I am making last minute reservations in the Arenal Volcano area for 2/29-3/3 after Silencio Del Campo fell through (they got our dates mixed up).

As you can imagine, most things are booked but I have an opening at Lost Iguana (std deluxe) and Arenal Lodge (junior suite). I was leaning towards the economical option, but after reading some poor reviews of Arenal Lodge, I'm second-guessing my inclination.

We are a 30-something couple looking forward to being out and about during our time there, but also enjoy kicking back in a clean, comfortable and cozy place after a long day.

We will have not have a car, so if anyone knows of a place closer to town that may have openings, I'm all ears! Thanks in advance.

Have you looked at Los Lagos? It is closer to town and my family and I had a great time there. You can take a horseback ride up the hillside to an incredible view of Arenal. Lost Iguana is a great place, but it is at least 20, if not 30 minutes from town. Either way, enjoy your trip.

We loved the Lost Iguana - it is set a little outside of town - maybe 10 minutes or so; they had a free shuttle into town that we used to go to dinner each night. We loved being outside of town because the grounds are gorgeous, and it was really relaxing. The rooms are nice, and we had a jacuzzi tub on our balcony with a great view of the volcano. It's right next door to the Hanging Bridges, breakfast included, small pool and restaurant on site. Breakfast and lunch were good, did not really care for the dinner too much, also had a frig in the room which was good for keeping drinks cold. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again, but it is pricey. We took taxis back to the hotel, and it cost anywhere from $12-17 if that gives you an idea of costs.

If you have heard bad news about Arenal Lodge I would not risk it. When hotels go wrong in Costa Rica they usually go really wrong. Some times they are not educated on appropriate service and little things get missed that are important to us, even if not to the locals.

Lost Iguana is much farther than Los Lagos. The cab from Los Lagos to La Fortuna was only $5. They have an on site hot springs and canopy tour. It is a really cool resort. You can compare and view most hotels in the Arenal area on this site.

http://www.arenal.net/hotel/

They also list tours and other activities that are available in the are. Great resource!

Good Travels to you

We loved Lost Iguana, there in December 06. It feels isolated and romantic out there, and jungley (my own word). I agree with everything Volcano Girl said. We also had a fantastic, "keep you up at night" view of the volcano from our porch, and also the jacuzzi tub on the porch.

I didn't really see anything else in the area that I liked as much as Lost Iguana, but we did not see Arenal Lodge or Silencio. The rental car is definitely helpful, but I think they can shuttle you back and forth.

The drive time is not so bad, really about 20 minutes tops.

When we go back, I hope that we stay at Lost Iguana again.

Good Luck, and have a terrific time!

We loved the Lost Iguana in Arenal. From there you can actualaly walk to the start of the Hanging Bridges trail, if you wish. Since we had a car, we drove to the start of the Hanging Bridges trail. But I know that you can walk if you wish. It's a beautiful walk in the morning especially. We also found the breakfasts and dinners at the Lost Iguana to be good, by Costa Rican standards. Also, every room at the Lost Iguana has a view of the volcano (that is assuming that the volcano isn't hidden by cloudy weather...)

Enjoy!