Birding in Costa Rica - Tabacon Resort
If you´re going to be birding in Costa Rica, I *highly* recommend visiting the Tabacon Resort by the Arenal Volcano. You get gorgeous views of the volcano and relaxing hot springs, too!
When we stayed there in Dec 2004 we scoured the web for specials, but in the end we had to simply order the room from their website. That's OK, though. While the price might seem higher than the other hotels in the Arenal volcano area, it includes a full buffet breakfast and two full entries to their hot springs area. That alone is worth about $80-$100, making the resort much cheaper in total than other area spots.
View from our Hotel Room
Definitely ask for a volcano view room. It is WELL worth it. There is a high chance of clouds being around, and you never know when they will blow away. The lava is most visible (or perhaps solely visible) at night. During the day the volcano simply looks black, if you can even see it. So by having a room that faces it all night, you have the best possible chance of actually spotting lava. We were amazingly lucky that we had clear skies for our one day there.
The restaurants were wonderful, offering traditional Costa Rican fare and service with a smile. The hot springs were simply amazing, the water wending from pool to pool of soothing water, each nook tucked in with tropical plants and a view of the volcano. I can see how people spend days and days soaking here, enjoying the view and atmosphere.
waterslide from restaurant to pool, with volcano in background
one of the natural hot spring pools
We saw hummingbirds from our porch, other birds flitting around the various locations, and the surrounding jungle was simply alive with song. It was a true paradise location. Well worth a visit!
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