A girl in Costa Rica - ziplining adventure

After our one-night stay in the Arenal Observatory Lodge, we drove a few miles away to where we'd be spending the next few nights: the Los Lagos resort. What the Los Lagos lacked in terms of seclusion and a sense of being cocooned in nature, which the Arenal Lodge had in spades, it made up for in terms of its convenient proximity to the La Fortuna city, and its own unique appeal.

The property is known for its hot springs, with water corralled from underground into a variety of man-made pools with ranging temperatures to suit your preference. Our room was in a standalone bungalow that houses two separate guest rooms and which backs up to the forest. The room was also halfway up a steep hill which made for a great calf and butt work out after a few days!

Zip lining was a convenient stroll from our room to the on-site zip lining outfitter. While the various zip lining/canopy outfitters claim theirs is the fastest, tallest, etc., it's hard to tell. All I know is the Los Canones zip lining tour was great. There are 8 different platforms with sweeping views of the forest from the top of the canopy. We loved it. Here's a view from the treetops with the zip line extending through the center:

Other highlights of staying at Los Lagos:

• You're surrounded by wildlife. On the property alone, we saw (and heard) howler monkeys in the trees outside our room, were joined for meals by large, skittish lizards and iguanas.

• The property also has a butterfly garden, crocodile farm, ant farm and frog farm. The word "farm" is used loosely to describe the single crocodile pen, small frog enclosure and somewhat sparse ant farm. However, we loved the butterfly garden; it was quite magical to be surrounded by so many butterflies and hummingbirds.

 

• Complimentary breakfast buffet was good; we ate at the restaurant several times during our stay as well and the food was tasty.
• Whether you're traveling with kids or are simply a kid at heart, you should go down the pool slide. There are three, and while the larger one looks tame, it does catch you by surprise. First you're thinking, "eh, no big deal." The next thing you know, you're slipping and sliding around curves and twists through tunnels only to emerge - suddenly - straight into the pool. Remember to hold your breath!