Hotel Review by Ann, "The Costa Rica Expert" The Rio Celeste Hideaway Hotel -Luxury in the Jungle located on the banks of the Rio Celeste (Blue River) in NorthCentral Costa Rica.
If you are looking for rest and tranquility in a beautiful tropical setting, this exactly what you will find at the Rio Celeste Hideaway Hotel. Once you get settled in you won’t want to leave.
We spent three days there in the month of July and we felt we could have stayed longer.
tThe such as free internet access in the dining room and lounge (not inside the rooms) Cable TV and DVD player in each room. Plus numerous good movies you can check out at the front desk. Phones in each room for local calls within Costa Rica. And even a phone in the lobby where you can call the USA free.
The accommodations are luxury bungalow style and very spacious. Each bungalow has a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom as well a fun outdoor shower set in a tropical garden. Flowering plants, ruby red ginger and lavender bougainvillea are everywhere-”a feast for sore eyes”
Each room has a fully stocked mini bar.
The large swimming pool has two hot tubs plus a swim up bar.
The lunch and dinner is served in an open air dining room surround with lush green tropical vegetation. The menu is gourmet and not overly priced. Lunch is around $12 and dinner is around $15-$20 per person without alcoholic beverages. The service was excellent.
A lovely breakfast comes with the price of the rooms: Fresh fruit, homemade breads, fresh jams and jelly made from tropical fruits grown in the region, Costa Rican Coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice. And all this is served in the open air dining room where you can hear all the sounds of nature. We sat leisurely each morning listening to the symphony of bird sounds and around 8:30 am we took a walk down the path carved out by the hotel gardeners to the banks of the Rio Celeste. (Blue River) And Yes, it really is blue. Seems that it picks up sulfur as it meanders out of the base of the Tenorio Volcano, and the sunlight shining thru the clear sulfuric water gives it the sky blue color.
You can also enter the Tenorio Volcano (inactive) National Park which is near by and hike to the Rio Celeste waterfall and swim in the blue waters. However this is not an easy hike and takes about two hours. So just remember you need to be in good shape and have good tennis or hiking boots. (and a change of clothes if you wish to swim in the waterfall.
It rains a lot in this region, main reason why everything is so lush and green. So which months are the best to visit the Rio Celeste Hideaway Hotel? Least amount of rain is January thru March however during the other months the sound of the rain is soothing to many people. Best thing is to get up very early and do the hikes when the sun is brightly shining and then settle in for an afternoon of swimming in the pool or just resting-watch a movie or read a book.
Rio Celeste Hideaway Hotel offers several day tours in the region- which are listed on their web site and of course you have to pay extra for these, And you can pay with a major credit card.
So what would I recommend after having spent 3 nights here? I would say the minimum stay would be 3 nights It is a destination itself. Place to relax, unwind, be pampered, Massage is available by appointment.
And if you like -- take some of the adventure day tours. After being here one day you forget about the real world outside and settle into the natural surroundings. The name Hideaway suits it well--you feel like you have "hidden-away."
Getting to the lodge is an adventure itself. The last 15 miles is a very bumpy rocky road.
Which airport should I fly into? If you are staying in the Northwest -North Central part of Costa Rica (where the Rio Celeste Hideaway Lodge is located) then the Liberia International Airport, located in the northern Guanacaste zone of Costa Rica. It’s about 3 hours by minibus or 4x4 to the Rio Celeste Hideaway Lodge.
I wouldn’t try to drive there in a regular automobile. The last part of the road to the Hotel is dirt-rocky and bumpy.
If you have other activities in the Central Valley of San Jose and Alajuela area you should fly into the San Joe International Airport. But the journey to the Lodge from these areas is a long one. (around 5-6 hours) And quite pricey if you hire transportation. If you are renting a car, first drive to La Fortuna going thru San Ramon. From there follow the directions to Rio Celeste Hideaway Lodge on the hotel’s web site.
Read more about the unique Rio Celeste Hideaway Lodge www.riocelestehideaway.com There you will see prices and room accommodations
Read more about Tenorio Volcano National Park www.costarica-nationalparks.com/tenorionationalpark.html
Beautiful photos of Rio Celeste www.ruralcostarica.com/photos4.html
