Baldi Resort

Baldi Resort, a hot springs park outside La Fortuna

Baldi is where you go at Arenal when the whole point is the water. You walk in past steaming pools, tropical gardens and swim up bars, and from there the pools keep going up the hill in every size, shape and temperature. It suits families with energy to burn and anyone who wants to soak for hours with the volcano close by.

Why we choose it

• Thermal pools everywhere. Baldi has a long chain of thermal pools across the property, some with warm waterfalls you can sit under like a massage.
• A kids' zone of their own. Children get a separate area with its own pool, water slides and a game park, so parents can soak in peace.
• Ground floor rooms by the gardens. The Superior rooms open onto balconies over the gardens, a short walk from the pools.

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Rooms and views

There are three kinds of room: Superior Rooms, Deluxe Rooms and the Junior Suite. The Superior rooms are on the ground floor, which helps with small children and heavy bags, while the Deluxe rooms are up on the fourth level, with garden or volcano views. Rooms have a TV, a phone and a hair dryer, and big, comfortable beds.

On the property

The pools are the reason to stay. Some have waterfalls pouring in, some have swim up bars, and further up the hill the hotter pools have submerged stone beds to lie on. The steam caves, with hot water falling from a stone ceiling, are the place to ease your legs after a day of hiking. The water slides are not for the timid.

The Aqua Spa does massages, facials and wraps to the sound of running water, and the restaurants serve local and international food.

One thing to know: Baldi sells day passes, so the pools are shared with visitors who are not staying at the hotel, and they are livelier than the quiet hot springs at smaller hotels.

Location and getting there

Baldi is on the road between La Fortuna and the volcano, so town, the waterfall and the tours are all close. Liberia and San José are each about 3 hours away by road, and we arrange the driver.

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