Costa Rica - Hilltop Retreat in El Castillo
Discovering our retreat in El Castillo on Sunday night was exciting. The steep cobblestone road lined with tropical flowers was one of the coolest parts of our new hilltop home.
We never saw the top of the Volcano during our three days in Arenal, as it was constantly shrouded in clouds. But it was still a beautiful view.
The home looked better than the pictures. A cabin-like living room and kitchen and four bedrooms with a queen and twin in each. The home sat on the edge of the hill with a wrap around balcony and private entries to each of the bedrooms. We also enjoyed a pool, hot tub and outdoor BBQ and covered table area with two other cottages on the hill.
Our home’s special feature was an octagonal shaped bungalow, an adorable bedroom with tiny bathroom down the curved rock stairs. Windows showed the view in every direction including the Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal. It was a hit with the kids during the tour and everyone laid claim but Chris and I were the lucky ones to enjoy it.
Chris and I stayed in the unique octagonal bungalow with private bathroom and gorgeous tropical views in all directions.
Walkway to our Bungalow on the side of the house.
After a walk around the property and down to Howlers to quickly check on the score of the super bowl, we gathered in the living room for charades, game highlights, best commercials of the super bowl and several games of Tiny Towns.
As we got ready for bed I commented to Chris that our cozy bungalow made me feel like I was camping. We could clearly hear insects, raindrops and wind. I lay focused on the sounds and unable to fall asleep. 15 minutes… 45 minutes… and then an hour and a half. When I finally dozed off a rude tropical bird perched right outside our bungalow and started chirping ‘Whirllll, whirlll’ loud and without missing a beat. I eventually rattled the shades to see if that would move him. Then Chris got up and tried to shoo him away which worked but we could eventually hear him as he settled in a distant tree. We heard that Jon also shooed him away through the night. We also woke to a bothered cow mooing his complaints. I slept best during the early hours was was glad to see the sun at 7:00am and remembered how much I dislike the ‘not sleeping’ part of camping.