We’d spent the first half of our Costa Rica trip doing exactly what most itineraries recommend, zip-lining, waterfall hikes, a full day of adventure activities around La Fortuna, and by the time we sat down to book the second half, what we actually wanted was somewhere to stop moving for a few days.
Adventure travel has a way of quietly exhausting a couple, not in a bad way, but enough that by day four we were finishing dinner conversations with logistics instead of actually talking to each other.
Amor Arenal kept coming up in research specifically for that reason, an adults-friendly rainforest resort tucked into the hills above La Fortuna with direct views of Arenal Volcano, built around slowing down rather than adding more to the itinerary.
It didn’t promise another checklist of activities. It promised the opposite, a place designed around doing less, and that was exactly what we needed by that point in the trip.
This post walks through exactly what that stay was like, the good and the honest tradeoffs, so anyone considering booking their own has a real sense of what to expect before committing to what is genuinely a splurge-level property.
If you’re planning the rest of a Costa Rica trip alongside a stay like this, our 10 special places couples should experience together and travel checklist are worth reading before you go.
Disclaimer
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. I only recommend travel products that I genuinely believe can make a rainforest getaway more comfortable and enjoyable. The information in this article is for general informational purposes only. Resort availability, pricing, travel requirements, and local conditions may change, so always confirm the latest details before booking your trip.
Amazon Shopping List You Need
- Waterproof Dry Bag – I always bring one to keep my valuables dry during rainforest adventures.
- Lightweight Rain Jacket – I never travel to a rainforest without a good waterproof jacket.
- Binoculars – I love using these for spotting sloths, toucans, and other wildlife.
- Insect Repellent – I always pack this for extra comfort on nature walks.
- Waterproof Phone Pouch – I use this to protect my phone around waterfalls and hot springs.
- Anker Portable Power Bank – I always keep one handy for long days exploring the resort.
- Quick Dry Hiking Towel – I love having this for hikes, the hot springs, and the pool.
Why We Chose Amor Arenal for This Trip
A few specific things pulled us toward it over the other properties we considered.
The location sits right at the edge of the rainforest with volcano views built into the design, rather than a resort you have to drive somewhere to actually see nature from.
It’s also genuinely close to La Fortuna itself, close enough that we could still get to town easily for dinner or an activity, without giving up the sense of being tucked away in the jungle once we were back at the property.
And since we were specifically looking for something quieter after a fairly high-energy first half of the trip, an adults-focused property with a real emphasis on wellness, hot spring-fed plunge pools, a spa, and hiking trails right from the grounds, felt like exactly the reset we needed before flying home.
If a wellness-forward stay like this is part of what you’re after on your own dream trip somewhere, our dream vacations bucket list covers a few similarly restorative destinations worth comparing.
First Impressions: Arrival in the Rainforest
The drive up from La Fortuna is short, only about ten minutes, but it’s enough to feel like a genuine transition, paved road giving way to a narrower path winding through dense forest, with the volcano occasionally visible through gaps in the canopy before the trees close back in.
By the time we pulled up to the property, the noise of La Fortuna’s main strip had completely disappeared, replaced by birdsong and the low, constant hum of insects that becomes background noise within an hour of arriving anywhere in Costa Rica’s rainforest regions.
Check-in happened somewhere open-air, with the property’s architecture leaning into that same idea throughout, vaulted ceilings, large windows, and covered but not fully enclosed common spaces that keep the surrounding forest visible and audible from almost everywhere on the grounds.
Walking the path to our own casita, past canyon-edge walkways with the volcano occasionally framed between trees, gave us both the sense almost immediately that we’d made the right call slowing down for this stretch of the trip.
The Room: What a Casita Actually Feels Like
Each casita here is a standalone hardwood cabin rather than a hotel room in a shared building, which matters more than it sounds like it should.
High vaulted ceilings and large windows keep the space feeling open despite the forest pressing close on every side, and the layout centers around a private outdoor deck with a mineral-fed hot spring plunge pool, genuinely one of the better design decisions in the whole property, since it means the volcano view and the rainforest soundscape are available from your own space, not just a shared pool deck.
