Day 4- Arenal Volcano

We had our typical wake up call of the howler monkeys but didn’t get up until about 7:30 a.m. We packed up to get ready for our next visit, Arenal Volcano!  We had our fruit plate with bread and pastries this morning and of course our fresh made coffee!  We have now named the evening coffee monkey coffee as John had nightmares that 1000 of monkeys were trying to get in our room; he said it was the coffee he drank after dinner.

We walked around the hotel for the last look of this paradise! Our last look on our balcony listening to the birds & the river was so beautiful and peaceful.  It was a perfect way to begin the trip: very relaxed and enjoyed nature at the Rio Celeste Hideaway.  Other tours they have available are to Cano Negro, Palo Verde, Tenorio Safari float and white water rafting and of course bird watching!

We were met at 10 a.m. for our journey to Arenal.  The journey was 25 minutes on a terrible stone road and then 25 minutes on a not so bad stone road, and then we had pavement for another 45 minutes until we made it to Arenal Paraiso.

We checked in at the hotel and got to our room where we were disappointed coming from the Rio Celeste Hideaway to this was as different as night and day.  But part of the adventure!

The hotel is located on the Northern Area of Costa Rica, right in front of the Arenal Volcano. The beauty of the scenery in this area mixes perfectly with the exuberance of our gardens and the singularity of our 118 rooms.  The contrasts we offer you go from the canopy tour adrenaline to the serenity and rest of our thermo-mineral water, walking tours to observe really close and safely the volcano; the sensations of our spa, the natural paths and the Costa Rican gastronomy flavors along with the international cuisine.

We left the room and went to eat lunch and walk around the area.  John ordered a hamburger and we got a good laugh when it actually had HAM on it.  I had an avocado salad with his ham!

At 2 p.m. it started raining and our canopy tour was at 3 p.m.!  It was still raining a bit but we were ready for the tour anyway.  They suited us up to get ready for the tour.  The excitement begins with a short walk to the first platform.  This canopy tour is thought to be one of the best in Costa Rica.  There are 14 different platforms, you can do 2 and if you are scared like me you can quit!  Or adventurous like John you can finish the next 12 platforms.

The cables sail over 350 meters long, and 80 meters high, making this adventure unforgettable.  Towards the end of the ride you will fly over the Arenal River to the last platform.  At the end a tractor was waiting with some snacks and returned back to the hotel.  John was so dirty from head to toe as it was still raining - so we returned to the room and we sat out on the porch in the rocking chairs and watched the clouds travel around the volcano.  After dinner we returned to the porch and got ready for the next day’s adventure – ATV ride and kayaking on Lake Arenal.