costaricalover

Hola all! We have decided to return to Arenal this summer
after visiting Bosque del Cabo for 2-3 nights. Can anyone
suggest a nice hotel in a quiet location with a lot of wildlife
and rustically elegant rooms and a good vibe? Muchas gracias in advance!

RAC

Quiet hotel with a lot of wildlife means the Arenal Observatory Lodge. Only place in Costa Rica we've seen a wild cat (jaguarundi)--tons of birds, plus monkeys, kinkajou, coati.

It's rustic but comfortable. It's certainly not a luxury place like BdC, and I wouldn't say 'elegant.' Vibe is inherently subjective.

No luxury place in Arenal is going to come close to the wildlife the AOL does, due to its remote location and sizeable grounds.

volcanogirl

We love the Lost Iguana. We've seen toucans and coatis on the property. There are also howlers, but they're hard to see. Also saw a tayra one day which was a first for us. It's very quiet and has nice balconies with rocking chairs and great volcano views. Good open air restaurant, spa, gift shop, trails, etc. It's right next to the Hanging Bridges. We went hiking about five minutes away and saw monkeys, an anteater, and even a peccary, but I do think wildlife is much harder to spot in the Arenal area vs. somewhere like the Osa. You really have to get as far away from the town as possible. Rooms are definitely rustically elegant. We like the second floor rooms that have the jacuzzi on the balcony.

ShellD

I haven't stayed at Lost Iguana, so I can't compare, but I would second RAC's recommendation of Arenal Observatory Lodge for wildlife, trails and quiet location in Arenal. It's about as remote as you can get in that area - or so it seems. The proximity to the volcano is amazing, even if there's no lava flow, and the trails and wildlife we've seen there are more than we've ever seen in Arenal. It has sort of a National Park in the US feel to me as far as the lodging goes. I would definitely stay there again on a future trip.

tailsock

we stayed at the Arenal Nayara and loved it. every bungalo opens up to the jungle in the backyard with the volcano behind that. food was FANTASTIC. we didn't venture out ONCE while we were there. gorgeous gardens and pool. check out their website. a little pricey but it was our honeymoon. got a good deal at costaricaexperts dot com

volcanogirl

We've stayed at Nayara too and think it's a great hotel. I don't think you're very likely to see much wildlife there though since it's close to town. We were excited to see a blue and gold macaw there, and then we found out it was the owner's pet. That was pretty funny. No trails to explore even though it's a very lush, pretty property. Great spot for a honeymoon.

costaricalover

Thank- you all so much for great advice. I'm embarrassed
to say that we've decided to stay in the OSA and spend
some time at Bosque del Cabo and them Iguana Lodge.
Others going to Arenal will surely appreciate this post.
Thanks, everyone!