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Costa Rica is one of those destinations people dream of. Lost Iguana Resort in La Fortuna is the place you want to stay during your dream! I only had a few short days in Costa Rica and for me, La Fortuna was an easy choice. Set amongst the backdrop of Arenal Volcano it’s easy to understand why so many tourists visit this mountain town each year. Wanting to be as close to Mistico Park as possible I decided to stay at the close by resort Lost Iguana, keep reading for my review of Lost Iguana and why you should book your vacation right now!

Why stay at one of the resorts in La Fortuna Costa Rica?

If you’re a reader of my blog then you will know that you are more likely to find me in a tent in the jungle that you are to find me in a fancy resort. But every now and again I love to treat myself to something a bit special. I’m ever so slightly volcano obsessed and I love nothing more than a night or two in the jungle. This resort in La Fortuna ticked all of those boxes and more. I got a killer view of the most beautiful volcano in Costa Rica, I got to sleep in the Costa Rica jungle. There are plenty of hotels and hostels in La Fortuna Costa Rica but none of them could offer me views like this to wake up to… and did I mention the hot tub?

Arrival at Lost Iguana resort in Costa Rica

My journey to Costa Rica was a long one! I was traveling from the UK and had a 17-hour layover in New York with 3 changes in total! It took me over 30 hours to get to San Juan airport and a further 6 hours to get from San Jose to La Fortuna (more on that later)! So to say I was tired when I finally arrived at Lost Iguana tired was an understatement.

On arrival, I was offered a complimentary drink, which was delicious and just what I needed. It was evening and after check-in I was given a map of the grounds and information about breakfast. I was then driven to my accommodation in a golf buggy. A small thing but the relief I felt at not having to carry my backpack or find my way in the dark to the room was immense.

First Impressions of Lost Iguana Resort

My first impression was that this place was a little bit special. That was before I had even seen my room. I was welcomed with a fresh juice and a warm smile before being whisked off in a golf cart to my room. If you read my guide on how to get to La Fortuna from San Jose you will know I had spent 6 hours on a bus after 3 flights and a 14-hour layover. So this was very well received.

Entering my room I realized that this place wasn’t just a little bit special, it was really special! I was staying in a Luxury Suite.

My room at Lost Iguana

The room had everything you could possibly want. My bed was huge and don’t even get me started on the view I got to wake up to. There was a kitchen and bar area that came stocked with a mini bar. My balcony had two super cute rocking chairs and I just couldn’t get enough of that view. But the piece de resistance was my outside jacuzzi bath! Yes, that’s right I had a bath outside on my balcony with a view of the volcano.

 

The view from my balcony 

What I realized when I walked out on the balcony was that there was a view of the volcano, from my bed. This really excited me and I couldn’t wait to go to sleep just so I could wake up to that view. This view alone makes Lost Iguana one of the best hotels in La Fortuna for me.

And what a view it was at sunrise.

I genuinely could have just stayed in bed all day staring out to the view of Arenal Volcano. But the pull of breakfast was also strong!

The Restaurant in Lost Iguana

I only ate breakfast in the restaurant which was included in my stay. The menu is what I would expect from a Costa Rica resort like this. I opted for a traditional Costa Rican breakfast one morning and then a breakfast burrito the next. As I’m a vegetarian they were able to adapt the breakfast for me without fuss.

The coffee was excellent as was the service.

The cost of other meals in the restaurant was reasonable with meals around $10-$20. There was also room service on offer which I did not use. 

The resort pool 

There are actually 2 pools in the La Fortuna resort. One heated and one cold, with a swim up bar so you don’t have to get out to quench your thirst. Towels are available from the bar and there are plenty of sun loungers for you to relax and sunbath on.

The Spa at Lost Iguana

I didn’t have time to visit The Golden Gekko Spa sadly, so I am unable to offer a review of it. However, the treatments look luxurious and there are plenty of special offers and packages to choose from. One of the bonuses in staying at a resort in La Fortuna is having a spa service on site. 

The Walk

When I realized there was a trail around the grounds I got really excited. Walking around the resort was one of my favorite things to do in La Fortuna… apart from Mistico Park of course!

The I loved the location of Lost Iguana in La Fortuna and how extensive its grounds were. This has to be one of the top resorts in Costa Rica because of it’s location in the National Park.  The trail itself runs around the outside of the resort and takes you through a part of its jungle grounds where you will see some impressive sites including a few small waterfalls and a maze!

It was an easy walk with just a few uphill parts. There were also plenty of resting stops too.

Make sure you take plenty of water and wear closed shoes or hiking sandals.

Visiting Mistico Park

My reason for choosing to stay in a resort in La Fortuna was because of how close it was to Mistico Park. My real reason for being in Costa Rica.  Lost Iguana is the closest place to stay to Mistico Park. I have written a full review of my visit to the park which you can read I can’t recommend it enough. The park is walking distance, however, I was dropped off and picked up by the driver from Lost Iguana. Which I was really grateful for due to the rain. Take a read of my blog post about Mistico Park here.

Other activities to do in La Fortuna

In La Fortuna, you will find you are spoilt for choice for things to do. Lost Iguana are able to arrange all of the tours for you, taking the stress away from having to search around. Their top tours are:

• White Water Rafting
• La Fortuna Waterfall
• Tabacon Hot Mineral Pools
• Skytram Canopy Tours

For a full list of the trips, they can arrange for you visit their web page here.

Getting to Lost Iguana 

I always take the hard way to get from a to be. It’s part of my job as a travel blogger. However I would not recommend what I did (taking the public bus) for 2 reasons, it took 3 times as long for me to get there and I only saved around $10. Instead, I would recommend either hire a car or arrange for a shuttle. Even if you do decide to get a public bus to La Fortuna it will cost you $30 in a private taxi from the town to the resort.

Visiting Costa Rica during The Rainy Season

If you are thinking of going to Costa Rica in the rainy season my advice is to absolutely go. It doesn’t normally rain all day. If it had of done though there is nowhere I would have rather been that in my room in Lost Iguana looking out at Arenal Volcano! I wrote a post about traveling to Central America in the rainy season that you can read. The rain didn’t affect my visit at all, just take your umbrella!  

 

 

Final Thoughts

This is my favorite resort in Costa Rica. La Fortuna is an idyllic location. I really can’t recommend a stay in Lost Iguana enough. If you go there please also make sure you plan a full day of activities in Mistico Park too!

My only negative was that because it is a resort there isn’t much choice if you don’t want to eat in the resort.  You aren’t really in walking distance from any other restaurants. This is why I would highly recommend renting a car for your stay in Costa Rica. It’s by far the most convenient and cheapest way of being able to explore Costa Rica. Taxis are expensive, as are shuttles. Having a rental car will not only save you money but it will give you far more flexibility for your vacation.

I really hope you have enjoyed this review and I would love to hear from you if you are planning a trip to Lost Iguana. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions.

 

 

 

 

Traveling in Costa Rica and Central America?

Take a read of my top articles:

Things to do in La Fortuna Costa Rica | Mistico Park

Resorts in La Fortuna Costa Rica | My stay at the Lost Iguana Resort

What to pack for Central America

What to pack for The Rainy Season in Central America

10 Reasons to Travel Central America during Rainy Season

 

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