Nepenthe B&B

Nepenthe is a cute, quiet retreat with a great view of Arenal Lake and Arenal volcano. The highlights for us were the views, the birds, and the onsight restaurant, The Phoenix. The rooms themselves were cozy but could use more amenities (dishes, a small stove, and more seating). Our family used two rooms, and one did not have screens on the doors. The birds, flowers, landscaping, pool, and views are outstanding. The staff was extremely friendly, especially the Phoenix staff. It was also fun to meet others staying there and sharing stories.

Nepenthe is a gem. You need to grab this stay for as long as it stays a gem, the owners are getting older and are actively trying to sell. Make this trip, you will not regret it. Stay for the week, there is plenty to do around Arenal, do not spend hours driving that you could spend listening to the howler monkeys, watching the toucans every morning, or enjoying the oropendola living their day.

Ok stay Great view. Staff were sweet and helpful. Massage on-site was top-tier. Room was comfortable but ants lined counter of kitchen all the way across to pantry. Noticed after they invaded our snacks. 4x4 a MUST.

Not the smoothest of steep roads up the hill but well worth it when you get there. Takes about ten minutes off the main road so not handy if you are heading in and out all the time but so secluded and quiet when you are there. The view alone is worth the effort. The spacious room was more than adequate.

This place was exactly what we were looking for in a home base for a first trip to Costa Rica. We stayed here in November 2023. First of all, it is way up a winding hill, but that's the reason it has such an incredible view of all of Lake Arenal, and sometimes the volcano. This is probably also why the food prices are a little steep, having to bring everything up a large hill can't be easy. That being said, the food was soooo good. The chef, Luiza (If I remember correctly) is so good. Every dish we had was great, the typical Costa Rican breakfast was so good and hardy before a day of hiking. The pool was so lovely to sit in and enjoy the view. There's also this lovely porch next to the pool that has its own seating area that was amazing day and night (so many fireflies and hummingbirds). The staff was lovely and very helpful and so so nice. The rooms were honestly great, it's not extremely fancy but we didn't want that. The shower was great and spacious, the bed was comfy, and the sound of rain at night was like a giant white noise machine. I would definitely stay here again if we didn't want to explore the rest of the country! Perfect location for hiking and exploring the Arenal area.

Important thing is the access road to the property. You need a high clearance vehicle (SUV) to drive on the 2km none-paved hilly road. Property is generally okay with a nice view. Breakfast is good from their own restaurant but not the expensive pizza for dinner they made on pre cooked crust.