The bathroom design leans into that same openness, with a large walk-in shower positioned to look straight out at the forest rather than tucked into an interior corner.
What surprised us most was how quiet each casita feels relative to how close together they’re actually built. Careful landscaping and the layout along the canyon edge give a real sense of privacy, even with a fully booked property during our stay.
Getting There and Practical Booking Details
How to get there Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) near San José is the main gateway, with the drive to La Fortuna taking roughly three to four hours depending on traffic and route.
Liberia’s Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) is a shorter drive if you’re flying into Guanacaste first, closer to three hours.
A rental car is the most flexible way to make the trip, arranged easily at either airport, though the resort can also arrange a private transfer if you’d rather not drive after a long flight.
What a stay actually costs This is a genuine luxury property, with rates generally running several hundred dollars per night depending on season and casita category.
Breakfast is included in the rate, while lunch, dinner, and drinks are priced à la carte, so budget beyond just the nightly room cost when planning.
Rates and packages shift seasonally, so confirm current pricing directly with the resort before booking rather than relying on a figure from an old review.
Booking tips Book well ahead for peak dry season dates, since the property is small and popular enough that last-minute availability is limited.
If you have a specific casita in mind, based on canyon position or volcano view angle, ask directly when booking rather than assuming all rooms are interchangeable.
Safety tips Rainforest trails on the property can be genuinely muddy and slippery even during dry season, so proper footwear matters more than the short walking distances suggest.
Wildlife, including the howler monkeys and birds that move through the property regularly, should be observed rather than approached or fed, both for your safety and theirs.
If you’re planning to drive yourself from either airport, note that the final stretch of road up to the resort narrows considerably, so take it slowly, especially after dark or during rain.
Standard travel precautions apply for the wider La Fortuna area too, keep valuables secured in a rental car rather than visible, and confirm current road conditions before any longer day trip, since heavy rain can affect some rural routes outside peak dry season.
Nearby places to explore La Fortuna itself, about ten minutes away, is worth a visit for dinner or a change of pace, with a genuinely solid range of restaurants and easy access to the area’s better-known adventure activities.
Arenal Volcano National Park offers hiking trails across old lava fields with close-up volcano views, a strong half-day addition if you want more structured hiking than the resort’s own trails provide.
The La Fortuna Waterfall, a short drive from town, involves a steep set of stairs down to a swimmable pool beneath the falls, and is one of the more popular nearby stops worth an early morning visit before crowds arrive.
For something calmer, several nearby hot spring resorts open to day visitors offer an alternative soak if you want to experience more than just the resort’s own plunge pools during your stay.
The Food: What Meals Are Actually Like
Breakfast is included in the room rate, served in an open-air dining area with the same forest and volcano views as the rest of the property, and it’s a genuinely nice way to start the day, whatever gets served arrives with birdsong and, on a clear morning, a direct view of the volcano itself.
Lunch and dinner run à la carte, with a menu built around fresh, local ingredients rather than a generic resort buffet, and the kitchen leans into Costa Rican flavors alongside more broadly international dishes.
Worth knowing before you book: à la carte dinners at a resort this remote add up faster than an all-inclusive property would, so factor that into your overall budget rather than assuming meals are bundled the way they might be at a beach resort elsewhere in the country.
The Wellness Side: Spa, Pools, and Slowing Down
This is really the heart of what Amor Arenal is built around. Beyond the private plunge pool at each casita, the property has additional shared pools, a spa, and a dedicated yoga and meditation platform positioned to look out over the rainforest canopy.
We booked one spa treatment during our stay, an outdoor massage with rain falling audibly on the surrounding canopy for the entire session, and it’s genuinely one of the more memorable spa experiences either of us has had anywhere, largely because of the setting rather than anything unusual about the treatment itself.
The pace of the whole property supports this kind of slowing down. There’s no loud pool bar scene, no scheduled entertainment competing for attention, just quiet spaces designed around actually resting.
