We had arranged a private transfer from the airport to our hotel in Arenal to maximize our time. I scheduled ahead with LiberiaAirport Taxis. They never showed up! We got off the plane and were completely bombarded by other companies. It was an automatic nightmare. "Hello! Where are you going! Come with me! Come here! Good price! Going to the beach?? Its nice there! Let me take your bag! Where is your transportation? Come I'll take you!" AH! BACK OFF! I emailed them, then found a phone number but needed a phone for long distance...and someone to translate! Finally we found someone to help assist getting ahold of our company. "Sorry your driver will be there in 5 minutes."... Then 10 minutes...then 10 more minutes. Enough! We waited nearly an hour then finally took one of the competitors. Ugh! Finally on the road. After a 5 hour flight we were now on a 4 hour car trip.
What a scenic drive! As you drive further the landscape changes immensely. Dry, flat, & hot to green, lush, mountains. We drove around a beautiful lake and lots of postcard worthy mountain views.
We also saw these little guys! Coatis!
We stayed at Cerro Chato Ecolodge in Arenal. The view in front of the hostel was great! It is a family owned hostel with private rooms, or huts, actually. Miguel the owner is very helpful. He was always there to answer questions or offer assistance. This is the volcano in front of the property. It was cloudy for our stay but still awesome. We planned around the area, not just on viewing the volcano.
From the hostel you could walk into town. About 10-15 minutes to the grocery store and some restaurants. For $5 you could take a cab to the downtown area.
After signing in we walked to town. Ordering vegan was a bit of a challenge, much easier if you know Spanish. Jeff knew enough to get us by. Lots of rice and beans!
Stray dogs are everywhere, well fed ones too. We passed some puppies! And we had a visitor on our room window.
Cerro Chato Ecolodge rooms & pool
After eating at a "soda" (fast food restaurant) we stopped by the grocery store for snacks. Then headed back to the hostel. We walked the backyard, put our feet in the pool, took in our surroundings and went to bed. It poured all night into the early morning and was relaxing to sleep to.
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