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“Phil’s Villa” is named in memory of Phillip Slosberg, a longtime guest at Arenal Observatory Lodge & Spa, who built this house and made it his home. Phil, as he was affectionately known, lived here with his wife, Jeanie, from 2008 to 2011.

Just around the bend on every trail at Arenal Observatory Lodge & Spa is a magnificent new view of the impressive Arenal Volcano and rainforest in Costa Rica.

The award-winning eco-lodge is uniquely located inside the Arenal Volcano National Park, directly between the massive volcano and Lake Arenal. Seven miles of mountain biking, horseback riding and hiking trails meander across the volcano lodge’s 870-acre property.

Explore our habitat and discover its riches
When it’s rainy in Costa Rica, you can be sure there will be plenty to do throughout the country.
Located at the foothills of the Arenal Volcano at an elevation of 350 ft above the sea level, Arenal Observatory Lodge is an eco-project farm with a friendly atmosphere that the whole family can enjoy during the trip.

The Aspinall Family came to Arenal in 1972 when the Costa Rican Electrical Institue (ICE) was building a dam to create Arenal Lake. At the beginning they had to either walk or ride by horses from the entrance of the National Park and decided to buy an abandoned cattle farm of about 870 acres to plant macadamia, lumber trees and protect the remaining natural forest.

The beautiful region of the northern plains of Costa Rica sits in the shadow of its more famous neighbor, Arenal Volcano, this volcano is so fascinating, delightful and the awe-inspiring natural character of the environment, immerses you in wildlife and the rainforest.

Each day of theweek for the last ten years, our bird specialist named Cristian organized a morning tour in the Arenal Observatory Lodge. Every morning, starting early, the tour begins with small talk to begin the walk-through of the property fields.

We are know how to put on a party – big time. If you are lucky enough to share a holiday or fiesta with our local people, it will add a whole new dimension to your vacation.

December – All month – the Lights Festival in San Jose features homes and business decotared with lights. Parades, concerts and nightly firework displays. The following activities can make your trip an unique experience:

For two days in September, the Arenal Observatory Lodge & Spa had the pleasure of hosting a workshop on birdwatching in collaboration with the Costa Rica Ornithology Association (Asociación Ornitologica de Costa Rica). In addition to our staff at the hotel, we invited members of the community to join us for one of two, four-hour long workshops providing an introduction into ornithology and the importance of birdwatching.

December 2013 – Arenal Annual Birding Count

The 1st Arenal Annual Christmas Bird Counts, sponsored by Arenal Observatory Lodge and conducted by International and local bird watchers, bird lovers and volunteers, were held throughout the Arenal area. The counts attempt to record every individual bird encountered within 8 different routes and during 8 hours of one calendar day during December 7, 2013. The Christmas Bird Counts identified 341 bird species only in Arenal surrounding area; this represents 38% of Costa Rica´s Biodiversity.

We had a very pleasant and enjoyable stay at the lodge and in the La Fortuna area in general. My group was especially pleased with their accommodations and I was happy with my room as well, even though my view was not quite as good and I couldn’t see the birds that they had so close to their rooms!

Highlights Exceptional location and views of Arenal Volcano. Eco friendly resort so you can get up close to the...

Want to know what it feels like to be just a couple miles away from the bottom of a volcano? You can find out if you...

Lake Arenal, Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

If you weren´t impressed by – or couldn´t see – the volcano, take a ride around Lake Arenal, Costa Rica´s largest lake at 33km/20miles long. The view of the countryside is wonderful.

The most spectacular and exciting feature of Costa Rica´s central and northern mountain ranges are the active volcanoes that form their high summits.Active not just a millennium or two ago; several of your friendly neighborhood volcanoes are still going strong. These are

Writen by Andrea MacEachern

The Final Leg of my Costa Rica Adventure – A Night at the Arenal Observatory Lodge & Spa, a Mighty Volcano and my First Run-in with a Very Poisonous Snake

Arenal Volcano is a very famous and an international tourist spot. It is known as the best holiday spot in Costa Rica.

The fertile Atlantic coast slope drains into the Caribbean Sea at Costa Rica´s remote northeastern border with Nicaragua, along the San Juan River. Here, the Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge and the 20,000 hectare Tortguero National Park, do their bit to protect their famous networl of canals, tributaries and the vast green, alluvial plain.

Lying on the southern flank of Arenal Volcano, just 2.7 km (1.7 miles) away at an elevation of 735 m (2.411 ft) above sea level, and enjoying spectacular views over Lake Arenal, Arenal Observatory Lodge is the ideal place to DISCOVER the volcano, EXPLORE nature, and RELAX in the hotel. The hill on which the Lodge lies rises above Agua Caliente (Hot Water) river and Danta (Tapir) creek. This is a significant topographical consideration because it means no lava flows can breach these and come up the river banks.

The most typical dish in all Costa Rica is “Gallo Pinto”, “red rooster”, a rice and bean dish served with breakfast and sometimes lunch. Different recipes include herbs or garlic, but the basic ingredients are always black beans and rice, bell peppers and onions.

Don´t pass up an opportunity to try Lizano, the Costa Rican imitation of English Worcestershire sauce. This piquant blend of vegetables, chiles, and sugar is used on almost everything, like ketchup. If you get addicted, it´s now available in the US on your grocer´s Spanish food shelf.

When traveling in the morning from San Jose to Arenal Volcano, and would like to enjoy the route to know more of Costa Rica, an excellent option is to visit the Poas Volcano National Park. The park offers parking, a history museum, hiking trails for a smooth fit for anyone where you can get to the viewpoint of the crater. There is also a path through the mountain that will take you to the Botos Lagoon is part of the attractions.

Cabo Blanco Aboslute Nature Reserve

Located in the southern side of the Nicoya Peninsula, Cabo Blanco is a national park of 1172hectares of forest and many kilometers of dramatic coastline and is home to hundreds of animal and plant species. This is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the Nicoya Peninsula.