mojo61309

Hi everyone. I recently posted asking about Samara and didn't get much information, so I'll make sure to give a detailed report when I get back to add to the forum!
We are spending three nights at AOL and I was wondering if the road getting there runs through el castillo. I know a lot of people talk about how far it is from lafortuna, but I haven't seen any mention of el castillo, which is where I think it really is nearer to.
Is this true? Is there much of a town in el castillo-- restaurants, local tour company/guides, etc.? We will have a car and are planning on sky trek, hanging bridges, maybe canyoneering, hiking at the park, maybe ecotermales (not sure. should we ask a local about the "free" hot springs?). It seems like we are close to these activities and maybe can just drive there ourselves instead of paying to be picked up by the tour company. Anyone done this? Advice? I've heard there is a local butterfly conservatory. Anyone been here? Any other local activities close to AOL? Also, any information on self-hikes in the park would be appreciated.

volcanogirl

I would really recommend doing Eco Termales; we really enjoyed it. They serve a very nice dinner with food that was surprisingly good - we thought the chicken was better than the beef; it's really relaxing there, drinks done on the honor system. We'll definitely go back. We also went to Tabacon, and it was a little loud and overcrowded for us.

We went on a guided volcano hike that took us out near AOL; it's a long, bumpy road to get there, didn't seem to be much else around there. We had a lot of rain, so visibility wasn't that great. I imagine the views would have been spectacular in better weather. I'm not familiar with El Castillo.

mojo61309

Thanks for the information. The reason I'm not necessarily wanting to pay for the hot springs is because my girlfriend will barely sit in a hot bath for 5 minutes, so if we're paying for all kinds of other tours this may not be in the budget. I've heard good things about the food at ecotermales, but I'm a vegetarian so I imagine the rice and beans will be pretty much the same everywhere. Any advice on the other questions in my post from others out there would be appreciated!

colibri

I have read a bit about a butterfly conservatory in El Castillo, but haven't visited there. The road around Arenal Volcano splits where you go to either El Castillo on the south side of the lake or to AOL. You do not go through the village to get to AOL although it is closer than La Fortuna. I would google it and some of the B&B's and cabins there to see what all is offered. It is not on the main route like La Fortuna is, so less info about it.

http://www.arenal.net/arenal-costa-rica-map.htm

Here's a link to a map of the volcano region.

kencolian

I did not go to El Castillo but my friends did. They went with there boys who were 7 and 11 at the time when they stayed at AOL. There was a soda with good basic food. They also enjoyed the reptile museum. It is alot closer than La Fortuna but you will probably want to go into La Fortuna for dinner at least one night.

Pat_Hewitt

There is not a whole lot to see in el Castillo, it is just a little local town. It might be worth checking out for some local color. But otherwise, there is not a lot there for tourists.

DO NOT try to drive by the southern route around the lake, especially in the green season. The road is in poor repair, and not well traveled. Run into a problem, and you could get stuck for hours.

The northern route is in very good condition, and is well traveled. We always stop at the locally famous German Bakery in Nuevo Arenal for bratwurst and real German apple strudel (which is not like anything we get in the States).

Once you are at your hotel, the drive to el Castillo should be pretty easy. You will have to cross a couple of small creeks. Check em out before you proceed. Keep in mind that your rental car insurance does not cover any damage caused by crossing through rivers!

Hope this helps! Let me know if I can offer any more advice.

Warm Regards,
Pat Hewitt
Travel Professional

MonicaRichards

We did go to El Castillo and it is a small little town. Like really small. We did like it but it's not a tourist support town like La Fortuna is. You can read about what we did there and see pictures here: http://www.markandmonica.com/Travel/...008/Arenal.htm

mojo61309

Thanks MR. I am certainly not expecting a big town, but if it's closer and there are options, I'd certainly rather support their local soda or restaurant than the already developed ones in lafortuna (if they want us to!). same goes for a tour guide. If there's a local in elcastillo that can provide the service, I'd like to support!