If overwater or nature-immersed luxury stays like this are your thing, our overwater bungalows in Bora Bora covers a different but similarly designed-for-stillness kind of property worth comparing.
Wildlife and Rainforest Moments
This is the part of the stay that’s hardest to fully capture in a review and easiest to undersell. Howler monkeys move through the canopy close enough to hear clearly from your own deck, and depending on timing, close enough to see.
Birdlife here is genuinely excellent even for visitors with no particular interest in birdwatching going in, and we spotted more species just sitting on our own deck than we had on some dedicated wildlife tours elsewhere in the country.
If wildlife-forward travel is a bigger draw for you, our 11 epic Tanzania travel experiences covers a much bigger-scale version of that same appeal.
Is Amor Arenal Worth the Splurge? An Honest Take
This is a genuine luxury property, and the price reflects that. It’s not the cheapest way to experience the Arenal region, and there are more budget-friendly eco-lodges nearby that deliver a similar rainforest setting without the same level of design and privacy.
Our honest take: if the goal of this stretch of your trip is genuinely slowing down after a more active first half, the price is justified by how completely the property delivers on that specific goal.
If you’re looking to maximize activities and stay budget-conscious, this isn’t the right property for that phase of a trip, a simpler eco-lodge in town would serve that goal better and free up budget for excursions instead.
Who This Resort Is (and Isn’t) For
This is an adults-friendly property, and it’s built around a genuinely quiet, intimate atmosphere rather than a lively social scene.
It’s an excellent fit for couples specifically looking to disconnect, honeymooners, anniversary trips, or simply two people who’ve spent a few days doing high-energy activities and want a proper reset before flying home.
It’s a poor fit for families with young kids, given both the adults-friendly policy and the overall pace, and it’s not the right choice for anyone hoping to be based somewhere with easy access to nightlife or a bigger social scene, since the whole point of the property is its remove from exactly that kind of energy.
Practical Tips for Booking Your Own Stay
- Book well in advance for peak dry season dates, since the property is genuinely small and popular
- Budget separately for à la carte lunch and dinner beyond the included breakfast
- Pack proper rainforest hiking shoes even during dry season, since trails stay damp. Our backpacking essentials guide is a useful starting point for packing for a trip like this
- Confirm current rates and package inclusions directly with the property before booking, since pricing and offerings can shift seasonally
- Pair this stay with a more activity-heavy stretch of your Costa Rica trip beforehand, so the slower pace here feels like an intentional shift rather than the whole trip
FAQ
How much does a stay at Amor Arenal typically cost? Expect a genuine luxury price point, generally several hundred dollars per night depending on season and casita category, with breakfast included and lunch and dinner priced à la carte.
Confirm current rates directly with the property, since pricing shifts seasonally.
Is Amor Arenal good for families with kids? Not really. The property leans adults-friendly with a quiet, intimate atmosphere built around wellness and relaxation rather than family-oriented activities or amenities.
How far is Amor Arenal from La Fortuna? About a ten-minute drive, close enough for easy access to town for dinner or activities, while still feeling genuinely tucked away in the rainforest.
Do I need a rental car to stay here? It’s useful for day trips into La Fortuna or further excursions, but not essential, since the property itself has enough trails and amenities that many guests barely leave during their stay.
The resort can also arrange a private transfer from the airport if you’d rather not drive.
What’s the best time of year to visit? December through April, Costa Rica’s dry season, offers the most reliable weather and easiest hiking conditions on the property’s rainforest trails.
Final Thoughts
Amor Arenal wasn’t the busiest or most action-packed part of our Costa Rica trip, and that was entirely the point.
After days of zip-lines and waterfall hikes, a few nights built around a private plunge pool, genuinely excellent food, and howler monkeys moving through the canopy overhead gave the trip a different kind of memory than the adventure activities did, quieter, slower, and in some ways the part we still think about first.
If your own Costa Rica itinerary has room for a stretch built around actually resting rather than doing, this is exactly the kind of stay worth building it around, and if you’re still mapping out where else that kind of trip might take you, our 11 most beautiful places to visit on earth is a good place to keep exploring.
