Welcome to part 2 of my Costa Rica series! Today, I’m going to tell you about our magical stay at the Montana de Fuego Hotel in La Arenal.
La Arenal is one of Costa Rica’s most popular tourist locations due to the stunning La Arenal Volcano and lake. The views here are gorgeous, and the volcano punctuates the landscape from many different angles.
There are many things to do in La Arenal, including ziplining, ATV or horseback tours through the rainforest, hiking, hanging bridges, wildlife tours, and thermal springs. Everything has a strong emphasis on sustainable tourism, allowing tourists to enjoy the area without negatively affecting its beauty or culture.
You’ll also find the Montana de Fuego Eco Resort & Spa in this tropical setting. I had never stayed at something quite like it before, and I did not want to leave when it was time!
Although it’s only listed as a 3-star hotel, everything about the resort felt luxurious in the most charming rustic way. I mean, what 3-star hotel in the U.S. has a spa, thermal springs, nature trails, and a farm-to-table breakfast buffet?
Keep reading to learn all about this incredible resort!
Our Stay at Montana de Fuego
The Scenery
First up, the setting for the hotel is absolutely perfect.
When we arrived in La Arenal, it was dark because it took us forever to get out of San Jose.
But then we woke up to a beautiful day and jaw-dropping views of the La Arenal volcano! We had no idea that view would be waiting for us!
On top of that, the entire resort has gorgeous landscaping. I spent way too much time walking around and taking pictures of all the flowers and plants. They were all so bright and unique, and many looked like something an artist had created for a fantasy world.
The Food
I ate waaaaay too much during this vacation. But everything was so delicious and fresh!
As part of their eco-conscious endeavors, Montana de Fuego offers farm-to-table meals, and you can taste the difference!
Each morning, we enjoyed a complimentary breakfast buffet with tons of options.
It didn’t hurt that the restaurant had stunning volcano views, too!
We also decided to check out the Rocca Grill restaurant during dinner hours to see what kind of local dishes they offered. And we were not disappointed!
While it was a bit pricier than our other local meals, the experience was top-notch. And by U. S. standards, $50 isn’t bad for an appetizer, two meals, and dessert.
We loved that our dishes were brought to us on slabs of lava rock and lit on fire to finish cooking! The staff member who brought our food was great about letting us get videos and playing up the fire-pouring performance. We enjoyed the experience twice because we finished our meal with a pineapple flambee. (See the YouTube video)
The Staff
Everyone here was so lovely and helpful! It was to the point that we actually stopped and talked about it because we were so unused to pretty much anyone being that nice. We were constantly greeted by smiles and sent off with a hearty, “Pura Vida!” during our stay.
We ran into a language barrier on a few occasions, but there was almost always someone nearby to step in when my Spanish and their English weren’t enough to understand each other.
Thankfully, that was pretty much the norm throughout our Costa Rica trip. The people were genuinely kind and welcoming, and we loved chatting with the locals when we could.
The Thermal Springs
I’m not much of a pool person, which is a shame because they have multiple gorgeous swimming pools on site. However, I definitely took a dip in the thermal springs while we were there.
La Arenal is known for its volcano-fed thermal springs, and many of the local hotels and resorts advertise them. You have to pay for the experience in many cases, but they are free at Montana de Fuego! They have three beautiful pools you can enjoy, and one even has a waterfall!
We had the last pool all to ourselves when we went, and it was so fun to wade around in the clear water and check out the tropical foliage all around the basin. They set them up in a way that makes you feel like you’re out in the rainforest, and I loved it!
Our Bungalow
So full disclosure, I thought I had booked a different room lol So when we arrived, I was surprised at our bungalow layout. But I ended up loving it. How could I not with those epic views from our porch?
I also loved the vibe of the bungalow. It had dark wood paneling all around that gave it a rustic camping feel but with great amenities. So, basically tropical glamping?
At the end of a long day, I enjoyed returning to the room and just chilling, even though it didn’t have Wi-Fi. The beds were super cozy, the room was a good size, and the bathroom was great, too.
For an eco-stay, I was pleasantly surprised with the water pressure, temperature, and size of the shower. We could even flush our toilet paper (which cannot be said for every place in Costa Rica)!
Our shower did come with a small resident beetle, whom I affectionately named Dorado for his shiny gold wings lol But I honestly expected way more bugs, and this guy was very chill and stayed out of the way haha.
My only (minor) complaints were 1) our bungalow roof had a small leak during a particularly intense storm and 2) there was no Wi-Fi in the rooms. However, neither of them was an inconvenience. The leak was literally like ten water droplets, and they have a super-cozy Wi-Fi zone where you can chill when you need it.
Convenient Experiences
The final thing I loved about Montana de Fuego was the convenience of the experiences.
The hotel offers several complimentary excursions, including a bird-watching tour on their on-site trail, a farm visit, and a trip to a Maleku Tribe experience. These are free, and they even take care of shuttling when necessary.
We hiked a little of the trail on our own, and it had gorgeous mountain views, although we didn’t spot any wildlife. However, there are apparently sloths and monkeys living in the trees if you have a good eye!
The only thing we didn’t try on-site was the spa. We were just so busy, and I knew we were doing a volcanic mud treatment later in the week. However, if we’d had the time, I would have loved to try out their massages and facials!
Go Adventure Park
I’m not entirely sure of the relationship here, but the hotel also has some partnership with Go Adventure Park across the street. We booked a ziplining tour with Go Adventure, but our meeting place was the hotel lobby, which was incredibly convenient. They offer several paid tours, including ziplining, ATVs, and horseback riding.
Our ziplining tour ended in the rainforest right next to the Maleku Tribe experience, so we took a detour there to learn about them and see some of the cool items they create.
Closing Thoughts About Montana de Fuego
If you’re going to visit La Arenal, I highly recommend booking your stay at Montana de Fuego. We had such a positive experience, and the on-site amenities are fantastic.
I loved the mix between our simple bungalow and the unique tropical amenities around the resort. Everything was just so different from anything I’ve ever experienced.
Now, if you’re looking for a luxury vacation with lots of stuff to do indoors… Costa Rica probably isn’t the destination for you. However, several resorts around town seemed to offer more of a typical “luxury” experience if that’s your thing.
Personally, it was great to be so deep in nature with every step, and I loved the hotel’s focus on sustainable tourism.
Stay tuned over the next several weeks for the rest of my Costa Rica series! Last week, it kicked off with How to Make Your Trip to Costa Rica a Success: A Packing Guide. Next week, I’ll share details of our rainforest ziplining and rappel tour with Go Adventure Park.
The Pura Vida Series:
Everything you Need to Know About the Mistico Hanging Bridges
Into the Rainforest: A Trek Through Sloth’s Territory
An Exciting Zip Line & Rappel Tour in La Fortuna
Addicted to Coffee & Chocolate? You’ll Love This Tour!
How to Make Your Trip to Costa Rica a Success: A Packing Guide
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Thanks for reading, and see you next time! Pura Vida!
