Tabacon Thermal Resort and Spa

Follow warm streams through Arenal’s rainforest gardens

At Tabacon Thermal Resort and Spa, warm streams wind through rainforest and tropical gardens, turning a soak into part of experiencing the landscape. Facing Arenal Volcano, this five-star Virtuoso-group resort gives an Arenal vacation a distinctive center of gravity: the thermal water, the gardens around it and the invitation to spend an unhurried day among them.

Let the springs shape the day

Hotel guests have complimentary access to the thermal hot springs. Choose natural stream areas or larger pools, explore the different temperatures, and pause at the lounge areas between soaks. A swim-up bar and waterslide add another side to the hot-springs setting, while cold-water swimming pools give you a refreshing alternative.

The award-winning Spa at Tabacon occupies private bungalows among trees and gardens close to the natural springs. Massages, treatments, facials and hot-springs enhancements give you ways to extend the quieter rhythm of the stay. There is a lovely logic to keeping a day here open: some time in the water, a treatment if you wish, then another turn through the gardens.

Dining beneath the trees

Ave del Paraiso, near the hot-springs area, serves Costa Rican and international cooking, with à la carte lunch and a dinner buffet. Los Tucanes, on the main hotel grounds, offers a more refined international dining setting, where gentlemen are encouraged to dress appropriately. Ephemeral Table adds a private dining experience in an open-air rainforest bungalow. Reservations are recommended for each dining option.

Four bars and snack stations add choices around the resort, including Arenal Pool Bar, Cana Brava in the hotel lobby and the adults-only Shangri-La Gardens Bar. In the rooms and suites, air conditioning, cable television, an in-room safe, an espresso machine, a mini-fridge, hairdryer and internet are among the familiar comforts. Compare the individual room details before choosing: Rainforest Rooms, Volcano View Suites and Private Pool Suites are designated adults only.

Explore, then return to the warm water

The Arenal Volcano region invites you onto volcano-base trails and down to the base of La Fortuna Waterfall’s 200-foot cascade for a swim. Fishing on Lake Arenal gives you the chance to pursue rainbow bass, also called Guapote, and machaca. Around La Fortuna, canopy ziplines, rafting, canyoneering and ATV trips bring a more active pace. Hanging bridges and volcano-base trails create opportunities to look for toucans, monkeys and sloths. A safari float on the Rio Penas Blancas or a boat trip at Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge changes the perspective again, leaving the springs and gardens waiting when you return. Choose a few outings that appeal, and give Tabacon time to be part of the vacation itself.