Arenal & Northern Lowlands - Costa Rica - page 586

tain a clutch of luxuriously appointed rooms with huge solar-heated bathroom and private
terrace. The restaurant incorporates ingredients used in indigenous cuisine, many grown on
the premises.
What's really special about the lodge is the other attractions scattered about the grounds.
The Alma Ata Archaeological Park is a Maleku archaeological site, estimated to be around
600 years old. Currently about 70 small stone sculptures marking a burial field are being
excavated by Costa Rican archaeologists who have revealed a number of petroglyphs and
pieces of pottery. Nearby is the Sarapiquís Gardens & Museum ( www.sarapiquis.org ; self-
guided adult/child 4-16yr US$8/4, with guide US$15/8; 9am-5pm) , which chronicle the history
of the rainforest and of human interactions with it. It also displays hundreds of indigenous
artifacts. The gardens boast one of the largest scientific collections of medicinal plants in
Costa Rica.
La Quinta de Sarapiquí Lodge LODGE
( 2761-1052; www.laquintasarapiqui.com ; d incl breakfast US$95; )
At this family-run lodge on the banks of the Río Sardinal, covered paths crisscross the
landscaped garden, connecting thatched-roof, hammock-strung rooms. You can swim in
the pretty saltwater pool or in the nearby river swimming hole; observe the creatures in the
frog house, the caimen nursery and the butterfly garden; or hike the trails through second-
ary forest. Day passes are US$10.
Tirimbina Rainforest Center & Lodge LODGE
( 2761-1579; www.tirimbina.org ; d incl breakfast US$85-105; )
Located 2km from La Virgen, this is a working environmental-research and education cen-
ter. The spacious, comfortable accommodations are located at the lodge or at a more re-
mote field station. Tirimbina reserve has more than 9km of trails (access US$15/9 per
adult/child), and tours (US$22 to US$27) include bird-watching, frog and bat tours, night
walks and a recommended chocolate tour.
The 345-hectare private reserve is connected to the nearby Centro Neotrópico Sara-
piquís by two long suspension bridges. Halfway across, a spiral staircase drops to an island
in the river. Explore!