a few km outside of town (perfectly quiet at night!) in the eruption safe zone and is about a 10 minute taxi ride to the town center that has a several of restaurants, a big grocery store, pharmacy and other small shops.  3 hours by Jeep-Boat-Jeep to Monteverde.

Sleeps
2-4.

Highlights
The pool is very nice- we even saw a toucan fly over while we swam.  The restaurant was pretty good for dinners too and they had a few kid-friendly options that were appreciated.  The lodge is near the Fortuna waterfall (La Catarata) which is worth a visit.  You can arrange horseback riding there from the lodge if your kids are old enough.  Baldi Hot Springs (volcano heated) is also a hit with kids- go during the day with the entrance+lunch package to avoid the big tour groups that come around dinner time.

Good to know
The restaurant has free wireless internet so if you brought your laptop you can hang out there and email away- no need to buy anything!  The open air restaurant is also a nice spot to hang out and play a board game or read between meal times.  If it’s getting towards late afternoon and you have a clear view of the volcano (no clouds), ask the front desk to arrange a night tour of the volcano- a guide will drive you around to the lava flow side of the volcano for a view of red sparks in the night sky- spectacular!

Contact
www.cataratalodge.com

Written by Jenny Jensen

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