Rio Perdido in Guanacaste, Costa Rica is a luxury hotel and spa for people who want a place to stay that’s equal parts relaxation and activity. Although it’s located within an hour of Liberia, it’s still super secluded. However, don’t take that seclusion to mean that you’ll be bored there, because that’s essentially impossible.
Rio Perdido translates to ‘Lost River‘ and it has that name because of the landscape that surrounds this area. There are some deep canyons surrounding this resort, but the forest that has grown up so much it essentially hides those canyons, concealing the river as well. When you get down into the canyon, though, you discover all the beauty that this area has to offer.
About the Rooms at Rio Perdido – Guanacaste
All of the rooms at Rio Perdido are bungalow style. Each one is a separate, individual concrete building which means that you’re sure to enjoy a secluded, peaceful stay. There are three different levels of bungalows: East Bungalows, Center Queen Bungalows and Center King Bungalows. All of the bungalows are in the forest and are connected to each other along with the big common area by concrete walking paths. The paths are lit, but definitely bring a flashlight or phone with you if you’re walking back after sundown. Another luxury of being in the forest is that you’ll see birds and even howler monkeys from your wide windows in your room.
Because your bungalows are in their own little private section, be sure to take advantage of the natural light throughout the day or even sit out on your balcony if you’re looking for some down time. Each balcony has at least one hammock to enjoy.
Activities at Rio Perdido – Guanacaste
There are all kinds of activities you can take part in at Rio Perdido. Some are included in your stay and others have an additional fee. These activities include canyoning, white water tubing, yoga, spa packages, hiking and mountain biking. Rio Perdido sits on the edge of a dwarf forest and they’ve cultivated around 20 miles of trails to explore and enjoy. I love that you can hike these trails completely on your own or even take a guided hike, so you have someone to lead you and show off the wildlife you may have totally missed otherwise. In addition to a wide range of activities there is an indoor restaurant with full bar as well as a swim-up bar with snacks during the day as well.
Our Experience at Rio Perdido
Our stay at Rio Perdido was in the East Bungalows. These are the simplest of the accommodations but don’t take that to mean that they’re not nice. Our room had two twin sized beds, a corner seating space and a small work space. The WiFi in the room was strong and we enjoyed the little surprise delivered to the door each night with turn-down service.
Each room comes with complimentary breakfast, which is served in the main common area. They have a variety of foods sure to fit anyone’s desires. Cereal, fresh fruit, eggs, rice + beans and more. Plus, coffee, juice and water is provided as well! We stayed two nights and had all of our meals on site. The dinners were fabulous and the service was superb. The bartenders even crafted a funky version of a gin and tonic just for us. Lunches were good, but options were much more limited at that time of day. We had one lunch in the restaurant and then ordered snacks off the swim up bar menu as well. The smoothies there were a great addition to our lunch.
As far as activities go, we truly packed so much into our two days at Rio Perdido. We started each morning off with the free yoga class that was offered. I loved this class because it was outside on raised platforms just off of the trails that run through the property. The classes were definitely challenging, but in the best way. The instructor was so wonderful and I would highly recommend this experience to anyone staying there, especially since it’s included in your stay!
We also partook in the white-water tubing. This was an activity I was apprehensive of trying. Not because I don’t love the outdoors and adventure activities, but because I have some pretty major wildlife phobias. I knew that caimans and crocodiles lived in Costa Rica, but was very unsure of where exactly they’re located. So, basically, the men here promised me over and over that there were no crocodiles here. I’m so glad they told me that because this was such a fun experience. White-water tubing was very unique. Instead of paddling your way down a river as a group in a raft (like I had done in Washington), we were in individual tubes going down the river. We had two guides and they gave instructions beforehand and often caught up with us to help push us off rocks if we got stuck. And, there were ropes along the river that we were told to grab onto to wait for everyone to catch up. Then they would send us down larger rapids, one at a time, to ensure we get through safely. It was an absolute blast!
The other major outdoor activity we did was explore their hiking trails on site. The trails were pretty and all through the forest. One trail takes you over a decently-long hanging bridge that’s so fun to jump up and down on. Some trails lead to springs, others to wet-water falls and the most popular trails lead down to the geothermal river. The river that cuts below the property is naturally warmed by the nearby volcano. The pools, which are just natural collections of water, not concrete pools, where you can soak are labeled based upon their temperatures. At these pools, you’ll find pegs to hang your towels and covers, benches and the mud at the rivers makes a great mask to cake on your body while you soak.
In addition to these all-natural geothermal pools, there are some luxury style pools all around the common area. We spent a morning relaxing in these. Some have waterfall walls that you can sit under as a little mini-massage. They also have a spa on site that we didn’t partake in, but it’s definitely on my list for if I get to come back and stay here again!
Rio Perdido’s Focus on Sustainability
Sustainability is a focus at Rio Perdido. This is shown in the design of the buildings here. They tried to use up as little of their land as possible, using only 1% of it! They’ve taken all the domesticated animals out of the area and stopped deforestation. This is helping the natural surroundings assume the look + feel that the land once had. In addition to being environmentally sustainable, they’re also focusing on employing locals from the region. The vast majority of their employees are from the nearby town of Bagaces.
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