Rio Perdido

Stylishly designed and environmentally sustainable, the 30 forest bungalows at Rio Perdido Hotel & Thermal River provide a peaceful retreat amidst the awe-inspiring beauty of Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province. Each bungalow at the lodge is accessed by elevated pathways that connect to general hotel pathways and hiking trails; they are built in order to ensure minimal environmental impact. The design is warm and clean, with wood accents, stainless steel, nylon rope and polished concrete floors.

• 452 square feet in size
• 2 twin beds on industrial rollers
• King sized bed can be made by pushing the twin beds together
• A trundle underneath one of the twin beds
• Couples, solo travellers and parents with one child can be accommodated
• Mini fridge/coffee station
• Work desk and chair
• Multimedia area with a flat-screen TV and a closet
• Complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi
• Safe
• Air conditioning
• Hair dryer
• Bathroom offers lighted makeup mirror, floor-to-ceiling sandblasted windows, showers with ceramic tile and glass finishing
• Private terrace with a hammock

• 750 square feet in size
• One king sized bed and 2 twin beds
• Accommodates a couple or family
• Hand-crafted furniture
• Mini fridge/coffee station
• Work desk and chair
• Floor is made of locally quarried volcanic rock tiles
• High definition projector with cable channels
• Complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi
• Safe
• Air conditioning
• Hair dryer
• Side-by-side outdoor showers accessed only through the bathroom with 100% privacy for users
• Private terrace

• 750 square feet in size
• 2 queen sized beds
• Accommodates couples and family
• Hand-crafted furniture
• Mini fridge/coffee station
• Work desk and chair
• Floor is made of locally quarried volcanic rock tiles
• High definition projector with cable channels
• Complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi
• Safe
• Air conditioning
• Hair dryer
• Side-by-side outdoor showers accessed only through the bathroom with 100% privacy for users
• Private terrace

Dine in the open-air restaurant and experience the variety of sustainable food and beverages. Enjoy meals made from homegrown and organic produce and replenish your glass with the mineral rich well water from the property that has been thoroughly treated through a three-tier purification process. Start off your day with a complimentary breakfast which can consist from omelettes, French toast and waffles, to cereal and fruit if you’re not feeling particularly hungry. Take a break when you sit down to lunch to savour the Costa Rican dishes including casado and marinated beef loin with criollo dressing. Venture to the bar for an evening cocktail to relax at the end of the day, followed by a appetising dinner. Enjoy all of this with the spectacular views of the forest that surrounds the restaurant.

Sail through the Rio Blanco canyon , soar among the trees and truly experience what it could be like to fly. This adventure based experience includes:

• 15 platforms, including 6 rock-based platforms and 9 suspended from the canyon walls
• A pendulum cable
• A 15-metre Tarzan swing
• A 27-metre challenge bridge
• 4 via ferratas with lengths varying from 5 metres to nearly 15 metres
• 5 zip lines with varying lengths from 80 metres to over 245 metres
• Water station in the middle of the circuit

Glide through the fresh waters of Rio Perdido, surrounded by the awe-inspiring white walls of the canyon. Allow excitement to rush through your body as you drift through narrow gaps of the canyon, hear the echoes bouncing off the walls, experience the sounds of the wildlife as you hear the flutter of birds, monkeys communicating to each other and other large mammals that will occasionally announce their presence. Hot water spouts can be spotted along the eastern rock walls and there may be some rapids along the way.

Yurro Waterfall

Take a short hike, 1 kilometre from the hotel, to the Yurro Waterfall along the flat trail which will take you across the main hanging bridge. Witness the beautiful scenery as you arrive at the top of the waterfall but be careful not to walk along the rocks as they tend to be too slippery and steep to explore.

The Medicinal Spring

To reach the spring, you will venture on a 2.5 kilometres walk from the hotel along a trail which goes beyond the Yurro Waterfall, through the Miravalles dry forest and then to a denser, taller forest in which the spring is located. The local people who have lived in Montano and Santa Fe areas for long periods of time consider the waters within this spring to have healing properties.

Mesa Norte- Panoramic Lookout

A hike of 3.5km out and back begins with a walk through the woods leading to an uncovered trail and then takes you onto a steeper climb for 250 metres, finally ending at a small, flat mesa. When stood at the top of the mesa, see the sights of the Guanacaste volcanoes, including the Miravalles, the Rincon de la Vieja, and the Tenorio. Lacking in light pollution in the area, the skies are clear at night so this is the perfect place to go stargazing and witness the natural light pouring from the sky above as it lights up the world beneath.

Las Tumbas- Panoramic Lookout

The walk to this point consists of a shorter walk at 5 kilometres from the hotel, or a longer walk at 8-10 kilometres for those more advanced and wanting a challenge. From here you can gaze upon the eroded volcanic rock formations, a variety of hollowed stones and the natural beauty of the ridges that surround the area.

A single track is offered for riders to use as a circuit that flows through the property, paths with monolithic rock, fun berms and tricky descents. Along the circuit are solid rock segments, raw earth, sand, bridges, ramps, banks and a few downhills in the advanced circuit. There are different routes available to the riders that range from 8 kilometres for those who want to have an easy ride, and 20 kilometres for those wanting a more advanced ride. Those who are have more experience in riding are welcome to enjoy the routes alone, but for others it is strongly recommended to request a professional guide to accompany you.

As part of the new initiative “meditation done right”, the hotel has undertaken a new feature of cliffside pods; there are 4 of these designated pods, situated in the cliffside and 140 feet above the thermal river. Providing an intimate and personal experience, there is a maximum capacity of 18 people plus the expert instructor allowed in the pods. Relax in a peaceful, meditative environment, taking in the breath taking views that surround you.

The hotel wants guests to remain conscious of this magical setting and thus, designed bungalows that would allow most elements to permeate through the unit’s four sides. The ever-present breezes, the crisp light, the sounds of the surrounding forest, these are elements that they sought to preserve while insuring comfort to their guests. More importantly, these elements practically force peace upon guests. The hotel puts an emphasis on balance with nature and the importance of the environment within the services it offers.

There isn’t much left of the tropical dry forest and dwarf forest ecosystems, both of which are significantly more threatened than the world’s rainforests. Regeneration is much slower in a dry forest that is clear so at Rio Perdido they focus on sustainable transplanting. Rio Perdido is located in the regions most sun-drenched area so they have made it their mission to irrigate the younger transplants. To do so, they use most of their treated residual water as well as circulated pool water. There has been a noticeable difference as this treatment has proven to be successful but the biggest difference is within the wildlife who have found a home in these forests as their presence is always increasing.