Cordilleras Volcanoes
Fonda Vela
The Fonda Vela hotel is set in 35 acres of lush rainforest and verdant pastures. The main building has been constructed with local hardwoods and has 28 spacious rooms with large vista windows and attractive hardwood flooring. Each room also has private hot water bathrooms and comfortable interiors with mini-bar, cable TV, telephone, tea and coffee making facilities.
There is a bar and good restaurant with homely open fireplace serving tasty local dishes. Other facilities include an indoor swimming pool and two relaxing Jacuzzis. There are trails leading into the forest from the hotel gardens where parrots, toucans and occasionally quetzals and bellbirds can be seen. The hotel has its own bird feeders and there are occasional visits from inquisitive white-nosed coatis and racoons. The hotel strives for best practice and uses only sustainable and recycled products, solar power and has instigated a 20-year reforestation plan.
The hotel provides excellent accommodation for a visit to the Monteverde cloud forest reserve. The 10,500-hectare non-profit primary cloud forest reserve is one of the finest birdwatching locations in the country – here you can see the resplendent quetzal and a wealth of other fauna and flora.
The high altitude forest around the hotel is often shrouded in mist and is quite cool. Light wet weather protection is recommended as well as a sweater for the chilly nights.
Facilities
Private bathrooms, restaurant, bar, lounge, indoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, mini-bar, cable TV, telephone, laundry service,
Local Wildlife
Over 400 species of birds including 30 species of hummingbirds, mantled howler monkey, three-toed and two-toed sloths, six species of cat, white-nosed coatis and abundant reptiles and amphibians.
Optional Activities
Hiking in the Montverde Cloud Forest Reserve and excursions to the less visited Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. Horse riding, zip lining, canopy walk, coffee production tour and visits to a herpetarium (frog breeding centre) and butterfly house.
John Melton
Area Specialist
Make sure you visit both the Monteverde and Santa Elena reserves: the latter is a lot quieter and provides great views of the Arenal volcano.
If you have any questions regarding our Costa Rica tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
[My girlfriend] suggested I ‘write up’ our impressions of our recent trip to Costa Rica.. .here goes! Starting at the very beginning, our arrival at San Jose…was a really good introduction to the general efficiency of the country and of [your representatives] in particular…The [hotel] was a great choice…our guide on our mountain walk was exceptional… Once again our timetable was spot-on… [The Dominical lodge] is a magical place.. .a definite must in our book… [The Osa lodge] is located in a beautiful situation and the accommodation is really amazing…the meals are good…the trips well worth doing…If you have any clients who would like to ask us for our impressions don’t hesitate to suggest they contact us, we’ll be only too pleased to let them know of such wonderful places and delightful people. Again, thank you for putting together a memorable fortnight for us.