Leaves & Lizards was exactly what we hoped it would be. It is off the beaten path which is what we wanted. Driving through La Fortuna we were so glad we weren't staying there. The drive wasn't bad probably 40 minutes from La Fortuna.

Unfortunately Deb was in California while we were there. Steve was great though. He didn't know we were expecting dinner when we got there. So we had to drive back to town for dinner.

Our cabin was awesome. Very clean and very comfy bed. Gorgeous property. Would have had perfect view of the volcano but it was too cloudly while we were there.

Our first day we did a horse back ride to the waterfall with Giovani and Cheeto. They were awesome! Pointed out all kinds of wild life, frogs, sloths. Ate fresh papayas, and swung on vines like Tarzan & Jane. Then we got to a gorgeous private waterfall and got to swim in the rain. By far one of our favorite things that we did while in Costa Rica.

Loved Leaves and Lizards and will definately be back!

My husband and I stayed in the Monkey Cabin for 2 nights and wished we had a few more! It was towards the end of our 2 week stay (first time) in Costa Rica, and we decided we should have allotted more time for this area. I really don't know what we can add to previous reviews, we agree with all the good things everyone else has said about Leaves and Lizards! We very much enjoyed Debbie and Steve's hospitality, and the entertaining expertise of Geovany, the guide on our early morning bird watching excursion (worth getting up at 5 AM for!) and also translator on our horseback ride to the waterfall. We plan on coming back..... although we had a fantastic view of the volcano, we did not have enough time to actually get closer to it. We'll have to save that for a return trip!

Muchas Gracias!

My husband and I stayed at Leaves and Lizards for 2 nights. We had a great stay but what made our visit the best was our day out with the guide Giovanni. Giovanni works for Steve and Debbie and is truly a fascinating and kind individual. He took us out for an entire day of animal watching, With his high powered telescope we saw tucans, sloths, monkeys, birds, you name it.
Our accomodations were nice and clean, we stayed in the volcano cabin. Breakfast was the same two days in a row, I didn't think it was anything special. We ate dinner at La Pollera which is at the base of the dirt road- I reccommend eating dinner there or getting it to go- for the two nights we had an inexpensive and delicious dinner that we brought back to our cabin. There were no volcano views because of the clouds and overall we had a nice visit. From Arenal we went to Monteverde which was the best part of our trip. I highly reccommend staying at El SOl in Monteverde!!!!

This is rural tourism at its best. If you want to see the real Costa Rica, interact with local people, and have nature right outside your door, then Leaves and Lizards is for you. The accommodations were clean, spacious and the beds very comfortable. Steve and Debbie are great hosts and are very accommodating in helping customize your vacation. Nothing beats the serenity and traquility of sitting out on your balcony (we stayed in the Monkey cabin) viewing the volcano and having toucans, hummingbirds and other birds flying by.
Don't miss the horseback ride to the private waterfall to a neighbouring farm. What a unique experience to swim up to the waterfall without the crowds you get at other sites.
The food was great - it's nice to experience local cuisine.
Do make sure you spend some time with Giovanni, their nature guide, whether it be on a volcano hike, Cano Negro boat tour, or a guided bird/wildlife tour right on the property.
It was a great experience for our children (ages 12 & 14) to see nature up close and realize the importance of preserving our environment.
We would highly recommend Leaves and Lizards to anyone looking for a more active and interactive vacation.