Lol- Yes, I did notice that he mentioned that in numerous threads about Peace Lodge. But I still might see if he's willing to pick us up from there if I don't like the route Peace Lodge is suggesting! Btw, I just emailed that tripadvisor reviewer about her experience.

Thanks everyone!

I was really excited about PL when I first read about it, but then I kept reading things about it being contrived and Disneyesque.

We decided against a visit, in part due to the same concerns expressed here about the roads. I didn't want to spend the time going up that way and then backtracking to get to Arenal. We ended up going to Monteverde first, taking a jeep boat jeep to Arenal and then returning to San Jose with a private driver.

I can understand why Peace Lodge would prefer to go the northern route since it's much shorter, but is the road even open???

BTW it is the road to San Miguel "de Sarapiqui" that is closed. As you will find out, there are San Miguels all over CR.

I had read the same Disneyesque comments and avoided it for a few years, but it got such great reviews that I decided to go, and we ended up loving it. The grounds and waterfalls are really beautiful, and the rooms and views are so relaxing. I really like it for a night or two; I wouldn't stay there for much longer, just enough to enjoy the waterfalls, feed the hummingbirds, and visit Poas if there's time. After being so sweaty and doing so much hiking everywhere else, it's kind of a nice little respite.

I emailed a recent reviewer of PL on tripadvisor and she said that there is a road north of Peace Lodge and it is being used by A LOT of locals and tourists. She said the road is pretty bad and everyone just goes really slowly over it. (She said it's not as bad as the road to Monteverde though.) She said she wouldn't do it in pouring rain but it is passable. This section is several miles, but once you get past it, it's a very easy drive to Arenal. She said it took 2.5 hours.

As long as it isn't foggy, rainy and it isn't your rental car!!!

True dat!

Volcanogirl, even though Road Advisor is not a "fan" of Peace Lodge, that does not mean that the roads leading to that hotel are safe. I would not put our lives at risk again going to La Paz. Period. "Pura Vida" does not mean "don't use your own common sense" The OP asked was the $35 worth it to see La Paz. I say "no" considering the danger in traveling to the area. I'm done.
Volcanogirl, were you there last before or after the earthquake?

I was just thinking that he may not want to be her driver, not saying if the roads are safe or not. My advice was to message all the people who have stayed there recently to see what route they took and what the conditions were like since I'm not sure hotels will always give you accurate information about that sort of thing, although I would hope they would.

BAJJ - you may want to do a search on this forum for member Shelld and her trip report back in August when the road first opened. "Shell's return to Costa Rica" gives a very descriptive first hand account of the road as they left Arenal and came on the San Miguel road. Their driver who is very highly recommended on this forum was driving it for the first time and couldn't believe people were telling him it was open since it was in such bad shape.
It may have improved since then, but things do not move quickly....he felt so badly about scaring them that he brought them gifts when he did another transfer from Peace Lodge!
I'm going on a day trip there in a few weeks, but just going from Alajuela up the "good" road. We went up to Poasito three weeks after the major earthquake to deliver school supplies, but no further than that.

I just looked up that old trip report. Yikes! That does sound very scary.