On a visit to Costa Rica in 2007, I stayed two nights at Casa Rio Blanco Ecolodge. One night was my first night in the country. We rented a car and stayed here because it was a convenient stopover between San Jose and the Caribbean coast. What a great decision. It was a little more than I like to spend (I'm a bit of a budget traveller), but it was worth every penny. First of all, our hosts, Annette and Herbie, were truly wonderful. They are extremely friendly, funny, accommodating, down-to-earth, etc. We loved them. Annette is a very good cook, and he kept us entertained. Herbie gave us a great tour of the gardens. Honestly, I liked them so much, I miss them. They are so warm and open, it was like instant friends.
I stayed in one of the "cabinas in the clouds." The cabin was all wood inside. Pretty much one entire wall was a big window screen, with the jungle on the other side. It felt very rustic and cosy and romantic. There was a big porch to sit on and gaze into the jungle. There even little signs marking interesting plants on or near our porch (e.g. vanilla). I was in Costa Rica to get married, and this was the most romantic place we stayed. Very private. Your own little jungle get-away.
We stayed here again on our way from the Caribbean to Arenal. I was with a fairly large group, and this was everybody's favourite place that we stayed in Costa Rica. Now my sister fries plantains like Annette, and my mother fries cabbage like Annette.
They have a trail down to the river and it is a nice little hike. We didn't have much time, but we went down and saw a couple blue morpho butterflies and lot of tiny tiny frogs on the rocks. We saw a very impressive bird beside the dining area but I forget the name! Maybe a motmot?