Hotel Belmar

Nestled in the mountains next to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, this handsome Austrian chalet-style hotel is a well-established property with a traditional feel. Views here are stunning, and the hotel strongly promotes sustainability and history.

The hotel is family run and has been in operation since 1985. Yet recent refurbishments have meant that the accommodation at Belmar has all the modern amenities you would expect from a 21st-century hotel. The rooms are tastefully decorated with hardwood fittings, and have floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies to maximise the magnificent views of the Nicoya Peninsula.

The newest suites are located in a separate building 100 metres from the lobby – great for those looking for some extra privacy.

Service here is excellent and the restaurant serves a great breakfast buffet and delicious evening meals. Enjoy cocktails and traditional Tico appetisers during the ever-popular Happy Hour.

Just south-west of the Arenal Volcano area along the Tilaran mountain range and just under a three hour (145 kilometres) from San Jose lies the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Home to over 100 species of mammals, 120 reptilian and amphibian species, 400 species of bird, and over 420 different types of orchid, this is life at its most concentrated, delicate and prolific.

The Monteverde joins onto another cloud forest in the area, named the Santa Elena Reserve. With six ecological zones Monteverde is one of the few remaining habitats that support all six species of the cat family – jaguars, ocelots, pumas, oncillas, margays, and jaguarundis – as well as the endangered three-wattled bellbird and resplendent quetzal. There are over eight miles (13 km) of trails to explore this reserve. The Santa Elena, which is the first community administered reserve in the country, has also been a very supportive habitat to the Spider Monkey which you can spot, plus on a clear day you can see the Arenal Volcano from its observation tower.