Sangregado Lodge
Glass-fronted units in a private rainforest 2 km east of the Arenal Lake Dam, family run
Sangregado Lodge, in its own rainforest 2 km east of the Arenal Lake Dam
Sangregado is a boutique ecolodge owned and run by a Costa Rican family, on 27 hectares of private rainforest at the foot of Arenal Volcano. The units stand on their own among the trees, each with a glass front, a terrace and a hammock, and the volcano fills the window. It suits couples and families who want Arenal quiet at night and a naturalist at the door at six in the morning, rather than a resort with a lobby bar.
Why we choose it
- The volcano from your bed. Floor-to-ceiling windows open to Arenal and the forest, and the hammock on the terrace faces the same way.
- A private reserve with its own guide. The Sangregado Inside Nature Walk runs only on the lodge's land, with a personal naturalist: a sunrise walk at 6:00 a.m. and a night walk at 6:00 p.m., 1 km each.
- Family owned, family sized. A Costa Rican family runs it, and the two-bedroom Family Villa, with a king bed and two queens, puts a whole family under one roof.
Rooms and views
Standard units have two queen beds behind floor-to-ceiling windows open to the volcano and the forest. Superior units have a king bed with the same view, the Junior Suites add a kitchenette, the Treetop unit sits at canopy height, and the Family Villa has two bedrooms. Every unit has its own terrace with a hammock, air conditioning, a safe, a TV and a hair dryer, and breakfast comes with the stay.
On the property
This is a lodge in a forest, so the property is the forest: 27 hectares of it, with trails where toucans, sloths and howler monkeys live alongside hundreds of bird species. The nature walk is the most booked thing the lodge offers.
Sangregado is a lodge rather than a resort: no restaurant and no pool, and evenings that are quiet because of it. Dinner is a drive into La Fortuna, about 20 minutes away. The family arranges outings with local operators, among them the Sky Tram and zip line, a gondola to the summit and then 7 ziplines down, the Eco Termales hot springs and the Místico Hanging Bridges, which we usually put on your first morning.
Location and getting there
The lodge is 2 km east of the Arenal Lake Dam, on the quieter side of the volcano, with the Arenal hot springs and the national park within a 10 to 20 minute drive. Fly into San José or Liberia and we arrange the private transfer from either. Read more about the Arenal Volcano.
Hotels we book in Arenal
From our own hotel records: stars, themes and amenities. Nothing here is a price.
| Sangregado Lodge | Lost Iguana Resort | Arenal Observatory Lodge | Chachagua Rainforest Hotel & Hacienda | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stars | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Volcano setting | Not listed | Yes | Not listed | Not listed |
| Boutique | Not listed | Yes | Not listed | Not listed |
| Private jacuzzi in room | Not listed | Yes | Not listed | Yes |
| Spa | Not listed | Yes | Not listed | Not listed |
| Team favourite | Not listed | Not listed | Yes | Not listed |
| Check availability | See hotel | See hotel | See hotel |
Where it is
Your Costa Rican driver waits at arrivals and stops whenever you like on the way: fruit stands, a sloth in a tree, a bathroom.
If this hotel is full, we would look at
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