Celeste Mountain Lodge

Celeste Mountain Lodge, between two volcanoes at Bijagua

Celeste Mountain Lodge is a modern, architect-built lodge in Bijagua, Alajuela, surrounded on three sides by rainforest and looking out between the Tenorio and Miravalles volcanoes. It sits close to Tenorio Volcano National Park and the blue water of Río Celeste. It suits couples and nature lovers who care about design, good food and a lodge run on responsible tourism.

Why we choose it

• The view from every room. All the rooms face southwest over two volcanoes, the rainforest and the valley, so nobody gets the back of the building.
• A tasting menu in the forest. The restaurant serves a tasting menu with panoramic views, unusual this far into the countryside.
• A private trail. The lodge has its own 2 km trail through primary forest, good for birds, toucans and monkeys before breakfast.

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Rooms and views

The rooms are all in one two-floor building, each 27 m2 and each facing the same view: southwest across the rainforest and the valley to the volcanoes. Beds come in three layouts, a queen or king, a queen plus a single or three singles, or two double beds, which makes it easy for couples, friends or a small family.

The design mixes modern lines with rustic materials, and wide windows bring the forest into the room. There is an accessible room with an adapted bathroom.

On the property

The restaurant is the heart of the lodge, serving a tasting menu of new Costa Rican cooking with panoramic views across the valley. The bar opens onto a panoramic terrace for a drink as the light goes.

Outside, the gardens give way to the forest and the lodge's private 2 km primary-forest trail, where toucans are seen most days and tapirs live in the wider forest. There is fibre Wi-Fi if you need to stay in touch.

The lodge was built with responsible tourism in mind, with solar heated water and salvaged or plantation wood, and it makes a calm base for the hike to the Río Celeste waterfall, a volcano trail or rafting nearby.

Location and getting there

Bijagua is on the road between Liberia and the Northern Zone, so the lodge works as a stop between the Guanacaste beaches and Arenal. The lodge is close to the Tenorio Volcano National Park and the Río Celeste trail, and we arrange the transfer and guides. See more about Río Celeste.

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