janenicole

I am a little bit confused as to how long it will take us to get into town (La Fortuna) if we stay at the AOL. Sounds like it takes 20 minutes to get to the highway from the lodge, but then how long from the highway? We will have a car.

Also, most of the reviews on trip advisor seem like they are positive because they are getting a view of the lava flow. If the lava flow changes by next March, are there other things about the lodge that are positive? We like the idea that it is somewhat isolated, and it looks like there are lot of hiking opportunities right there. Any thoughts or opinions?

janenicole

Okay, I see I missed on the lodge's website that they are saying 20 minutes to town. Sorry. But am still curious about the second part of my post!

Linda137

Arenal.net might help you keep track of what the mountain is doing. The map gets updated as the flow changes. Their map is also great for getting an idea of what is where. Lots of resort information on the site too.

cmerrell

Hi janenicole,

I haven't stayed at AOL, but know that it's right next to the entrance of Arenal Volcano National Park which has hiking trails. The hotel is also very convenient to Sky Trek/Sky Tram and the Hanging Bridges. Our guide at Sky Trek told us there was a serpentarium just down the road as well that was worth a visit (we didn't have time, unfortunately).

I know that shillmac has stayed at AOL and enjoyed her time there. As I recall, she said the grounds were very nice and there were some good birding ops.

It is a bumpy ride from the main road to the hotel, but not unbearably so. We didn't stop in at the hotel, but had to pass by to get to Sky Trek...

janenicole

Linda137 - that is a great website. When we were looking at the map my husband saw how far AOL is from everything else, and he instantly said, "Let's stay there." I don't think he had even noticed the lava flow!

Looking at more pictures from trip advisor, I think we would we really like it there. And Sky Trek is at the top of my to do list!

Linda137

I don't think you can get into town in 20 minutes, but you'll have a car to buzz around and explore so who cares. Once you get to the main road, the roadways are in decent shape and there are many places to eat and play. If you are like me, the more reading you do, the more places you want to see. From what I've heard, March is a great month to be in the Arenal area.

dweissnj

If you are going to Arenal for volcano viewing, putting up with the extra travel time and mediocre food is well worth the view from the hotel. Since you never know when the show will (start eruption + cloud free) and the best show is at night, it pays to stay where you can be woken up in the middle of the night to something unique and spectacular. A la http://playaconchalcondo.com/photos/...enal_night.jpg Of course there are lots of other reasons to visit Arenal, but for viewing, this is the place.

The road is not too bad, about 10 min outside of town on the main road, about 5 min down the dirt road past the park and 1-2 min up the access road to the hotel. Not too bad really. A car makes sense here though.

shillmac

When we stayed there, janenicole, is was cloudy and drizzly much of the time and we didn't get to view the volcano from our room. However, we loved the hotel. It is a fabulous place for birding, has a nice trail down to a waterfall, etc. Yes, in answer to your question!

The last time we were there (2006), the lava flow was around to the north. We couldn't have seen it from AOL anyway. We were fortunate to view it one night while dining at El Novillo. It was July 3 and our fireworks show!

janenicole

Thanks for weighing in, shillmac - I value your opinion!

RAC

It's at least 30 minutes to town. You have to figure about 15 minutes just to drive on the unpaved road once you enter the park--it's 9 KM on that road.

Give yourself 35-40 minutes to get anywhere in La Fortuna from the AOL, and vice versa.

You're literally inside the National Park there, with views of both the volcano and the lake. It's unbelievable.