My Wife and I are heading to CR for a long weekend. Friday to Tuesday. We decided to do the mountains instead of the beach so we will be heading to Arenal and MonteVerde after landing in SJO. We will be getting in late on FRI. What would you recommend in terms of a lodging plan? Should we stay in SJO on FRI and then book seperate hotels in both Arenal and MV or is there a good hotel somewhere between the two mountain destinations? We are looking around 150 to 200 per night. Thanks

Don't know when your return is on Tuesday so you may need to be back near SJO on Monday night. With such a short time (2 nights or maybe 3) I'd really stick to just one location. Monteverde is too much of a drive to spend only one night there. I'd suggest staying the whole time in Arennal, a lot to do in the area and some nice places to stay. It's about a 3 hour drive from SJO. Nice places to stay in that price range are Lost Iguana, Arenal Kioro and Mountain Paradise.

Okay y'all. I am going to share a secret with you. Don't tell anyone. I can't believe I am doing this, because I have been keeping this one in my back pocket for years. Lets just keep this between us, okay?

There is a terrific area and small resort 24 miles away from San Jose that no one knows about. It is perfect for a weekend getaway.

The Hotel Rio Perlas is located in the Orosi Valley near the Tapanti National Park. This park has a cloudforest that rivals Monteverde. The small town of Orosi has a church and rectory that dates back to the 18th century. Lancaster gardens is only 6 miles away, and Cartago's cathedral (and old cathedral ruins) is a stone's throw further.

The hotel has a terrific Peruvian restaurant, and a swimming pool fed by a natural hot spring. They even have a trout pond. I was once on a morning walk, and was amused to come upon a waiter fishing for the lunch special. I was amused because he was dressed in a tuxedo shirt and tie, with fishing pole in hand. I wished I had a camera with me.

The reason that North Americans don't know about this hotel is interesting. For many years, it was managed by a large European hotel group. It is the only hotel of any size in the area, and was marketed exclusively in the European market. There are actually several German owned businesses in town and lots of European tourists still coming.

But little word has spread about this little gem to US tourists. I feel like I am blowing the whistle here.

But it would be a perfect choice for a long weekend.

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

Warm Regards,
Pat Hewitt
(Travel Professional)

We stayed at the Lost Iguana in Arenal last year and really loved it. I would not hesitate to go back. Tully is right - that area has a lot to offer, and personally I would skip Monteverde since your time is so limited.

We stayed a night at Grano de Oro in San Jose, and it was really nice - built in an old mansion, and has a wonderful restaurant on site. If the La Paz Waterfall Gardens interests you, you could stay the night at the Peace Lodge and tour the gardens the next morning - that's what we did on our most recent trip; if you stay there, you can tour everything before it opens to the public at 8:00. The room prices vary by the season, so it would depend upon when you were going.

That's interesting Pat and sounds like a more reasonable explanation than the one we heard when we were there in Feb.

The word in Orosi was that Hotel Rio Perlas is secretly owned by the Columbian drug cartel as a tax write off/money laundry and the reason there are so few guests is that they don't like to be bothered with tourists!

If you're in the area check out Sanchiri Lodge at about a third the price and a great family run atmosphere.

Pat and CRguide - Now you have definitely sparked my curiousity

No. It is actually owned by an American, who has a home on premises. I believe he is married to a Costa Rican.

For years, it was managed by a big Spanish hotel chain. I am guessing that he took it back over two or three years ago.

Even at full occupancy, they never feel full. They also do a "day pass" that includes a buffet lunch and use of the walking trails and pools. Day trippers can also take the opportunity to use the spa services.

Warm Regards,
Pat Hewitt
(Travel Professional)

Pat - have you checked out the recent tripadvisor.com reviews for the hotel? It's getting some bad reviews - although I don't believe you can please everyone.