We arrived at the Lost Iguana Resort near La Fortuna after a 3-hour drive from San Jose. There was a slightly more direct route, but we diverted to the La Paz Waterfall Park for a 4-hour stop. We researched a lot about driving in Costa Rica (full disclosure; I don’t drive on our trips and relied on my husband to gauge his comfort with it). We expected the route to be filled with many sharp turns and that some roads may be unpaved and narrow. We found both to be true, but unlike some countries we’ve visited, all local drivers were operating in an orderly and courteous manner, especially as we navigated one-lane bridges. We had wayfinding service nearly the entire drive through Google Maps and Waze, which made it much less daunting if we had to reroute or missed a turn. Driving was an active and not passive sport; with full attention required for the many scooters, road bikes and motor coaches that shared the roads. We were also lucky we were traveling during daylight and good weather.

The Lost Iguana Resort was a 20-30 minute drive to downtown La Fortuna and most of the local tourist destinations. The drive between The Lost Iguana and La Fortuna passed large gift shops, resorts, and restaurants. We spent one afternoon in town for lunch and shopping.

There were many restaurants to choose from in downtown La Fortuna, and we found ourselves in a strip of small restaurants connected beneath a covered patio. While the town is well-known for its night life, there was also plenty of space for daytime visits with young children. The central square offered a large open park and an enclosed courtyard across the street had a playground and picnic tables for enjoying food from the nearby kiosks.

Lost Iguana Resort

The Lost Iguana Resort is on a large property west of the iconic Arenal Volcano and town of La Fortuna. There were many options for lodging in the area, from small hostels in town to large resorts along the hot springs. Because we had our own transportation, we opted for a remote rainforest experience with views of the volcano rather than lodging that was more convenient to the regional attractions and downtown La Fortuna. Each day our excursions had us drive 30-45 minutes back toward La Fortuna.

There were common spaces to enjoy throughout the resort, including outdoor patios both at the check-in area and attached to the small gift shop. The shop had toiletries and other items that travelers may need and it was convenient to have these options available without having to drive back into town.

Most, if not all, of the rooms at The Lost Iguana offered views of the Arenal Volcano from the patios. We booked one of the larger casitas with a kitchenette, living area, full and half bathroom and two bedrooms. The best part of the rental was the large back patio with a dining table, rocking chairs and a hot tub.

With an onsite spa, two pools, and two hiking trails, there were enough activities on the grounds of the resort that we could have easily spent a full day of equal parts activity and relaxation.

Wildlife & Hiking

The wildlife of Costa Rica was observable from both inside and outside our room. We knew people who had spent time and Costa Rica, so we weren’t surprised to find that small animals could easily find their way under through doorway entrances and other crevices. The most easily detectable animal (though unfortunately not by sight) was a common house gecko that loudly let out series of chirps in the middle of the night. We saw coatimundis both near our room and in the pool area.

We spent two hours on the 1-mile Jaguar Trail that led from the upper part of resort down to the river near the entrance. The well-kept trail crossed over two impressive suspended bridges. We saw one monkey, lizards, and many insects. We were especially fascinated by the trails of leafcutter ants that were carrying chopped leaves along distinct trails that had been worn into the paths. There was also a smaller Frog Trail near the entrance, but during the day we didn’t see many signs of amphibians being present. The area was likely far more active during the guided wildlife night tour that was available at an additional cost.

Dining

There were two options for dining (in addition to room service) at the resort and all shared a similar menu. The Blue Hibiscus offered a buffet breakfast (included with our stay) and table service dining at lunch and dinner. Smaller plates were served at the outdoor pool bar.